Ilia Malinin conveyed a poignant message at the closing gala of the figure skating program at the Milano Cortina Games, highlighting the perils of social media and the harsh scrutiny of the public eye. Despite a disappointing eighth-place finish in a men’s singles event he was expected to dominate, the American skater used his performance to push back against criticism and intense observation.
Skating to the emotionally charged song “Fear” by American rapper NF, which delves into mental health struggles and loss of control, Malinin portrayed a scene of scrolling through a phone, reacting to imaginary flashbulbs and seeking solace under his hood. Alongside American teammate Alysa Liu, the women’s champion, Malinin closed the event that honors the stars of the competition.
Initially favored for gold, Malinin succumbed to the pressure of the Olympics, experiencing a turbulent free program with unexpected falls and a lower success rate in executing his planned jumps. In an Instagram post, he acknowledged the weight of expectations that led to what he described as an “inevitable crash” during his Olympic debut.
During the exhibition, Malinin delivered a remarkable performance, including a quadruple jump and his signature backflip, captivating the crowd and receiving standing ovations that recognized both his talent and the burdens he carried. Meanwhile, Alysa Liu charmed the audience with her lively routine to the tunes of “Stateside” by PinkPantheress and Zara Larsson.
Liu’s Olympic journey contrasted starkly with Malinin’s, marked by a rediscovered joy after a two-year break from the sport. The event also featured captivating performances by ice dance gold medallists Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron of France, who danced to the piano composition “Mad Rush,” and pairs champions Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara of Japan, who skated to Justin Timberlake’s “Can’t Stop the Feeling.”
Notably, surprise men’s singles champion Mikhail Shaidorov of Kazakhstan added a touch of humor by dressing as Kung Fu Panda and being greeted post-performance by martial artist and actor Jackie Chan.