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Olympic Dream Derailed: Malinin Stumbles, Shaidorov Soars to Unexpected Gold in Milan
MILAN – In a stunning turn of events that left spectators and commentators alike reeling, U.S. figure skating sensation Ilia Malinin, widely considered a shoo-in for Olympic gold, finished a distant eighth in the men’s individual competition on Friday. His routine was marred by uncharacteristic stumbles and falls, paving the way for Kazakhstan’s Mikhail Shaidorov, a first-time Olympian, to claim the coveted gold medal.
Malinin, 21, entered the free skate with a comfortable five-point lead, a margin expected to widen given his renowned mastery of quadruple jumps. Undefeated in major competitions since 2023, the young American was poised to make history as the first skater to land a quadruple axel on Olympic ice.
However, the pressure seemed to weigh heavily on him as he took to the ice as the final skater of the night. He fell twice and downgraded several planned elements, including his signature quadruple axel, which he reduced mid-air to a single.
“The nerves just were so overwhelming, and especially going into that starting post, I just felt like all the traumatic moments of my life really just started flooding my head… and I just did not handle it,” Malinin confessed shortly after his performance. He concluded the night with 264.49 points, significantly behind Shaidorov’s winning score of 291.58.
The silver and bronze medals were secured by Japan’s Yuma Kagiyama and Shun Sato, respectively. While Malinin did earn a gold medal as part of the U.S. team event last weekend, his individual medal hopes for these Games were dashed.
“All I know is it wasn’t my best skate, and it was definitely something I wasn’t expecting – and it’s done, so I can’t go back and change it, even though I would love to,” Malinin told reporters. “But from here, it’s just regrouping, figuring out what to do next and going from there.”
A Fairytale Finish for Shaidorov
The night belonged to Mikhail Shaidorov, the 2025 world silver medalist and Four Continents champion, who began the day in fifth place. Despite his previous accolades, he was not widely considered a strong contender for an individual Olympic medal.
Shaidorov delivered a near-flawless program, executing five quadruple jumps with precision. The arena erupted in cheers, especially from a section waving blue-and-yellow Kazakh flags, as he finished.
Overcome with emotion, Shaidorov lay on his back on the ice for several seconds. “When I collapsed on the ice after winning, I felt relief,” he later explained.
“The nerves were gone. I did all I could.”
His exceptional performance propelled him into first place, visibly moving him as he took his seat in the “leader’s chair.” With four of the world’s top skaters still to compete, few, including Shaidorov himself, anticipated he would retain the lead.
Yet, that is precisely what transpired. The subsequent skaters, including France’s Adam Siao Him Fa, Italy’s Daniel Grassl, and Japan’s Kagiyama, all experienced their own fumbles and tumbles. When Malinin took the ice, Shaidorov was still in the lead, beginning to process the likelihood of a silver medal.
Just five minutes later, that silver transformed into gold. After Malinin’s score was announced, Shaidorov put his hands over his mouth, tears welling in his eyes. Malinin, displaying remarkable sportsmanship, walked over to congratulate him, and the two shared a hug and a handshake.
“He is a very important athlete in the history of figure skating and so, of course, I was rooting for Ilia, but the ice is slippery,” Shaidorov remarked. “I told him it was unbelievable to share the same ice with him.”