MILAN — Ilia Malinin admitted Tuesday on “TODAY” he was not prepared to handle the spotlight of the Olympics, giving his most extensive comments since his shocking performance at the Milan Cortina Olympics.

Malinin entered the 2026 Winter Games under an intense spotlight. He was heavily expected to win a gold medal in the men’s figure skating individual event, a competition he has dominated internationally over the last few years. But after a stellar short program, he was deducted 72 points during a mistake-filled free skate.

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“Honestly, it’s not a pleasant feeling is the most honest way to say it,” Malinin said of the high expectations he felt at the Olympics. “So many eyes, so much attention. It really can get to you if you’re not ready to fully embrace it. That may be one of the mistakes I made, I was not ready to handle that to the fullest extent.”

Malinin said going into the day of his free skate he was confident, but when he stepped onto the ice he could feel the “amazing environment.” He added that the experience would affect how he prepared for the 2030 Games, should he compete.

“Of course it didn’t go the way I wanted it to, all I can do is learn from my mistakes,” Malinin said, adding, “I can take a different approach leading up to the next games, hopefully.”

Malinin’s 156.33 free skate score in Milan was a far cry from his performances during the 2025-26 figure skating season. In four competitions before the Olympics, Malinin posted free skate scores of 209.78, 238.24, 228.97 and 215.78.

During the team event earlier in the Games, Malinin scored a 200.03 in the free skate, helping the United States win gold.

At only 21, Malinin has become a transformative figure in figure skating because of his athletic ability. The self-proclaimed “Quad God,” Malinin in 2022 became the first skater to land a quadruple axel — a four-and-a-half rotation jump — in competition. He is also the first skater ever to land seven quad jumps in a single program.

Malinin still has one more skate left at the Olympics, as he will perform at the Closing Gala on Saturday, an exhibition event. Malinin’s agent also told NBC Sports that Malinin still expects to compete at the World Championships in Prague next month, an event Malinin has won two straight years.