ASTANA — Kazakhstan finished the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Italy with one gold medal, marking the country’s second-best performance in its history at the Winter Games. The historic victory came in figure skating, while several other athletes achieved top-10 finishes.

The Winter Olympics are over. But Mikhail Shaidorov’s shocking gold-medal-winning figure skating performance continues to fuel feelings of joy in Kazakhstan, while showcasing a growing figure skating community in the Central Asian country.

Kazakhstan’s Mikhail Shaidorov shared a viral 6-word message on Monday, days after winning Olympic gold in the free skate final.

ALMATY – Kazakhstan’s ski jumper Ilya Mizernykh delivered the best Olympic result in the country’s history, finishing eighth in the men’s large hill event at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics on Feb. 15.

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)

New York, NY, United States, February 17, 2026 /MarketersMEDIA/ -- The 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo have already gone down in history as a competition that brought together rich winter sports traditions and a new generation of champions.

Mikhail Shaidorov became Kazakhstan’s first Olympic gold medallist in men’s figure skating after triumphing at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics 2026. View on euronews

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

In one of the biggest upsets of the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milan/Cortina d’Ampezzo, Kazakhstan’s Mikhail Shaidorov won the gold medal. The gold for Shaidorov was completely unexpected. This was Kazakhstan’s first medal of the 2026 Olympic Winter Games.

Adeliia Petrosian’s fall in the 2026 Olympic women's singles competition didn't stop a judge from awarding gold-medal marks. An inside look at the data and the enduring judging bias in figure skating.