How Ilia Malinin and Team U.S.A. Held Off Japan to Win Gold Medal

New York Times - WorldCenter-LeftEN 2 min read 100% complete by Victor Mather and Vincent AlbanFebruary 8, 2026 at 11:55 PM

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At the 2026 Winter Olympics, Team U.S.A. secured the gold medal in the figure skating team event, narrowly defeating Japan. The competition, held on Sunday, February 8, 2026, came down to the final men's skate. With the United States and Japan tied, Ilia Malinin, despite a minor error and omitting the quad axel, performed a difficult program that outscored Japan's Shun Sato. Earlier in the competition, the American pairs team of Ellie Kam and Danny O'Shea placed fourth, while Amber Glenn finished third in the women's event behind Japan's Kaori Sakamoto. Malinin's performance ultimately clinched the victory for the United States.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Matteo Rizzo 30% Italy 30% Danny O'Shea 50% Ellie Kam 50% Yuma Kagiyama 50% Amber Glenn 60% Kaori Sakamoto 60% Shun Sato ×260% Team U.S.A. 80% Japan ×680% United States ×685% Ilia Malinin ×590%

Keywords

figure skating 100% ilia malinin 90% gold medal 90% team event 80% united states 80% japan 70% quad axel 70% quad jumps 60% shun sato 50% free skate 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Very Positive

Score: 0.70

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Source

New York Times - World

Political Lean

Center-Left (-0.30)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

Geographic Perspective

United States

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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figure skating ilia malinin gold medal team event united states japan quad axel quad jumps shun sato free skate

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