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Skating phenom Ilia Malanin hinted at serious internal strife while appearing to cast his struggle in the men’s Olympic figure skating final as an “inevitable crash.”
The heavily favored 21-year-old, who tumbled from first to eighth place in a disastrous free skate last week, shared a video Monday of career triumphs interspersed with a repeated cut of him burying his head in his hands.
“On the world’s biggest stage, those who appear the strongest may still be fighting invisible battles on the inside,” he wrote on Instagram. “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. Coming February 21, 2026.”
The date may be referring to his reported appearance at Saturday’s skating exhibition gala at the Milan Cortina Games.
But his agony over falling short of lofty expectations appears to be ever-present.
NurPhoto via Getty Images
In the men’s final, Malinin was all over the place after he fell twice to seal his first competition defeat in years.
Just afterward, he could be heard blaming his performance on being left off the 2022 Olympic team in Beijing. In another moment, he displayed brutal self-ownership. “I blew it,” he said.
“The nerves just went, so overwhelming,” he said, later adding: “I just felt like all the traumatic moments of my life really just started flooding my head. So many negative thoughts that flooded into there, and I could not handle it.”
In the aftermath, Malinin, who helped the U.S. to gold in the team event, reposted an alarming TikTok message that read, “Sometimes I wish something bad would just happen to me so I don’t have to do it myself.”
NurPhoto via Getty Images
If you or someone you know needs help, call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org for mental health support. Additionally, you can find local mental health and crisis resources at dontcallthepolice.com. Outside of the U.S., please visit the International Association for Suicide Prevention.