Shaidorov Gives Kazakhstan First Figure Skating Gold

Expect the unexpected in figure skating. In a dramatic night defined by “Friday the 13th” surprises at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games, Mikhail Shaidorov of Kazakhstan leaped from fifth place to the top of the podium, securing his country’s first-ever Olympic title in the sport. While Shaidorov celebrated a career-defining performance, the arena sat in stunned silence as the gold-medal favorite, Ilia Malinin of the United States, crumbled under the immense pressure to finish eighth.

Shaidorov’s Golden Debut

Shaidorov, the 2025 ISU World silver medalist, entered the Free Skating with nothing to lose. Performing to “Confessa” and the “Diva Dance,” he delivered a masterclass in technical precision. He successfully reeled off his signature triple Axel-quad Salchow combination followed by three additional quadruple jumps. Despite a slight under-rotation on his quad Lutz, Shaidorov shattered his personal best with a segment score of 198.64, totaling 291.58 points.

“These are incredible emotions. I have been working towards this since my childhood,” Shaidorov said while sitting in the leader’s chair. “Today I just wanted to enjoy the moment… apparently, life rewarded me.”

The Night

The drama unfolded as the final flight of skaters struggled with the heavy Olympic atmosphere:

• Ilia Malinin (USA): The “Quad God” and short program leader saw his dreams of gold evaporate. After a solid opening quad flip, he “popped” his planned quad Axel into a single. Two falls followed, and Malinin tumbled to 15th in the Free Skating, dropping to eighth overall with 264.49 points.
• Yuma Kagiyama (JPN): The Beijing 2022 silver medalist maintained his second-place standing (280.06) despite a fall on his quad flip and a stumble on his opening quad Salchow.
• Shun Sato (JPN): Delivering a standout performance to “Firebird,” Sato climbed from ninth after the short program to clinch the bronze medal with 274.90 points.

Historic Significance

Shaidorov’s victory is a landmark moment for Kazakhstan. It marks the nation’s second-ever gold medal at a Winter Olympics, the first being Vladimir Smirnov’s cross-country skiing win in 1994. Shaidorov also continues the legacy of the late Denis Ten, who won Kazakhstan’s only other Olympic figure skating medal (bronze) in 2014.

For Malinin, the night was a sobering reminder of the unique pressure of the Olympic stage. “It’s not a pleasant feeling,” Malinin shared. “Everything just felt very overwhelming. I honestly didn’t know how to handle it.”

Ultimately, while the world expected a coronation for Malinin, it instead witnessed the rise of a new champion in Mikhail Shaidorov, who proved that on the ice, history is written in the moments when no one is looking.

Source: article on isu-skating.com, published February 13, 2026.

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By Vitalina Andrushchenko, Staff Writer