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Fans are concerned after it was revealed that videos containing vulnerable messages had been reposted by ‘Quad God’ Ilia Malinin on TikTok.
The 21-year-old had a clear path to winning gold in the men’s singles on Friday night, but after falling twice, he settled for eighth place.
Malinin was blunt about his performance when speaking to NBC afterward, saying simply, “I blew it,” and it was a clear mental hurdle from start to finish.
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Ilia Malinin of Team USA falls during the men’s individual skating on the seventh day of the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games at the Milan Ice Rink on February 13, 2026, in Milan, Italy. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
Subsequently, Malinin reposted several TikToks, including one with the message: “Sometimes I wish something bad would happen to me so I wouldn’t have to do it myself.”
Another video contained the message: “Your little boy is tired, mommy.”
Malinin also shared messages from “Healing Letters,” an account that writes messages in a book. One said: “When I get home and walk into my room my eyes start watering because no one knows how hard I’m really trying.”
Another said, “Nothing hurts more than trying your best and not always being good enough,” and the book was closed.
US Figure Skating did not immediately respond to a request for comment, as fans showed a lot of concern and support throughout the comments.
“You did so well ILIA, you are amazing!!!!! I love you,” one user wrote.
“Ilia 🙁 I hope he’s okay…” added another.
“You are still a champion, Ilia Malinin. One result does not define your talent or strength. We are proud of you, no matter where you are. Keep going, your time to shine is always ahead of you. You are the best,” said another.
Ilia Malinin of the United States reacts to his disastrous routine, in which he fell twice, during the figure skating competition, men’s singles free skating at the Milan Ice Skating Arena at the Milan Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games, February 13, 2026, in Milan, Italy. (Tim Clayton/Getty Images)
‘QUAD GOD’ ILIA MALININ FALLS TWICE, FINISHES EIGHTH AFTER SHOCKING PERFORMANCE
Malinin admitted that his mind was rather cluttered when he took the ice.
“I had so many thoughts and memories right before I took my starting pose, and almost, I think, maybe it overwhelmed me a little bit. I’ve been through a lot in my life, a lot of bad and good experiences,” Malinin told reporters. “So I just feel like it’s the pressure of being particularly this Olympic gold medal hopeful. It was just something that I can’t control now.”
“The pressure of the Olympics is really something different, and I think not many people understand that. They just understand that from the inside and before this competition, especially today, I felt really confident, really good,” he added. “But it really happened so quickly that I didn’t have time to take it all in.”
When his routine began Friday, Malinin connected on a quad flip to start, but then settled for a single axel. He then made a double loop instead of a quadruple loop. He fell during a quad Lutz attempt, then on another jump shortly after. He scored 156.33 points, a far cry from the world record of 238.24 he set in December and the 200-point mark he regularly reaches in free skating.
Ilia Malinin of Team USA leaves the ice after competing in the men’s individual skating on the seventh day of the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games at the Milan Ice Rink on February 13, 2026, in Milan, Italy. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
Mikhail Shaidorov of Kazakhstan won the gold medal with a total score of 291.58, a personal best. Her score of 198.94 in Friday’s free skate was also the highest of her career. Yuma Kagiyama of Japan won the silver medal and Shun Sato, his teammate, won the bronze medal.
Malinin, who regularly posts total scores in the 300s, settled for just 264.49 points. His personal best is 333.81.
