At the 2026 Winter Olympics, Kazakhstani figure skater Mikhail Shaidorov won gold in the men's singles event. The President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, expressed his congratulations and intends to award the athlete the Order of "Barys," while many in the country are already calling Shaidorov the successor to Denis Ten.
Shaidorov became the champion with a total score of 291.58 points, of which he received 198.64 points for his free skate. This medal is the first for Kazakhstan at the current Olympic Games and the first gold medal in the Winter Games in the last 32 years. The silver medal was won by Yuma Kagiyama with a score of 280.06, and the bronze went to Shun Sato with 274.90 points.
Tokayev noted the historical significance of this victory and expressed gratitude to the athlete's coaching staff. Shaidorov will receive the Order of "Barys" of the II degree.
Previously, Kazakhstan was represented at the Olympics by Denis Ten, who won a bronze medal in Sochi in 2014.
Videos of Ten's master class, which also featured young Shaidorov, are actively circulating on the internet. This contributes to many Kazakhs perceiving him as Ten's heir.
After receiving the results, the 21-year-old skater could not hold back his emotions:
— I couldn't believe it. I fought with myself all season; it was very challenging. I tried to land five quadruple jumps in competition, but I couldn't do it even once! However, today everything came together, and I did everything I could. I have been working towards these Olympic Games for almost five years, and today I accomplished my task. I dedicate this medal to all of Kazakhstan, — Mikhail Shaidorov shared on air.
