President Tokayev Honors Figure Skater Mikhail Shaidorov for Historic Olympic Gold

A ceremony was held at the Akorda residence to honor Mikhail Shaidorov, the champion of the XXV Winter Olympic Games, and his coaches.

In his address, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev noted that this Olympics became a truly exceptional event for all of Kazakhstan.

– Thanks to the triumph of Mikhail Shaidorov, who won gold in figure skating, the sky-blue flag of Kazakhstan was raised high above the Olympic arena. First of all, I want to congratulate and sincerely thank Mikhail, as well as express gratitude to his father, coach, and everyone gathered here in Akorda today. Mikhail's world recognition is the result of your hard work and dedication! Under your guidance, he has become an outstanding athlete and has been able to fully reveal his talent. Today, the entire country is proud of Mikhail, and for young people he has become a true role model. To become an Olympic champion means to accept a challenge and be ready to go through the most difficult distance. Only those who work tirelessly and demonstrate iron discipline achieve high results, said the Head of State.

The sky-blue flag of Kazakhstan flew high above the Olympic arena following the triumph of figure skater Mikhail Shaidorov, who captured the gold medal. President Kassym-Jomart Tokeyev congratulated the athlete during a meeting at Akorda.

First and foremost, I want to congratulate and sincerely thank Mikhail, and also express gratitude to his father, coach, and everyone gathered here in Akorda today. Mikhail's world recognition is the result of your hard work and dedication! Under your guidance, he has become an outstanding athlete and has been able to fully reveal his talent. Today, the entire country is proud of Mikhail, and for young people he has become a true role model. To become an Olympic champion means to accept a challenge and be ready to go through the most difficult distance. Only those who work tirelessly and demonstrate iron discipline achieve high results," said the Head of State.

The President emphasized that Mikhail Shaidorov's victory is a monumental achievement in the annals of national sports.

"First, this is a historic medal that Kazakhstani people have been waiting for for 32 years. Second, it is the first Olympic gold won by our nation's figure skaters. Third, the whole world could see that Kazakhstan has bright talents who are worthily continuing the glorious path of the famous figure skater Denis Ten. Mikhail Shaidorov's brilliant performance at the Olympics is a success of historical significance. This is a real triumph created by our compatriot on the ice of Cortina d'Ampezzo. It is the result of incredibly hard work by the Olympic champion on himself, his belief in his own strength, and his love for such a very complex sport as figure skating," noted Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.

The Head of State highlighted the significant contributions of Stanislav Shaidorov, the father and first coach of the Olympic champion.

President Tokayev expressed his deep gratitude to Stanislav Shaidorov for raising a son who is a true patriot and who proudly raised the flag of Kazakhstan on the world's premier sporting stage. He noted that as a multiple-time national champion in figure skating himself, Shaidorov was instrumental in helping his son Mikhail take his first steps on the ice, both as a father and as a coach, and stood by him through life's most challenging moments.

The President stated he had read Shaidorov's interviews and acknowledged that he had honorably fulfilled his duty as a loving father, never doubting his talented son's sporting mission. He remarked that together they navigated a difficult path to success and now rightfully reap the rewards of their immense dedication, receiving sincere respect and admiration.

"You have earned nationwide fame," said the President. "The people are grateful to you for your true patriotism. I join these heartfelt feelings of gratitude and respect from all the people."

President Kassym-Jomart Tokaev also greeted the coach of the Olympic champion, the outstanding athlete, champion of the 1994 Olympics, and world champion Alexei Urmanov.

As a leading specialist in figure skating, you have nurtured a more than worthy heir and successor to your great achievements in this sport. A significant contribution to achieving this phenomenal success was made by the relevant ministry, the federation, and the National Olympic Committee headed by the celebrated boxer Gennady Golovkin, whose name was recently inducted into the World Boxing Hall of Fame. Our compatriots followed the twists and turns of the sporting competition with great excitement, especially after Mikhail's free program was complicated. He took a risk and literally snatched victory at humanity's premier tournament. This is also no coincidence, as not everyone can so successfully use such a chance, perhaps the only one in their life. As ancient wisdom says, success does not come to the swift alone, but time and chance come to us all. Mikhail's triumph, I am sure, has inspired thousands of young Kazakhs to take up sports and strengthened their belief that any dream, even those that seem fantastic, can still come true with hard work, determination, and an unbending will. Thousands of boys and girls in our country today look at Mikhail Shaidorov with admiration and want to be like him; they dream of becoming great athletes. This means that new stars of world sports will certainly emerge in our country.

The names of all Olympic champions are forever entered into the annals of world sports; their achievements are recorded in the museum of the International Olympic Committee in Lausanne. Now tourists from various countries visiting this museum will be able to witness once again Mikhail Shaidorov's brilliant victory at the 2026 Olympics.

As a leading expert in figure skating, you have nurtured a truly worthy successor who continues your legacy of great achievements in this sport. Significant contributions to this phenomenal success were made by the relevant ministry, the national federation, and the National Olympic Committee, led by the celebrated boxer Gennady Golovkin, whose name was recently inducted into the World Boxing Hall of Fame.

Our fellow citizens followed the twists and turns of the competition with great excitement, especially after Mikhail complicated his free program. He took a risk and literally snatched victory at humanity's premier tournament. This is no coincidence, as not everyone can so successfully seize what may be their only chance in life. As ancient wisdom says, success does not come only to the swift, but time and chance come to all.

I am confident that Mikhail's triumph has inspired thousands of young Kazakhs to take up sports and strengthened their belief that even the most seemingly fantastic dreams can come true through hard work, determination, and an indomitable will. Thousands of boys and girls in our country now look up to Mikhail Shaidorov with admiration, want to be like him, and dream of becoming great athletes. This means new world sports stars will undoubtedly emerge from our country.

The names of all Olympic champions are forever inscribed in the annals of world sports, with their achievements recorded at the International Olympic Committee Museum in Lausanne. Now tourists from various countries visiting this museum will be able to witness Mikhail Shaidorov's brilliant victory at the 2026 Olympics once again.

The President stated that the state will create all necessary conditions for developing both mass participation and professional sports, making it a priority of state policy.

Olympic results have been and remain an important measure of a nation's progress. Our country ranked 25th in terms of the total number of athletes competing at these Games. We are building a Just Kazakhstan where every purposeful, hardworking person should have ample opportunities for self-realization, including in sports. Fair competition, meritocracy, discipline, and responsibility are what underpin both elite sports and any strong state.

Developing the nation's creative potential has become the core idea of the draft new People's Constitution submitted for a national referendum. This fundamental law is designed to strengthen the foundation of a state where principles such as Justice, respect for law, environmental stewardship, and patriotism become key drivers of progress.

The Head of State noted that in national development as in elite sport success comes to those who set ambitious goals and achieve them through persistent effort and teamwork.

Today we congratulate Mikhail and through him all members of our national team who demonstrated their best qualities and gave their utmost effort for success including personal records For some athletes these were their first starts on such a grand scale yet they delivered commendable results It is important that many entered top ten rankings within their disciplines This provides solid groundwork for future accomplishments

The successes achieved by our citizens internationally whether in sport academic Olympiads arts or other fields indicate our nation’s steady rise The Winter Paralympic Games will soon commence in Milan Cortina d’Ampezzo I would like to wish good luck to our athletes

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has reminded the nation that in two years, Kazakh athletes will compete at the Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

He emphasized that the Ministry, the National Olympic Committee, and sports federations must demonstrate a collaborative working style and provide effective support to members of the national team.

Special attention should be paid to preparations for the 2029 Winter Asian Games, which will be held in Almaty. The President stated that these Games must be organized at the highest level.

He concluded his address by noting that this is a very important event, set to give new impetus to the development of sports in Kazakhstan with a tangible effect for the national economy and tourism sector.

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has awarded state honors to members of Kazakhstan's figure skating delegation for their high sporting achievements at the XXV Winter Olympic Games.

Mikhail Shaidorov was awarded the Order of Barys, II degree. Alexei Urmanov, a coaching consultant, received the Order of Dostyk, II degree.

The Order of Kurmet was bestowed upon Asem Kassanova, the head coach of the national figure skating team; Stanislav Shaidorov, a figure skating coach; and Bauyrzhan Yeraly, President of the Figure Skating Federation of Kazakhstan.

Olympic champion Mikhail Shaydorov expressed his gratitude to the Head of State and all Kazakh citizens for their support.

He stated it was a great honor for him to be present as an Olympic champion. According to Shaydorov, the medal represents not only his personal victory but also the triumph of his parents, coaches, and all Kazakhstanis who cheered, worried, and supported him.

The athlete emphasized that this victory proves dreams come true when they are backed by diligent work, effort, love, and the faith of loved ones. He addressed the President directly, noting that the attention given to athletes contributes to significant achievements, new stories, and records.

Shaydorov added that the Olympic gold is not an endpoint for him. He sees a long path ahead that he wants to walk with a sense of responsibility for his country. His goals include being an example for the younger generation and continuing to bring glory to Kazakhstan on the world stage.

He concluded his speech by saying "Thank you!" in Kazakh and affirming his pride in serving his beloved country.