Simone Biles Breaks Her Silence After Ilia Malinin’s Stunning Olympic Falls and Her Quiet Support Behind the Scenes Reveals Her True Character

Simone Biles Speaks Out After Ilia Malinin’s Shocking Olympic Falls and What She Did Behind the Scenes Says Everything

In a moment that underscored both compassion and lived experience, Olympic gymnastics legend Simone Biles has spoken out about fellow U.S. athlete Ilia Malinin’s unexpected struggles during the individual figure skating competition at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina. Malinin, widely known as the “Quad God,” entered the Games as a favorite for gold but saw his medal hopes dashed after two uncharacteristic falls in the free skate, resulting in an eighth-place finish that stunned fans and rivals alike.

While the world watched in shock as Malinin’s performance unraveled, Biles offered a response steeped in empathy, drawing directly from her own history with Olympic pressure. During the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Biles experienced her own high-profile setback when she struggled with the twisties — a mental block that forced her to withdraw from multiple events despite being the overwhelming favorite.

Appearing on the Today show in Milan shortly after Malinin’s performance, Biles revealed that she had reached out to the young skater privately, sending supportive messages via social media and speaking with him in person. Though she kept the contents of their conversation confidential, her intent was clear: to validate his experience and reassure him that one difficult day does not define an athlete’s legacy. “I’ve definitely had a chance to bump into him,” Biles said. “I’ve sent him messages on Instagram as well … because I know what he’s going through,” she explained, adding that Malinin’s journey mirrors challenges she herself had faced under the Olympic spotlight.

“Honestly, it’s not a pleasant feeling,” Malinin admitted, when asked about having all eyes on him at this Olympics. “The most honest way to say it is just a lot on you, so many eyes, so much attention not only from people, or fans, media, it’s just so much and it really can get to you if you’re not ready to fully embrace it.”

Biles’ gesture went beyond public sympathy. Behind the scenes, she adopted what she described as a “protection mode” — consciously offering encouragement to a fellow competitor who, like her, had experienced the crushing weight of expectation on sport’s biggest stage. Her support wasn’t performative; rather, it came from lived understanding of how psychological pressure can affect performance and self-perception.

He added, “I think that might be one of the mistakes I made going into that free skate was I was not ready to handle that to a full extent, so I think looking back at that, now I’ll be able to kind of understand how that feels so I’ll be able to take a full approach leading up to the next games hopefully.”

Their interaction in Milan also revealed a lighter, more human side to elite athletes often defined by medals and scores. After their interviews, Biles and Malinin shared a friendly exchange about their respective sports, joking about teaching each other signature moves, a moment that struck a chord with viewers and highlighted the genuine bond that can form between competitors who share the Olympic experience.

As Malinin processes the disappointment of a result that fell far short of expectations, Biles’ behind-the-scenes encouragement has become one of the defining stories emerging from the Games. Her actions remind the world that even the greatest athletes are vulnerable — and that support from peers who truly understand the mental and emotional stakes can be as meaningful as any medal.