Simone Biles is offering words of support to Ilia Malinin following a difficult Olympic moment.
Malinin endured a disappointing outing in the men's figure skating final on Feb. 13 at the 2026 Winter Olympics. The Team USA favorite, also known as the self-proclaimed "Quad God," fell twice during his free skate program and bailed out of several elements, finishing eighth overall and becoming visibly emotional afterward.
Biles knows that kind of setback firsthand. At the 2020 Tokyo Games, the gymnast withdrew from the team competition after experiencing "the twisties," a phenomenon in which gymnasts lose their spatial awareness and often feel disconnected with their bodies during their routines, leaving them at risk of injury.
Drawing from her experience, Biles revealed during an interview with "Today" that she reached out to Malinin privately following his eighth place finish to offer support and perspective on how to move forward.
"I've definitely had a chance to bump into him," she said. "I've sent him messages on Instagram as well, obviously, it's all been private, because I know what he's going through, and I know most athletes might not be able to relate, and it's really, really hard to watch."
Despite his disappointment, Biles said she believes Malinin will bounce back, calling him an "absolute legend."
"We're all just cheering for him," she said.
Earlier on "Today," Malinin spoke about the pressure he felt heading into Friday's event as a frontrunner, having finished at the top of the field following his short program on Feb. 10.
"Honestly, it's not a pleasant feeling," he said of having the spotlight on him. "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."
He added that he wasn't fully prepared for that pressure going into the free skate, but said the experience has given him perspective moving forward.
