Ilia Malinin stumbled under Olympic pressure as underdog Mikhail Shaidorov captured gold in a shocking Olympic men’s figure skating final at Milano-Cortina 2026.

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

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)

Kazakhstan's Mikhail Shaidorov wins Olympic gold in men's figure skating, taking the podium with two Japan skaters after Ilia Malinin meltdown.

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.

Kazakh figure skater Mikhail Shaidorov says he is still spinning in disbelief after pulling off the biggest shock of the Winter Olympics so far. Shaidorov said as a young child he was a reluctant skater,

Mikhail Shaidorov of Kazakhstan achieved a historic Olympic figure skating gold at the 2026 Winter Olympics, stunning the field with a career-best performance. He landed five quadruple jumps to secure the title,

A Brazilian skier secured South America’s maiden medal at a Winter Games the day after a Kazakh figure skater won his nation’s first gold in 32 years.

Brazil danced after winning their first Winter Olympics gold medal while Canada are still trying to win their first.

Ilia Malinin arrived at the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Milan-Cortina carrying a weight few athletes ever experience. By the time the Men’s Figure Skating event began, Ilia Malinin wasn’t just a contender – he was the favorite by far.

Kazakhstan will host the 2029 Asian Winter Games after Saudi Arabia's withdrawal.