Ilia Malinin recently reflected on the emotions he went through at the 2026 Winter Olympics after an unexpected turn of events. Revealing the lessons he learned in this run, he opened up about how he plans to make a comeback.
Malinin entered the free skate event as the gold medal favorite on February 13. However, what came next wasn’t expected. He kick-started his routine with a planned quadruple axel, but what was supposed to be a stunning execution of his specialty turned into a single axel. After this, he fell twice while executing the quad lutz, and instead of multiple rotations, he continued with double jumps.
He secured 156.33 in the event and finished in eighth place overall after earning a score of 264.49. Days after this disappointment, the American shared a raw Olympic post-update on his Instagram, highlighting his journey, as he revealed that he let fear get the better of him. Looking forward to his next goals, the 21-year-old wrote:
“OLYMPICS 🇮🇹 Everything that led up to this point felt like a waste, no purpose to continue, no faith in the world, no reason to trust myself. I let FEAR in and it ruined me. Now, time to get back up and do it again. It’s done, finished, gone. New goals and challenges await. Somethings bigger and better. GIVE ME A REASON.”
Despite the tough moment, the skater expressed gratitude toward everyone who supported him and reflected on his takeaways from the quadrennial event. Raising anticipation about making a comeback at the World Figure Skating Championships in Prague, he added:
“Grateful for everything and everyone that helped and supported me throughout this time. Met new people and learned many life lessons. 1: One loss doesn’t change what you have already won. 2: You learn more from failure than success. I came in being one person and left with a changed mind. Nevertheless, I had my amazing moments and memories and did not leave empty handed🏅. Next step, Redemption. See you in Prague 🇨🇿 – QG 🖤💛.”
Ilia Malinin received support from the sports world during his tough time, including Simone Biles, Tom Brady, Steph Curry, and more.
Ilia Malinin Opens Up About His Redemption at the World Championships
After wrapping up his run at the 2026 Winter Olympics, Ilia Malinin performed in the Olympic exhibition gala, where he delivered an imposing performance, highlighting the dangers of social media by skating to “Fear” by American rapper NF. Following this, he spoke to the media, where he weighed in on his upcoming plans on the ice.
With the World Championships in Prague coming up, the skater opened up about his redemption following a forgettable Olympic run.
“My next goal is to have a redemption skate at the World Championships, and after that just enjoy the, you know, the stress of the Olympic season, and it will be finally over,” said Ilia Malinin.
In a post-skate interview at the Olympics, Ilia Malinin revealed the first thing that came to his mind after the shocking fall during his free skate finals at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
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