(Italy) A formal petition by the US Olympic team has claimed the judges missed the artistic intent of skater Ilia Malinin‘s final performance, where he fell several times, and which many say cost him the gold medal. The request for new scoring claims the poor performance was intended.

“Ilia was considered the best in the field, and he would have to basically shoot himself in the foot to lose,” the petition reads. “He planned to do numerous complex moves, but could barely stay on his feet. He quickly lost the admiration of many around the world, and performed so poorly that it feels improper to point out his mistakes.”

“Ilia Malinin intentionally made this performance to represent America in 2025.”

One judge, who asked not to be named, said the petition has merit. “I’ll be honest, I see it. How can someone so capable mess up every opportunity so suddenly. It’s like he was trying to hurt himself on purpose. The more I think about it, the more I’m impressed.”

But the IOC has declared that as much as the spectacularly awful performance mirrors the athlete’s country, not change in score is allowed. “The Olympics are a contest of skill and talent, we don’t give awards just to make people happy. Call FIFA.”