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Ilia Malinin called out “vile online hatred” in his first public statement after his shocking Winter Olympics 2026 loss.
After failing to capture a gold medal in the men’s figure skating final on Friday, the 21-year-old U.S. figure skater shared a post on Instagram Monday where he admitted he’s been facing “endless insurmountable pressure.”
“On the world’s biggest stage, those who appear the strongest may still be fighting invisible battles on the inside,” Malinin wrote. “Even your happiest memories can end up tainted by the noise.”
“Vile online hatred attacks the mind and fear lures it into the darkness, no matter how hard you try to stay sane through the endless insurmountable pressure,” the athlete continued.
Malinin’s caption added, “It all builds up as these moments flash before your eyes, resulting in an inevitable crash. This is that version of the story.”
The post featured featured clips from Malinin’s previous victorious ice skating matches, followed by a shot of him with his hands on his head after Friday’s event.
The date “February 21, 2026” then flashed on the black screen, teasing that something is coming that day.
According to USA Sports, the video is hinting at the upcoming exhibition gala, which is taking place Feb. 21 with Malinin set to be involved.
Fans showed the figure skater support in the comments section of his video.
“True champions aren’t just those who win gold medals. You are simply a champion of humanity,” one fan wrote.
Another said, “ILIA YOU ARE ENOUGH! ALWAYS! Love yourself like we all love you.”
“You don’t need a medal to prove you truly a winner,” a third comment read.
Malinin — the son of former two-time Olympic skaters Tatiana Malinina and Roman Skorniakov — was the favorite heading into Friday’s competition.
But he fell twice during the event, resulting in a score of 264.49 and an eighth-place finish.
Kazakhstan’s Mikhail Shaidorov took home the gold medal.
“I blew it,” Malinin, known as the Quad God, told NBC after suffering his first loss in two years.
He also explained that his mind was “overwhelmed” during the competition.
“It’s not like any other competition. It’s the Olympics, and I think people only realize the pressure in the nerves that actually happen from the inside, so it was really just something that overwhelmed me and I just felt like I had no control,” he said to reporters.
Malinin later worried fans when he shared multiple TikToks with vulnerable messages.
“Sometimes I wish something bad would just happen to me so I don’t have to do it myself,” one of the TikToks said.
English (US)