Ilia Marin condemned “vile hatred online” in her first public statement after her shocking defeat at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
After failing to win gold in Friday’s men’s figure skating final, the 21-year-old U.S. figure skater shared a post on Instagram on Monday, admitting that he faces “endless and insurmountable pressure.”
“On the world’s biggest stage, even those who look the strongest may be fighting an invisible battle deep inside,” Malinin wrote. “Even the happiest memories can be tainted by noise.”
“No matter how much vile hate online attacks your mind and how hard you try to stay sane against the endless and insurmountable pressure, fear lures your mind into darkness,” the athlete continued.
Malinin’s caption added, “As these moments flash before our eyes, they all add up to an inevitable collision. This is that version of the story.”
The post featured clips of Malinin’s past winning ice skating competitions, followed by a shot of Malinin with his hands on his head after Friday’s event.
The date “February 21, 2026” then flashed on the black screen, teasing that something would happen on that day.
According to USA Sports, the video hints at an exhibition gala to be held on February 21st, which Malinin is also expected to attend.
Fans showed their support for the figure skater in the comments section of his video.
“True champions are not just those who win gold medals. You are simply the champion of humanity,” one fan wrote.
Another said, “Ilia, you’ve had enough! Always! Love yourself as we all love you.”
A third comment read: “You don’t need a medal to prove you’re a true winner.”
Marinin, the son of former two-time Olympian skaters Tatyana Marinina and Roman Skolniakov, was the front-runner going into Friday’s competition.
However, he fell twice during the competition and finished in 8th place with a score of 264.49 points.
Mikhail Shaidlov of Kazakhstan won the gold medal.
Marinin, known as the God of the Quad, told NBC after suffering his first loss in two years, “I was done.”
He also explained that his mind was “overwhelmed” during the competition.
“It’s not like any other sport. This is the Olympics and I think people just understand the nerve pressure that really comes from within. So it was a really overwhelming thing and I felt like I had no control over it,” he told reporters.
Marinin then shared multiple TikToks with vulnerable messages, causing fans to worry.
“Sometimes I wish bad things would happen to me so I wouldn’t have to,” said one person on TikTok.
