Olympics 2026: The Fall of the Favourite

On the day of the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Milan, my friend and I were walking our dogs. She is a skier, so naturally the conversation turned to sport. She spoke about hard work — about how, from early childhood, athletes endure sleepless nights in training, how they sacrifice everything for one single goal. That an entire life becomes a path toward one day, one competition that decides everything. Work, work, and once again work — that alone matters.

I listened and could not disagree. Indeed, without relentless effort, no champion can exist. Yet there is something that lies beyond the training hall, beyond schedules and physical load. I tried to explain to my friend that every athlete, in addition to sweat and tears, also has Destiny. There is environment — the country where one was born, the coach who appeared at the right moment, the timing of stepping onto the ice. There are factors that cannot be measured by a stopwatch, yet they are no less and sometimes even more decisive.

And then I thought: what if we looked at Olympic champions not only through the prism of physical preparation, but also through the ancient knowledge of Chinese metaphysics?

Three Pillars of Destiny: Chinese Metaphysics in Sport

In Chinese metaphysics, there are three levels of influence: Heaven, Earth, and Human. Each accounts for one third of the total influence (33.3%). In sport, this formula works with remarkable clarity and explains results in a strikingly precise way.

Level 1: Heaven (Timing and Destiny)

This is like the weather outside your window or the season of the year. It is what does not depend on the athlete. It includes the date of birth, innate character (“born to be a champion” or not), and also luck — the timing of competition.

For example, reaching peak form exactly at the Olympic Games, rather than one year earlier. You may be strong, but if today is “not your day,” nothing will work. Or you may not be in perfect shape, yet suddenly “catch the flow” because the timing aligns.

Level 2: Earth (Environment and Conditions)

This is like the soil in which a plant grows. It represents the conditions that either support development or hinder it. This includes where you live (whether your country has proper training facilities), the climate (heat or cold), family support, the quality of coaching, training camps, and nutrition.

If the soil is poor, for example, there is no funding for equipment or there is instability within the family, even the most talented athlete will not be able to fully realise their potential.

Level 3: Human (Personal Effort)

The third level is Human. This is how the sprout itself stretches toward the sun. It is what the athlete fully controls: work ethic, technique, willpower, discipline, and the ability not to panic at the decisive moment.

One may enter perfect timing (Heaven) and have excellent conditions (Earth), but if the athlete is lazy or abandons the sport, there will be no result.

How does it work together? Victory happens when three factors align:

• Heaven gives the green light: “Today is your day.”

• Earth creates the conditions: “A great coach, proper training environment, and family support are present.”

• Human does everything possible: “I trained, I endured, I gave 100%.”

If even one element weakens – injury, unstable climate, psychological pressure — assembling the puzzle of victory becomes extremely difficult, even in the chart of a champion.

Earth Against: The Story of Kyrylo Marshak (Ukraine)

What does it mean when we say “Earth weakens” in sport? It means the surrounding circumstances work against you. They do not help you move toward your goal, they place obstacles in your path.

Under normal conditions, Earth should nourish an athlete: warmth at home, stability, safety, proper training facilities, support from loved ones. It is the foundation upon which results are built. But sometimes the opposite happens. A clear example of Earth weakening:

Physical conditions. When sports halls in Kyiv go dark during power outages, boxing, athletics, or gymnastics coaches sometimes switch on car headlights or use emergency lamps so the children can finish their training. It is difficult, but still possible. Figure skating is different. An ice rink depends entirely on electricity: when the power goes out at a rink in Kyiv, the refrigeration system stops, and the ice gradually becomes soft and unsafe. You cannot simply “light it up” and continue, once the ice loses its hardness, training becomes impossible. And this is about conditions that quite literally take the ground from beneath your feet.

Safety. When you spend nights in bomb shelters under sirens. Earth does not provide stability; it pulls the ground from beneath your feet. Constant fear, exhaustion this is the atmosphere you breathe every day. It presses, drains, breaks.

For most athletes, such Earth would be a sentence. It should have broken him. It should have forced him to give up. Because how can you think about sport when there is war around you?

But Kyrylo does something that transcends ordinary logic. He does not allow Earth to destroy him. He accepts these conditions as a challenge. He continues to do what must be done, despite the environment weakening him.

Heaven gives talent (Kyrylo is a figure skater with ability and character).

Earth gives conditions (in his case — war, cold, darkness).

Human applies total effort.

And here a new meaning is born. Kyrylo Marshak proved that when you fight not against rivals, but against the very conditions of life, your victory becomes more than victory over competitors, it becomes victory over circumstances that were meant to break you.

Milan 2026: Drama in Men’s Singles Figure Skating

Let us return to the Olympic Games of 2026. In the final of men’s figure skating, the entire world witnessed the fall of Ilia Malinin — an athlete already crowned champion before the event even began. In the United States, he had been placed on the podium long before stepping onto the ice.

He was called the “Quad God,” and this was no exaggeration. He is truly one of the strongest figure skaters of his generation. First place seemed destined to be his, by right of talent and relentless work.

But then came the fatal hour, the moment when he could not withstand the energetic storm and the weight of expectation.

Part 1. The “Quad God”: The Rise of Ilia Malinin

Analysis of the Fatal Hour: What the Fu Yin Chart Revealed

Ilia Malinin’s Destiny Chart shows an extraordinarily strong Wood element born in winter. It grants immense endurance and power. A chart of a 100% champion. He was born with the structure of a winner.

But let us examine how Time behaved that day.

The Fu Yin structure appears, a configuration in which energy seems to loop back into itself. What does this mean in simple terms? The athlete is technically prepared. The foundation exists. But there is no effortless outward impulse. The energy is locked inside.

This is a state of excessive thinking, excessive inner control, deep analysis — at the very moment when action must be instinctive.

In such a configuration, a single sharp disruption often occurs. And if that disruption happens at the beginning, it triggers an automatic chain reaction.

Systemic Pressure: When Metal Becomes a Cage

What does “position of authority” mean for Ilia? In his natal chart, Metal symbolizes judges, rules, control, and final results.

There are two forms of this influence:

Severe pressure — high standards, unforgiving mistakes.

Official recognition — when the system supports and grants victory.

At that moment, the first form was present: intense pressure. The bar was set high. Expectations were enormous. Internal tension intensified.

The athlete himself remained strong. His seasonal support was favorable. His internal potential was intact. The issue was not strength or preparation.

So what was the problem? He was strong but he was not controlling the situation. Instead, the pressure controlled him. It is a subtle but decisive difference.

In negotiations, such a configuration almost always means defeat: a person may be strong, but if initiative is lost, the result slips away.

In sport, it looks like this: you are prepared, you are fit, yet the atmosphere, expectations, and responsibility outweigh your internal center. And then a single moment is enough to disrupt balance.

He was st rong but in that hour, the system was stronger.

The “Door of Rest” Instead of the “Door of Victory”

What does the hourly structure show? We examine the palaces. The leading energy (Zhi Shi) is the “Door of Rest” in the Kan sector, and it supports Ilia.

However, the “Door of Rest” is not the “Open Door.” It does not symbolize breakthrough or triumph. It indicates slowing down, internal fluctuation, and instability rather than expansion and victory.

This configuration often points to a sudden loss of concentration, psychological overload, or a single critical mistake. The athlete’s position in that hour was not weak. He had support and resource. But he was under pressure.

The structure of the hour did not contain the “Door of Victory.” Instead, it showed signs of potential error and scattered focus. The energy did not gather into one decisive winning impulse, it dispersed.

This is the position of an athlete who could have won — but under a different hourly structure. Had he stepped onto the ice one hour earlier, the probability of preserving clarity and control would have been significantly higher. Instead, the situation controlled him.

Clash of Elements: Fire Against Water

Within the hidden heavenly stems of the hour, a competitor was present. At the moment of performance, there was a clash of elements: strong Water (亥) and strong Fire (午). For Yin Wood (乙), Water is resource and nourishment. This means Ilia’s entire resource was redirected toward restraining Fire rather than freely expressing itself. The strength was present, but balance was absent.

The Hidden Competitor: A Strike from the Shadows

What went wrong at the decisive moment?

In the branch 午 are hidden 丁 and 己. 丁 represents the energy of self-expression for 乙. But the day 戊午 makes Fire excessively active. Meanwhile, the branch 亥 (Pig) contains 甲 — the competitor. As a result, the competitor’s energy emerged outward. Ilia merged with the competitive force rather than dominating it. The rival gained advantage and took the victory.

The Destiny Chart of a champion, embedded at birth, combined with colossal work brought Ilia Malinin to the Olympic final. But Time that day made a different decision.

Can the Fall of a Favourite Be Predicted?

Theoretically, yes. But only under one condition: if the exact birth data of the athlete and the precise time of stepping onto the ice are known. In practice, assembling such a puzzle is almost impossible. Already in childhood, when a child just begins the journey, an experienced eye can recognize the structure of a future champion. The chart of a champion is visible. But whether that athlete becomes an Olympic gold medalist depends on more than a birth date.

The fate of gold is decided by deeper layers:

• the energy of the ten-year luck cycle,
• the vibration of the Olympic year,
• and finally, the energy of that single decisive hour of the final performance.

That hour either grants a “golden skate” — or leaves the athlete one step from the dream.

Part 2. The Ascent: The Triumph of Mikhail Shaidorov

The Hour Chart: The Secret of the “Three Harmonies”

Now let us look at the hour chart of Mikhail Shaidorov. If Ilia’s energy was trapped within a closed circuit, here we see the complete opposite, a state of “Three Harmonies.”

Imagine a river that has found its channel. No blockages. No whirlpools. Only a powerful, steady current flowing toward the ocean. In Mikhail’s hourly structure, there is no elemental conflict. Water and Fire are not fighting, they cooperate. Fire provides brilliance and expression. Water nourishes resource and composure.

This configuration grants something that cannot be trained in camps: absolute psychological stability. The body knows what to do. The mind does not interfere. Intuition takes control. This is what athletes call “being in the flow.” You do not think, you simply act and everything works.

Two Realities Compared

Compare the two configurations.

Ilia’s hour:

Injury (tension) + Death (risk) + Shocking (sudden disruption) = emotional peak and mistake.

Mikhail’s hour:

Geng (controlled pressure) + Fire (self-expression) + Open Door (opportunity) = Title.

At the decisive moment, there were no destructive combinations in the center of Mikhail’s chart. No internal fragmentation. Only pure, controlled strength. This is the primary lesson for any athlete: in the decisive second, explosive power matters less than a cool mind and an inner axis. Mikhail Shaidorov stepped onto the ice not to fight circumstances — but to command them. And the Olympic summit opened its gates.

A Golden Mark in History: A New Hero of Kazakhstan

Mikhail Shaidorov conquered the Olympic summit. This young man is the living embodiment of titanic work, iron discipline, and extraordinary composure. For his country, he achieved what once seemed impossible. The world rose to applaud him. Now his name is permanently inscribed in the chronicle of sport, and Kazakhstan shines with a new star on the global athletic map.

After the results were announced, Mikhail Shaidorov admitted that he had not even expected to win a medal and had been hoping at most for a third-place finish before ultimately taking gold. He said that until the very last moment, he was counting only on “bronze,” meaning he believed he would finish third. “I was counting on bronze at most. I didn’t even think I would win.”

In his post-triumph interview, Mikhail admitted: “I probably tried three times at competitions to land five quadruple jumps and never managed. But today I did everything I could.”

Everything aligned: character, mastery, and the will of circumstance. The three pillars of destiny , Heaven, Earth, and Human – merged into one.

By birth structure, Ilia Malinin’s potential is objectively stronger. His natal chart reflects an elite-level athlete, a champion by scale and capacity. But the Olympic Games are not won by the birth chart alone.

On the decisive evening, Mikhail Shaidorov was in the right place at the right time. His personal resource aligned with the energy of the hour. Heaven offered its support.

Sometimes gold is not decided by greater potential, but by precise alignment with the moment. In Milan 2026, Heaven chose Mikhail.

When Heaven, Earth, and Human Sound in Unison

The men’s singles final at the 2026 Olympics was more than a sporting drama. It was a moment when the ancient principle of Heaven–Earth–Human revealed itself with uncompromising clarity.

Ilia Malinin stepped onto the ice with the birth structure of a champion. Scale, potential, power — everything stood on his side. Yet his star hour turned into a storm. And this is the central lesson: even titanic work and innate magnitude do not guarantee triumph if Time does not open the door.

Mikhail Shaidorov did not possess a more powerful birth chart. But on the decisive evening, he stood at the exact point of alignment. His personal resource met the support of space and the precise impulse of the hour. He did not seize victory, he stepped into it.

In Milan, it became evident: the Olympics are not won solely by the athlete with the greatest potential. Not by the most decorated name. Victory belongs to the one whose effort aligns with the moment.

Sport is not only seconds and scores. It is a formula of alignment. And in Milan 2026, Time made its choice.

The Door Opens Once

For the athlete, the conclusion is simple: prepare as if the door will open tomorrow. Work as if the chance will come only once. Strengthen yourself so that, in the decisive hour, you can withstand the pressure without spilling your resource.

You do not control Heaven. But you control Yourself. And when the moment arrives, you must be ready to enter.

For those who stand beside the athlete, parents, coaches, the lesson is no less important: do not try to rush Heaven. Do not break character out of fear of missing the chance. Your role is to preserve stability while the athlete grows. Because the door opens only once. And in that moment, there must be support, not doubt.

When Heaven says “now,”

the Human must be ready.

And Earth must remain a solid foundation.

I sincerely embrace every athlete. I know how demanding and often thankless this path can be, how much inner struggle, uncertainty, and unseen work it carries.

May your effort be supported. May wise adults and stable ground surround you. And may Heaven stand on Your side in the decisive hour.

I wish You the strength to endure your path and the Luck of Heaven when Your moment comes.

Natalia Zhuravel