SUMMARY
- Ilia Malinin, US favorite, fell twice and finished eighth with 264.49 points
- Mikhail Shaidorov of Kazakhstan won historic individual gold with 291.58 points
- Japan secured both silver and bronze, marking strong consistency in men’s figure skating
MILAN — American figure skating sensation Ilia Malinin stumbled twice during a disastrous free skate Friday night at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, dropping to eighth place and allowing Mikhail Shaidorov of Kazakhstan to capture a surprising gold medal.
Malinin, 21, who had led by a comfortable margin after the short program, needed only a clean performance to secure individual gold alongside his team gold medal.
Instead, the self described “Quad God” battled uncharacteristic mistakes, leaving a stunned audience at Milano Ice Arena in near silence.
“I blew it,” Malinin said immediately after the performance. “That’s honestly the first thing that came to my mind.”
Shaidorov finished with a career best 291.58 points, earning Kazakhstan its first gold medal of the 2026 Winter Games. Japan’s Yuma Kagiyama won his second consecutive Olympic silver medal, while teammate Shun Sato claimed bronze.
Malinin’s fall marks the end of a two-year unbeaten streak that included 14 consecutive competitions and two straight world championship titles.
Analysts say the result underscores the unpredictable nature of Olympic level competition and the immense psychological pressure on elite skaters.
“Skating at this level is as much mental as it is physical,” said Susan Mason, sports psychologist and former US Figure Skating consultant.
“Even a small lapse in focus can have cascading consequences, especially with high difficulty jumps like the quad axel.”
The performance also highlights the growing depth of international men’s figure skating, with athletes from countries like Kazakhstan making historic breakthroughs.
Malinin had regained his signature confidence in the individual short program on Tuesday, taking a five point lead over Kagiyama and France’s Adam Siao Him Fa.
He trained earlier in the day at US Figure Skating’s alternate base in Bergamo to maintain composure, practicing flawlessly in warmups. However, in the free skate, Malinin struggled with several quads.
After a successful opening quad flip, he aborted an attempted quad axel, doubled a planned quad loop, fell on a quad lutz, and failed to execute the planned quad salchow triple axel combination, falling on the final jump.
Shaidorov, 22, delivered a near flawless program, combining technical precision with artistic performance. His score set a personal and national record for Olympic men’s figure skating.
“The outcome illustrates how preparation and resilience meet opportunity at the Olympics,” said Hiroshi Tanaka, professor of sports science at Waseda University.
“Shaidorov’s consistency, even under pressure, is a textbook case in mental toughness.”
US Figure Skating CEO Lianna Harms noted the performance as part of broader learning for American athletes.
“Ilia is still one of the most technically gifted skaters of his generation. This result, while disappointing, will only sharpen his competitive edge in the future,” Harms said.
| Skater | Country | Free Skate Score | Total Points | Olympic Medal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mikhail Shaidorov | Kazakhstan | 193.58 | 291.58 | Gold |
| Yuma Kagiyama | Japan | 185.22 | 288.12 | Silver |
| Shun Sato | Japan | 182.00 | 285.46 | Bronze |
| Ilia Malinin | USA | 180.00 | 264.49 | — |
This is a historic moment for Kazakhstan. Simone Biles, seven time Olympic gold medalist gymnast, remarked, “Pressure at the Olympics is intense for every athlete. Credit to both skaters for showing resilience in different ways.”
Shaidorov said after the medal ceremony, “I could not believe it at first. This gold is not just mine, but for everyone in Kazakhstan who believed in me.”
For Malinin, attention now shifts to recovery, both mental and physical, and preparations for the 2027 World Championships.
US Figure Skating officials stressed ongoing support, citing his technical skill as “unmatched in the field.”
For Shaidorov, this gold medal could catalyze increased investment in Kazakhstan’s figure skating programs and inspire a new generation of athletes to compete at the global level.
Friday’s men’s free skate at the Milano Ice Arena produced one of the most dramatic outcomes in recent Olympic history.
Ilia Malinin’s unexpected falls underscored the volatility of elite competition, while Mikhail Shaidorov’s triumph marked a historic milestone for Kazakhstan and the broader figure skating community worldwide.
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