Ilya Marinin achieved a remarkable performance in the men's short program at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, showing his true potential after initially missing official practice. Just hours before his event, Marinin was already training separately, indicating his need to conserve energy. His performance included high jumps and successfully executing a quadruple Lutz followed by a triple toe loop, culminating in a triumphant fist pump. Marinin expressed that he felt he had reached the desired state of performance, transforming his earlier 50% condition into something substantially improved, reflected by an increase in score of over ten points from his previous group competition.

Despite being the two-time reigning world champion, this is Marinin's Olympic debut, where the pressure of competition weighed heavily on him. He admitted to experiencing unexpected levels of stress during the team event but found enjoyment amidst the challenges. His perspective on competitive pressure revealed his love for the stage, stating that the immense focus and intensity allowed him to reveal a different side of himself from what is typically seen in practice sessions.

While Marinin started strong in the competition, he remains focused on delivering the best free skate of his life in order to secure the gold medal. He is fully aware that the work is not finished, emphasizing the necessity of maintaining his competitive edge as he heads toward the final stages of the Olympics.