Figure skating favorite Ilia Malinin, known as the 'Quad God,' suffered a stunning collapse at the Olympics, falling twice and finishing eighth in a disastrous free skate. This unexpected turn of events paved the way for Kazakhstan's Mikhail Shaidorov, previously an underdog, to claim his nation's first gold medal at the Winter Games.
Ilia Malinin, the reigning two-time world champion and heavy favorite for Olympic gold, experienced a catastrophic free skate at the Milano Ice Skating Arena, leading to one of the biggest upsets in figure skating history. Malinin fell twice and made several other significant errors, plummeting from a commanding lead to an eighth-place finish with his worst total score in nearly four years, ending a two-plus year unbeaten streak. He attributed his performance to the immense pressure and nerves of the Olympics, admitting he felt overwhelmed and out of control, despite feeling confident and solid in practice. Capitalizing on Malinin's stunning downfall, Mikhail Shaidorov of Kazakhstan, who was sixth after the short program, delivered a technically flawless, career-best performance. Known for his high-flying jumps, Shaidorov landed five quads to secure his nation's first gold medal at these Winter Games with 291.58 points. Japan's Yuma Kagiyama earned his second consecutive Olympic silver medal, and his teammate Shun Sato took bronze. Malinin's struggles were foreshadowed by earlier performances at the Games, where he acknowledged feeling the pressure, though he had regained some confidence before the individual free skate. The unexpected outcome left a star-studded crowd in stunned silence, while Shaidorov expressed his simple goal of winning gold, which he achieved against all odds.
