Ilya Marinin has reflected on his experience and acknowledges he wasn’t quite prepared for the 2026 Olympics.
It’s not merely about technique; the so-called “God of the Quad” struggled with the pressure that comes with rising popularity as the Olympics approached.
The 21-year-old athlete, who had consistently excelled leading up to the Milan Games, was seen as a top contender for gold in men’s individual figure skating. Unfortunately, he faced setbacks during the free skate, falling twice and ending up in 8th place after losing 72 points.
“Honestly, it’s not a great feeling. There are just so many eyes on you, so much attention,” Marinin shared during an interview with “Today.” “If you’re not ready to really embrace that, it can really hit hard. So, perhaps not being fully ready was one of my missteps leading into that performance.”
Marinin’s free skate score of 156.33 was notably lower than his earlier season performances, where he had achieved scores of 209.78, 238.24, 228.97, and 215.78 across four competitions.
The Virginia native spoke about the “amazing environment” at the rink that day, which gave him a boost of confidence. But, looking ahead, if things don’t improve, the dream of winning gold in 2030 may take longer than he initially thought.
“Of course, it didn’t go as planned. … I need to learn from my mistakes and work on improvement for the future,” Marinin commented. “I hope we can approach the next Olympics differently.”
2026 Winter Olympics
Just three days after his disappointing performance, Marinin took to social media. His post raised concerns among fans about the “invisible battle” he seems to be facing.
The video featured memorable moments, including a clip where he sat with his head in his hands following the final. It concluded with a black screen showing “February 21, 2026.” Marinin is set to participate in an event related to that date.
He also began sharing TikTok videos featuring messages like, “Let’s end it. Let’s hurt. Let’s heal. Let’s let go.” One fan remarked, “You’re still a champ,” as Marinin expressed feelings of fatigue in one of the posts.
Moreover, it was later revealed that he was accidentally caught on a hot mic saying, “Beijing, I wouldn’t have skated like that,” referring to his exclusion from the U.S. team in the 2022 Olympics.
Despite the emotional toll of the competition, Marin managed to enjoy aspects of the Olympics, even making appearances on NBC alongside Snoop Dogg and Martha Stewart.
Marinin won’t leave empty-handed either; during the team figure skating event at the start of the Olympics, he scored 200.03 points in the free skate, contributing to the American team’s gold medal victory.
