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You know that feeling when you are watching a movie and the hero suddenly loses? That is exactly what happened in Milan this Friday. The 2026 Winter Olympics men's figure skating finals turned into a total drama fest. Everyone thought Ilia Malinin had this in the bag. I mean, they call him the Quad God for a reason. But the ice is slippery and anything can happen. And boy did it happen.
The huge news is that Mikhail Shaidorov is your new Olympic champion. Yeah, the guy from Kazakhstan. He came out of nowhere and dropped the performance of his life. Meanwhile, Ilia Malinin had a total meltdown and finished in eighth place. It was wild.
The Night the Quad God Fell to Earth
Let's keep it real. Ilia Malinin was supposed to win. He had a five-point lead after the short program. He has been unbeaten for like two years. Everyone was ready to see him do his backflip and take the gold. But the vibes were off from the second he stepped on the ice.
He started with a fall. Then he popped a jump. That means he did a single or double instead of a quad. That is a huge no-no at this level. The crowd went dead silent. You could hear a pin drop in the arena. He fell again on his quad lutz. It was painful to watch. He looked totally lost out there.
People are saying the pressure got to him. Being called the Quad God is cool but it is also a heavy backpack to carry. He tried to do too much. He wanted to land seven quads. That is insane. Sometimes you gotta play it safe to win the war. But Ilia went for glory and ended up with nothing. He told reporters he felt out of control. That is heartbreaking.
Mikhail Shaidorov: The New King from Kazakhstan
While Ilia was struggling, Mikhail Shaidorov was having the time of his life. This dude was sitting in sixth place after the short program. Nobody was really watching him. But then he came out and skated like a boss.
He landed five quads. Clean. He did not look scared. He looked like he owned the place. His score was huge, a career-best 291.58. He sat in the leader's chair and watched everyone else mess up. It must have been crazy for him. He saw the favorite crumble and realized he just won gold.
This is massive for Kazakhstan. It is their first-ever Olympic gold in figure skating. Shaidorov is a hero now. He talked about his idol Denis Ten, the late skater who put their country on the map. Shaidorov is carrying that legacy now. He proved that you do not need to be from a big skating country like the US or Russia to win. You just need to show up when it counts.
Japan Stays Winning with Kagiyama and Sato
We cannot forget about the Japanese skaters. Yuma Kagiyama and Shun Sato were steady as rocks. Yuma won the silver medal again. That is his second time getting silver at the Olympics. He is so smooth on the ice. He does not have as many quads as Ilia, but his skating is beautiful.
Shun Sato grabbed the bronze. He moved up from ninth place! That is a huge climb. It shows that you should never give up. While everyone else was falling, Shun kept it together. Japan having two guys on the podium is a big power move. It shows their system works. They focus on good technique and not just crazy jumps.
Why Did Malinin Flop?
So why did the favorite choke? It is all psychology. Ilia skated in the team event earlier and helped the US win gold. That might have tired him out. He looked exhausted. Also, the media hype was out of control. Everyone was asking him about records and history. Nobody asked him if he was okay.
There is also the politics of sports. The judges can be harsh when you mess up. Once Ilia made that first mistake, his scores tanked. The judges did not save him. They let him fall. It changes the narrative. Now people are asking if the quad revolution is over. Maybe we need to go back to skating that looks nice and does not break your body.
What Fans Are Missing
A lot of fans are just looking at the scores. But you gotta look at the money moves too. Sponsors love a winner. Ilia was the golden boy. Now that he lost, things might change. Brands might look at consistent skaters like Yuma more.
Also, think about the drama behind the scenes. These guys train for four years for four minutes of skating. The locker room must be awkward right now. You have the new champ celebrating and the old king crying. It is brutal. But that is sports.
What Happens Next?
So what is next for figure skating? We have a new champion in Mikhail Shaidorov. The sport is going to change. Skaters might stop trying to do five or six quads. It is too risky. Consistency is key.
As for Ilia Malinin, he is young. He is only 21. He can come back. But he needs to fix his mental game. He needs to learn that he does not have to be a god every time. He just needs to be a skater. Brian Boitano had tough moments too. Even the best fall. It is about how you get up.
This Olympics showed us that nothing is guaranteed. The underdog can win. The giant can fall. And that is why we watch. It was a night full of shock and emotions. If you missed it, go watch the replay. But maybe skip Ilia's part if you do not like sad endings.
FAQs
Who won men's figure skating at the 2026 Olympics? Mikhail Shaidorov from Kazakhstan won the gold medal. It was a huge surprise because he was not the favorite coming into the final.
Did Ilia Malinin win gold? No, he did not. Ilia Malinin finished in 8th place after a disastrous free skate where he fell multiple times.
What happened to Ilia Malinin? He had a meltdown on the ice. He fell on his jumps and popped others. He said he felt overwhelmed by the pressure and nerves of the Olympics.
Who is Mikhail Shaidorov? He is a figure skater from Kazakhstan. He is the first person from his country to win Olympic gold in figure skating. He is known for his strong jumps.
Will Ilia Malinin skate again? Most likely yes. He is young and very talented. He will probably take some time to recover mentally and then come back for the next season.
Who got the silver and bronze medals? Yuma Kagiyama from Japan won the silver medal. Shun Sato, also from Japan, won the bronze medal.
Why was this a shock? Because Ilia Malinin had not lost a competition in two years. Everyone expected him to win easily. Him finishing 8th is one of the biggest upsets in history.
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