Ilia Malinin has broken the silence after his disappointing Olympics performance.
On Friday, the 21-year-old American figure skater failed to capture a gold medal in the men’s figure skating final despite being the heavy favorite. Three days later, Malinin posted on social media citing the “invisible battles” he’s been facing following Friday’s outcome.
In the video, images of Malinin skating, clearly happy memories, are stitched together with clips of Malinin holding his head in his hands after Friday’s falls. At the end, a black screen with the date “February 21, 2026” appears, seemingly teasing something else is coming then.
USA Today reported that the video is likely linked to the exhibition gala, which is one that date and Malinin is slated to be a part of.
“On the world’s biggest stage, those who appear the strongest may still be fighting invisible battles on the inside. 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. This is that version of the story,” the caption reads.
By his TikTok account, it seems Malinin was in a dark place following the loss, explaining his message in Monday’s post.
He reposted videos with concerning messages, such as “Let it end. Let it hurt. Let it heal. Let it go.” and “Your little boy is tired, mom.”
Fans rushed to social media to console Malinin, writing things like “You are incredible” and “You are still a champion.”
Malinin fell twice in Friday’s competition, resulting in a score of 264.49 and an eighth-place finish. Kazakhstan’s Mikhail Shaidorov claimed gold, as clear disbelief and disappointment could be seen on Malinin’s face.
“I blew it,” Malinin told NBC moments after walking off the ice. It marked his first loss in over two years.
Later, he was caught on a hot mic saying “Beijing, I would not have skated like that,” per USA Today, clearly referencing his failure to make the Olympic team as a 17-year-old in the 2022 Games.
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He also mentioned that his mind was overwhelmed during the competition, potentially causing him to lose focus at the worst possible time.
“I felt really good this whole day, going really solid, and I just thought that all I needed to do was go out there and trust the process that I’ve always been doing with every competition,” Malinin said.
Malinin isn’t the only U.S. star that’s failed to meet expectations in the 2026 Games. Snowboarder Chloe Kim and alpine skiers Mikaela Shiffrin and Lindsey Vonn all failed to claim gold medals after success in previous Olympics. It seems the only American living up to the hype is speedskater Jordan Stolz, who has two of the country’s five golds thus far, putting the U.S. in fourth place overall.
Unlike them, though, it looks like Malinin is taking the loss hard.
