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American figure skater Ilia Malinin may have become the favorite to take home medals when he competes in 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 that he could perform in his routine, shockingly fell several times in the men’s free skate final and finished 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 in Milan.
During an appearance on the “Today” show Tuesday, he was candid with his answer. It wasn’t because he wasn’t technically prepared to perform in Milan – it was the pressure from the fans in the stands and the millions watching 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 men’s singles free skating competition at the Milan Ice Skating Arena at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympic Games 2026 on February 13, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Tim Clayton/Getty Images)
“Honestly, it’s not a pleasant feeling,” Malinin said of the free skate tablets. “The most honest way to put it is that it’s just a lot on you, just so many eyes, so much attention. It can really get to you if you’re not ready to fully embrace it, so I think maybe one of the mistakes I made going into the free skate was I wasn’t ready to handle it to its full extent.”
Heading into the Olympics, Malinin was expected to be on the podium in some capacity after the men’s free skate closed. He had four competitions leading up to the Games, where his scores ranged from 209-238.
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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 would not secure an Olympic medal this time.
Ilia Malinin of Team United States falls during the Men Single Skating on day seven of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics at the Milan Ice Skating Arena on February 13, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
“Obviously it didn’t go the way I wanted it to. …All I have to do is just learn from my mistakes there and push to see how I can improve in the future. I can hopefully take a different approach for the next games,” he said.
But it hasn’t been all bad for Malinin in Milan, as he helped the U.S. to team gold earlier in the Games with a 200.03 free skate.
Ilia Malinin of Team United States leaves the ice after competing in the Men’s Single Skating on day seven of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics at the Milan Ice Skating Arena on February 13, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
Malinin will be 25 years old at the next Winter Olympics in 2030, which will be held in the French Alps.
