Figure Skater Mikhail Shaidorov Wins Olympic Gold, Malinin Blames Pressure for Collapse

The men’s figure skating event ended in one of the biggest upsets of recent years. Mikhail Shaidorov claimed Olympic gold with a combined score of 291.58 points across two programs. For the 21-year-old Kazakh skater, it was not only the biggest achievement of his career but also a historic milestone for his country — the first Olympic medal in men’s singles skating since Denis Ten’s bronze in 2014.

The most dramatic moment of the evening came from short program leader Ilia Malinin. The American needed 183.43 points in the free skate to secure victory, but scored only 156.33 and dropped to eighth place overall (264.49). The arena, packed with his supporters, initially erupted in applause, but shock spread through the crowd when the scores were announced.

After his performance, Malinin spoke candidly about the reasons behind his disappointment, admitting that the pressure was overwhelming:

“The crowd kept supporting me. That’s what makes our sport special — you’re not just an athlete, you’re also an artist. And that means even more pressure. All the attention, the expectations, being labeled the main favorite for gold — it was just too much…
It’s an unpleasant feeling. I’m still trying to understand what exactly happened. Before taking my starting pose, the memories, the thoughts, the pressure — everything hit at once. At that moment, I simply didn’t know how to handle it.”

Despite the setback, Malinin showed great sportsmanship off the ice, congratulating Shaidorov and acknowledging that he deserved the gold medal.

Japan’s Yuma Kagiyama (280.06) won silver, while his compatriot Shun Sato (274.90) took bronze — also a surprise result.

The Olympic tournament thus transformed from an expected victory for the favorite into a triumph of composure and flawless execution — and gave Kazakhstan a new national hero.