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)

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 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.

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

Things did not go according to plan for U.S. figure skater Ilia Malinin in Friday’s men’s figure skating final. The 22-year-old entered the competition with high hopes and a lot of pressure on his shoulders.

The American superstar handled his loss with grace.

Mikhail Shaidorov of Kazakhstan achieved a historic Olympic figure skating gold at the 2026 Winter Olympics, stunning the field with a career-best performance. He landed five quadruple jumps to secure the title,

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 Winter Olympics saw surprising performances as new champions emerged. Ilia Malinin's stumble allowed Kazakhstan's Mikhail Shaidorov to snatch figure skating gold. Yuto Totsuka won gold in men's halfpipe,

MILAN (AP) — Ilia Malinin wound his way through the tunnels beneath the Milano Ice Skating Arena on Friday night, trying in vain to explain — or even just understand — exactly what went wrong in an Olympic free skate that could only be described as a disaster.