AP Spotlight WELLNESS Olympic figure skaters offer wellness tips for weekend athletes. 'Hard ice always wins' STEPHEN WADE Associated Press Feb 22, 2026 Feb 22, 2026 Updated Mar 10, 2026 0 × USA Today - Vertical USAT's Jordan Mendoza breaks down Ilia Malinin's last free skate, and what Malinin himself said about the pressure on him. Facebook Twitter Bluesky WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save The figure skaters at the Winter Olympics make it look easy; sheer elegance on hard ice.kAmqFE 6=:E6 D<2E6CD 2=D@ 7:89E :?;FC:6D[ >F49 =:<6 E96 C6DE @7 FD H9@ H@C< @FE[ 8@ E@ E96 8J> @C DH:> E@ DE2J 7:E]k^AmkAmQ}@ 2E9=6E6 2E E9:D =6G6= :D `__T 7F==J 962=E9J[Q vC6E496? |@9?6J[ E96 5:C64E@C @7 >65:42= 2?5 A6C7@C>2?46 D6CG:46D 7@C &]$] u:8FC6 $<2E:?8[ E@=5 %96 pDD@4:2E65 !C6DD 7C@> |:=2?] QxEVD 23@FE >2?28:?8 H92E6G6C :E :D E92E >2J 36 3C62<:?8 5@H?]Qk^Am Aleksandr Selevko of Estonia competes during the men's figure skating short program on Feb. 10 at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy. Christophe Ena, Associated Press kAm%96 <6J 7@C ~=J>A:4 D<2E6CD :D 86EE:?8 BF:4< EC62E>6?E] x7 2 <?66 DH6==D[ E96 324< 2496D @C 2 D92CA 3=256 =62G6D 2 82D9[ 7:8FC6 D<2E6CD 2E E96 ~=J>A:4D 92G6 A9JD:4:2?D[ 2E9=6E:4 EC2:?6CD 2?5 A9JD:42= E96C2A:DED E@ 96=A]k^Am People are also reading… Key moments from Iowa State's win against Tennessee State in NCAA Tournament Former reality TV star Jessie Holmes repeats as champion of the grueling Iditarod sled dog race Otzelberger says ISU's Jefferson, second-team All-American, deserved more TV, time, ticket info for Iowa State in NCAA Tournament Iowa State bracket projections split between No. 2, No. 3 seeds before selection show When stock markets get shaken, it can pay for investors to be patient Review: Great ending saves ‘Reminders of Him’ Positive injury news for Iowa State's Tamin Lipsey ahead of NCAA Tournament 4 reasons why Iowa State will or won't make a run in NCAA Tournament World Happiness Report highlights social media's negative impact, ranks Finland as happiest Chuck Norris, martial arts master and actor whose toughness became internet lore, dies at 86 ABC cancels 'Bachelorette' season with Taylor Frankie Paul amid domestic violence investigation Pablo Castelblanco finds a happy place on Reba McEntire’s series Iowa State men’s basketball to play Tennessee State in NCAA Tournament, seed, bracket info revealed Top counterterrorism official resigns over Trump's Iran war, says Iran posed no imminent threat kAm|@9?6J[ H9@ 9@=5D 2 5@4E@C2E6 :? :?E6C5:D4:A=:?2CJ 962=E9 D4:6?46D[ =:DE65 D6G6C2= C65 7=28D E92E D<2E6CD 2?5 DE277 H2E49 7@C[ 2?5 H6==?6DD E:AD 7@C H66<6?5 2E9=6E6D]k^Amk9am$@>6 H2C?:?8 7=28Dk^9amkAmkDEC@?8m`] %C62E 24FE6 :?;FC:6D :>>65:2E6=J]k^DEC@?8m Q#64@8?:K:?8 2?5 C6DA@?5:?8 E@ 24FE6 :?;FCJ :D 9F86 2?5 H92E H6 2C6 8@:?8 E@ 5@ 23@FE :E G6CDFD :8?@C:?8 :E[ 3642FD6 :E FDF2==J 86ED H@CD6[Q |@9?6J D2:5] Q*@F 92G6 E@ 86E C:5 @7 E96 @=5\D49@@= A9:=@D@A9J @7 ;FDE DF4< :E FA 2?5 5@?VE 5@ 2?JE9:?8 23@FE :E]Qk^Am kAmkDEC@?8ma] %C62E>6?E @7 49C@?:4 :?;FC:6D]k^DEC@?8m t=:E6 7:8FC6 D<2E6CD 42?VE E2<6 D:I H66<D @77[ 2?5 2E E96 ~=J>A:4D[ :EVD A6C7@C> ?@H @C ?6G6C] Q(6 5@?VE D2J C6DE 7@C EH@ H66<D[ H6 D2J =6EVD 86E J@F E@ A6C7@C> 2D D276=J 2D A@DD:3=6 … H:E9@FE 42FD:?8 7FCE96C :?;FCJ[Q |@9?6J D2:5] $@>6 :?E6CG6?E:@?D 2C6 D:>A=6[ =:<6 255:?8 A255:?8 E@ E96 766E E@ @77D6E D>2== 7C:4E:@? :?D:56 E96 D<2E6]k^Am kAmkDEC@?8mb] {@DD @7 >@3:=:EJ 2?5 4@>A6?D2E:@?] $EC6E49:?8 2?5 H2C>FAD 2C6 4C:E:42=]k^DEC@?8m Q(96? 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Ashley Landis, Associated Press k9amV%96 92C5 :46 2=H2JD H:?DVk^9am kAmsC] uC65 (@C<>2? 92D 366? 2 E62> A9JD:4:2? 7@C &]$] u:8FC6 $<2E:?8 7@C ad J62CD[ 2?5 =2E6=J 96VD EC62E:?8 >@C6 4@?4FDD:@?D] %9:D >:89E DFCAC:D6 D@>6 H9@ D66 @?=J E96 6=682?46[ 3FE 7:8FC6 D<2E:?8 92D 366? AFD9:?8 E96 =:>:ED @7 A6C7@C>2?46[ 2?5 E96C6VD 72==@FE]k^Am kAm~E96C 7C6BF6?E :?;FC:6D :?4=F56 =246C2E:@?D 7C@> <?:76\6586 D<2E6D[ @C 9:A[ <?66[ 2?<=6 2?5 7@@E :?;FC:6D — 2?5 D9@F=56C :?;FC:6D 7@C >6? =:7E:?8 A2CE?6CD @G6C9625 :? E96 A2:CD 6G6?E]k^AmkAmQ%96JVC6 5@:?8 @G6C9625 =:7ED[ DA:??:?8 2C@F?5 @? E96 :46 — 2?5 D>:=:?8[Q (@C<>2? D2:5] Q$<2E6CD 2C6 5@:?8 >F49 >@C6 56>2?5:?8 2?5 288C6DD:G6 — C:D<J :7 J@F H:== — >2?6FG6CD] %96 92C5 :46 2=H2JD H:?D] (96? J@F 72== @? E96 :46[ D@>6E9:?8 :D 8@:?8 E@ 8:G6]Qk^Am kAm!2CE @7 (@C<>2?VD ;@3 :D 5:28?@D:D 2?5 EC62E>6?E] %96 @E96C :D 2 9@=:DE:4 2AAC@249 E@ 8F:5:?8 J@F?8 2E9=6E6D] %9:D 2=D@ :?4=F56D >2?28:?8 DEC6DD 2?5 >6?E2= 962=E9]k^Am kAmQ{:76 5@6D?VE 2=H2JD 8@ J@FC H2J[Q (@C<>2? D2:5] Q(6VC6 :? 2 ;F5865 DA@CE] *@F >2J ?@E 2=H2JD 86E E96 D4@C6D J@F E9:?< J@F 56D6CG6] qFE 9@H 5@ J@F 92?5=6 :En *@F 92G6 E@ 86E J@FCD6=7 >6?E2==J 7@4FD65 2?5 36 C625J E@ A6C7@C>]Qk^Am Ilia Malinin of the United States falls during the men's free skate program. Natacha Pisarenko, Associated Press kAmx=:2 |2=:?:?VD EH@ 72==D =2DE H66< :? |:=2? C6>:?5 @7 E96 AC6DDFC6 6=:E6 D<2E6CD 7246] |2=:?:? 56D4C:365 766=:?8 @G6CH96=>65] Qx ;FDE 76=E =:<6 x 925 ?@ 4@?EC@=[Q 96 D2:5]k^AmkAmpH2J 7C@> 4@>A6E:E:@?[ (@C<>2? 2D<D D<2E6CD E@ 255 G2C:6EJ E@ E96:C EC2:?:?8 — 2?5 E@ E96:C =:76]k^Am kAmQ}@E @?=J 4C@DD\EC2:? :? 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E96 E62> 6G6?E]k^Am Canada's Deanna Stellato-Dudek falls on the ice as partner Maxime Deschamps looks on during the pairs short program. Bernat Armangue, Associated Press kAmQ(6 ;FDE H2?E65 E@ <:?5 @7 8:G6 :E @FC 2==[ 2?5 x 766= =:<6 E92EVD A2CE @7 E96 C62D@? H9J s2??J 2?5 x 92G6 366? 23=6 E@ H@C< E9C@F89 D@ >F49 @7 H92E A6@A=6 H@F=5 D66 2D @3DE24=6D[Q z2> D2:5] Qx E9:?< :? E96 @3DE24=6D H6 7@F?5 2 H2J E@ 4@??64E 36EE6C 2?5 36 2 DEC@?86C E62>]Qk^Am kAms62??2 $E6==2E@\sF56<[ 2? p>6C:42?\3@C? r2?25:2? A2:CD D<2E6C 2E E96 ~=J>A:4D[ 9:E 96C 9625 @? E96 :46 :? 2 EC2:?:?8 D6DD:@? @? y2?] b_] %96 ca\J62C\@=5 $E6==2E@\sF56< 2?5 A2CE?6C |2I:>6 s6D492>AD 925 E@ H:E95C2H 7C@> E96 E62> 6G6?E 5FC:?8 E96 7:CDE H66< @7 E96 ~=J>A:4D]k^Am kAmQ*@F 92G6 E@ E2<6 6IEC6>6=J DA64:7:4 42C6 @7 J@FC 3@5J[Q D96 E@=5 %96 p!] Qx 5@?VE D>@<6[ x 5@?VE 5C:?<[ xV> 6IEC6>6=J 962=E9J] p?5 x 5@ E9:?< 36:?8 23=6 E@ EC62E >J 3@5J =:<6 E92E 7@C E96 =2DE 564256 92D 96=A65 >6 E@ 962= G6CJ BF:4<=J]Qk^Am kAmk6>mp! DA@CEDHC:E6C s2G6 $<C6EE2 4@?EC:3FE65 7C@> |:=2?]k^6>mk^Am 0 Comments Related to this story Olympians Liu and Gu travel very different paths, and China-US relations hang over their stories It is as captivating as it is divisive: the tale of two Chinese American athletic geniuses who have so much in common but make such different choices. Why the Olympic pressure can be too much, even for Ilia Malinin USAT's Jordan Mendoza breaks down Ilia Malinin's last free skate, and what Malinin himself said about the pressure on him. 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Olympians Liu and Gu travel very different paths, and China-US relations hang over their stories It is as captivating as it is divisive: the tale of two Chinese American athletic geniuses who have so much in common but make such different choices.
Why the Olympic pressure can be too much, even for Ilia Malinin USAT's Jordan Mendoza breaks down Ilia Malinin's last free skate, and what Malinin himself said about the pressure on him.
