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Fans are concerned after it was revealed that “Quad God” Ilia Malinin reposted videos with vulnerable messages on TikTok.
The 21-year-old had a clear path to winning the gold medal in men’s single skating on Friday night, but after falling twice, he settled for eighth place.
Malinin was forthright 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 single skating on day seven of the Milan Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at the Milano Ice Skating Arena on February 13, 2026, in Milan, Italy. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
Malinin then 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 had the message: “Your little one is tired, mom.”
Malinin also shared posts from “Healing Letters,” an account that writes messages in a book. One said: “When I get home, I walk into my room and my eyes start to water because no one knows how hard I’m really trying.”
Another said, “Nothing hurts more than doing your best and still not being good enough,” and they slammed the book shut.
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 VERY WELL ILIA, YOU ARE AMAZING!!!!! I LOVE YOU,” wrote one user.
“Ilia 🙁 I hope he’s okay…” another added.
“You are still a champion, Ilia Malinin. One result does not define your talent or your strength. We are proud of you, no matter what place you occupy. Keep going, your time to shine is always ahead. You are the best,” said one more.
Ilia Malinin of the United States reacts to his disastrous routine, in which he fell twice, during the figure skating competition, men’s single skating-free skating at the Milan Ice Skating Stadium at the Milan Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games on 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 quite foggy when he took the ice.
“I had so many thoughts and memories flooding back just before I took my initial stance, and I think it almost overwhelmed me a little bit. I’ve been through a lot in my life, a lot of good and bad experiences,” Malinin told reporters. “So I feel like it’s the pressure of hoping to win the Olympic gold medal. It was something I can’t control now.”
“The pressure of the Olympic Games is really something different, and I think not many people understand it. They just understand that from the inside and entering this competition, especially today, I felt very confident, very good,” he added. “But it actually happened so fast that I didn’t have time to process it.”
When he began his routine on Friday, Malinin landed a quad flip to start, but then settled for a single axle. Then it had a double loop instead of a quad loop. He fell on a quad Lutz attempt and then fell 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 usually reaches in the free skate.
Ilia Malinin of Team USA leaves the ice after competing in the men’s single skating on day seven of the Milan Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at the Milano Ice Skating Arena on February 13, 2026, in Milan, Italy. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
Mikhail Shaidorov of Kazakhstan won gold with a total score of 291.58, his personal best. His score of 198.94 in Friday’s free skate was also the highest of his career. Yuma Kagiyama of Japan took silver and Shun Sato, Kagiyama’s teammate, took bronze.
Malinin, who posts total scores in the 300 regularly, settled for just 264.49 points. His personal best is 333.81.
