Tara Lipinski arrived in Milan not to compete but for figure skating commentary. She watched from the booth as the world’s best took the Olympic ice. Twenty-eight years after her own gold medal moment in Nagano, the former champion now watched as new stars like Ilia Malinin and others rose for Team USA.

In an exclusive conversation with EssentiallySports representative Shreya Verma, Lipinski reflected on the moments that moved her most during the Winter Olympics and offered insight into the athletes she watches with both an expert’s eye and a fellow competitor’s heart.

“I think there were two great moments. I think obviously Ilia Malinin had a really heartbreaking moment, but afterwards he was in the kiss and cry area, and he went over to the Olympic champion who was just crowned, and he had a really beautiful moment with him,” she recalled.

For Malinin, his performance during the men’s single skating was no less than a heartbreak. Favorite for the gold medal, he was off his form and repeated mistakes that earned him eighth place.

However, what caught the eye of the former Olympic champion wasn’t his performance, but the gesture he showed to his opponents, stating, “I think it just showed that even in a heartbreaking moment for him or in defeat, he was able to show what true sportsmanship looks like. And I thought that was a memory that I’ll always have. And I think it just really goes to show what an incredible athlete, but person, Ilia is.”

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For the second moment, Tara Lipinski spoke of Alysa Liu, who captured Olympic gold with a free skate that seemed to float on happiness itself. “And then also Alysa Liu just winning that Olympic gold medal. It was such a joyful skate, and she was the epitome of happiness on the ice. And I think she’s going to inspire the next generation that will come up in our sport,” she said.

The conversation naturally drifted to costumes, as she said, “Oh, I love costumes. Dresses and the sparkles and sequins and rhinestones. It’s the best part. I always remembered really loving being part of the design process when I was making my own costume. So now I get to appreciate all the costumes on the ice.”

Her favorite? “I mean, Alysa Liu’s gold outfit she wore for her free skate is probably my favorite,” the Olympic champion recalled. The 20-year-old came third in her short program with a score of 76.59. However, the free skating event saw her rise to the top, as she scored 150.20. With a total of 226.79 points, the American secured that gold medal.

Well, it was a fitting choice, as the dress perfectly matched her golden performance. The costume captured the light as Liu skated her way into figure skating history. However, for Malinin, the entire Milan Games were dramatic.

Ilia Malinin had a rollercoaster of an event

Four-time U.S. champion Ilia Malinin pulled a performance of the generation in the team’s event when Team USA needed him the most. Japanese figure skater Sato Shun was ready to snatch that gold medal out of the American’s hands, but he wasn’t able to.

The figure skater started the session with a quadruple flip, which he did five times. He didn’t go for a quad Axel, as he stayed with a triple. Even if he lost his balance in between, Malinin performed a quad toe, half loop, and triple flip and converted a quad Salchow into a triple Axel.

Despite all that, the figure skater had another move up his sleeve, as he did a backflip, earning him 200.03 points, enough to seal the gold medal for Team USA. However, the scenes that unfolded at the men’s single skating took the audience by surprise.

Ilia Malinin lost 72 points in jumping mistakes, failed to complete several of his expected jumps, and even fell multiple times. The 5.09-point lead he had over Japan’s Yuma Kagiyama faded right away, as he was only able to secure an eighth-place finish.

And Malinin was a bit furious as he rushed towards his coaches, saying, “They would have sent me to Beijing four years ago, then I wouldn’t have skated like that. It’s done.” The frustration came from the decision that was made four years ago, when he wasn’t selected for the U.S. Olympic team at the Beijing Games.

Eventually, he acknowledged his defeat, stating, “Honestly, I was not expecting that. I felt like going into this competition, I just felt ready getting on that ice, but I think maybe that might have been the reason. Maybe I was too confident that I was gonna go well. I can’t process what just happened.”

He added, “I think it was definitely mental. Now, finally experiencing that Olympic atmosphere, it’s crazy. It’s not like any other competition. I blew it. That’s honestly the first thing that came to my mind: ‘there’s no way that just happened’. I was preparing the whole season, you know.”

Such moments made the Winter Games special, and for the audience and Lipinski, it was an event to remember.