LAUSANNE, Switzerland -- American figure skater Ilia Malinin was awarded the Milan Cortina Olympics fair play award on Thursday for his sportsmanship after finishing off the podium.
In one of the biggest upsets in figure skating history, Malinin, 21, fell twice and made other big mistakes in the free skate and Kazakh Mikhail Shaidorov won the men's gold medal. Malinin later said the pressure leading up to the event and the abuse he received online was unbearable.
Despite his own despair at dropping from gold medal favorite to eighth place, he still took the time to congratulate and warmly embrace Shaidorov, who was in only fifth place after the short program led by Malinin.
"Congratulating Mikhail wasn't about the results," Malinin told the International Olympic Committee. "It was about the shared journey we take as athletes. Knowing that fans worldwide connected with that moment means more to me than any medal."
Malinin's grace in defeat was shortlisted alongside five other finalists by the International Fair Play Committee, in collaboration with the IOC, to recognize acts of sportsmanship, integrity and solidarity witnessed during the Games. The public then voted for Malinin as the winner.
The inaugural Fair Play Award was presented at the Innsbruck Games in 1964 to Italian bobsledder Eugenio Monti. He loaned British pair Tony Nash and Robin Dixon an axle bolt to replace one that broke and they won gold in the two-man event, while Monti collected bronze.
"I am deeply humbled to receive this honor," Malinin added about his award. "Especially given the incredible legacy of Eugenio Monti here in Italy."
