With the team competition starting first, the physical and emotional cost can ripple right on through into the individual ones.

French figure skating legend Surya Bonaly sent a strong message regarding Team USA star Ilia Malinin at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

American figure skater Maxim Naumov wants fellow Team USA competitor Ilia Malinin to know that the whole skating community is behind him after his devastating eighth-place finish in the men’s singles event.

U.S. figure skater Ilia Malinin was spotted in the crowd watching the pairs' short programs, two days after his brutal outing in the men's free skate.

Naumov shared his message of resilience for Malinin with PEOPLE at the 2026 Winter Olympics

U.S. figure skater Ilia Malinin appeared to address his subpar performance at the Olympics in a social media post Monday

"On the world's biggest stage, those who appear the strongest may still be fighting invisible battles on the inside," Malinin wrote on his Instagram.

Ilia Malinin missed out on a medal in a stunning and dramatic men's figure skating final at the Winter Olympics today. The 21-year-old American fell twice in his final free skate to score 156.33 and finish eighth as Mikhail Shaidorov of Kazakhstan won gold.

A shocking collapse by the U.S. star allowed the 21-year-old from Kazakhstan to win his country’s first gold medal in figure skating.