"On the world's biggest stage, those who appear the strongest may still be fighting invisible battles on the inside, Malinin wrote alongside the video. 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."
"A video posted to Malinin's Instagram account on Monday shows footage of the American celebrating various triumphs on the ice, intercut with an image of the skater holding his head in his hands after Friday's disappointment. The video ends with the message 21 February 2026, the date of the exhibition gala that traditionally concludes the Olympic figure skating schedule, perhaps suggesting Malinin's routine will be based on his recent experiences."
Ilia Malinin entered the men's free skate as the overwhelming favourite but fell twice, finishing 15th in the free skate and eighth overall. Kazakhstan's Mikhail Shaidorov won gold. Malinin posted an Instagram video juxtaposing career highs with a scene of him holding his head after the competition, ending with the exhibition gala date, 21 February 2026, possibly indicating a routine drawn from recent events. The written message accompanying the video describes invisible internal battles, online hatred, fear and mounting pressure leading to an "inevitable crash." The final video card referenced The Psychology of Fear and included images of keyboards and text messages.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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