Ilia Malinin called out “vile online hatred” in his first public statement after his shocking 2026 Winter Olympics loss.
After failing to win a gold medal in the men’s figure skating final Friday, the 21-year-old US figure skater admitted in an Instagram post Monday that 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.”
US figure skater Ilia Malinin shared a post about “vile online hatred” after his loss at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Ilia Malinin said he’s been dealing with “endless insurmountable pressure.”VCG via Getty Images
“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,” he continued. “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 clips from Malinin’s victorious ice skating matches, followed by a shot of him with his hands on his head after Friday’s event.
Malinin was the favorite heading into his ice skating event, but he fell and came in eighth place.AP
His post also teased that his fans should watch out for something on Feb. 21.Getty Images
The date of Feb. 21 then flashed on the screen, teasing that something is coming that day.
According to USA Today Sports, the video is hinting at the exhibition gala, which takes place Feb. 21 with Malinin set to be involved.
In the comment section, fans supported the figure skater.
“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,” another comment read.
Malinin suffered his first loss in two years at the 2026 Winter Olympics.Getty Images
He lost the gold medal to Kazakhstan’s Mikhail Shaidorov.Xinhua/Shutterstock
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.
Ilia Malinin told reporters after the competition that he “blew it.”AP
He also admitted he was “overwhelmed” when he went on the ice.AP
He explained he was “overwhelmed” during the competition.
“It’s not like any other competition. It’s the Olympics. And I think people only realize the pressure and 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 told 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.
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