Ilia Malinin postpones press conference a day after eighth-place Olympic finish
Ilia Malinin did not hold a scheduled media session the day after a dramatic slip in the men's figure skating competition at the 2026 Winter Olympics. The American, who had been the favorite for gold, finished eighth after a free skate that included multiple mistakes and falls. He has since issued a personal statement on mental health and teased an appearance later in the Games.
Press session postponed as Malinin remains in Milano
The U. S. skater did not take part in a planned Saturday media session, which was postponed as he stayed in Milano following the competition. He was later seen at the Milano Ice Skating Arena on Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026 (ET), watching other events and remaining on the Olympic site. Organizers and team officials provided limited comment on the decision to delay the session; the move came amid a maelstrom of reaction to an unforeseen result that has dominated headlines and social conversation.
What went wrong on the ice
Malinin entered the free skate as the heavy favorite after a dominant run in the lead-up to the Games. The routine began with a successful quad flip, but errors followed. He settled for a single axel where a higher-value jump would normally have been expected, downgraded a planned quad loop to a double loop, and fell on a quad Lutz attempt before a second fall later in the program. The free skate score was 156. 33, a steep decline from the world-record free skate mark he set previously and far below the 200-plus totals he routinely posts. His combined total for the competition was 264. 49; his personal best stands at 333. 81.
The victory went to Mikhail Shaidorov, who posted a personal-best total of 291. 58 and a free skate of 198. 94. Yuma Kagiyama claimed silver and Shun Sato took bronze. For Malinin, the result was the most unexpected turn in a season that had positioned him as the leading contender for Olympic gold.
Mental-health message and what’s next
On Monday, Feb. 16, 2026 (ET), Malinin released his first public statement since the competition, framing the event through the lens of mental health. He wrote that "on the world’s biggest stage, those who appear the strongest may still be fighting invisible battles on the inside, " and described how "vile online hatred attacks the mind and fear lures it into the darkness. " He added that "it all builds up as these moments flash before your eyes, resulting in an inevitable crash. This is that version of the story. "
Malinin also reflected aloud about what he experienced right before taking his starting pose: "I just had so many thoughts and memories flood right before I got into my starting pose, and almost, I think, it maybe overwhelmed me a little bit. I've been through a lot in my life, a lot of bad and good experiences. " He described the pressure of being an Olympic gold hopeful as something that is understood fully only from the inside, saying the emotion and speed of the moment left him unable to process what was happening.
The statement included a teaser—"coming February 21, 2026"—which suggests he has plans for the exhibition gala scheduled that day. For now, Malinin remains in Milano and will likely use the coming days to regroup before any public appearances. The skater’s candid comments have reopened conversations about the mental-health demands placed on elite athletes at the Olympics and the intense scrutiny that follows visible mistakes on the world stage.
