Evgeni Plushenko: “I was very disappointed things didn’t work out for Malinin, but there are reasons. Psychologically, he wasn’t ready for the pressure, the journalists, the interactions – just like I wasn’t in 2002. He lost focus.”
Russian figure skater and now coach Evgeni Plushenko shared his thoughts on the disappointing result of American skater Ilia Malinin at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy.
original source: Sport24
Evgeni Plushenko commented on Ilia Malinin’s disappointing eighth-place finish at the 2026 Winter Olympics, attributing it to psychological pressure and distractions, but expressed confidence in Malinin’s future potential. Here’s a translation.
“Q: At the Olympics, one of the biggest surprises was Ilia Malinin finishing only eighth. You’re a big fan of this skater. In your opinion, what caused this result?
Evgeni Plushenko: I have great respect for this athlete because he was the first on our planet to land a 4.5-rotation axel. I really like his parents, Tanya and Roma. We skated and competed together in our time. They raised a truly amazing athlete. I was very disappointed that things didn’t work out for him. But there are reasons for everything.
I always say – take my own experience. In 2001, I won every competition: the European Championships, World Championships, Grand Prix, Grand Prix Final, Russian Nationals, everything. In 2002, I won every competition. I came to the Olympics ready a thousand percent. There wasn’t even a chance – I was unbelievably prepared. But psychologically, I still wasn’t ready to handle the pressure, the journalists, the interactions.
So, I think that’s what happened to him. He lost focus – a step to the right, a step to the left. The Olympics are a competition that happens once every four years. There are so many distractions: it’s noisy, there’s always music, celebrations. Hockey players, figure skaters, skiers are all there. You meet everyone, talk to everyone. The Olympic Village is a celebration. But unfortunately, he probably didn’t have that closed-off focus.
But he has everything ahead of him, the next Olympics. I think they’ll prepare properly. He has a great future. The main thing is to stay injury-free. That’s the most important thing. This is professional sport, after all. And the things he does – I know he has five-rotation jumps, and four-and-a-half. The main thing is to stay healthy.”
Related topics: Evgeni Pluschenko, Ilia Malinin, Olympic Games
Evgeni Plushenko, I agree with 100%. The mental side of the sport can be one’s most challenging adversary. I knew, within the first few seconds of Malinin’s free skate, that he was in trouble. Call it a gut feeling or just something off in the body language. I’ll bet that won’t happen again in 2030.