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Sydney Sweeney Shines in Off-Shoulder Dress After Syrn Launch

February 09, 2026
Sydney Sweeney Shines in Off-Shoulder Dress After Syrn Launch

Sydney Sweeneyhas shared yet another striking look online, this time rocking anoff-shoulder dress. The Euphoria star wore this stunning gown at the 41st Annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival. The actress also shared the glam with a mirror selfie on her most recent Instagram story.

Sydney Sweeney stuns in striking dress

Take a look at Sydney Sweeney's latest fashion moment right here:

Photo Credit: @sydney_sweeney | Instagram

Sweeney wore an off-shoulder dress in a cream or beige tone. The body-hugging ruched design created an exquisite hourglass silhouette. The neckline featured a brooch detail, holding the draped fabric. The actress flaunted her wavy and voluminous blonde tresses and opted for a soft nude makeup look.

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Sweeney's latest glam comes just days after she launched her lingerie line, Syrn, on January 28, 2026. She has since modeled several pieces from the collection on her Instagram, showcasing the unique designs across the themes, Seductress, Romantic, Playful, and Comfy.

Originally reported by Namrata Ghosh onMandatory.

The postSydney Sweeney Shines in Off-Shoulder Dress After Syrn Launchappeared first onReality Tea.

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Tom Brady Spotted With 25-Year-Old Influencer at Super Bowl Party

February 09, 2026
Tom Brady Spotted With 25-Year-Old Influencer at Super Bowl Party

Tom BradyandAlix Earlehave reportedly partied together ahead of the Super Bowl, amid growing romance speculations. A recent video appears to show the pair dancing together and sharing some intimate moments, further fuelling the dating buzz.

Tom Brady and Alix Earle spotted at Super Bowl party

Tom Brady and Alix Earle were recently spotted sharing a cozy moment at a party, ahead of the 2026 Super Bowl on Sunday. Videos obtained byDeuxMoicapture the pair dancing and having a chat while enjoying drinks together.

Brady and Earle are all smiles in the clip as they show off their dance moves. The Dancing with the Stars alum held a drink in one hand as she continued to sway. Meanwhile, the former New England Patriots star went incognito, wearing a pair of black rimmed glasses and a baseball cap along with a black T-shirt.

The outing comes just a month after Brady and Earle first sparked dating rumors on New Year's Eve. Fans had spotted the pair dancing together at a party in St. Barths. The footage captured the 25-year-old influencer whispering something into Brady's ears as the two grooved to the music (viaTMZ).

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Shortly after the clip emerged, an insider reportedly toldStar Magazinethat "Tom and Alix were all over each other," adding, "She couldn't keep her hands off him." The source further shared, "He kept leaning in, whispering in her ear. It looked like they kissed. She was rubbing his back really affectionately. The PDA was off the charts. They didn't care who was watching."

Furthermore, Earle spoke about this trip to the Caribbean in one of her recentYouTube vlogs. "I think it was the best trip of my entire life," she shared in the video. "It was a lot of, like, new people, but just everyone was on the same vibes, like, making friends, having fun. The girls were all really nice. It was just fun," Earle added. Earle's recent outings with Brady have sparked romance rumors. However, neither has publicly confirmed the speculations so far.

Originally written by Namrata Ghosh onMandatory.

The postTom Brady Spotted With 25-Year-Old Influencer at Super Bowl Partyappeared first onReality Tea.

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Nick Jonas 'questioned faith' after church forced family out of home during early fame

February 09, 2026
Nick Jonas 'questioned faith' after church forced family out of home during early fame

Nick Jonas opened up about how his faith was tested after being "betrayed" by his longtime church and losing his family's home during his early rise to fame.

When Nick, 33, and his brothers Kevin, 38, and Joe, 36, first began pursuing music careers in the early 2000s, their father, Kevin Jonas Sr., was the senior pastor at the Wyckoff Assembly of God church in Wyckoff, New Jersey.

Shortly after the trio formed theboy bandthe Jonas Brothers and signed with Columbia Records in 2005, Kevin Sr. was effectively forced to resign from his pastoral role and the family had to move out of their church-owned home.

During a recent appearance on the "Jay Shetty Podcast," Nick reflected on the circumstances behind his family's departure from their church and how it marked a turning point in his faith and personal life.

Nick Jonas Went To Therapy After Bad Country Music Award Show Performance

Nick Jonas standing between two doors

"Our dad was at that church for 10 years," he said. "It was a real safety net for us and a place where we felt a part of a community."

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"Some of the families that were there prior to our arrival did not like my dad and made it their mission to get him pushed out of the church," Jonas recalled. "So effectively, he lost his job while also funding this dream of ours."

"We had to move out of our home because we were living in the church parsonage, which is owned by the church," he explained. "We moved into basically a little house in a place calledLittle Falls, New Jersey. The owners of the home were kind enough to let us rent it from them for basically nothing while we were in this transitional period."

Justin Bieber Says Faith In Jesus Healed Him After Music Industry 'Didn't Always Protect My Soul'

Nick recalled that at around the same time, the Jonas Brothers had embarked on a small high-school tour in New Jersey to promote their music. During this period, the "Levels" singer said that he began to experience health issues, and he was eventually diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes.

The Jonas Brothers

"We would show up at 8 a.m., load in our own gear, and play a 30-minute assembly," he said. "Around this time, I'm starting to lose weight. I'm thirsty all the time. I'm using the bathroom all the time. I kind of just thought it was a growth spurt or that I was just going through puberty. Obviously, it wasn't that. It was a diabetes diagnosis."

Additionally, Nick revealed that his family was facing enormous financial strain at the time. In 2006, the Jonas Brothers released their debut album "It's About Time" but Columbia Records declined to continue their deal with the band after the record failed to meet sales expectations.

"We got dropped after our first album came out and we were hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt, credit card debt, money that we did not have because there's no money in in ministry really," he said. "We had to sort of figure something out."

Nick Jonas playing guitar on stage

Nick admitted that he began to experience doubts about his faith due to the convergence of his personal and professional challenges, along with feeling abandoned by his church.

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"It all kind of collided at the same time, and you look up and life just looked very different," Nick recalled. "It took a lot of faith, and even questioning faith at that time, going from the safety net of the church to all of a sudden being sort of betrayed by them and having to redefine yourrelationship with Godwhile going through some of your toughest moments."

However, the Jonas Brothers' fortunes began to change when they were signed by another major label in 2007.

The Jonas Brothers perform on stage

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"Thankfully, we got a call from Hollywood Records, which is, you know, under the Disney umbrella," he said.  "And a couple weeks later, they had us on the Disney Channel, and things just started going."

Looking back, Nick explained that though he struggled with institutional religion after leaving his former church, he didn't lose his belief in God, and he believes that working through those questions ultimately helped him grow.

Nick Jonas Billboard Music Awards

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"Throughout those years following our exit from the church, I really questioned faith and what relationship I would have toorganized religionat all, which is something that I can say now knowing that my relationship with my God is totally intact and that my belief is totally intact," he said.

"And I think it's important for everyone to go on that journey of self-discovery."

Original article source:Nick Jonas 'questioned faith' after church forced family out of home during early fame

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This video game may help protect your brain against dementia

February 09, 2026
Screenshot of BrainHQ's Double Decision game on the hard level. (BrainHQ)

A large, long-term study found that playing a brain training video game may help protect the brain against dementia for decades. Experts say the findings are the strongest evidence yet that cognitive training can create lasting changes in the brain.

"It's very surprising," said Marilyn Albert, director of the Johns Hopkins Alzheimer's Disease Research Center. "It's not at all what I would have expected."

The research, published Monday in the journal Alzheimer's & Dementia: Translational Research & Clinical Interventions, was a long-term follow-up of the Advanced Cognitive Training for Independent and Vital Elderly (ACTIVE) trial.

Specifically, participants who did up to 23 hours of a specific type of cognitive training called speed training over a three year period were found to have a dramatic 25% lower risk of developing Alzheimer's and other types of dementia over a 20-year follow-up period.

The findings confirm previous research released from the trial, where participants were found tohave a lower risk of dementia after 10 years.

The ACTIVE study is a large randomized controlled trial funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) that enrolled nearly 3,000 participants ages 65 and older. Participants were from six different geographical areas and did not have any significant prior cognitive impairment. Roughly 25% of patients were minorities and a majority were women.

Women are especially vulnerable toAlzheimer's disease, developing dementia at nearly twice the rate of men.

Study participants were initially assigned to do up to 10 sessions of training, twice per week for 60 to 75 minutes per session over five weeks. Approximately half of the participants in each training group got additional booster training for up to 23 hours over a three year period.

Researchers then tracked medical records through Medicare to determine which participants were diagnosed with dementia over the 20-year follow-up period. Different forms of dementia, including Alzheimer's, vascular dementia and frontotemporal dementia were all grouped into a single category.

The participants who did speed training and received the booster sessions were found to have a 25% reduction in the risk of a dementia diagnosis compared with the control group. Those without the additional sessions did not see a benefit.

"It builds on the concept that relatively small amounts of effort can really pay dividends for decades to come," said Dr. Richard Isaacson, a preventive neurologist at the Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases in Boca Raton, Florida. He was not involved in the study.

Dr. Thomas Wisniewski, the director of cognitive neurology at NYU Langone Health, called the study results "astonishing," adding that this is the strongest evidence to date he has seen supporting the use of cognitive training.

"It's really the first clear documentation in a randomized controlled trial that at least some form of cognitive training can lower the risk of dementia," said Wisniewski, who was not involved in the study.

Study participants were separated into one of three cognitive training programs: speed training, memory training or reasoning training. There was also a control group that did not receive any form of cognitive training.

Speed training was designed to teach the brain to process visual information more quickly and accurately, said Dr. Sanjula Singh, a physician-scientist and instructor in neurology at Harvard Medical School. In the speed training, which emphasized visual perception, individuals were asked to identify objects on a screen quickly and make a decision about them.

It's a similar thought process to what happens when we drive, said Albert.

"If we're driving in a car and we have all these things going on in the periphery that we're paying attention to, we have to decide what's important and what's not," she added.

In memory training, participants were taught strategies for remembering lists of words and details of stories. For example, participants were taught to form mental images and associations to help recall words.

In reasoning training, study participants worked on the ability to solve problems that follow a serial pattern, like identifying the pattern in a letter or number series.

Those in the memory and reasoning training did not see any protective effect against dementia.

While the researchers don't know for sure why speed training showed a benefit while the other forms did not, one possibility lies in the difference between implicit and explicit learning.

Implicit learning involves learning an unconscious habit or skill such as riding a bike. Explicit learning, on the other hand, deals with the conscious learning of facts, such as learning vocabulary off a flash card.

We know that implicit learning is completely different from explicit learning and uses different parts of the brain, Albert said.

"Once the brain rewires for these skills, the change is durable even without continued practice," said Singh. "A child can learn how to ride a bike in about 10 hours, and afterwards that learning lasts a lifetime."

Screenshot of Double Decision game on the medium level. (BrainHQ)

Speed training is thought to be similar, said Albert, and may create long-lasting changes in the brain. This is often referred to as neuroplasticity, or the brain's ability to adapt and rewire itself in response to learning throughout our lives.

Dr. Kellyann Niotis, a preventive neurologist and clinical assistant professor of neurology at Weill Cornell Medicine, said that speed training may also have greater effects on something called cognitive reserve. Cognitive reserve is the ability of a healthy brain to resist the effects of developing dementia and is built over time through factors like education, mentally stimulating activities and even social engagement.

"I think it's that this visual processing speed-based training may be engaging broader neuronal networks that are actually building more brain resilience or more cognitive reserve," she said.

Another theory as to why speed training may work better is that it was adaptive, said Albert, meaning that its difficulty changed based on how well somebody performed. This means that people who were faster at the start moved to even faster challenges quickly, something that was not seen in the other forms of training.

Should I start speed training?

The speed training that was used in the study was originally designed by psychologists Karlene Ball and Daniel Roenker using grants from NIH. The program has since undergone updates and is now available as an exercise called "double decision" through BrainHQ, an online subscription program.

Composite of BrianHQ's Double Decision game on easy, medium and hard levels. (BrainHQ)

Based on the results of the trial, Albert said, for now she would recommend it to patients who are over 65 years old, similar to the age group in her study.

However, since research has suggested that brain changes associated with Alzheimer's can start decades before the disease takes hold, it's possible that those who start at a younger age, say in their 40s or 50s, may also see a protective effect. It's too early to draw conclusions about benefits for younger adults, she said.

Click here to play a free version of the Double Decision brain game.

Experts stress that while the results of the trial are impressive, Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia are complicated, with no singular fix.

"Anyone with a brain is at risk of Alzheimer's and everyone out there should be paying attention to their brain health," Isaacson said.

How to lower risk of dementia

An estimated7 million people in the U.S. are living with Alzheimer's,with that number expected to reach nearly 13 million by 2050.

Fortunately, there are several factors that have been associated with a lower risk of developing dementia. In fact, nearly half of all cases of dementia could be delayed or reduced by addressing certain risk factors, according to a2024 report by the Lancet Commission.

Some measures Niotis advises her patients to take:

  • Get your hearing screened.

  • Manage metabolic risk factors such as cholesterol, blood sugar and blood pressure.

  • Correct vision impairment. Vision loss is a risk factor for dementia.

Exercise increases blood flow and nourishes the brain. Isaacson sometimes recommends his patients even try a cognitively stimulating activity while exercising, such as taking a meeting while walking or doing cognitive training on a stationary bike.

There is also a growing body of research suggesting that the shingles vaccine may help protect the brain against cognitive decline.

A large 2025 study published in Nature found that people who were vaccinated against shingles were20% less likely to develop dementiain a seven-year follow-up than those who did not get vaccinated.

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Migrants languish in US detention centers amid dire conditions and prolonged waits

February 09, 2026
Migrants languish in US detention centers amid dire conditions and prolonged waits

MIAMI (AP) — Felipe Hernandez Espinosa spent 45 days at "Alligator Alcatraz," an immigration holding center in Florida where detainees have reportedworms in their food,toilets that don't flush and overflowing sewage. Mosquitoes and other insects are everywhere.

For the past five months, the 34-year-old asylum-seeker has been at an immigration detention camp at the Fort Bliss Army base in El Paso, Texas, wheretwo migrants died in Januaryand which has many of the same conditions, according to human rights groups. Hernandez said he asked to be returned to Nicaragua but was told he has to see a judge. After nearly seven months in detention, his hearing was scheduled for Feb. 26.

Prolonged detention has become more common in President Donald Trump's second term, at least partly because a new policy generally prohibitsimmigration judgesfrom releasing detainees while their deportation cases wind through backlogged courts. Many, like Hernandez, are prepared to give up any efforts to stay in the United States.

"I came to this country thinking they would help me, and I've been detained for six months without having committed a crime," he said in a phone interview from Fort Bliss. "It is been too long. I am desperate."

The Supreme Court ruled in 2001 that Immigration and Customs Enforcement cannot hold immigrants indefinitely, finding that six months was a reasonable cap.

With the number of people in ICE detention topping 70,000 for the first time, 7,252 people had been in custody at least six months in mid-January, including 79 held for more than two years, according to agency data. That's more than double the 2,849 who were in ICE custody at least six months in December 2024, the last full month of Joe Biden's presidency.

TheTrump administration is offering plane fareand $2,600 for people who leave the country voluntarily. Yet Hernandez and others are told they can't leave detention until seeing a judge.

Legal advisers warn that these are not isolated cases

The first three detainees that attorney Ana Alicia Huerta met on her monthly trip to an ICE detention center in McFarland, California, to offer free legal advice in January said they signed a form agreeing to leave the United States but were still waiting.

"All are telling me: 'I don't understand why I'm here. I'm ready to be deported,'" said Huerta, a senior attorney at the California Collaborative for Immigrant Justice. "That's an experience that I've never had before."

A Chinese man has been held for more than a year without seeing an immigration judge, even though he told authorities he was ready to be deported. In the past, Huerta said, she encountered cases like this once every three or four months.

TheDepartment of Homeland Securitydid not address questions from The Associated Press about why more people are being held longer than six months.

"The conditions are so poor and so bad that people say, 'I'm going to give up'," said Sui Cheng, executive director at Americans for Immigrant Justice.

The waiting time may depend on the country. Deportations to Mexico are routine but countries including Cuba, Nicaragua, Colombia and Venezuela have at times resisted accepting deportees.

Among those detained for months are people who have won protection under the United Nations Convention Against Torture, who cannot be deported to their home country but may be sent elsewhere.

In the past, those migrants were released and could get a work permit. Not anymore, said Sarah Houston, managing attorney at Immigrant Defenders Law Center, who has at least three clients with protection under the U.N. torture convention who have been in custody for more than six months. One is from El Salvador, detained for three years. He won his case in October 2025 but is still in custody in California.

"They're just holding these people indefinitely," said Houston, noting that every 90 days, attorneys request the release of these migrants and ICE denies those requests. "We're seeing people who actually win their immigration cases just languishing in jail."

The Nicaraguan who wants to be deported

Hernandez, who doesn't have a lawyer, said he signed documents requesting to be returned to his country or Mexico at least five times. An Oct. 9 hearing was abruptly canceled without explanation. He waited months with no news, until early February, when he learned his new hearing date.

Hernandez, who has allergies and needs a gluten-free diet that he says he hasn't been getting since November, was arrested in July on a lunch break from his job installing power generators in South Florida. His wife was detained with him but a judge allowed her to return to Nicaragua without a formal deportation order on Aug. 28.

Both crossed the Mexican border in 2022 andrequested asylum. He said he received death threats after participating in marches against co-presidents and spousesDaniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo.

If he returns, they plan to go to Panama or Spain because they fear for their lives in Nicaragua, he said. His files say only that his case is pending.

The Dominican who became a father while in detention

Yashael Almonte Mejia has been detained eight months since the government sought dismissal of his asylum case in May 2025, said his aunt, Judith Mejia Lanfranco.

Since then, he has been transferred from a detention center in Florida to Texas to New Mexico.

In November, Almonte married his pregnant American girlfriend via a video call and became the father of a daughter he hasn't seen in person. He was unable to attend the funeral of his sister who died in November.

"He has gone through depression. He has been very bad," his aunt said. "He is desperate and he doesn't even know what's going to happen."

Almonte, 29, came to the U.S. in 2024 and told authorities he cannot return to the Dominican Republic because he fears for his life. In January, he passed his initial asylum screening interview.

A Mexican man detained for a year

Some detainees are finding relief in federal court.

A Mexican man detained in October 2024 in Florida was held for a year even though he won a protection under the U.N. torture convention in March 2025.

"Time was passing and I was desperate, afraid that they would send me to another country," said the 38-year-old, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of being detained again.

"I didn't know what was going to happen to me," he said, noting that immigration officials weren't giving him any answers.

The man said he had lived illegally in the United States from age 10 until he was deported. In Mexico, he ran his own business, but in 2023 decided to return and illegally crossed the border into the United States. He said he was looking for safety after being threatened by drug cartels who demanded monthly payments.

He was taking antidepressants when he found an attorney who filed a petition in federal court alleging he was being held illegally. He was freed in October 2025, seven months after a judge ordered his release.

But for Hernandez, the Nicaraguan asylum-seeker, desperation led him to request to be returned to the country he had fled.

"I've experienced a lot of trauma. It's very difficult," Hernandez said from Fort Bliss. "I'm always thinking about when I'm going to get out."

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34-Year-Old Dad of 2 Found Dead Inside Trash Compactor at CVS After His Wife Tracked His Cell Phone to the Store

February 09, 2026
34-Year-Old Dad of 2 Found Dead Inside Trash Compactor at CVS After His Wife Tracked His Cell Phone to the Store

A 34-year-old man was found dead inside a trash compactor at the CVS store where he had been working

People Andrew Strand GoFundMe

NEED TO KNOW

  • Cleveland 19 News identified the man as Andrew Strand, and per a GoFundMe set up to help with funeral costs, he was a father of two and worked as a mechanic

  • His wife calledthe police after he didn't return home on the evening of Feb. 4, and she tracked his phone to the CVS on Chagrin Boulevard in Brunswick, Ohio

A man has been found dead inside a trash compactor at the facility where he worked in Ohio, according to reports.

Andrew Strand, 34, went missing from his home in Brunswick on the evening of Feb. 4. At around 10 p.m. local time, Strand's wife called the police, sharing her concerns after not hearing from him, and a search was conducted,Cleveland 19 Newsreported.

Shaker Heights Police Commander John Cole told the outlet that Strand's wife told police she had tracked his phone to the CVS on Chagrin Boulevard, where he had been doing contract work, and that police then searched the facility.

Strand's body was found by police inside a trash compactor at the property, Cole confirmed to Cleveland 19 News.

CVS 17120 Chagrin Blvd, Shaker Heights, OH 44120, United States Google Maps

Google Maps

"We extend our condolences to the family and friends of the deceased during this difficult time," said Cole.

The incident is being investigated and the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner is determining the cause and manner of death, added Cole.

Strand was a father of two young children and worked as a mechanic in his own company, according to aGoFundMe.

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"He was recently starting his own company, which he was absolutely loving," the page read. "...He was a loving, involved father, coaching his son's hockey and baseball teams. He loved supporting his daughter in dance as well as gymnastics. His wife and children were the center of his life…"

CVS Health Corporation is an American healthcare company that owns CVS Pharmacy Getty

"Andy's passing was sudden and unexpected, leaving his family in disarray," the page continued. "We are looking to raise funds to support his wife and children in this trying time, as well as raising funds for Andy's funeral service."

The GoFundMe so far has raised nearly $15,000 with a goal of $20,000 to help cover funeral costs.

CVS said in a statement to Cleveland 19 News, "We're cooperating with police as they investigate the death of a contractor outside our Chagrin Blvd store."

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

PEOPLE has reached out to the Shaker Heights Police and CVS for comment bub did not immediately receive replies.

Read the original article onPeople

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Ilia Malinin won gold and left Novak Djokovic in awe. Now, the US star aims for more at the Olympics

February 09, 2026
Ilia Malinin won gold and left Novak Djokovic in awe. Now, the US star aims for more at the Olympics

MILAN (AP) — Leave it to the Quad God to leave one of the greatest tennis players ever standing in amazement at the Milan Cortina Olympics.

Associated Press Ilia Malinin of the United States wobbles while competing during the figure skating men's team event at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue) Ilia Malinin of the United States competes during the figure skating men's team event at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough) Ilia Malinin of the United States competes during the figure skating men's team event at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough) Ilia Malinin of the United States competes during the figure skating men's team event at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco) Ilia Malinin of the United States competes during the figure skating men's team event at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

APTOPIX Milan Cortina Olympics Figure Skating

Ilia Malinin took the ice Sunday night knowing thegold medal in team figure skatingrested on his shoulders, the U.S. tied with Japan with only the men's free skate still to come. The 21-year-old proceeded to lay down another jaw-dropping performance, filled with his trademark quadruple jumps, and punctuated it all with a backflip that he landed on just one blade.

It was that moment that brought Novak Djokovic to his feet, mouth agape.

"I've heard from everyone that after I landed my backflip he was standing there, hands on his head, and I was like, 'Oh my God, that's incredible,'" Malinin said. "That's a once-in-a-lifetime moment seeing a famous tennis player watching my performance."

Malinin has been gettingplenty of star treatmentduring the Winter Games.

The two-time reigning world champion, and overwhelming favorite for gold when the men's short program begins Tuesday night, also had award-winning actor Stanley Tucci in the house Sunday. Days earlier, Snoop Dogg dropped in on one of Malinin's practices, and just like Djokovic, the famous rapper was left in awe by the high-flyer's backflip.

Hockey star Alex Ovechkin even gifted Malinin a set of his signature yellow skate lacesto wear at the Olympics.

None of those brushes with stardom seem to faze Malinin, though, because he's long been a star himself.

Malinin's rapid rise

He burst onto the scene shortly after he was controversially left off the team for the Beijing Games, when U.S. Figure Skating opted for the more experienced Jason Brown.He has not lost a national titlesince, claimed gold at the prestigious Grand Prix Final the past three years, and he has won the past two world titles without anybody coming even close to beating him.

In fact, Malinin has not been beaten in his last 14 full competitions, a span stretching more than two years.

"I wouldn't tell people I'm untouchable. I want the opposite. I want people to relate to me," Malinin told The Associated Press. "Yes, I'm doing all these crazy things on the ice that defy physics in some ways. I still want them to see all of us skaters are human beings."

"We still have normal parts of our lives. We're very similar to everyone in the crowd. We have emotions. We go through good things and bad things in life," Malinin continued. "I just want to express to people that we're human. We're not perfect."

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The reality is that Malinin was far from perfect during the team competition.

He made several mistakes during his short program Saturday night and was outscored by Japan's Yuma Kagiyama by more than 10 points, a whopping margin. And even though he won the free skate to clinch gold for the U.S., the son of Olympians Tatiana Malinina and Roman Skorniakov made an error on an opening jumping pass that forced him to alter his program later on.

Malinin also did not attempt the quad axel, the 4 1/2-revolution jump that only he has ever landed in competition.

Perhaps he is saving it for the individual event — likely the free skate, which concludes competition Friday night. But even if Malinin keeps the quad axel in the bag, the rest of his program is still more difficult than anyone else at the Olympics.

His pursuit of perfection

"Seeing what Ilia has done in the last three years has been mind-boggling," said Kristi Yamaguchi, the 1992 Olympic champion. "We never thought we would be alive to see a quad axel performed and landed in competition, and here comes Ilia, just whipping it off like it's nothing. Pretty amazing. Just so many factors go into creating this perfect world to do what he's done."

Kagiyama promises to be Malinin's biggest challenger in the men's event in Milan. Shun Sato, who nearly matched him in the team free skate, also could factor into the competition. But more than likely, the Japanese teammates will be battling for the silver medal.

Malinin has even suggested that his biggest competition is himself.

"Being a perfectionist is kind of like, that rival is me," Malinin explained. "You have that rival side of wanting to be perfect, of wanting everything to go exactly how I want it. I think that's the biggest fight I have is just with perfection itself."

Malinin came close to perfectionduring the Grand Prix Finalin December.

After a shaky short program, he became the first skater to land seven clean quads in a single program, performing each of the six in skating — including the quad axel — along with an extra lutz. Three of those quads were in combination and came in the second half of the program, giving him bonuses points. The resulting score of 238.24 broke his own world record.

"It's not a shoo-in. Ilia still has to skate well to win. His competitors are good," said Brian Boitano, the 1988 Olympic champion. "But yeah, as far as the advantage of being the favorite, it's him and — well, you know, he's far ahead."

AP Winter Olympics:https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

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