Mikhail Shaidorov Wins Olympic Figure Skating Gold for Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan’s Mikhail Shaidorov delivered one of the biggest surprises in Olympic figure skating history, capturing gold at the Milano Cortina Games after overwhelming favourite Ilia Malinin crumbled in the free skate.
Malinin, widely tipped to dominate the men’s event, saw his programme unravel in dramatic fashion and finished outside the medals despite leading after the short programme.
Favourite’s free skate falls apart
The American had planned an ambitious layout featuring seven quadruple jumps, including the quad Axel, a jump only he has landed in competition. But from the outset his routine went awry.
An intended quad Axel became a single. Two heavy falls followed and he managed to land only three quadruple jumps cleanly.
Visibly distraught, Malinin shook his head repeatedly as he left the ice. His free skate score of 156.33 was more than 80 points below his personal best of 238.24, dropping him to 15th in the segment and eighth overall with 264.49 points.
«I’m trying to understand what happened,» Malinin told reporters, adding that the pressure of being the gold-medal favourite had proved overwhelming. «But I know that it’s done. I can’t change the outcome.»
Shaidorov seizes the moment
Shaidorov, 21, capitalised with a composed and technically sharp performance that earned him 291.58 points overall. The 2025 world silver medallist began the night in fifth place but immediately impressed with a triple Axel-quad Salchow combination, a move he calls his trademark.
«It was important for me to enjoy what I was doing and show what I’ve learned over the years,» he said. «Tonight the stars aligned.»
After completing his programme at the Milano Ice Skating Arena, Shaidorov fell backwards onto the ice in celebration, scarcely believing the result as other contenders still had to skate.
Japan’s Yuma Kagiyama took silver while compatriot Shun Sato secured bronze on a night marked by uncharacteristic errors from several leading skaters. Frenchman Adam Siao Him Fa, third after the short programme, also struggled.
Pressure on the biggest stage
Kagiyama, who won silver at the Beijing Games, said the immense expectations surrounding Malinin may have taken their toll.
«The whole world was expecting him to win,» Kagiyama said. «That must have been an immeasurable amount of pressure.»
Malinin, whose performances helped the United States win team gold earlier in the Games, congratulated Shaidorov, whose victory delivered Kazakhstan’s first medal of these Olympics.
«That’s what’s so special about this sport,» he said. «We’re all a big figure skating family.»
Kursiv also reports that South Korea endured a medal-less day at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics, narrowly missing the podium in both figure skating and snowboarding on Friday.
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