“‘IT WAS ONLY SUPPOSED TO BE A FUN ENCORE’ — But Ilia Malinin and Alysa Liu’s Unexpected Olympic Ice Moment Turns Into a Jaw-Dropping Spectacle So Perfect, So Electrifying, the Entire Arena Falls Into Stunned Silence Before Erupting in Disbelief!! What was meant to be a light, celebratory moment at the 2026 Winter Olympics quickly turned into something no one expected. When Ilia Malinin and Alysa Liu stepped onto the ice together for what seemed like a playful encore after the medals had already been decided, the atmosphere felt relaxed — almost casual.

The top figure skaters from the 2026 Winter Olympics performed one last time at the Games during the exhibition gala on Saturday.

Americans Ilia Malinin, Alysa Liu, Amber Glenn and ice dance team Madison Chock and Evan Bates were among the stars that delivered stellar final skates while others performed more light-hearted routines, including Kazakhstan’s Mikhail Shaidorov, who took the ice in his iconic panda suit.

1. There was no judging and there were no medals on the line, just another opportunity for these superb skaters to entertain as they have done throughout the Milan Cortina Games.