Kazakhstan’s Mikhail Shaidorov secured a historic gold medal at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympics. He stunned the global audience during the men’s figure skating free programme on Friday night. Consequently, Shaidorov delivered a career-best performance while favorite Ilia Malinin suffered a shocking collapse. This massive upset redefined the podium at the Milano Ice Skating Arena.
Shaidorov entered the final segment in fifth place with quiet determination. However, he immediately electrified the crowd with a signature triple Axel-quad Salchow combination. Every movement felt precise as he executed his difficult technical elements flawlessly. Meanwhile, the top-ranked skaters struggled to find their footing on the slippery ice. Shaidorov finished with a total of 291.58 points to lead the pack.
Conversely, the night turned into a nightmare for American superstar Ilia Malinin. The world-renowned “Quad God” began the evening with a comfortable five-point lead. Unfortunately, his highly anticipated routine unravelled from the very first jump. He downgraded his famous quad Axel into a disappointing single Axel. Following that error, Malinin suffered two heavy crashes during his complicated skate.
Furthermore, the pressure of the Olympic stage seemed to overwhelm the young athlete. Malinin finished eighth overall after scoring 80 points below his personal best. Nevertheless, the American skater showed grace by congratulating Shaidorov in the locker room. He acknowledged the immense mental burden of carrying global expectations. He also praised the supportive nature of the international skating community.
Japan’s Yuma Kagiyama fought through a shaky performance to claim the silver medal. Additionally, his teammate Shun Sato moved up the standings to take home the bronze. Both skaters expressed relief after a night plagued by uncharacteristic mistakes. Kagiyama noted that the intense spotlight likely affected Malinin’s normally perfect execution.
Shaidorov celebrated his victory by falling onto the ice in pure ecstasy. Remarkably, this gold represents the first medal for Kazakhstan at these Olympic Games. He credited his success to a perfect alignment of luck and hard work. Shaidorov also called Malinin a vital figure for the future of the sport.
The skating world will remember this event as a massive turning point. It proved that consistency often triumphs over raw technical ambition during high-stakes finals.
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