ASTANA — Kazakhstan finished the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Italy with one gold medal, marking the country’s second-best performance in its history at the Winter Games. The historic victory came in figure skating, while several other athletes achieved top-10 finishes.
The Winter Olympics are over. But Mikhail Shaidorov’s shocking gold-medal-winning figure skating performance continues to fuel feelings of joy in Kazakhstan, while showcasing a growing figure skating community in the Central Asian country.
ASTANA — President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev presented state awards to Olympic gold medalist Mikhail Shaidorov and his coaching team on Feb. 25, praising the figure skater’s historic triumph at the 25th Winter Olympic Games as a milestone for Kazakhstan’s national sports history.
Mikhail Shaidorov of Kazakhstan's gold medal in men's free skate stunned everyone — including himself. Here's what he had to say. (AP photo)
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Mikhail Shaidorov wins historic figure skating Olympic gold for Kazakhstan at Milano Cortina games
Mikhail Shaidorov became Kazakhstan’s first Olympic gold medallist in men’s figure skating after triumphing at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics 2026. View on euronews
New York, NY, United States, February 17, 2026 /MarketersMEDIA/ -- The 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo have already gone down in history as a competition that brought together rich winter sports traditions and a new generation of champions.
In one of the biggest upsets of the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milan/Cortina d’Ampezzo, Kazakhstan’s Mikhail Shaidorov won the gold medal. The gold for Shaidorov was completely unexpected. This was Kazakhstan’s first medal of the 2026 Olympic Winter Games.
Ilia Malinin saw his Olympic dream unravel after two costly falls during the men’s figure skating final, leaving the American star without a medal. He finished eighth. Mikhail Shaidorov of Kazakhstan won the gold medal with 291.
In a shocking twist at the 2026 Winter Olympics, American figure skater Ilia Malinin​ didn't make it to the podium after falling twice during the free skate. Kazakhstan's Mikhail Shaidorov took home the gold.
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