After crashing out during the men’s figure skating final at the 2026 Winter Olympics, Ilia Malinin now appears to be crashing out on social media — with many fans worried over his recent posts.
Ilia Malinin, who is known as the ‘Quad God’ for impressive aerial ability on ice, took a couple of tumbles during the final on Friday and came up well short despite being the heavy favourite.
Since suffering the disappointing finish, Malinin has caused concern over his mental state after reposting several videos on social media and writing about “fighting invisible battles.”
In a video posted on TikTok on Sunday, the 21-year-old American spliced together clips of himself skating happily with others of him holding his head in his hands after Friday’s falls.
At the end of the video is a black screen with the date “February 21, 2026.
While it has sparked concern among Olympic fans and his followers, USA Today reported that the video is likely linked to the exhibition gala on that date, in which Malinin is slated to skate.
What types of videos has Ilia Malinin reposted?
Malinin’s post only heightens worries over his mental state after his stunning loss.
Over the past few days, the Virginia native reposted several videos to his TikTok account with increasingly vulnerable messaging.
“Sometimes I wish something bad would just happen to me so I don’t have to do it myself,” one said.
“Your little boy is tired, mom,” another added.
The figure skater also shared videos from an account called “Healing Letters,” which writes messages down in a book.
“When I get home and step into my room and my eyes start watering because no one knows how hard I’m truly trying,” one said.
What happened during the men’s figure skating final?
Malinin uncharacteristically fell twice in during the final, earning a score of 264.49 and an eighth-place finish. It marked his first loss in more than two years.
Kazakhstan’s Mikhail Shaidorov claimed gold, as apparent disappointment could be seen on Malinin’s face.
“I blew it,” Malinin told NBC moments after walking off the ice.
“I felt really good this whole day, going really solid, and I just thought that all I needed to do was go out there and trust the process that I’ve always been doing with every competition,” Malinin said.