One of the landmark victories was claimed by Kazakhstani figure skater Mikhail Shaidorov. Although he arrived at the Games as the reigning world silver medalist, his triumph sent shockwaves through global media. The impact was amplified by the fact that Shaidorov secured the gold medal in his very first Olympic appearance.
“Mikhail Shaidorov proved to be a dark horse on his Olympic debut at Milano Cortina 2026, with the 21-year-old competing against some of the most celebrated names in figure skating. He shocked the world, and himself, collapsing to the ice after a near-flawless performance and breaking down into tears as his personal best free skate score of 198.64 was announced. Then came realisation that he would not only win a medal, but the title. He won Kazakhstan’s first-ever Olympic figure skating gold, and the first Winter Games gold since 1994,” the IOC shared on Instagram.
As Qazinform reported, 21-year-old Mikhail Shaidorov made history after winning Kazakhstan’s first-ever gold medal in figure skating for his stunning performance at the 2026 Winter Olympics, and the country’s first gold medal in 32 years.