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Simone Biles attended theMilano Ice Skating Arena to witness Ilia Malinin's drama. The 'God of the quadruple', saw how the Olympic gold medal in figure skating slipped away from him, after a short program in which he fell twice and made numerous mistakes.
The psychological blow was reflected days later when the American revealed on social networks that the great pressure around his figure could have taken its toll: "The vile hatred through the internet attacks the mind and fear drags it into darkness, no matter how much you try to keep your sanity under infinite and insurmountable pressure".
Biles, aware of what Malinin was going through, met with him to offer her support and previous experience in situations of mental collapse. "I was really worried. When you're expected to skate an unforgettable performance and you don't, I'm worried about how that's going to affect his mental health and how the world is going to perceive him. I went through that firsthand and that's why I really went into protection mode," the multi-time gymnastics champion told Olympics.com.
Biles arrived as the heavy favorite for the Tokyo Games, but suffered from mental blocks caused by stress and withdrew from competition. "It was really heartbreaking. I sent him a couple of messages with advice right away so he knew he had my support," Biles continues. On Tuesday, February 17, she met with him: "I just wanted him to know that we've been through the same things and that you can move on".
"As I was telling him what I thought he might be going through or how to get through it, he said, 'Oh my God, yes, that's exactly how I feel'. I think that's the only way you get through it."