Yuma Kagiyama praises Ilia Malinin after Olympic free skate disappointment

Yuma Kagiyama won the men's free skate silver while Ilia Malinin fell twice and finished eighth; Kagiyama spoke sympathetically about the pressure Malinin faced and his packed schedule.

Yuma Kagiyama took silver in the men's free skate at the Winter Olympics while Ilia Malinin, a pre-event favorite, had a difficult final. Malinin fell twice and finished eighth, and Kazakhstan's Mikhail Shaidorov won gold with a season-best total. Kagiyama commented after the event about the pressure Malinin carried and praised his perseverance despite a heavy competition load. Key facts: - Mikhail Shaidorov won the gold medal with a season-best total score of 291.58. - Yuma Kagiyama finished second with a total score of 280.06 and earned the silver medal. - Ilia Malinin fell twice in the free skate and placed eighth overall. - Kagiyama said he admired Malinin's perseverance and noted the pressure of skating four routines at his first Olympics. Summary: The outcome changed the expected podium for the men's event and left a favored competitor short of a medal. Both athletes are young and future Olympic participation is undetermined at this time.