Shaidorov Claims Gold as Malinin Falls Short

In a stunning turn of events, Mikhail Shaidorov from Kazakhstan clinched the gold medal in figure skating, marking a historic achievement for his nation after a 32-year wait.

Ilia Malinin, the pre-competition favorite for the men’s figure skating title at Milan-Cortina 2026, faced a disastrous performance, suffering two falls and completely missing the podium.

The men’s free skate was anything but predictable, with many top contenders encountering difficulties during their routines. Out of the last six skaters, five experienced falls.

In contrast, Shaidorov managed to maintain composure and executed a flawless routine, leaving him in disbelief at his victory. He becomes Kazakhstan’s first Winter Olympic gold medalist since 1994.

Japan’s Yuma Kagiyama, seen as Malinin’s closest competitor, stumbled during a quad flip, ultimately securing the silver medal. The bronze went to his fellow countryman, Shun Sato.

Malinin’s performance ended with him in eighth place after a disastrous free skate, where he visibly struggled under the pressure of expectations.

Having previously won gold with the U.S. in the team event, the 21-year-old arrived at his first Olympics with the moniker ‘Quad God’, credited for landing the elusive quadruple axel—a jump that involves spinning four and a half times before landing on one foot.

However, Malinin did not execute this signature move during the Games, despite it being listed among his planned elements. Instead, he only managed a single axel, which drew audible disappointment from the audience.

Attempting a quad lutz, he fell hard, a moment that silenced the crowd. In a shocking twist, he fell again just two elements later, leaving spectators in disbelief.

After his routine concluded, Malinin buried his head in his hands and knelt on the ice, visibly upset, shaking his head as he walked off, embodying the phrase ‘the Quad God is human.’

The American skater faced scrutiny throughout the Games, particularly regarding his earlier performance in the team event. He was surpassed by Kagiyama in the short program and struggled in the free skate, almost leading Japan to secure gold.

In an attempt to alleviate the mounting pressure, Malinin’s team relocated him from the Olympic village to train 35 miles away in Bergamo before the men’s event, hoping for a mental reset.

His strong showing in the individual short program, where he outperformed his competitors by five points, hinted at a skater determined to maintain his impressive two-and-a-half-year winning streak.

Entering the free skate with a commanding lead, Malinin was expected to excel, particularly after dominating in previous competitions, including the Grand Prix Final, where he secured first place after the free skate.

Normally, his combination of fearlessness and technical skill grants him a significant edge, as his free skate program typically boasts a higher technical score than his rivals, earning him additional credit from judges.

Unfortunately, this time, his routine lacked confidence. He replaced the quad axel with a single, downgraded a quad loop to a double, and on his quad salchow, he only completed a double before falling again.

Malinin’s performance in the free skate was the 15th best of the night, scoring just 156.33 points, which was over 40 points behind Shaidorov’s score.

To entertain the crowd, he attempted a backflip, but it felt like an empty gesture in light of his earlier triumphs.

Earlier in the team event, he had made history by landing the first legal backflip at the Olympics since 1976, a move that had been banned for safety reasons.

Thanks to skaters like France’s Surya Bonaly, who performed the move illegally but successfully in previous Olympics, the backflip is now permitted once again.

Malinin became the first athlete to execute it on one foot at the Games and repeated the feat in the short program.

However, none of these achievements held significance after the scores were revealed. Despite his disappointment, Malinin approached Shaidorov to extend his congratulations.

This gold medal marks Kazakhstan’s first Winter Olympic victory since Vladimir Smirnov won the men’s 50km cross-country skiing event in Lillehammer 1994, a decade before Shaidorov was born.

After a minor slip on his quad lutz, Shaidorov showed remarkable poise when others faltered, successfully landing two quad techniques of his own.

All hail the emergence of a new champion in figure skating.