ASTANA — Kazakhstan finished the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Italy with one gold medal, marking the country’s second-best performance in its history at the Winter Games. The historic victory came in figure skating, while several other athletes achieved top-10 finishes.

The Winter Olympics are over. But Mikhail Shaidorov’s shocking gold-medal-winning figure skating performance continues to fuel feelings of joy in Kazakhstan, while showcasing a growing figure skating community in the Central Asian country.

Kazakhstan’s Mikhail Shaidorov shared a viral 6-word message on Monday, days after winning Olympic gold in the free skate final.

Mikhail Shaidorov of Kazakhstan's gold medal in men's free skate stunned everyone — including himself. Here's what he had to say. (AP photo)

In a shocking twist at the 2026 Winter Olympics, American figure skater Ilia Malinin​ didn't make it to the podium after falling twice during the free skate. Kazakhstan's Mikhail Shaidorov took home the gold.

Mikhail Shaidorov became Kazakhstan’s first Olympic gold medallist in men’s figure skating after triumphing at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics 2026. View on euronews

Kazakh figure skater Mikhail Shaidorov says he is still spinning in disbelief after pulling off the biggest shock of the Winter Olympics so far.

New York, NY, United States, February 17, 2026 /MarketersMEDIA/ -- The 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo have already gone down in history as a competition that brought together rich winter sports traditions and a new generation of champions.

Adeliia Petrosian’s fall in the 2026 Olympic women's singles competition didn't stop a judge from awarding gold-medal marks. An inside look at the data and the enduring judging bias in figure skating.