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American figure skater Ilia Malinin may have been favorite to win medals at the 2026 Milan Cortina Games, but he admitted he was not well prepared to do so.
Malinin, nicknamed the “Quad God” for his special quadruple axel he could perform in his routine, shockingly fell several times in the men’s free skating final, finishing eighth in the event. The result was surprising to fans and pundits alike, but this Malinin has since had time to reflect on what went wrong at Milan.
During an appearance on the “Today” show Tuesday, he was candid in his response. It wasn’t that he wasn’t technically prepared to perform in Milan: it was the pressure from the fans in the stands and millions of spectators around the world.
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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)
“Honestly, it’s not a good feeling,” Malinin said of the free skating mistakes. “The most honest way to say it’s just a lot of stuff on you, so many eyes, so much attention. It can really get to you if you’re not ready to fully accept it, so I think that’s maybe one of the mistakes I made before this free skate, because I wasn’t ready to deal with it to the fullest extent.”
As the Olympics approached, Malinin was expected to reach the podium in some capacity following the conclusion of the men’s free program. He competed in four competitions before the Games, where his scores ranged between 209 and 238.
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However, the falls led to a final score of 156.33, and Malinin hung his head after the event, knowing he wasn’t going to secure an Olympic medal this time around.
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)
“Of course, it didn’t go the way I wanted. … All I have to do is just learn from my mistakes there and try to see how I can improve in the future. I can take a different approach before the next Games, I hope,” he said.
But it wasn’t all bad for Malinin in Milan, as he helped the United States win team gold earlier in the Games with a 200.03 free skate.
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 Olympics at the Milan Ice Rink on February 13, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
Malinin will be 25 years old at the upcoming 2030 Winter Olympics, which will be held in the French Alps.
