.jpg)
1 hour ago
3
Turns out the "Quad God" is able to err like a human being. Ilia Malinin, who was the heavy favorite to win gold in the men's singles figure skating competition in the 2026 Winter Olympics, fell to finish eighth. Malinin failing to get on the podium for a medal in Milan will go down as one of the worst moments in U.S Olympic history.
Malinin tops some of the other most hyped past U.S. Olympians, both in the Winter and Summer Games. Here's a look at the biggest American disappointments on the world's biggest athletic stage:
12 biggest disappointments in U.S. Olympic history
Ilia Malinin, The Quad God (men's figure skating, 2026 Winter Olympics)
Malinin wasn't a total flop, helping the U.S. win gold in the team event early in the Winter Games, but for someone with a nickname suggesting immortal status, failing to land a quadruple lutz and then taking another spill soon after was shocking. While Kazakhstan's Mikhail Shaidorov took home the gold, Malinin's shaky performance dropped him well off medal contention after dominating in the short program.
MORE: Every mistake that cost Ilia Malinin an Olympic medal
"The Nightmare Team"(men's basketball, Athens 2004)
With Larry Brown coaching and LeBron James, Allen Iverson, Dwyane Wade, Tim Duncan and Carmelo Anthony among the stars young and old on the roster, this transitional team was doomed from its first game, a blowout loss to Puerto Rico. They went 5-3, losing also to Lithuania and Argentina before settling for a stunning bronze in a rematch with the former.
Dan Jansen (speed skating, Sarajevo 1984, Calgary 1988 & Albertville 1992)
Jansen, a record-setting and world champion sprinter, went one-for-seven in trying to medal over four Winter Games appearances. He was a big-time favorite in the 500-meter and 1000-meter events in Calgary in his second Olympics, but the tragedy of his sister dying young from leukemia while preparing for his races was a tough backdrop. He ended up falling in both events. He stayed active through the 1994 Lillehammer Olympics to finally win a gold in the 1,000.
MORE: Jordan Stolz's updated results, medal count from 2026 Olympics events
All of Team USA (every sport, Calgary 1988)
Besides the alliterative superstar power of Brian Boitano (figure skating) and Bonnie Blair (speed skating), who combined for two golds and a bronze, the U.S. ended up with only six total medals, the lowest total in 52 years.
Dan O'Brien vs. Dave Johnson (decathlon, Barcelona 1992)
O'Brien vs. Johnson was supposed to be the greatest U.S. gold-medal duel of all-time, according to Reebok. Instead, O'Brien didn't even qualify to make the team and Johnson, despite having his biggest world rival out of the way, eked out only the bronze medal.
Mikaela Shiffrin (downhill skiing, Beijing 2022)
Shiffrin, the GOAT of World Cup wins in her sport with dominant victories and earnings, was going for her third gold to add to victories in Sochi and PyeongChang the previous two Olympics. But the slalom superstar didn't medal in her six individual events in China before disappointing in her half of the alpine team combined in Milan, keeping her and Breezy Johnson off the podium.
MORE: Mikaela Shiffrin's updated results, medal count from 2026 Olympics events
Mary Decker (long distance running, Los Angeles 1984)
Decker was supposed to win the 3000-meter gold medal on home soil, only to be involved in a collision with Great Britain's Zola Budd that took her out of contention. Decker then went on to throw Budd under the bus and wrongly blaming her for the failure. She also disappointed again in the 1988 Seoul Olympics with no medals before not making the team for 1992 in Barcelona. In 1996, after qualifying for Atlanta at age 37, Decker failed a testosterone urine test and was eliminated in 5000-meter preliminary heats.
Bode Miller (downhill skiing, Turin 2006)
Miller was expected to be the U.S. star of 2006 Turin Games and was hoping to win medals in all five of his alpine events. He came up empty during his World Cup prime and seem a little too chill about it. He saved face by winning a downhill combined gold at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.
Marion Jones (track and field, Sydney 2000 & Athens 2004)
The former North Carolina basketball star was able to dominate the 2000 games with her five gold medals (100 meters, 200 meters, long jump, 4x100m relay, 4x400m relay), only to be stripped of all of them after admitting to using performance-enhancing drugs. She tried a comeback to redeem herself and the next Summer Games after a strong 2001 World Championships, but didn't medal in the long jump or the 4x100m relay.
Ryan Lochte (swimming, Rio De Janeiro 2016)
Lochte won a relay gold as part of his 12 overall career medals at the 2016 Rio Games, but his fifth-place finish as a favorite in 200-meter individual medley wasn't even the most disgraceful feat. He made up an elaborate story about him and two other U.S. swimmers being robbed at a Rio gas station, only to be discovered that Lochte instead encountered security guards responding to reports of public urination. He perpetuated the "ugly American" stereotype and paid the price with sponsorships and a suspension from the U.S. Olympic committee.
Lolo Jones (track and field, Beijing 2008 & London 2012)
Jones was an elite world champion hurdler and was a big favorite to take home gold in the 100-meter hurdles in '08, only to hit the penultimate hurdle, stumble and fall into a seventh-place finish, well behind gold-winning teammate Dawn Harper. In '12, Jones advanced to the finals again looking for a redemptive medal, but she finished just out of bronze position and a spot on the podium with a fourth-place finish.
"Stars and Stripes" Stumbles (women's soccer, Rio De Janeiro 2016)
USWNT, led by all-time great stars such as Carli Lloyd, Alex Morgan, Julie Johnston (later Ertz) and Hope Solo, won Group G ahead of France and advanced to the quarterfinals as the solid favorite to take gold under coach Jill Ellis. Unfortunately, the U.S. lost 4-3 in penalty kicks to eventual silver medalist Sweden after a surprising 1-1 tie in its first knockout stage contest. The sixth-place medal-less finish was a huge disappointment.
English (US)