Ilia Malinin admits that the pressure of the Olympics led to skating struggles
NEWNow you can listen to Fox News articles!
United States sprinter Ilia Malinin may have been favored to take home the medals at the 2026 Milan Cortina Games, but he admitted he was not ready to do so.
Malinin, nicknamed the “Quad God” for his special quadruple axel he could perform in his routine, suffered a shocking fall several times in the men’s free skate final, finishing eighth in the event. The result was a surprise to fans and pundits alike, but Malinin has had time to reflect on what went wrong at Milan.
When he appeared on the program “Namuhla” on Tuesday, he went public with his answer. It’s not that he wasn’t willing to play in Milan – it was the pressure of the fans in the stadiums and the millions watching around the world.
CLICK HERE TO WATCH ONE OF THE GAMES ON FOXNEWS.COM
Ilia Malinin of the United States reacts to his disastrous routine, in which he fell twice, during the Men’s Singles Free Skating Competition at the Milano Ice Skating Arena at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympic Games 2026 on Feb. 13, 2026, Milan, Italy. (Tim Clayton/Getty Images)
“Honestly, it’s not a fun feeling,” Malinin said about free skate mistakes. “The most honest way of saying it’s just a lot, so many eyes, so much attention. It can really get to you if you’re not ready to fully accept it, so I think that might be one of the mistakes I made going into that free skate I wasn’t ready to handle that fully.”
Heading into the Olympics, Malinin was expected to be on the podium at some point after the men’s free skate was closed. He had four previous tournaments, where his scores ranged from 209-238.
ILIA MALININ POSTPONEES WRESTLING CONFERENCE AFTER OLYMPIC EIGHTH PLACE.
However, a fall resulted in a final score of 156.33, and Malinin hung his head after the event knowing that he would not get an Olympic medal this time around.
Ilia Malinin of Team USA falls during the Men’s Single Skating on day seven of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics at the Milano Ice Skating Arena on Feb. 13, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
“Yes, it didn’t happen the way I wanted. …All I have to do is learn from my mistakes there and push to see how I can improve in the future. I can take a different approach before the next Games, hopefully,” he said.
But it wasn’t all bad for Malinin in Milan, as he helped the United States to team gold earlier in the Games with a free skate of 200.03.
Ilia Malinin of Team United States leaves the ice after competing in Men’s Single Skating during day seven of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics at the Milano Ice Skating Arena on Feb. 13, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
CLICK HERE FOR THE FOX NEWS PROGRAM
Malinin will be 25 years old at the next Winter Olympics in 2030, which will be held in the French Alps.
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X and register at the Fox News Sports Huddle.
