Malinin, nicknamed the "Quad God" for his rare ability to execute quadruple jumps, entered the decisive free skate with a commanding lead after a flawless short program. He was in prime position for a medal, needing only to perform to his usual standard.

However, everything quickly unraveled for the 21-year-old. Malinin completed only two quad jumps. He was forced to abandon his quad axel — a 4.5-revolution jump widely considered the most difficult — and his quad loop (a 4-revolution jump initiated from the back outside edge of the blade), replacing them with easier single axel and double loop jumps, before falling twice.

Leaving the ice with a dazed expression and muttering in frustration, Malinin concluded a forgettable night with an 8th-place overall finish.

Ilia Malinin during his free skate in the men's singles figure skating event at the Milano arena, Italy on 13/2/2026. *Photo: Reuters*.

"Right before my starting pose, too many thoughts and memories flooded in", Malinin told NBC Washington. "Perhaps that overwhelmed me. I've been through a lot in my life, both good and bad. The pressure of being expected to win an olympic gold medal was something I couldn't control".

The US skater emphasized the unique pressure of a top-tier event like the olympics. He stated: "The olympics are truly different. Not many people can understand unless they're in it. Today I felt very confident, but everything happened too fast for me to process".

Despite his disappointment in the individual event, Malinin still left Italy with a team gold medal alongside the US squad. Last December, he set a world record with 238.24 points in the free skate, but could not replicate that form in Milan.

Mikhail Shaidorov won the men's individual figure skating gold medal at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics. *Photo: Anadolu*.

While Malinin faltered, Mikhail Shaidorov created the biggest upset of the games. The 21-year-old Kazakhstani skater opened his program with a triple axel and quad salchow combination (a 4-revolution jump initiated from the inside edge of the blade), then maintained consistency throughout his performance. Performing to the song "Diva Dance", Shaidorov scored 198.94 points in the free skate, bringing his total score to 291.58 to claim the gold medal.

This marks Kazakhstan's first winter olympic gold medal since Lillehammer 1994, and only the second gold medal in the Central Asian nation's figure skating history.

"I had planned for this event since before the olympics. The most important thing was to enjoy it and show what I've learned over the years", Shaidorov said. "The opening combination is my signature move, but I couldn't do it in many previous competitions. Tonight, everything seemed to fall into place".

Highlights of the men's singles figure skating events at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics.

Following Shaidorov's performance, other contenders, including Daniel Grassl of Italy, Adam Siao Him Fa of France, and Yuma Kagiyama of Japan, also made mistakes. When the results were finalized, Malinin approached to hug and congratulate his competitor.

"I told Ilia it was unbelievable to share the same ice with him", Shaidorov recounted. "Normally, Ilia skates exceptionally well. But the ice is always slippery, and I don't know exactly what happened".

Shaidorov's victory also carries deep emotional significance for Kazakhstan, where the late skater Denis Ten paved the way for the nation's figure skating with an olympic bronze medal in 2014 before his tragic death in an attack in 2018.

"Denis Ten influenced not only me but all Kazakhstani skaters", Shaidorov said. "He opened doors for our generation. I hope this gold medal will open many new doors, so that Kazakhstani children believe the sky is the limit".

By Hong Duy (based on Daily Mail, Flashscore)