Alysa Liu was given another chance to enjoy performing on the Olympic ice where she previously secured two gold medals. Ilia Malinin, meanwhile, had the opportunity to transform some frustrating past experiences into far more positive recollections.
These two American athletes were part of over 40 Olympic figure skaters participating in the customary exhibition gala held on Saturday evening. This event traditionally concludes the competition while also honoring the sport as a whole.
Malinin’s performance was set to “Fear” by American rapper NF, a routine he had hinted at in a social media update earlier in the week. In that post, he had alluded to the “unavoidable breakdown” that can occur when individuals face extreme pressure.
The 21-year-old, instrumental in securing team gold for the US, was widely anticipated to also claim the men’s individual gold, particularly after an impressive short program. However, Malinin performed poorly in his free skate last Friday, missing out on a podium finish entirely. He subsequently admitted that the immense pressure had led to his faltering performance.
“Fear” is an intense track addressing mental health challenges and the sensation of losing command. During his Saturday performance, Malinin, clad in a grey hoodie and distressed jeans, mimed scrolling on his phone. He recoiled from simulated camera flashes, knelt and covered his head with his hood, and gestured to repel harsh sounds symbolizing social media backlash.
He furthermore demonstrated his undeniable skill. He executed a quadruple jump, followed by his signature backflip, landing on one foot, which brought the audience to its feet, erupting in cheers that conveyed both admiration for his ability and recognition of the burden he had borne. For a dramatic conclusion, he simulated putting on headphones, instantly creating silence.
Following tradition, the gold medalists concluded the program. Mikhail Shaidorov of Kazakhstan, the men’s gold medalist, delivered a cheerful performance while dressed as Kung-Fu Panda.
Liu was the final performer. The 20-year-old Californian, who had felt such exhaustion from skating after the 2022 Beijing Games that she had quit the sport, made an extraordinary return, securing both team and individual gold medals. On Saturday, she presented an uplifting routine to “Stateside” by Zara Larsson and PinkPantheress
The event commenced with a performance by former Italian figure skater Carolina Kostner, a bronze medalist from the 2014 Winter Games. She executed a duet alongside a 3D projection, intended to illustrate the athlete’s progression from their initial engagement with the sport, to the stage where “talent becomes integral, uniting with the skater,” enabling them to “extract its fullest potential.”
Amber Glenn, who contributed to the US retaining its Olympic team gold, skated to Lady Gaga’s “That’s Life.” The song’s words were exceptionally apt for the three-time and current national champion, as she recovered from a significant error in her short program that jeopardized her chances for an individual medal, by then delivering one of the finest free skates of her career.