U.S. Men 2025-26 Discussion - Quad God and the Mere Mortals

[Vagabond]

People are very quick to assume they know the personality of well-known athletes. Look at the number of Americans on this board who 'hate' FB & C.

You don't have to be American or know their personalties to find their public statements about Nikolaj Soerensen, his accuser, and their own (Fournier-Beaudry and Cizeron's) supposed victimization offensive.

The fact that the accuser is herself American has nothing to do with anything. People all over the world are subjected to sexual assault, including in Canada and France.

 

[becca]

I agree except that I don't think that Jason ever 'hoped' that someone would fall. None of us can know if he ever thought such a thing. As a former athlete I never thought that way. I always wanted everyone to do their

Your right look I don’t think Jason wanted others to fall he actually seems like a sweet guy. I am sure if he could land 6 quads he would and he clearly tried to learn them. Its sad there isnt an event in skating that allowed us to appreciate what he is.

The hopes others fall is more of for his fans because it was only way that was going to happen

 

[Sylvia]

Jason is in Milan :

U.S. Figure Skating on Instagram: "Heartwarming moments brought to you by @jasonbskates!!! 🥰 💌"

3,932 likes, 127 comments - usfigureskating on February 14, 2026: "Heartwarming moments brought to you by @jasonbskates!!! 🥰 💌".

www.instagram.com

 

[Sasha'sSpins]

Relatedly, if the ISU goes through with some version of the radical format changes they’re proposing, Ilia will also likely never again have the opportunity to present a 7-quad long program at the Olympics, even if he’s physically still in a good spot in 2030.

Unless he pulls a Bonaly/Siao Him Fa with their illegal flips and goes for 7 quads anyway, penalties be damned!

 

[Barbara Manatee]

The hopes others fall is more of for his fans because it was only way that was going to happen

Jason's fans didn't hope for his competitors to fall either. Time to stop digging.

 

[Sasha'sSpins]

It would have introduced Ilia to the environment of Olympic competition. There would have Beene something familiar about it the second time around which can give an athlete somone was a teenager at her first Olympics.

Scott Hamilton: 5th 1980, 1984
Brian Boitano: 5th 1984, 1988
Evan Lysacek: 4th 2006, 2010
Nathan Chen: 5th 2018, 2022

I had been saddened at the fact that Nathan was just a teenager in 2018, then he pulled off his Olympic triumph at 22, just a year older than Ilia, who was 21 at HIS Olympic debut. Then I saw this. I had to Google it but Scott, Brian, and Evan were also in their 20s at their respective Olympic debuts. That gives me some solace. And hope for Elia's chances in his mid 20s.

And oh I do so hope that he stays healthy, strong and stays in, fighting the good fight to 'jump towards Mount Olympus' as Kurt Browning said.

 

[Sylvia]

Jason is in Milan :

U.S. Figure Skating on Instagram: "Heartwarming moments brought to you by @jasonbskates!!! 🥰 💌"

3,932 likes, 127 comments - usfigureskating on February 14, 2026: "Heartwarming moments brought to you by @jasonbskates!!! 🥰 💌".

www.instagram.com

Jason also made an appearance last night at a Pride House Milano event with Adam Rippon - links are posted here: https://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/threads/lgbtq-in-figure-skating.108407/page-5#post-6896266

 

[Sasha'sSpins]

What jacket is this? Was he wearing it when TV coverage caught him walking in, etc.? I didn't know this and now I want to see a picture.

He wore it during his Today Show interview with Craig Melvin! The ego! The arrogance!

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

youtu.be

 

[kwanfan1818]

Its sad there isnt an event in skating that allowed us to appreciate what he is.

You mean like his two Olympics and seven World Championships, including 2025 Worlds, where he was never lower than 9th?

 

[Karen-W]

Per Brennan, Ilia will skate in the Gala and he has decided to compete at Worlds.

https://twitter.com/x/status/2023103714697912339

 

[zebobes]

Let's imagine that Ilia had decided to simplify his program and get the gold. I wonder if he would have gotten a lot of backlash for not living up to the "quadgod" moniker. Perhaps him going through this difficult time might actually in the long run endear him even more to the figure skating world.

It's all what ifs, and we will never know, but man, the next four years will probably feel like such a long time to Ilia.

 

[mtnskater]

Yaaay Ilia! Get back up on that horse

 

[DreamSkates]

Probably. If he and his coaching team see that Ilia and the other international top skaters are being rewarded for their components and "artistry".
But Ilia still needs competition from other USA skaters as well. Those younger guys like Sanchez, Blackwell etc have to keep improving so they can challenge Ilia at Nationals and the Grand Prix. That will inspire everyone to keep developing.

And say, as Michelle Kwan did one time entering a Worlds venue, " I take nothing for granted."

 

[DreamSkates]

Let's imagine that Ilia had decided to simplify his program and get the gold. I wonder if he would have gotten a lot of backlash for not living up to the "quadgod" moniker. I wonder if him going through this difficult time might in the long run endear him even more to the figure skating world.

It's all what ifs, and we will never know, but man, the next four years will probably feel like such a long time to Ilia.

You're probably right. He was in a no win situation. Play it safe, get criticized. Go for broke and miss the mark, same.

 

[Spareoom]

Let's imagine that Ilia had decided to simplify his program and get the gold. I wonder if he would have gotten a lot of backlash for not living up to the "quadgod" moniker. I wonder if him going through this difficult time might in the long run endear him even more to the figure skating world.

It's all what ifs, and we will never know, but man, the next four years will probably feel like such a long time to Ilia.

I've been ruminating over this the last few days and honestly, I think he was damned if he did and damned if he didn't. The hype over him, not just winning but DOMINATING and doing jumps and routines never seen before, was out of control. If he'd played it safe and won handily, I think the reaction from US media would have been...tepid. He'd have his second gold, but at what cost? We could be sitting here listening to comments like that hot mic from one of the...other sports; I forget if it was snowboard or ski, where the commentators were like...that was so boring. I think figure skating fans would have appreciated it, but he probably would have gotten a lot of flak in the media and he, for good or for bad, seems like the kind of person who would have been bothered by that.

I don't know...He's always struck me who is more concerned about being unique and cementing a legacy instead of JUST winning, so I don't think it would have been in his nature to tone it down. And that ultimately was his downfall, but I respect that he was still attempting to do his hardest tech even when he didn't have to.

Anyway, it's a lot of hypothesizing. At the end of the day, I echo what a prior poster said in that, it's ok that there's no one or nothing to blame but himself. He's human. And I don't think this is what will define his career when it's all said and done.

ETA: I see some others have beat me to my point; glad to see I'm not alone in this sentiment.

 

[kwanfan1818]

I think there's a difference between popping and going down on a full-bore attempt that might have influenced the narrative, but, I think it's absurd that a multi-time World Champion skater who could land a five-quad program, leaving out the 4Lo and including a repeat of the second-hardest quad and another in combination with a 3A, especially if deemed fairly clean, would get a tepid response, even if I'm not disputing that might have happened.

 

[Karen-W]

Honestly, losing the way he did, and being so gracious in that devastating loss, may have earned him far more fans than winning would have. His IG had around 300k followers a few weeks ago and it's passed 1m today. There are lots of new Ilia fans popping up all over X in the past couple days. He's captured something rather intangible, I suspect, and may very well become an even bigger star over the next four years (and one can only hope break the Fanyus in the process, lol).

 

[WillowWild]

Here's a nice article of support for Ilia from Patrick Chan and Kurt Browning.

Chan, Browning relive Olympic heartbreak after Malinin collapse