NEED TO KNOW
- Ilia Malinin returned to Olympic ice on Feb. 21 for the annual figure skating exhibition gala
- Malinin soaked in a roaring applause after his performance
- The athlete previously said his program would focus on mental health
Just over one week after his hopes of an individual gold medal fell short, Ilia Malinin made a triumphant return to Olympic ice at the annual figure skating exhibition gala.
Malinin, 21, gave a powerful performance on Saturday, Feb. 21 set to “Fear” by NF, which he’d previously teased would be focused on mental health. The athlete said after his disappointing final skate on Feb. 13 that he’d been overcome with “negative thoughts” just before starting, which had made it hard for him to focus and ultimately landed him an eighth-place finish.
During Saturday’s program, he skated in a sweatshirt, and started by symbolically batting away the pings and comments in his music, which represented the negative impact of social media on his mental health. Once the music wrapped following his performance, which included his signature backflip, he appeared overcome with emotion as he soaked in the roaring applause.
Malinin had previously told fans what to expect from the gala in an Instagram post on Feb. 16.
“On the world’s biggest stage, those who appear the strongest may still be fighting invisible battles on the inside,” he wrote. “Even the 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.”
