Ilia Malinin Opens Up About Mental Health in First Social Media Post Since Olympic Upset

Ilia Malinin was understandably “heartbroken” after failing to medal in the men’s singles figure skating finals at the Winter Olympics last Friday. The American was largely seen as the favorite to win gold, but he fell a couple times in his free skate performance.

Ever since Malinin looked devastated on the ice following the event, fans have worried about the 21-year-old’s mental health moving forward. He admitted that he wasn’t prepared for the pressure the Olympics bring.

Malinin gave some insight into his mental health journey on Monday by posting a video on Instagram with a lengthy caption detailing the struggles he’s had while in Milan Cortina.

“On the world’s biggest stage, those who appear the strongest may still be fighting invisible battles on the inside. 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.”

German skating commentator Daniel Weiss shared over the weekend that Malinin’s agent Ari Zakarian said the young skater has been receiving professional help since Friday’s competition. Malinin’s definitely got a big support system, it seems.

Malinin’s skating journey is far from over. As he mentioned in his Instagram caption, Malinin was invited to perform in Saturday’s Olympic skating gala, which normally just spotlights the medalists and maybe a skater from the Games’ home country. Additionally, Malinin committed to next month’s World Championships in Prague, where he is a two-time gold medalist.

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