Ilia Malinin admitted that the pressure of the Winter Olympics got to him during his shocking performance in Milan Cortina. The 21-year-old figure skating star, dubbed the “Quad God,” joined “TODAY” on Tuesday in his first interview since failing to medal in the men’s singles event. “Honestly, it’s not a pleasant feeling is the most honest way to say it,” Malinin said of the pressure and expectations he faced. “So many eyes, so much attention. It really can get to you if you’re not ready to fully embrace it. That may be one of the mistakes I made, I was not ready to handle that to the fullest extent.” Malinin entered the 2026 Winter Games as a heavy favorite. His Olympics got off to a quality start, too, as he helped the U.S. win gold in the team event. He then started the men’s singles event with a spectacular short program and had a five-point cushion going into the free skate. That’s where things fell apart for Malinin. The two-time world champion’s routine was littered with mistakes, ultimately leading to 72 points in deductions and an eighth-place finish. Malinin said he was confident heading into the free skate, and he thinks that confidence may have impacted his performance. “I was not expecting that,” he said after the event. “I felt so ready getting on that ice. Maybe I was too confident it was going to go well. “I think it was definitely mental. Finally experiencing that Olympic atmosphere, it’s crazy. It’s really different.” Malinin told “TODAY” the lessons learned from Milan Cortina will help him if he is back on the ice for the 2030 Winter Olympics in the French Alps. “Of course it didn’t go the way I wanted it to, all I can do is learn from my mistakes,” Malinin said. “I can take a different approach leading up to the next Games, hopefully.” ...read more read less