Figure skater from Kazakhstan, Mikhail Shaidorov, won gold at the Olympic Games. The President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, plans to award him the Order of "Barys," and many in the country are already calling him the successor of the famous Denis Ten.
At the 2026 Winter Games, Shaidorov became the champion in men's singles skating, scoring 198.64 points for the free program and a total of 291.58 points.
This medal is the first for Kazakhstan at the current Olympic Games and the first gold medal at a winter Olympics for the country in 32 years. Silver went to Japanese figure skater Yuma Kagiyama with a score of 280.06 points, and bronze to Shun Sato (274.90).
Tokayev congratulated Shaidorov on his historic victory and expressed gratitude to the coaching staff. Mikhail will receive the Order of "Barys" II degree for his achievements.
Previously, a bronze medal in figure skating was won by Denis Ten at the Sochi Olympics in 2014.
Recordings of a master class featuring the late Ten and young Shaidorov are actively spreading on the internet. Many Kazakhs consider the new champion to be Ten's heir.
After the results were announced, the 21-year-old skater did not hide his emotions:
— I was in shock. I struggled with myself all season; it was incredibly difficult. I tried to land five quadruple jumps in competitions, but I couldn't do it even once! However, everything came together today, and I did everything I could. I prepared for this Olympics for almost five years and just wanted to do my job, and today I succeeded. I want to dedicate this medal to all of Kazakhstan, — Mikhail Shaidorov shared his feelings on air.
