Ilia Malinin leads the men’s singles short program at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics with 108.16 points, ahead of Yuma Kagiyama and Adam Siao Him Fa, as top 20 skaters advance to the free skating round in Milan.
Milan, Italy: The men’s singles figure skating event at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics has begun, bringing together 29 top skaters from around the world. The competition is being held at the Milano Ice Skating Arena, where athletes are competing for Olympic medals by combining strong technical skills with artistic performance.
The event has two parts: the short program, which was held on February 10, 2026, and the free skating, which will take place on February 13, 2026. The final results will be decided by adding together the scores from both programs. Only the top 20 skaters from the short program move on to the free skating round.
Short Program Results and Highlights
American skater Ilia Malinin delivered an impressive performance in the short program and finished first with 108.16 points. Skating to “Dies Irae” and “The Lost Crown,” he successfully performed a quad flip (14.77 points), a triple Axel (9.60 points), and a quad Lutz–triple toe loop combination (22.03 points). He also earned high marks for his spins and step sequences. His total included 62.35 points for technical elements and 45.81 points for program components. The crowd responded with a standing ovation.
Malinin is a two-time world champion and the only skater to have landed a quadruple Axel in competition.
Japan’s Yuma Kagiyama, who won silver at the 2022 Olympics, placed second with 103.07 points. Although his program was strong, he scored more than five points behind Malinin. One key difference was in the triple Axel, where Kagiyama received 4.16 points compared to Malinin’s 9.60.
France’s Adam Siao Him Fa finished third with 102.55 points. He earned 57.27 points for technical elements.
Italy’s Daniel Grassl placed fourth with 93.46 points and received strong support from the home crowd. His technical score was 52.73.
The rest of the top 10 standings after the short program are:
- Ilia Malinin (USA) – 108.16
- Yuma Kagiyama (Japan) – 103.07
- Adam Siao Him Fa (France) – 102.55
- Daniel Grassl (Italy) – 93.46
- Mikhail Shaidorov (Kazakhstan) – 92.94
- Junhwan Cha (South Korea) – 92.72
- Kévin Aymoz (France) – 92.64
- Andrew Torgashev (USA) – 88.94
- Shun Sato (Japan) – 88.70
- Stephen Gogolev (Canada) – 87.41
Other notable performances included China’s Boyang Jin, who scored 86.55 points to finish 13th, and Latvia’s Deniss Vasiljevs, who scored 82.44 points and placed 17th. The top 20 skaters qualified for the free skating segment.
Key Contenders
Ilia Malinin entered the Olympics as one of the main favorites. He is a four-time U.S. national champion and made history at the 2025 Grand Prix Final by landing seven quadruple jumps in one program. Earlier at these Games, he helped the United States win gold in the team event by skating in the free program.
Yuma Kagiyama is competing in his second Olympic Games after winning silver in Beijing in 2022. Adam Siao Him Fa and Daniel Grassl are also strong medal contenders.
The retirement of 2022 Olympic champion Nathan Chen has opened the door for a new Olympic gold medalist in men’s singles skating.
No Major Issues in the Men’s Event
Unlike the ice dance competition, which saw some judging disagreements involving French and American teams, the men’s singles event has moved forward without major controversy. There were some broader music licensing concerns in figure skating events. Spain’s Tomàs Guarino Sabaté faced copyright difficulties with a “Minions” medley, highlighting music rights challenges at the Olympics. However, no specific problems were reported in the men’s short program.
Free Skating Schedule
The free skating will take place on February 13, 2026, at 19:00 local time (CET) at the Milano Ice Skating Arena. Skaters will perform in reverse order of their short program rankings, meaning Malinin will skate last. This segment allows for more difficult elements and longer performances. The combined scores from both rounds will determine the final medal standings.
The men’s figure skating event at the 2026 Winter Olympics is set for an exciting finish as the top skaters prepare for the final round.