(NEXSTAR) - Skaters representing the U.S. face both physical and mental hurdles behind the scenes, ranging from chronic injuries to technical equipment issues. In a recent press conference, several skaters emphasized the need to balance high-level performance with long-term health and equipment maintenance. Two-time world champion Ilia Malinin, a figure skater nicknamed "The Quad God," described the technical difficulties of managing high-performance equipment. He noted that the alignment of blades and the movement of boots often cause problems that require significant adjustment during training. "For me specifically, it's not always a fun time because it brings a lot of issues and problems where you have to know where it aligns on the blade or how the boots move themselves and if it's comfortable for you or if you just need to get used to it," Malinin said. Malinin said these technical hurdles require a high degree of mental resilience. He explained that overcoming these issues is a necessary part of reaching peak performance as a skater. "There's a lot of different characteristics and aspects that go into this, but overall it just shows a lot of the mental strength that we have to go through this process in order to be the best skaters that we can ever be," Malinin said. Evan Bates, an ice dancer, explained that the strength many athletes project on the ice often masks their physical struggles. Bates has managed multiple chronic injuries throughout his career while preparing for international competitions. "I think so many athletes go out on center ice and present a strength that many fans maybe don't see the totality of what is really behind the scenes," Bates said. "And I have dealt with some back pain, some neck issues for a number of years." To manage his chronic pain, Bates and his team modified their training approach this year. They focused on being intentional with their movements and limiting specific exercises to prevent further injury. "We've been really smart and intentional with our training this year, limiting the number of reps on things like lifts that could potentially cause a problem," Bates said. He noted they have found a balance between pushing their performance and prioritizing recovery. All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by Nexstar. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat from a broadcast script into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by Nexstar staff before being published