02/16/26 11:19:00
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02/16 06:47 CST Ilia Malinin hints at 'inevitable crash' amid Olympic pressure
and online hate in social media post
Ilia Malinin hints at 'inevitable crash' amid Olympic pressure and online hate
in social media post
By DAVE SKRETTA
AP Sports Writer
MILAN (AP) --- Ilia Malinin posted a video on social media Monday juxtaposing
images of his many triumphs with a black-and-white image of the U.S. figure
skater with his head buried in his hands, and a caption hinting at an
"inevitable crash" amid the pressure of the Olympics while teasing that a
"version of the story" is coming on Saturday.
That is when Malinin is expected to skate in the traditional exhibition gala to
wrap up the Olympic figure skating program.
Malinin, who helped the U.S. clinch the team gold medal early in the Winter
Games, was the heavy favorite to add another gold in the individual event. But
he fell twice and struggled throughout his free skate on Friday, ending up in
eighth.
He acknowledged afterward that the pressure of the Olympics had worn him down,
saying: "I didn't really know how to handle it."
Malinin alluded again to the weight he felt while competing in Milan in the
caption to his social media video.
"On the world's biggest stage, those who appear the strongest may still be
fighting invisible battles on the inside," wrote the 21-year-old Malinin. "Even
your happiest memories can end up tainted by the noise. Vile online hatred
attacks the mind and fear lures it into the darkness, no matter how hard you
try to stay sane through the endless insurmountable pressure. It all builds up
as these moments flash before your eyes, resulting in an inevitable crash."
Malinin, who is expected to chase a third consecutive world title next month in
Prague, had been unbeaten in 14 events over more than two years. Yet while
Malinin always seemed to exude a preternatural calm that belied his age, the
son of Olympic skaters Tatiana Malinina and Roman Skorniakov had admitted early
in the Winter Games that he was feeling the pressure.
The first time came after an uneven short program in the team event, when he
finished behind Yuma Kagiyama of Japan --- the eventual individual silver
medalist. Malinin referenced the strain of the Olympics again after the
Americans had won the team gold medal.
But he seemed to be the loose, confident Malinin that his fans had come to know
after winning the individual short program. He even playfully faked that he was
about to do a risky backflip on the carpeted runway during his free skate
introduction.
The program got off to a good start with a quad lutz, but the problems began
when he bailed out of his quad axel. He ended up falling twice later in the
program, and the resulting score was his worst since the U.S. International
Classic in September 2022.
Malinin was magnanimous afterward, hugging and congratulating surprise gold
medalist Mikhail Shaidorov of Kazakhstan. He then answered a barrage of
questions from reporters with poise and maturity that few would have had in
such a situation.
"The nerves just went, so overwhelming," he said, "and especially going into
that starting pose, I just felt like all the traumatic moments of my life
really just started flooding my head. So many negative thoughts that flooded
into there and I could not handle it."
"All I know is that it wasn't my best skate," Malinin added later, "and it was
definitely something I wasn't expecting. And it's done, so I can't go back and
change it, even though I would love to."
___
AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics
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