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Figure skating star Ilia Malinin has spoken about his Olympic disappointment and online abuse but suggested he would be present for the exhibition event at the Milan/Cortina Games on Saturday.
Known as the “quad god” for his jumps, the twice world champion and huge favorite flopped on Friday when he fell twice and had further mistakes to finish eighth.
Malinen spoke about the immense pressure of competing at the Games, and he has now followed up on Instagram on Monday.
“On the world’s biggest stage, those who appear the strongest may still be fighting invisible battles on the inside,” he said.
“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. This is that version of the story.”
The post was accompanied by a video showing his big success and ended with “Coming February 21, 2026,” which refers to the Olympic exhibition.
The exhibition is normally reserved for medalists and athletes from the host country but it appears that organizers would want to have Malinin skate as well.
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dpa; (TNS) | ©2026 dpa GmbH. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
