Ranzi Sports

Mikhail Shaidorov of Kazakhstan delivered a flawless free skate on February 13, 2026, at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics, landing five quadruple jumps to score a season-best 291.58 and claim the men’s figure skating gold. This marked Kazakhstan’s first-ever Olympic gold in figure skating and their first Winter Games gold since 1994.​

The 21-year-old from Almaty, who started skating in 2010, entered the free skate in fifth place after the short program but capitalized on rivals’ mishaps to seize the lead. Sitting in the “leader’s chair,” Shaidorov watched competitors falter, covering his face in disbelief as scores confirmed his victory. Trained by 1994 champion Alexei Urmanov, he skated to “Confessa” and “The Diva Dance” from The Fifth Element soundtrack.​

Pre-event favorite Ilia Malinin of the USA, dubbed the “Quad God” for his jumping prowess, suffered a shocking collapse despite leading after the short program. He stumbled early, endured two falls, and scored just 156.33 in the free skate for an overall 264.49, dropping to eighth place—nearly 30 points behind Shaidorov. Malinin had helped the US win team gold earlier but admitted Olympic pressure affected him.​

Japan’s Yuma Kagiyama earned silver with 280.06, achieving personal bests and becoming his country’s most decorated Olympic figure skater with four medals total. Fellow Japanese skater Shun Sato took bronze at 274.90, rounding out a dramatic podium on a night where five of the final six skaters fell. South Korea’s Cha Jun-hwan placed fourth at 273.92.​

Shaidorov’s win ends Kazakhstan’s medal drought since PyeongChang 2018 and builds on Denis Ten’s 2014 Sochi bronze, their prior best in the sport.

The event unfolded amid high drama on Friday the 13th, with neither Italian home favorite Daniel Grassl (9th, 263.71) nor France’s Adam Siao Him Fa able to challenge. ISU reports emphasized the unpredictability, calling it a night of “surprises.” NBC Olympics described Shaidorov’s rise as a “stunning reversal.”​

Malinin’s struggles highlight the mental toll of Olympic ice, even for dominators; he was unbeaten in 14 events prior but couldn’t hold a multi-point lead. Analysts noted pressure from the Olympic cycle’s top skaters like Kagiyama and Malinin backfired.​

Shaidorov’s triumph inspires underdogs globally, proving clean execution trumps raw jumps on big stages— a lesson for Milano Cortina 2026’s remaining events