Ilia Malinin’s first Winter Games appearance was full of ups and downs, as he’s described. He helped Team USA win the gold medal in the team event to kick off the 2026 Milan Cortina Games. He was seen as the clear favorite to win the gold in the men’s individual skating competition, but a fall cost him a trip to the podium. He finished his Olympic run at the skating gala on Saturday, performing a breathtaking routine.
Despite the unfortunate result in the singles event, the 21-year-old American has held his head high throughout the Games. He opened up about his mental health struggles after his loss, but has now shifted to focusing on the future. Malinin’s not anywhere near done.
Malinin shared on Saturday that his next focus is on next month’s World Championships, where he is a two-time champion. He’ll be looking to make that a third in Prague.
“For the future, there’s so [many plans],” Malinin said. “No matter how these Olympics went, I’m really looking forward to not only being the best skater I can be, but also pushing the sport and changing the sport to have a completely different view on the world. ... My next goal is to have a redemption skate at the World Championships. After that, just enjoy the stress of the Olympic season and it will be finally over.”
“My next goal is to have a redemption skate at the World Championships.”
— Ilia Malinin Daily (@TheIliaSociety) February 22, 2026
— In an interview after the exhibition gala of the 2026 Olympic Winter Games, lia Malinin talked about how the Olympics this year meant for him and what his next goal is.pic.twitter.com/ePKQxXSVbc
Malinin has made his mark on the skating world. He’s become quite the international superstar, attracting new fans like Tom Brady, Simone Biles and Steph Curry, all of whom reached out to him after his tough individual event.
The world is nowhere near seeing the end of Malinin, that’s for sure. He’s likely eyeing the 2030 French Alps Olympics, too, when he’ll be 25.
More Winter Olympics on Sports Illustrated
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Ilia Malinin Details His Next Skating Goals After Tumultuous Winter Olympics.
