Kazakhstan's Mikhail Shaidorov wins Olympic gold in men's figure skating, taking the podium with two Japan skaters after Ilia Malinin meltdown.

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)

Ilia Malinin missed out on a medal in a stunning and dramatic men's figure skating final at the Winter Olympics today. The 21-year-old American fell twice in his final free skate to score 156.33 and finish eighth as Mikhail Shaidorov of Kazakhstan won gold.

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.

Ilia Malinin stumbled under Olympic pressure as underdog Mikhail Shaidorov captured gold in a shocking Olympic men’s figure skating final at Milano-Cortina 2026.

The American superstar handled his loss with grace.

Yuma Kagiyama entered tonight trailing Ilia Malinin by 5.09 points — and he’s going to have a difficult time catching him. Kagiyama didn’t have his cleanest performance in the free skate, stumbling lightly after a couple jumps on a night he needed to be both aggressive and perfect.

Shaidorov completed one of the biggest upsets in figure skating history Friday night at the Milano Ice Skating Arena.

Ilia Malinin, heavy favorite, finished eighth after two falls in men’s figure skating final. Mikhail Shaidorov won gold for Kazakhstan with a score of 291.58. “I just felt like I had no control,” Malinin admitted after his disappointing performance.

Team USA figure skating sensation Ilia Malinin entered Friday as an overwhelming favorite to take home gold in the men’s free skate at the 2026 Winter Olympics. Unfortunately, things did not go as planned.

Kazakhstan will host the 2029 Asian Winter Games after Saudi Arabia's withdrawal. Almaty has been named as the new venue by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA). The decision was announced at the Winter Olympic Games in Italy, where OCA President Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani thanked Kazakhstan for its commitment to developing winter sports.

In what turned out to be a shocking finish to the men's free skate finals, USA's Ilia Malinin failed to medal at the 2026 Winter Olympics after falling twice during his routine. Malinin was overcome with emotions after what was a catastrophic routine filled with errors, but took the loss in stride saying he'll use this as a learning opportunity.