Ilia Malinin took the ice Sunday night knowing the gold medal in team figure skating rested on his shoulders, the U.S. tied with Japan with only the men’s free skate still to come.

Ilia Malinin’s quest for Olympic figure skating gold might not be so easy after all.

American hopes had rested heavily on the 21-year-old Malinin after a below-par short program on Saturday left the defending champions vulnerable heading into the final day.