simone biles comparison surfaces as Ilia Malinin admits he was not 'ready to handle' Olympic pressure
Ilia Malinin offered his most candid comments since a surprising result in the men’s individual figure skating final at the Milano Cortina Winter Games, acknowledging Tuesday that he wasn’t prepared for the full weight of Olympic expectations. The 21-year-old, who helped his country win team gold earlier in the Games, described an intense environment that contributed to mistakes in a free skate that fell far below his season norms.
What Malinin said about the free skate and the spotlight
Malinin said he went into the day confident but felt the enormity of the moment as soon as he stepped onto the ice. He described the crowds and attention as an "amazing environment" that nevertheless amplified pressure he hadn’t fully anticipated. The result: a free skate score of 156. 33 in Milan — a steep drop from the 200-plus scores he posted repeatedly during the 2025–26 season.
"Honestly, it’s not a pleasant feeling. The most honest way to say it is it’s just a lot on you, just so many eyes, so much attention, " he said, adding that the experience highlighted an area he needs to address in his preparation. Malinin framed the result as a lesson: he plans to learn from the mistakes and take a different approach leading up to future Games.
Despite the setback in the individual event, Malinin’s contributions in the earlier team competition remained a high point; he delivered a 200. 03 free skate that helped secure gold for his team, underscoring the gap between his best performances and what happened in the individual final.
Community response, recovery and what’s next
Support poured in from his university community, where classmates and faculty expressed shock at the result but rallied behind him. Students emphasized pride in what he has achieved while reminding observers that at 21 he still has much of his competitive career ahead.
Malinin still plans to skate in the Olympic closing gala on Saturday, February 21, 2026 (ET), an exhibition that will offer a lighter stage for him to perform. His agent has also signaled that he expects to defend his world title next month in Prague, where he has been champion in recent years. Those upcoming appearances are being framed as opportunities for the skater to reset and rebuild momentum.
Pressure in elite sport: a wider conversation
Malinin’s frankness about being unprepared for the spotlight joins a broader conversation about how elite athletes cope with the unique pressures of the Olympic stage. High-profile moments from other sports have shown how mental and emotional demands can reshape careers and public debate. For some athletes, stepping back or changing priorities has become part of managing those demands; for others, the path forward means adjusting training, support systems and competition routines.
For Malinin, the path appears to be a mix of introspection and action: learn from this experience, fine-tune preparation, and return to competition with adjustments shaped by what he encountered in Milan. At 21, he remains one of the most technically gifted skaters in the world, with a track record that includes pioneering jumps and multiple world titles. The coming weeks — from the gala on February 21 (ET) to the world championships in Prague — will be closely watched as indicators of how he rebounds from this Olympic moment.
In a sport where margins are tiny and expectations enormous, Malinin’s admission that he was not "ready to handle" everything the Games brought is likely to fuel further discussion about athlete preparation and the supports needed to perform under the world’s brightest lights.
