American figure skater Ilia Malinin says she wasn’t ready for the Olympic spotlight after multiple falls cost her a medal
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American figure skater Ilia Malinin may have been the favorite to take home medals heading into the 2026 Cortina Games in Milan, but she admitted she was not well prepared to do so.
Malinin, nicknamed the “Quadruple God” for the quadruple axle he could perform in his routine, surprisingly fell several times in the men’s free skate final, finishing eighth in the event. The result surprised fans and experts, but Malinin has since had time to reflect on what went wrong in Milan.
During an appearance on the “Today” show on Tuesday, he was candid with his response. It’s not that he wasn’t technically prepared to perform in Milan. It was the pressure of the fans in the stands and the millions of spectators around the world.
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Ilia Malinin of the United States reacts to his disastrous routine, in which he fell twice, during the men’s singles free skate competition at the Milano Ice Skating Arena at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games, on February 13, 2026, in Milan, Italy. (Tim Clayton/Getty Images)
“Honestly, it’s not a nice feeling,” Malinin said of the mistakes made in the free skate. “The most honest way to put it is that it’s so much on you, so many eyes, so much attention. It can really take a toll on you if you’re not ready to fully embrace it. So I think that might be one of the mistakes I made going into that free skate was that I wasn’t ready to handle that to its fullest extent.”
Heading into the Olympics, Malinin was expected to make the podium after the men’s free skate. He had four competitions leading up to the Games in which his scores ranged from 209 to 238.
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However, falls led to a final score of 156.33, and Malinin hung his head after the event knowing he wasn’t going to get an Olympic medal this time.
Ilia Malinin of the United States falls during the men’s single skating at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at the Milano Ice Skating Arena on February 13, 2026, in Milan, Italy. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
“Of course, it didn’t go the way I wanted… All I have to do is learn from my mistakes and work hard to see how I can improve in the future. I hope I can take a different approach going into the next Games,” he said.
Read more about the 2026 Winter Olympics
But it hasn’t been all bad for Malinin in Milan, as she helped the United States to team gold earlier in the Games with a free skate of 200.03.
Ilia Malinin of the United States leaves the ice after competing in men’s single skating at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at the Milano Ice Skating Arena on February 13, 2026, in Milan, Italy. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
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Malinin will be 25 years old by the next 2030 Winter Olympics, which will be held in the French Alps.
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Scott Thompson is a sports writer for News Digital.