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U.S. figure skater Ilia Malinin appeared to address his subpar performance at the Olympics in a social media post Monday.
Writing in a caption on Instagram, Malinin alluded to “invisible battles” he has been fighting. After his free skate in the men’s single skating event last week dropped him from first to eighth place (in an event he was heavily favored to win), Malinin admitted his head was flooded with negative thoughts before he was set to perform.
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“On the world’s biggest stage, those who appear the strongest may still be fighting invisible battles on the inside,” Malinin posted on Instagram on Monday. “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. It all builds up as these moments flash before your eyes, resulting in an inevitable crash.”
Malinin appeared to be promoting something related to his mental health at the end of the post, also writing, “This is that version of the story. Coming February 21, 2026.”
Malinin, 21, entered the Olympics as one of the most dominant competitors in figure skating.
He won two straight World Championships prior to Milan, as well as three straight Grand Prix finals and three straight U.S. Championships.
The self-proclaimed “Quad God” is one of the most athletically gifted figure skaters in history, and the only skater to land a quadruple axel in competition. He is also the first skater to land seven quad jumps in a single program.
After finishing first in the short program portion of the men’s single skating event, Malinin struggled in the free skate. He was deducted 72 points for mistakes, including multiple falls. He also opted against attempting a quadruple axel during the routine, executing a single instead.
“All of this pressure, all of the media, and just being the Olympic gold hopeful was a lot,” he said the night of his free skate. “It was too much to handle.”
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