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Kazakhstan has crowned its first-ever Olympic champion in figure skating after Mikhail Shaidorov produced a stunning free skate to win gold at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympic games on Friday.
Shaidorov, skating second in the final group, made a bold decision shortly before taking the ice, altering elements of his programme in a calculated gamble. He executed five clean quadruple jumps for the first time in his career.
“I can’t believe it. The whole season I fought with myself. This season was extremely hard. I tried several times in competitions to land five quadruple jumps, but it never worked. Today, everything came together,” said Shaidorov.
“I’ve been preparing for this Olympics for a long time. My goal all season was simply to do my work. Now I’ve achieved it. I want to dedicate this medal to all of Kazakhstan.”
Shaidorov’s free skate was performed to the music of Kazakh singer Dimash Kudaibergen.
The final standings of the men’s event (24 participants) were:
1st: Mikhail Shaidorov (Kazakhstan) – 291.58 points
2nd: Yuma Kagiyama (Japan) – 280.06 points
3rd: Shun Sato (Japan) – 274.90 points
Pre-event favourite, US figure skater Ilia Malinin, known for his technical ability and dubbed the ‘Quad God,’ struggled throughout his performance. Malinin fell twice in the free skate, finishing 15th in that segment and eighth overall.
A gold medal to inspire a nation
The victory carries particular importance for Kazakhstan’s figure skating programme. The late Denis Ten won the country’s first Olympic medal in the sport, a bronze, at the 2014 Sochi Games.
Shaidorov’s triumph means Kazakhstan has now earned two Olympic figure skating medals from two different athletes.
“I believe this medal would mean a lot to Denis Ten. He opened the way for us. The road was difficult for him and for me. I want to thank Denis for everything he did for our sport,” said Mikhail Shaidorov.
Erbol Myrzabossynov, Kazakhstan’s Minister of Tourism and Sports, congratulated Mikhail Shaidorov on his historic achievement:
“This is the result of years of hard work, persistence, and faith in his goal. Today Mikhail gave the country immense joy and proved that Kazakhstan’s figure skating can achieve the highest results on the world stage.”
“This victory will become a powerful impetus for the development of winter sports and will inspire a new generation of athletes,” he added.
Shaidorov’s rise to Olympic glory
Mikhail Shaidorov began skating at a young age in Kazakhstan and quickly progressed through the national junior ranks. Before this victory, Shaidorov had built a steady career in international figure skating.
He won medals at ISU Challenger Series events, competed on the Grand Prix circuit, and achieved success in junior competitions, but had not been considered a strong favourite for Olympic gold.
Shaidorov trains with Russia’s Aleksei Urmanov, a legend in men’s figure skating and 1994 Winter Olympics champion.
Shaidorov’s victory not only cements his place in Kazakh sports history but also raises expectations for the future of winter sports in the country.