Figure skating favourite Malinin feeling 'the pressure' in Milan / Photo: PAUL MILLER - AFP/File
Figure skating favourite Malinin feeling 'the pressure' in Milan
Olympic men's figure skating star Ilia Malinin admitted Wednesday that being the favourite was a tough burden to carry.
"It is a lot to handle when you have all the pressure, all the attention, all the focus on you to become the Olympic gold hopeful," the 21-year-old told a press conference in Milan.
"I'll have bad days, where I think about that and it really shuts me down, it puts me in not the best mood.
"A lot of the times I'm able to use that pressure to embrace myself and tell (myself), 'everyone's looking at you. It's your time to go out there and do what you know how to do'."
Malinin, the American who has dubbed himself "Quad God", has revolutionized his sport with his array of four-rotation jumps but this is his first Olympics.
His first appearance on the ice in Milan will be in the team event on Saturday.
The individual event starts on Tuesday with the short programme.
"Being here as part of this team is something I dreamed about every time I stepped on the ice when I was little," he told reporters at a press conference attended by US women's champion Amber Glenn and ice dancing world champions Evan Bates and Madison Chock.
"Being here with all of these amazing people, amazing personalities, amazing athletes that give their heart and soul and passion to everything in the sport," said the two-time world champion.
"It's an honour to be here sharing Olympic ice with them. I hope that we can come out together as a team and support each other, no matter what happens.
"They all give me the support and the help I need to stay focused and stay in that perfect sweet spot for what I need to perform my best."
O.Jonstone--EWJ
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