Falls Church-area native, nearby Marshall High graduate and 21-year-old global Olympic figure skating superstar Ilia Malinin “blew it,” in his words, in front of a wide eyed and highly anticipating global TV audience at the men’s free skate finals in Milan last weekend, In a shocker, he went from odds-on overwhelming favorite to win as the brightest light of the century in his sport to a stunning eighth-place finish with a sputtering, error-rittled performance.
Nonetheless, he came away with the gold, the best of the best in the Renaissance “golden soul” department.
Maliinin’s gracious,genuine, smiling and extended embrace of congratulations extended to the young man who won in his place, coming only seconds after his crushing defeat, stands as one of the highlight moments in all sport, in all human endeavors, for that matter, that will be remembered for those who saw it far after almost all else is forgotten.
It was as unexpected as Malinin’s bad day on the ice. With most viewers still in a state of shock from the performance, most probably barely registered it. But it could even be called downright subversive.
Not lost in this, either, is the tempering spirit that now defines the sport in the wake of the incredibly tragic plane crash that took the lives of so many future stars and their family members barely a year ago, manifested in the Olympic performance of Maxim Naumov, whose parents were lost then. Life and the aspirations of the entire small, close knit world of figure skating was put into a greater perspective.
Malinin’s grace in the face of loss last weekend showed the world the depths of this young man’s ability and ease to tap into his humanity far beyond the pale of the emotional highs and lows of competition in a way that functions as a sorely-needed salve to the anger-driven divides that currently plagues us.
So the world, and the immense fan base that grew quickly out of the uncommon fame and recognition that his Olympic appearance afforded him, has come away even more fond of him than before. He’s done it. He achieved the apex of recognition and exposure going into these games, and he’s made his permanent mark to the betterment of us all, greater than what a mere Olympic medal would ever achieve.
If he is emblematic of what his generation is about, beyond any temporary deviations, then we need not fret about the future of our species.
This, and not anything this nation has to offer from its highest office at this point, is what parents can hope their children will learn to emulate in life.
The expressions of love and support for Malinin came rushing in from all quarters in the hours after these dramatic events.
Needless to say, in the midst of the shocking events, Olympic gold winner Mikhail Shaidorov of Kazakhstan did not get the credit he deserved. His was a brilliant skate, but this is not about the sport, per se. He did get Malinin’s best hug.
Afterwards, Malinin is quoted as saying, “Right before I got into my starting pose, all the negative thoughts just rushed into my head — all the negative, traumatic experiences.. I’ve been through a lot, and it’s not easy. Being the Olympic gold hopeful is really just a lot to deal with, especially at my age.”
Indeed, learning how to tamp down the negative thoughts that can arise suddenly and unexpectedly is one of life’s greatest challenges for every human being, no matter what the venue or circumstance.
Most all of us have our personal ways of dealing with this. When they strike we can be knocked off kilter and momentarily falter. But they are ultimately defeated by how we respond to them when we call upon our inner spirit to rise up and prevail.
This is what happened to Ilia Malinin for the entire world to see last weekend, and we can all relate to the extent we are in touch honestly with our own human experience. Sadly, too many are incapable of acknowledging this.
Most of us who’ve done sports in our lives know what “choking” at the plate, at the free throw line, or in a critical championship moment is like. This writer certainly did. I took a called third strike with the winning run on third in high school. I inexplicably dropped a throw at first from my third sacker in the late innings of a playoff game in college..
It just happens. But with enough support and solace, we get through it, often better for it than before. We don’t deny it or berate it, as some do.
So in the case of the young Mr. Malinin, humanity has been blessed by his great example. Carry on with love and grace.
