Winter Olympics 2026: Mikhail Shaidorov stuns for Olympic figure skating title as Ilia Malinin struggles to 8th place
Kazakhstan has its first-ever Olympic figure skating champion, Mikhail Shaidorov.
The 21-year-old delivered a stunning performance on Friday night (13 February), landing five quadruple jumps to claim gold in the men’s Winter Olympics 2026 event, scoring a phenomenal 291.58.
Pre-event favourite, American “Quad God” Ilia Malinin, faced a nightmare night, stumbling from the outset of his program, falling twice and never finding his rhythm. His lackluster performance saw him finish in 15th place in the free skate, leading to an overall finish in eighth.
Japanese stars Kagiyama Yuma and Sato Shun claimed the silver and bronze medals, with scores of 280.06 and 274.90, respectively. This remarkable achievement signifies Kagiyama’s fourth Olympic medal, making him the most decorated Japanese skater in Olympic history.
It was an unforgettable evening for Shaidorov, a close friend of Malinin, who achieved personal best scores in both the free skate (198.64) and overall. After an incredible free skate performance to “The Diva Dance,” he fell to the ice in disbelief as his score solidified his Olympic champion status, leading to an emotional reaction as he secured the gold.
The late Denis Ten awarded Kazakhstan its first Olympic medal in this sport, a bronze in 2014. Shaidorov’s surprising gold also marks the first Olympic gold in any sport for Kazakhstan at the Winter Games since Lillehammer in 1994.
This victory is significant, marking the first medal for Kazakhstan at Milano Cortina 2026 and ending a medal drought that stretches back to PyeongChang 2018.
Shaidorov is coached by 1994 Olympic champion Alexey Urmanov, a testament to the level of expertise behind his training.
More updates to follow as the thrilling competition unfolds.
Stay tuned for real-time reports and highlights as Men’s free skate pits Ilia Malinin against the world!
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