simone biles: Ilia Malinin admits he was not 'ready to handle' Olympic pressure
Ilia Malinin acknowledged Tuesday that overwhelming attention at the 2026 Winter Games played a role in a disappointing individual result, saying he simply wasn’t prepared to handle the intense spotlight when he stepped onto the ice for his free skate.
Malinin’s candid take on the Milan free skate
The 21-year-old entered the individual competition as the heavy favorite after a commanding short program, but his free skate in Milan unraveled. He was deducted 72 points during a mistake-filled routine and posted a free skate score of 156. 33, a sharp drop from the free skate marks he had posted earlier in the season.
“Honestly, it’s not a pleasant feeling. The most honest way to say it is it’s just a lot of on you, just so many eyes, so much attention, ” he said, describing how expectations and atmosphere affected his performance. He added that while he was confident going into the day, the moment itself—the crowd and the environment—got to him in a way he hadn’t fully anticipated.
Malinin framed the experience as a lesson rather than a career-defining failure. “All I have to do is just learn from my mistakes there and push to see how I can improve in the future, ” he said, noting that the episode would influence how he prepares for future Games, including the 2030 Olympics if he competes.
Context: highs, lows and what comes next
The free skate in Milan stood in stark contrast to Malinin’s performances earlier in the 2025–26 season, where he posted free skate scores well above 200 in multiple international events. He had been instrumental in the team event at these Games, skating a free program that scored 200. 03 and helping his squad secure gold.
At just 21, Malinin has already reshaped contemporary men’s figure skating with a technical arsenal few can match. He remains the only skater to have landed a quadruple axel in competition and is the first to land seven quadruple jumps in a single program. Those credentials make the Milan outcome all the more startling to observers, but they also underline why many believe his comeback prospects are strong.
In the immediate aftermath, Malinin’s campus community rallied behind him. Hundreds of students, faculty and staff gathered to watch the event unfold and voiced continued confidence in his future, noting his youth and the rarity of his achievements so early in his career. One student said, “He’s only 21, and he’s still in college. He still has his whole career ahead of him. ”
Malinin still has appearances left on his Olympic schedule: he is slated to skate in the closing exhibition gala on Saturday, February 21, 2026 (ET). He also intends to defend his world title the following month in Prague, where he has been champion the past two years. His agent has indicated he expects to compete at that event.
For now, Malinin’s emphasis is on process rather than outcome. He acknowledged the disappointment but framed the setback as an instructive moment. He said he will reassess how he prepares mentally and physically for the biggest stages, a shift he believes could pay dividends heading into world championships and the next Olympic cycle.
The contrast between the team gold and the individual disappointment underscores the thin margins of Olympic competition, where environment and expectation can be as consequential as training and technique. Malinin’s willingness to name the role of pressure in his performance marks a notable moment in his development and signals a renewed focus on preparation as he looks ahead.
