The easy choice for Ilia Malinin would have been to take some time off.
Off the ice. Out of the skates. Away from the public eye.
The best figure skater of his generation had been heavily favored to win Olympic gold when he stepped onto the ice for his free skate in February. Malinin had led after a short program — mediocre by his lofty expectations, but sublime by those of just about everyone else. Those packed inside the arena in Milan, Italy, that night were prepared less for a competition and more for a coronation.
What followed was four minutes of shocking disappointment.
Malinin doubled up a quad loop, fell on a quad lutz, and made a complete mess of his final jumping pass. He plummeted all the way off the podium, forcing him to watch one of his good friends, Mikhail Shaidorov of Kazakhstan, win the gold medal instead.
“That day,” Malinin said, “will forever be the worst day of my life.”
So, yes, the easy choice would have been to step away from the spotlight, like most figure skaters do after the grueling mental and physical demands of an Olympic cycle. Malinin could have loaded up on classes at George Mason, where he's been working toward a degree, and forgotten all about lutzes and axels and loops for a while.
Instead, Malinin decided to defend his world title in March, winning his third in a row in spectacular fashion. Then, rather than take this season off, he went to work on new programs that he'll unveil at Skate America this weekend in Everett, Washington.
“Even if I won the Olympics, I would have wanted to go to the world championships, because I love the sport so much,” Malinin told The Associated Press. “That also leads into why I wanted to skate this season. I just love the sport of figure skating so much.
“There's a long four years ahead,” he said, "and I'll be able to take this season as more of a rollercoaster to enjoy the actual skating side, instead of being focused on placements and competitions, something I was not able to stay in touch with the last two years.”
Malinin, the 21-year-old son of former Olympic skaters Roman Skorniakov and Tatiana Malinina, had been tabbed for stardom since the moment he stepped on the ice. He finished second at nationals in 2022, when Malinin was controversially left off the U.S. team for the Beijing Games, and he proceeded to win the last four championships without anyone coming close.
The self-styled “Quad God” became the first skater to land a quad axel — a 4 1/2-rotation jump — in competition. He set records that may never be matched. His triumphs at back-to-back worlds leading into the Milan Games only made the target on him bigger.
Later, Malinin acknowledge that the pressure of the Olympics got to him.
“I think the majority of people were expecting me to be the Olympic champion,” he said. “I always tell myself that everything happens for a reason, and you don't know what to expect until the moment happens, and everything that has happened since has changed my mindset and changed my perspective, and made me into a whole different person.”
Malinin did walk away from Milan with a gold medal. He was instrumental in the U.S. defending its title in the team event.
As for the individual competition, Malinin finished a forgettable eighth, but was lauded afterward for the way he supported not only Shaidorov but everyone who stood on the podium. He later was given the Fair Play Award for his grace in defeat.
“Sports are more than just winning or losing. It really showed the sportsmanship in our sport,” Malinin said. “One of the reasons our sport is so special is how appreciative we are of each other, and how we're able to support each other, no matter what.”
Malinin will start his season Friday night with the men's short program at Skate America, the first of two Grand Prix assignments and an event he has won three times in the past. It's the first step on a long, four-year trek toward the next Winter Games in France.
It also is certain to be an emotional moment for those watching.
Malinin's program is called “In Remembrance of Those Never Forgotten," and pays tribute to those in the tight-knit skating community who were killed in January 2025, when American Airlines Flight 5342 collided with a military helicopter near Washington, D.C.
Several of those aboard belonged to the Washington Figure Skating Club, where Malinin often trains in northern Virginia.
The free skate at Skate America is Saturday night, when Malinin will perform to music from the animated series “Blue Eye Samurai.”
“I've definitely surprised myself with the programs this year. They're definitely a step up not only technically but artistically,” he said. “They're a step into a much bigger evolution of my skating. I know I would not have been able to pull off any of these programs if I did them a few years ago. These are definitely some of the most difficult programs I've done.”
Malinin has always been about challenging himself, though. It's one of the reasons he returned to the ice so quickly after his Olympic heartbreak, and why he was so excited to begin another Olympic cycle on Friday night.
“The Olympic season is where you try to narrow everything down and practice what you're most comfortable with, and you have to do it by the book. The new season is about experimenting,” Malinin explained. “The way I approached this season is trying to have the hardest programs in the world. Try to improve myself, whether I'm making different transitions in artistry or choreography. Everything has risen to another level.”
See AP’s full sports coverage here
FILE - Ilia Malinin of the United States does a back flip during his performance in the figure skating exhibition at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Feb. 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis, File)
FILE - Ilia Malinin of the United States falls during the men's free skate program in figure skating at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Feb. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko, File)
FILE - Gold medalist Ilia Malinin from the United States waves to spectators after the medal ceremony after the men free skating at the Figure Skating World Championships in Prague, Czech Republic, March 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek, File)
WASHINGTON (AP) — Secretary of Homeland Security says no indication FAA communications failure was related to a cyberattack.
THIS IS AN APNewsAlert. Check back for updates. AP's earlier story is below.
The Federal Aviation Administration says airplane departures can resume after the agency lifted a nationwide ground stop caused by communications problems.
The FAA had grounded all flights nationwide Friday afternoon, causing hundreds of flights to be diverted. Officials cited “extraordinary circumstances” caused by communications problems at regional air traffic control centers.
The nationwide ground stop was the first since January 2023, when a key FAA computer system malfunctioned, and the second since the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back for updates. AP’s earlier story follows below.
The Federal Aviation Administration grounded all flights nationwide Friday afternoon for just the second time since the 9/11 attacks, as officials cited “extraordinary circumstances" caused by communications problems at regional air traffic control centers.
The nation's top homeland security official attributed the problem to a telecommunications outage and said there was no indication yet of a nefarious act. The consequences were profound, disrupting potentially thousands of planned flights through at least late Friday night and upending travel plans for passengers.
“It’s frustrating. This certainly sounds like it’s going to be more than the usual run-of-the-mill delay. I look forward to finding out why,” said Jeff Dubner, a Washington attorney whose Alaska Airlines flight home from Los Angeles was already half an hour late and taxiing to the runway when the plane came to a halt.
The nationwide ground stop was the first since January 2023, when a key FAA computer system malfunctioned, and the second since the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
Friday's restrictions were imposed “due to extraordinary circumstances and for reasons of safety," according to an FAA notice. The agency was investigating a communication issue affecting the 22 regional air traffic control centers that direct planes en route between airports nationwide, said Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.
International flights were being handled on a case-by-case basis, according to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, with some seen taking off Friday evening. Meanwhile, some flights within Alaska and Hawaii were not impacted, Alaska Airlines said.
Mullin told reporters at the White House that there was no indication yet that “this was a nefarious attack against us. It's just a telecommunications outage as of right now.”
“Everybody's safe. There's no reason to be concerned about your loved ones if they're flying,” Mullin said.
At least 827 flights have been diverted so far as a result. As of 7:05 p.m. EST, 670 flights were sent back to the airport from where they originally took off, while 157 were redirected to a different airport, according to Cirium, an aviation analytics company.
The airports where many of the flights ended up being diverted included Washington Dulles International Airport, Los Angeles International Airport, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport and Nashville International Airport.
Some 11,000 flights carrying more than 1.5 million passengers were scheduled to take off from airports in the U.S. after 4 p.m. EST, raising the likelihood of more cancelations and flight diversions.
United Airlines and American Airlines said flights already in the air will continue.
“It will be all hands on deck across American to get customers on their way as soon as possible when the FAA lifts this nationwide ground stop,” American said in a statement on the social platform X.
At Chicago O’Hare Airport on Friday afternoon, travelers passing through security learned about the ground stop when they looked up at screens that showed flight delays across the board.
Some called friends or family members, debating whether to stay the night in Chicago or find another way to their destinations.
Amber McQuilkin, 27, sat on a bench, disappointed that she might miss a trip with friends to New York for the League of Legends world finals. Her friends, she said, had already arrived there.
“There’s not really any information being passed to me,” said the Seattle software engineer, who took a week of vacation for the trip. “I contemplated just abandoning the flight and driving, but then the more I thought about it, the more I’m like, that would be miserable.”
Austin Curtis and his wife were rethinking their trip from South Bend, Indiana, to a friend’s baby shower in Denver after getting delayed during a layover in Chicago.
They had boarded a flight to Denver from O’Hare International Airport when they were told to get off the plane.
“We did see them taking luggage off our plane and others, so we’re assuming it’s going to be a pretty substantial delay,” Curtis said.
They were unsure whether to get a hotel room or keep waiting out the delay at the airport. With care already in place for their two young children at home, they might stay the weekend in Chicago, he said.
NBA, NHL and college teams were left stranded as they tried to reach their destinations. Meanwhile, NFL teams were left to wonder whether the issue would be resolved in time to travel to their games this weekend.
Cargo flights were also delayed by the ground stop.
FedEx, the world’s largest cargo airline, said it is prepared to activate contingency plans to keep any possible disruptions at a minimum.
U.S. airlines move about 61,000 tons of goods – from letters to packages -- to and from more than 220 countries daily, according to the industry trade group Airlines for America.
Despite the nationwide FAA ground stop, SpaceX launched its Starship rocket from Texas on Friday afternoon on its latest test flight.
There is no timeline for restarting flights. Mullin said investigators will look at whether there is any link to the FAA's nationwide rollout of a new artificial intelligence system to help identify problems and reroute planes. But that system operates out of one location near Washington, D.C., and just sends recommendations to the air traffic control centers.
The government has been working to overhaul the outdated technology that air traffic controllers rely on since Congress approved $12.5 billion for the project last year. Miles of old copper wires have been replaced with fiber optic lines and old radio systems are gradually being replaced at airports across the country.
But much work remains. Duffy has said that another $30 billion will be needed to complete the work, and the White House has begun lobbying Congress to approve it.
The problem appeared similar to a regional air traffic control communication outage in September that snarled hundreds of flights across the Northeast, aviation safety expert Steve Arroyo said, except this time on a nationwide scale. It may be linked to the outdated technology used by air traffic controllers.
“If you don’t have that ability, whether it’s because the old wires that they have are just run down or for whatever reason, you’ve got to stop airplanes on the ground,” said Arroyo, who is a former United Airlines pilot. “And not put them in the air where you’re going to risk not being able to communicate with them.”
Friday’s ground stop was different than the one after Sept. 11 because planes were not being told to land immediately and pilots likely were able to communicate with ground controllers at airports, Arroyo said.
AP writers Mead Gruver in Fort Collins, Colorado; Ali Swenson in Chicago; and Alex Veiga in Los Angeles contributed to this report.
This story has been corrected to show the Sept. 11 attacks were in 2001.
Passenger watch as workers unload luggage from a United plane as flights are delayed at Los Angeles International Airport Friday, Nov. 13, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
Passengers wait as flights are delayed inside a terminal at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on Friday, Nov. 13, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
The sun sets over Dallas Fort Worth International Airport in DFW Airport, Texas, Friday, Nov. 13, 2026, after the Federal Aviation Administration grounded flights nationwide. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
A passenger moves through Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International airport as all flights are canceled or delayed, Friday, Nov. 13, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
An agent helps travelers at a ticketing desk at LaGuardia Airport in New York, Friday, Nov. 13, 2026, after the Federal Aviation Administration grounded flights nationwide. (AP Photo/Ryan Murphy)
People wait at a terminal at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Friday, Nov. 13, 2026, in Arlington, Va., after the FAA issued a nationwide ground stop. (AP Photo/Tom Brenner)
Passengers wait as flights are delayed at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on Friday, Nov. 13, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
A person looks at a flight information board at LaGuardia Airport in New York, Friday, Nov. 13, 2026, after the Federal Aviation Administration grounded flights nationwide. (AP Photo/Ryan Murphy)
People wait in line for car rentals at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Friday, Nov. 13, 2026, in Arlington, Va., after the FAA issued a nationwide ground stop. (AP Photo/Tom Brenner)
A family waits at a terminal as flights are delayed at Los Angeles International Airport Friday, Nov. 13, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
An information board displays flight statuses and cancellations, at LaGuardia Airport in New York, Friday, Nov. 13, 2026, after the Federal Aviation Administration grounded all flights nationwide. (AP Photo/Ryan Murphy)
FILE - A Federal Aviation Administration logo is displayed in the tower at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, March 16, 2017. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)
FILE - An airplane flies past the air traffic control tower at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport on Nov. 8, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin, File)
FILE - A Delta Airlines and United Airlines plane are seen at Denver International Airport on Nov. 6, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)
