Ilia Malinin hints at intense Olympic pressure days after unexpected result
Team USA figure skating star Ilia Malinin had a reminder to those who criticized the Olympic athletes participating in the Milan Cortina Games on Monday.
Malinin finished eighth in the men’s singles event on Friday after two falls in which he was expected to lose. In a post on his Instagram account, Malinin raised awareness about the mental toll of elite competition.
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“On the world’s biggest stage, those who appear to be the strongest may still be fighting invisible wars inside,” he wrote in his post. “Even your happiest memories can be tarnished by noise. No matter how hard you try to maintain your sanity in the face of endless, insurmountable pressure, vile hatred online assaults the mind and fear draws it into darkness.
“As these moments pass before your eyes, everything unfolds, culminating in an inevitable collapse. This is that version of the story.”
Malinin promoted her upcoming performance at the traditional exhibition gala that concludes the Olympic figure skating program. The event will take place on February 21.
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Malinin, who won the gold medal in the team competition, acknowledged the pressure she felt entering the free skate portion of the competition.
“I didn’t really know how to handle it,” he said Friday.
He is expected to compete for his third consecutive world title in Prague next month. He went undefeated in 14 contests over two years and earned the nickname “Quad God” for his near-impossible moves on the ice.
The 21-year-old was praised for his kindness in defeat.
“The nerves were so tense, it was so overwhelming,” she said, “and especially as I got into that starting pose, I felt like all the traumatic moments in my life were really starting to fill my head. So many negative thoughts flooded in there that I couldn’t handle it.”
“All I know is that it wasn’t my best skate and it was definitely something I didn’t expect. And it’s over, so I can’t go back and change it, as much as I would like to.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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