Malinin highlights mental health at Olympic gala

Ilia Malinin on Saturday highlighted mental health struggles during an emotional performance at the Olympic figure skating gala as men’s gold medalist Mikhail Shaidorov got the crowd going to Kung Fu Panda.

Wearing a gray hoodie sweatshirt with “Fear” written upside down, Malinin symbolically swatted away comments representing the negative impact of social media.

The 21-year-old was a striking presence in a routine to Fear by NF — capped off with his famous backflip that prompted a thunderous ovation.

Photo: AFP

“Tonight’s performance was just an extension of the emotions that I’ve been feeling for the past year leading up to these Olympics,” the two-time world champion told journalists.

The skater known as the “Quad God” had been favorite to win the men’s individual title, but tumbled to a humiliating eighth spot after the free skate.

“It has been so stressful, so much pressure from people, the noise, the media, the thoughts, it’s something that no athlete should go through, but we have to get up and keep going no matter what,” he added.

Photo: Reuters

Kazakh Shaidorov had a more lighthearted program to Kung Fu Panda, while decked out in a full-body panda outfit.

He battled skaters in Mortal Kombat and Deadpool costumes before skating to a rendition of Britney Spears’ Hit Me Baby One More Time as the crowd cheered and clapped along.

Shaidorov landed a triple jump while still skating in the costume.

Photo: AFP

At the end of his routine he was greeted rinkside by actor, martial artist and stuntman Jackie Chan at the Milano Ice Skating Arena.

US women’s gold medalist Alysa Liu performed to Stateside by PinkPantheress and Zara Larsson.

Malinin and Liu won team gold with the US and also performed along with their teammates.

The 20-year-old from the San Francisco Bay area, who had been so burned out by skating after the 2022 Beijing Games that she had walked away, completed a remarkable two-year comeback by winning the first gold medal by an American woman since Sarah Hughes at the 2002 Salt Lake City Games.

She did so on her own terms, embracing her own individualistic style while providing input on every aspect of her programs, from the music to the elements to the dresses she wore on the ice.

“I am just doing me, so it’s cool if I’m inspiring any other people,” said Liu, whose streaked hair and frenulum piercing grabbed so much attention during the Winter Games. “I just have a certain fashion sense and kind of stubborn with it, so it’ll always come through.”

Additional reporting by AP