U.S. Figure Skater Maxim Naumov Makes Admission After Unfortunate Ilia Malinin Development

Like Naumov, Malinin, also known as the “Quad God," made his Winter Olympics debut in 2026, helping Team USA capture gold in the figure skating team event after finishing first in the team final with 69 points. In the men’s singles event, Malinin entered as a heavy favorite to win gold, arriving at the Olympics with -10,000 odds.

However, Malinin did not live up to the hype in the men’s singles free skate, finishing eighth out of 24 with a score of 264.49 and failing to earn an individual Olympic medal in the event. Still, he was the top-performing U.S. skater in the singles competition. And after the event, Naumov had a message for his fellow USA skater, admitting how difficult all that pressure can be.

“My heart goes out to Ilia because I know how difficult it is when all that pressure is on you," Naumov said. "The expectation to just produce this one thing and a lot of times, skaters, or athletes in general, their performance is so tied in with their self-worth that it is a massive blow to us, personally.”

Naumov also added that, despite his failure in the singles competition, he still has the same respect for Malinin as before.

"I just really want Ilia to know that his performance and what he did in the competition does not change how much we love and care about him," Naumov continued. "And who he is as a person, that's the person that I want people to be proud of, no matter what. And he's an inspiration to all of us, especially in times like this wehere he still showed great sportsmanship, and that's why I think mental health is so important."

While the men’s singles figure skating competition has concluded, the women’s event, featuring three Team USA skaters, will begin Tuesday at 12:45 p.m. ET.