The men’s figure skating final at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics delivered one of the most dramatic upsets in recent memory, as Mikhail Shaidorov of Kazakhstan soared to gold, leaving the field—and the sport’s biggest star—reeling in his wake. In a night that began with Ilia Malinin, the American “Quad God,” holding a commanding lead and seemingly destined for Olympic glory, the script flipped in spectacular fashion. Shaidorov, just 21 and considered an outside contender after sitting in sixth place following the short program, delivered a flawless free skate that stunned the skating world and brought Kazakhstan its first Winter Olympic gold in over three decades.
Shaidorov’s final score of 291.58 points not only marked a personal best but also secured his nation’s second-ever Winter Olympic gold medal, following Vladimir Smirnov’s triumph in cross-country skiing at Lillehammer 1994. The victory, achieved with technical mastery and unshakeable composure, instantly etched Shaidorov’s name into Kazakhstan’s sporting history. As the realization hit, Shaidorov was almost as shocked as the audience. “It was very surprising,” he admitted after the medal ceremony, as reported by NBC. “(Malinin is) very important for figure skating.”
The path to this moment was anything but straightforward. Malinin, the 21-year-old American phenom and two-time world champion, entered the free skate with a lead of more than five points—some sources even noted a 16-point advantage after the short program—thanks to a performance that seemed to reaffirm his dominance. Known for his extraordinary jumping ability, including being the only skater to successfully land the quadruple axel in competition, Malinin had arrived in Milan with a 14-event winning streak and the aura of invincibility. But on the Olympic stage, even the greatest can falter.
Malinin’s free skate unraveled almost from the start. He bailed out of a planned quad loop early in his program, then suffered two falls—one on a quad lutz and another later in the routine. The much-anticipated quad axel, registered in his planned elements, never materialized; instead, he performed only a single axel, drawing audible groans from the crowd. His technical content, usually the envy of the field, was severely diminished. The American’s free skate ultimately ranked just 15th-best of the night, earning 156.33 points—more than 40 behind Shaidorov’s tally. When the scores flashed, Malinin grabbed his hair and sank to his knees, visibly devastated. As he left the ice, he could only shake his head, on the verge of tears. The “Quad God” had proven, at least for one night, all too human.
Yet even in disappointment, Malinin showed grace. He approached Shaidorov after the results and offered congratulations. “I went up to him and I congratulated him,” Malinin said, as quoted by NBC. “Because watching him skate—I watched him in the locker room—I’m just so proud of him. I heard that he had not a great season.”
Shaidorov’s rise to the top of the podium was the stuff of Olympic dreams. The young skater from Almaty, known for his high-flying jumps but often bedeviled by inconsistency, delivered the performance of his life when it mattered most. Landing five quadruple jumps in a technically flawless routine, he kept his nerve as other favorites faltered. Of the final six athletes to skate, five suffered falls—except Shaidorov, who maintained his composure and executed two clean quad techniques that set him apart from the rest. After a slight slip on the quad lutz, he steadied himself and never looked back, skating cleanly while all around him crumbled under pressure. “All hail the new Quad God,” one commentator quipped as the scores were revealed.
The magnitude of Shaidorov’s achievement cannot be overstated. Kazakhstan, a landlocked Central Asian nation, has participated in every Winter Olympics since 1994 but had not celebrated a gold medal since Smirnov’s heroics in Lillehammer. Shaidorov’s gold is only the country’s second ever, making it a moment of immense national pride. The victory lap, set to Coldplay’s “Viva La Vida,” felt fitting for a skater whose journey from afterthought to Olympic champion captured the imagination of fans worldwide.
The rest of the podium was dominated by Japan, with Yuma Kagiyama earning his second consecutive Olympic silver medal and Shun Sato taking bronze. Kagiyama, regarded as Malinin’s nearest rival, also struggled under the bright lights, falling on a quad flip and unable to match Shaidorov’s technical precision. Sato, meanwhile, delivered a strong performance to secure his place among the medalists and reinforce Japan’s growing legacy in men’s figure skating.
For Malinin, the night was a harsh reminder of the unforgiving nature of Olympic competition. His lead after the short program looked insurmountable, but the pressure proved immense. In an attempt to reset, his team had even taken him out of the Olympic bubble to train 35 miles away in Bergamo before the men’s event. The short program suggested he was back on track, but the free skate told another story. Malinin’s routine, usually packed with ambitious elements, was noticeably tamer; the quad axel was absent, the quad loop reduced to a double, and the quad salchow attempted as a double before he fell. The technical advantage that had defined his career simply evaporated when it mattered most.
Still, Malinin managed to entertain the crowd with a backflip during his routine—a move recently re-legalized in Olympic figure skating, and one he had landed earlier in the team event. The gesture felt bittersweet, a nod to his showmanship in a night that otherwise belonged to someone else. Malinin’s eighth-place finish was a shock, but his sportsmanship in defeat earned him respect from peers and fans alike.
Shaidorov’s gold medal marks a new chapter in men’s figure skating. His clean, technically demanding performance under pressure was a masterclass in composure and execution. For Kazakhstan, the victory is a breakthrough, a sign that the nation can produce champions on the world’s grandest stage. For the sport, it’s a reminder that anything can happen at the Olympics, where reputations are made—and sometimes unmade—in a single night.
As the Olympic flame continues to burn in Milan-Cortina, the men’s figure skating final will be remembered for its drama, its heartbreak, and above all, for the rise of a new champion. Mikhail Shaidorov’s name now stands alongside the legends of the sport, and his golden moment will inspire skaters and fans for years to come.