Post by : Bianca
Haleem
Milano Cortina Games 2026: In a shocking turn of events, Kazakhstan’s Mikhail Shaidorov won the men’s figure skating gold on Friday as heavy favorite Ilia Malinin faltered, finishing eighth overall.
Malinin, the American star known for his multiple quadruple jumps and the only skater to land a quad Axel in competition, struggled through his free program. Turning an expected quad Axel into a single Axel and suffering two crash landings, Malinin executed only three clean quads. He scored 156.33 in the free skate, more than 80 points below his personal best, leaving him 15th in the segment and eighth overall with 264.49 points.
Shaidorov, aged 21 like Malinin, began the free skate in fifth place but impressed with a flawless triple Axel-quad Salchow combination. Delivering a personal best of 291.58, he celebrated on the ice, marking Kazakhstan’s first medal of the Games.
Japan’s Yuma Kagiyama earned silver and Shun Sato bronze, despite both skaters struggling with jumps. French skater Adam Siao Him Fa also underperformed, paving the way for Shaidorov’s victory.
Reflecting on his unexpected performance, Malinin said the pressure of being the gold favorite and media attention was overwhelming. “I’m trying to understand what happened,” he admitted, congratulating Shaidorov afterward.
Shaidorov called sharing the ice with Malinin “unbelievable” and credited the American for helping grow the sport’s fanbase. Kagiyama noted the immense pressure Malinin faced, praising his efforts across four Olympic performances.
Friday’s results highlight the unpredictability of Olympic figure skating, as Shaidorov seized the moment in one of the sport’s biggest upsets.
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