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4-Foot-8 Simone Biles Makes Ilia Malinin Look Tall in Tippy-Toe Hug Olympic Greet

The seven-time Olympic gold medalist gymnast meets the “Quad God” in Italy and the two share a moment.
Matt Ryan|
Dec 28, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; American gymnast Simone Biles takes photographs on the sideline before the game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Chicago Bears at Levi's Stadium.
Dec 28, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; American gymnast Simone Biles takes photographs on the sideline before the game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Chicago Bears at Levi's Stadium. | Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

The Summer Olympics G.O.A.T. Simone Biles shared a moment with “Quad God” figure skater Ilia Malinin on The Today Show on Tuesday at the 2026 Winter Olympics. Even Biles made Malinin look tall when she gave him a hug.

The 21-year-old Malinin was set to be the star of the Milano Cortina Games, and while he did win a gold in the combined team competition, he choked away what usually would be an insurmountable lead for him in the free skate and fell off the podium in what was the most heartbreaking scene of the these Olympics.

RELATED: Tara Lipinski Shares Heart-Melting Moment With Ilia Malinin and Daughter at Olympics

Ilia Malini
Feb 13, 2026; Milan, Italy; Ilia Malinin of the United States of America competes in the men’s singles free program during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Milano Ice Skating Arena. | James Lang-Imagn Images

Biles and Malinin have a moment

But even the 28-year-old, seven-time Olympic gymnastics gold medalist Biles thinks she can learn a few tricks from Malinin as the two got together. She said, “Teach me a thing or two. Teach me a double full! Teach me a quad!” She could be seen practicing in a very cool interaction between the two.

RELATED: Ilia Malinin Gets Heartfelt Note From NBC’s Johnny Weir After Olympic Disaster

Biles’ height vs. Malinin’s

It was her hug of him where the 4-foot-8 Biles had to stand on her tippy toes for the only 5-foot-9 Malinin that really stood out.

Here’s the full video of the hug:

Simone makes anyone look tall. Her NFL husband Jonathan Owens of the Chicago Bears is only 5-foot-11 and you can see the difference below.

Jonathan Owens and Simone Biles.
Chicago Bears football player Jonathan Owens and Olympian Simone Biles on the Kentucky Derby red carpet. May 03, 2025 | Maggie Huber/Special to Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Biles can sympathize with Malinin’s struggles

Maybe Biles can give Malinin some advice as he opened up about his struggles with mental health after his Olympic disappointment, and Biles has battled her own mental demons when she took a break in 2021 during the Games in Tokyo where she didn’t return until 2023.

Simone Bile
Biles would battle back for three golds in the 2024 Paris Games. | Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

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Matt Ryan
MATT RYAN

Matt Ryan is a dedicated sports journalist with over 20 years of experience in digital and linear media. After receiving a Masters in Journalism from USC, he’s worked for Fox Sports, NBC Sports, Yahoo Sports, USA Today Sports Media Group, and Bally Sports, while holding various leadership roles along the way.

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