SHENZHEN – Kazakhstan’s Olympic figure skating champion Mikhail Shaidorov finished fifth at the ISU Grand Prix Cup of China on Nov. 8, scoring 263.49 points, nearly 57 points more than at his previous Grand Prix appearance in France. Speaking after the competition, Shaidorov said he had overcome a personal barrier despite missing the podium.
Shaidorov and Kushimova, following an exclusive interview at the Cup of China in Shenzhen on Nov. 8, 2026. Photo: Dayana Kushimova. Japan’s Kao Miura claimed gold with 293.25 points, followed by Vladislav Dikidzhi with 282.44 and Evgeni Semenenko with 281.62. Japan’s Shun Sato placed fourth with 277.20 points.
Shaidorov entered the competition following a challenging Grand Prix de France in Angers, where he finished tenth with 206.55 points. After that event, he promised his supporters on Instagram that he would return stronger. Asked in an interview with The Astana Times whether he had achieved the progress he was seeking, Shaidorov said the competition in Shenzhen marked an important step forward.
“If we look at my performance in France, practically nothing worked out there. But in Shenzhen, I fought until the very end and managed to overcome a certain barrier I had been facing. I’m very happy,” he said. The Kazakh skater placed fifth in the short program on Nov.
6 with 94.87 points, improving his score from Angers by 14.62 points. His performance included a quadruple Lutz with a step-out, a triple Axel and a quadruple toe loop–triple toe loop combination. In the free skate on Nov. 8, Shaidorov earned 168.62 points, placing sixth in the segment and fifth overall.
His technical element score reached 88.71 points, compared with 58.84 in France. The program featured a quadruple flip worth 14.14 points, although an underrotated quadruple Lutz and difficulties with other demanding elements affected his final score. Asked what he considered his main achievement in Shenzhen and what he planned to work on next, Shaidorov placed particular emphasis on perseverance.
“I managed to fight against myself. That’s the most important thing, and I will continue doing that. As for the elements, they’ll work out sooner or later,” he said. Shaidorov also spoke about what it means to represent Kazakhstan internationally and the support he receives from compatriots who travel abroad to attend his performances.