Ilia Malinin Admits He Was Not 'ready To Handle' Olympic Pressure - Beritaja

MILAN — Ilia Malinin admitted Tuesday connected “TODAY” he was not prepared to grip the spotlight of the Olympics, giving his about extended comments since his shocking performance astatine the Milan Cortina Olympics.

Malinin entered the 2026 Winter Games under an aggravated spotlight. He was heavy expected to triumph a golden badge successful the men’s fig skating individual event, a title he has dominated internationally complete the past fewer years. But aft a stellar short program, he was deducted 72 points during a mistake-filled free skate.

“Honestly, it’s not a pleasant emotion is the about honorable measurement to opportunity it,” Malinin said of the precocious expectations he felt astatine the Olympics. “So galore eyes, truthful overmuch attention. It really could get to you if you’re not fresh to afloat clasp it. That whitethorn beryllium 1 of the mistakes I made, I was not fresh to grip that to the fullest extent.”

Malinin said going into the time of his free skate he was confident, but erstwhile he stepped onto the crystal he could consciousness the “amazing environment.” He added that the acquisition would impact really he prepared for the 2030 Games, should he compete.

“Of people it didn’t spell the measurement I wanted it to, each I could do is study from my mistakes,” Malinin said, adding, “I could return a different attack starring up to the adjacent games, hopefully.”

Malinin’s 156.33 free skate people successful Milan was a acold outcry from his performances during the 2025-26 fig skating season. In 4 competitions earlier the Olympics, Malinin posted free skate scores of 209.78, 238.24, 228.97 and 215.78.

During the squad arena earlier successful the Games, Malinin scored a 200.03 successful the free skate, helping the United States triumph gold.

At only 21, Malinin has go a transformative fig successful fig skating because of his diversion ability. The self-proclaimed “Quad God,” Malinin successful 2022 became the first skater to onshore a quadruple axel — a four-and-a-half rotation jump — successful competition. He is besides the first skater ever to onshore 7 quad jumps successful a azygous program.

Malinin still has 1 much skate near astatine the Olympics, arsenic he will execute astatine the Closing Gala connected Saturday, an accumulation event. Malinin’s supplier besides told NBC Sports that Malinin still expects to compete astatine the World Championships successful Prague adjacent month, an arena Malinin has won 2 consecutive years.