simone biles moment? Ilia Malinin says he 'was not ready to handle' Olympic free skate pressure

Ilia Malinin has given one of the clearest accounts yet of what went wrong in the men's free skate at the Milano Cortina Winter Games, acknowledging that the Olympic spotlight overwhelmed him and pledging to learn from the experience as he aims for redemption on the world stage.

Malinin on the moment

In interviews this week, the 21-year-old noted that his mindset entering the free skate had been positive and confident. "Going into that day, I felt really confident, really good. Stepping on the ice, I definitely felt that amazing environment, from in that arena, so much support, so much energy, " he said. "Going onto the ice, I really had a nice day, excited to get out there. Of course, it didn't go the way I wanted it to, but we can't look at that now. All I have to do is just learn from my mistakes there and push to see how I can improve in the future. "

When his program unraveled and he entered the kiss-and-cry area, microphones captured him saying, "Beijing, I would not have skated like that, " a reflection that implied Olympic experience might have helped him avoid costly errors. He expanded on that thought, admitting that the volume of attention and expectation got to him in a way he had not fully prepared for.

"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. Not only from people, fans, media, it's just so much. It really can get to you if you’re not ready to fully embrace it. I think that might be one of the mistakes I made going into that free skate was I was not ready to handle that to a full extent, " he said. He added that the experience will help him understand how to better prepare mentally for future high-pressure moments.

Road to redemption and what comes next

Malinin's fall to eighth in the individual men's event capped a weekend that instantly became a focal point for conversations about pressure, expectations and how elite athletes cope on the biggest stage. He had hoped to add an individual Olympic gold to the team gold he won earlier in the Games, but errors in the free skate—among them a failed attempt at his signature high-difficulty jump—left him off the podium.

Still, Malinin emphasized that failure can be a teacher. "Everything happens for a reason, " he said, stressing that setbacks often lead to more growth than easy victories. He made a point of saying he will continue to push technical boundaries, aiming to increase the number and difficulty of his jumps rather than retreating from ambition.

His next chance to regroup comes quickly: Malinin is scheduled to defend his national standing and chase a third straight world title at the World Figure Skating Championships in Prague next month. He framed the upcoming event as a practical step in the recovery process—an opportunity to turn lessons learned in Milan into immediate improvements on the ice.

Broader implications for elite sport

Malinin's candid reflections underscore an ongoing conversation about how the weight of expectation affects young elite athletes. He described the physical, mental and emotional complexity of high-level figure skating and suggested that audiences often underestimate what competitors endure behind the scenes. "In the end, it's really hard, physically, mentally, emotionally. There's so much that goes into this sport, and the people don't really realize what's happening, " he said.

For fans and followers of the sport, the immediate intrigue is how Malinin will translate this painful Olympic lesson into a more resilient approach. He signaled a willingness to adapt his preparation for the next Olympic cycle—targeting the 2030 Winter Games in the French Alps—and to use the Worlds in Prague as a proving ground. Many observers are already watching for technical changes, mental training adjustments and how he manages expectations under renewed scrutiny.

He summed up the mindset succinctly: you have to get up, learn, and skate the next day. For Malinin, that process begins now.