Even before stepping onto the ice for his emotional gala performance at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, 21-year-old Ilia Malinin faced one simple hurdle: proving to himself that he could skate without fear.
Earlier in the Games, Malinin — famously dubbed the “Quad God” — had dominated the short program and helped Team USA clinch the first gold medal of figure skating at these Olympics. But the men’s individual long program proved brutal: two falls and an eighth-place finish left the young skater grappling with disappointment and self-doubt.
That context made his gala performance all the more meaningful. Wearing a simple gray hoodie and jeans, Malinin skated to NF’s haunting track “Fear”, featuring the repeated line, “Is this what you wanted?” The routine wasn’t a spontaneous response to his Olympic struggles — he revealed it had been in the works for months, a carefully crafted expression of the pressure, doubt, and emotional weight he had carried leading up to the Games.
“This program was a very emotional piece,” Malinin said afterward. “The song really spoke to me. It represented how I’ve been feeling for the last year: the pressure, the doubts, the noise from media, the people, the environment — everything that comes with preparing for the Olympics.”
But the performance wasn’t just about him. It was a statement on the human side of elite sport. “We’re also human beings. We have real thoughts, real feelings. Even though it may look like we’re like robots with super-human abilities, deep down, we’re as similar as everyone else.”
The crowd at the Milano Ice Skating Arena responded in kind. Malinin landed multiple quads and four signature backflips, delivering an electrifying performance that earned a standing ovation — a celebration not of medals, but of courage and honesty.
Even after the setback in the individual event, Malinin’s Olympic journey was far from over. He stayed to support teammates like Alysa Liu, shared lighter moments around the Olympic Village, and is now preparing for upcoming shows in Switzerland and the World Championships in Prague.
Reflecting on his first Olympic experience, Malinin added, “I learned so much from these Games. Having one Olympics under my belt gives me the knowledge to understand what I can do differently and come back stronger.”
And as for the future? He left no doubt. “It’s not the last of me,” he said with a smile.
From triumphs to setbacks, from pressure to raw emotion, Malinin’s gala skate wasn’t just a performance — it was a powerful statement of resilience, growth, and the human spirit behind the medals.
