Ilia Malinin, two-time world champion and undoubted favorite in men’s Olympic figure skating, finished eighth after landing only three of his seven attempted quad jumps. The 21-year-old skater kicked off the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics by helping the U.S. win gold at the team event with a free skate that beat Japan by a single point. On February 13th, Malinin was the last skater of the night following his five point lead in the men’s short-program earlier that week. The Olympic pressure coupled with his highly expectant fan base proved too much for the American figure skater, who had dubbed himself “Quad god” after making history as the first skater to land all six quadruple jumps and the first to land a quad axel in competition in 2024. Ilia received support from renowned athletes and past Olympians including Steph Curry, Simone Biles, Tom Brady, Scott Hamilton, and Apolo Ohno.
The Quad god later opened up to his audience on the dangers of hatred to mental health, specifically in regards to social media.
“On the world’s biggest stage, those who appear the strongest may still be fighting invisible battles on the inside”, Ilia said in an Instagram post, “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”.
The 21-year-old skater reposted TikTok’s concerning anything from feelings of inadequacy to self-harm, revealing how his mental health suffered from negative thought patterns and online
According to a research report, “…hate speech [which] may encourage – and therefore lead to – abusive, harassing or insulting conduct, including physical violence”, the SELMA project said.
Pressure, stress, lack of support, and online hatred are also known to contribute to depression, anxiety, and emotional dysregulation which can result in a cycle of negativity.
“…just felt like all the … traumatic moments of my life really just started flooding my head, and there were just so many negative thoughts that just flooded into there…”, Malinin said.
It’s important to note that Malinin’s experience is not a singular, isolated instance, but instead a common human experience.
The young skater’s resilience was evident in his Olympic gala performance to “Fear” by rap artist NF. The performance showcased Malinin’s beautiful artistry, two quads, a backflip, and his signature “Raspberry Twist” move. Despite his remarks that, “There’s been so much pressure, so much doubt and everything around me, the noise with the media….It’s been so overwhelming” according to USA Today, Ilia was able to later skate for a deeper purpose—for all those struggling through the noise and negativity of daily life in our modern world.
After Ilia Malinin’s score was announced, he immediately congratulated Mikhail Shaidorov on winning the gold medal, saying he deserved it after embracing Shaidorov.
“Congratulating Mikhail wasn’t about the results, it was about the shared journey we take as athletes. Knowing that fans worldwide connected with that moment means more to me than any medal,” Malinin said.
Ilia’s positive composure, selfless congratulations to Mikhail Shaidorov, and excellent sportsmanship won him the Milano Cortina 2026 Fair Play Award on March 5th, 2026. I would encourage all to watch Ilia Malinin’s Olympic gala exhibition skate, as it is a wonderful representation of the impact that hate, fear, and negativity can have on our minds.
