Mikhail Shaidorov

Mikhail Shaidorov’s gold medal at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games marked a landmark moment in Kazakhstan’s sporting history. He is the first figure skater from Kazakhstan to win Olympic gold and only the second Kazakhstani athlete to win gold at a Winter Olympics. Outside the rink, he openly addresses the systemic challenges within the sport, representing a new generation of athletes for whom identity and advocacy matter as much as the podium.