Things did not unfold as planned by Ilia Malinin, the heavy favorite for the Olympic men’s figure skating title at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Games. After leading early, he stumbled in the free skate and fell twice, finishing eighth overall. Shortly after, he became the subject of criticism and doubts as to whether he deserved the Olympic stage. But even amid the scrutiny, Malinin found support from his coach.

Coach Rafael Arutyunyan, known for guiding some of the world’s top skaters, defended Malinin after the disappointing result, taking responsibility for the team’s shortcomings under pressure.

“We, the members of Malinin’s team, need to stop accepting condolences and openly acknowledge the mistakes that were made. Ilia is not to blame, and I have already told him this. The fault lies with us, the adults, who failed to protect a young athlete from making wrong decisions.”

He continued, “For various reasons, I don’t think it is appropriate to provide more extensive comments on this matter. However, in a personal conversation with Ilia, we discussed many important things for him. I hope this will help him continue his career in the sport and find joy again in what he does.”

Arutyunyan’s approach is unusual in figure skating.

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But even Malinin admitted it himself,  “I blew it.”

Ilia’s parents brought in Arutyunyan around 2021 as a jump technique expert to help him push technical limits. Since then, Arutyunyan has helped Malinin refine elements like the quadruple axel, which he first landed in 2022.

Now, despite the Olympic stumble, the coach’s support for Malinin shows that this setback may be a learning moment rather than a defining failure. But even then, signs were already there that he might not perform at the highest level.

Ilia Malinin’s Olympic struggle shows the pressure behind the scenes

“Loser.” That’s what some fans called Ilia Malinin after he finished eighth. Yet, the signs of the challenge were already there!

Before his Olympic free skate, Malinin said he felt confident, but once he stepped onto the ice, the moment hit harder than expected.

“I just had so many thoughts and memories flood right before I got into my starting pose, and almost, I think, it maybe overwhelmed me a little bit,” he admitted.

Ilia entered the games with high expectations, after all, he had won 14 international events in two years. By 2026, he had successfully landed more quad jumps than any other skater in history, which gave him a distinct technical edge.

Yet his experience and ability could not completely protect him against the pressure, fear, and scrutiny that are part of being the favorite. And the backlash has clearly weighed on him.

The 21-year-old Team USA skater recently shared his thoughts on Instagram, revealing the emotional toll of competing on the world’s biggest stage.

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

He added, “All of it builds up as these moments flash before your eyes, ending in an inevitable crash. This is that version of the story.”

Malinin, often called the “quad god,” had difficulty completing a quadruple axel and fell twice, earning 156.33 in the free skate and 264.49 total.

Although the individual event had been a letdown, he helped Team USA win gold in the team competition.