The favorite fell, and a skater few expected to medal walked away with history. The 2026 Winter Olympics men’s figure skating final became the biggest medal-table surprise of the Milan Games.
Mikhail Shaidorov of Kazakhstan took gold, while two-time world champion Ilia Malinin dropped to eighth after the free skate.
| Key Takeaways Mikhail Shaidorov won gold with 291.58, Kazakhstan’s first Olympic figure skating title.Ilia Malinin led the short program but fell twice in the free skate and finished 8th.Japan’s Yuma Kagiyama (silver) and Shun Sato (bronze) rounded out the men’s singles podium. |
Who won the men’s singles medals in Milan?
Here is how the podium finished at the Milano Ice Skating Arena on 13 February. Shaidorov’s198.64free skate was the best of the night by more than ten points, sealing the men’s singles final.
| Medal | Skater | Nation | Total | SP | FS |
| Gold | Mikhail Shaidorov | Kazakhstan | 291.58 | 5th | 1st |
| Silver | Yuma Kagiyama | Japan | 280.06 | 2nd | 6th |
| Bronze | Shun Sato | Japan | 274.90 | 9th | 3rd |
How did Ilia Malinin finish 8th?
The “Quad God” led after a record short program of 108.16, then unraveled. His 264.49 total was his lowest score in nearly four years, according to AP News. Our reading of the protocols shows where the night slipped away:
- No quadruple Axel, the jump only he lands in competition.
- A planned quad loop came down as a double.
- He fell on his quad Lutz.
- A planned quad Salchow also became a double.
That left him 15th in the free skate and ended a twelve-event win streak, as the BBC reported.
How did the podium change from short to free skate?
The Men’s Figure Skating medal order flipped almost completely between the two segments.
| Skater | Short program | Free skate | Final result |
| Mikhail Shaidorov | 5th | 1st | Gold |
| Yuma Kagiyama | 2nd | 6th | Silver |
| Shun Sato | 9th | 3rd | Bronze |
| Ilia Malinin | 1st | 15th | 8th |
Who finished in the top 8?
Strong free skate scores reshuffled the standings from top to bottom. Canada’s Stephen Gogolev posted the night’s second-best free skate to climb into fifth.
| Rank | Skater | Nation | Total |
| 1 | Mikhail Shaidorov | Kazakhstan | 291.58 |
| 2 | Yuma Kagiyama | Japan | 280.06 |
| 3 | Shun Sato | Japan | 274.90 |
| 4 | Cha Jun-hwan | South Korea | 273.92 |
| 5 | Stephen Gogolev | Canada | 273.78 |
| 6 | Petr Gumennik | Individual Neutral Athlete | 271.21 |
| 7 | Adam Siao Him Fa | France | 269.27 |
| 8 | Ilia Malinin | United States | 264.49 |
What does this mean for figure skating fans?
- Depth is rising: medals now reach beyond the usual USA and Japan powers.
- Pressure is real: even the sport’s most dominant jumper can fall on the day.
- A new face leads: Shaidorov heads toward the 2030 Winter Games in the French Alps as a marquee name.
2026 Winter Olympics Men’s Figure Skating will be watching to see whether Milan was a one-night shock or the start of a real shift in men’s singles.
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