Mikhail Shaidorov: “Some years were very hard – we didn’t have enough money. My dad sold his car to fund my trainings and Alexei Urmanov coached me for free, without a salary, purely out of enthusiasm.”
Mikhail Shaidorov on pressure, money, selling his father’s car, and the principle that guides his life.
original source: Tengri News dd. 23d February 2026 by Yulia Milonova
In an interview with Tengri News, Olympic champion Mikhail Shaidorov reflected on the pressure, risks, funding struggles and emotions of his historic victory at the Milano Olympics. Here’s a translation of his comments.
“Q: In our interview last April, you said you had nowhere to train in Almaty. That interview caused a big stir and is being discussed again. Did you get ice time after that? What changed from then until the Olympics?
Mikhail Shaidorov: After I took silver at the 2025 World Championships, a lot changed. Before that, after the Four Continents Championships, I went to the sports development directorate (a government agency) and asked for a salary increase for myself and my coaches, and for more specialists to be hired. At that time, my salary was small, and I asked for an increase for a long time.
I needed it for my training expenses. I had to pay for specialists, buy costumes, and think about the future, because programs are expensive. For me, money is a tool for growth. In the Olympic season, they finally listened and gave me a good salary, as well as for my coaches. I was given ice time at “Halyk Arena.”
Q: So you were only able to train in Almaty starting last spring?
Mikhail Shaidorov: Yes. This was the first season my program was paid for, the first season my costumes were paid for, and the first season I had a doctor. The federation paid for the music license. I was given ice time.
I’m grateful I was able to train in Almaty, my beloved hometown. That was my dream. I was also able to train in Astana when I was there. I was incredibly happy about all of this. I always wanted my training process to be at home.
Q: So how would you evaluate your Olympic season preparation?
Mikhail Shaidorov: Overall, preparation went well. Of course, not everything was perfect – sometimes training was disrupted – but I’m grateful to everyone who helped and supported me this season. The most important thing was having the opportunity to work on the ice, which is the foundation for any skater.
At the same time, I hope the system becomes more stable and structured in the future. If we’re talking about developing figure skating in Kazakhstan and preparing national-level athletes like myself or Sofia Samodelkina, it’s important to gradually approach the conditions found in leading figure skating countries – the USA, Japan, Canada, Italy, South Korea, China. There, everything is systematic, and that directly affects results.
Unfortunately, many processes here are not yet optimized, and there isn’t always an understanding of the specifics of skater preparation and what conditions athletes need.
All of this happened less than a year before the Olympics, when every training session is especially important.
Sometimes, while I was skating at the arena, technical work was being done – people were on the roof, and this went on for several days. Occasionally, outsiders would come onto the ice. This created extra stress and made it hard to fully focus on training.
International engagement is also very important. In our sport, it’s crucial for the national federation to be involved with the International Skating Union, stay professionally engaged, and maintain communication. This affects many processes for skaters. As I’ve said before, we still lack this. Next season will be very important for Kazakhstan, so it’s crucial to address these issues seriously and build for the long term.
Q: The Ministry of Sports published your earnings, your coach’s earnings, and your choreographer’s earnings before the Olympics. They wrote: “A demonstrative example of targeted state support is the preparation of Kazakhstani figure skater and Olympic champion Mikhail Shaidorov. A detailed analysis of the Olympic cycle using Mikhail’s example highlights the full range of mechanisms supporting a high-level athlete.” But why do they talk about a four-year Olympic cycle when support was only provided in the last season?
Mikhail Shaidorov: I want to emphasize again: after winning gold, I never said anywhere that I wasn’t helped or lacked anything. On the contrary, it was a truly happy moment for the whole country, when people united around one victory and Kazakhstan’s success.
I am proud to represent my country, to raise the flag and hear the anthem. It was my dream, and I was sincerely happy to give these emotions to Kazakhstani people, including those who may not follow figure skating or sports at all.
That’s why I don’t quite understand why, in such a positive and unifying moment, the focus suddenly shifted to negativity.
Regarding finances – it was unpleasant for me that confidential information about my salary was made public. I think it’s not very respectful to me as an athlete and a person. I don’t understand why this needed to be highlighted, since I was simply doing my job – training, competing, and striving for results without rest.
I haven’t seen similar data published for other athletes, or for other leading sports countries openly calculating athletes’ salaries, how much was spent on medalists or those who didn’t win for various reasons. In sports, the result and the path to it are what matter most.
In 2025, good conditions were created for me, I was listened to, and I appreciate that. But the Olympic cycle is not half a year. It’s important to understand: everything I received, I invested in preparation and development – training, recovery, working with specialists. I never saw it as an opportunity to “live luxuriously.” I knew it would only be for the Olympic season, and I tried to use it as much as possible for preparation. All resources were directed solely toward achieving results and representing the country with dignity on the international stage.
Now it looks as if the ministry is billing me for the gold medal? It shouldn’t be like that. I don’t want the focus to be on money. Everyone knows figure skating is an expensive sport. I didn’t even count how much was paid. But all the funds I received were used exclusively for preparation. There should be no doubt about that.
I am grateful for the support I received, and I value it highly. All the expenses and challenges paid off, and I was able to raise Kazakhstan’s flag and sing the anthem.
Q: So your salary, whatever it is, isn’t just money you can spend on your private life?
Mikhail Shaidorov: Many expenses in figure skating aren’t covered. The state won’t fund them.
Sometimes you need to travel urgently to work with specialists not on the national team. If it’s not a competition or official training camp, I pay for accommodation and daily expenses myself. I train year-round, with no free time. The money everyone’s talking about lately – we never counted it.
My family doesn’t keep track of expenses for my preparation. I’ve been on the ice since I was six and have come a long way to my first major successes.
It’s not about the amount of funding. You can’t prepare an athlete for an Olympic medal in a short time.
For 15 years, my parents and sponsors invested in me, and no one counts that. These were necessary expenses for that period, directly related to preparing an athlete.
Q: Tell us more about the story when your father sold his car so you could train. It’s being discussed a lot now.
Mikhail Shaidorov: It’s a very interesting story. It happened quickly. I used to skate in Akbulak in Talgar. It was the only place I could train. In 2018, there was almost no ice anywhere, no one provided it. I had to go there because I could skate as much as I wanted and there were almost no people.
I skated there and realized I was fading as an athlete, but I really wanted to keep moving forward. I was 14. I told my dad we needed to go somewhere so I could grow. He decided to call Alexei Urmanov, whom we’d known since 2017 – I’d attended his training camps. Alexei said, “Yes, come.”
My dad sold his car in a day or two, and with that money, we went to Sochi so I could train. For four or five years, I almost always trained in Sochi. It was very hard. Figure skaters don’t have an off-season. Even then, you train. You get two weeks a year to go somewhere, but usually I was sick, or I’d go home to Almaty to be with family. Most of the time, I was in Sochi.
It was difficult because everything was different: the city, the mentality. My parents were with me, but it was a tough period in my life. There were many positive moments – I met champions and many skaters. But for me, it was more of a trial I went through.
From 2022, I often went to Almaty, but lacked ice, though I wanted to be there. Being at home is different! I feel very good at home. Back then, my dad sold his car, and some years were very hard – we didn’t have enough money. Alexei Urmanov coached me for free, without a salary, purely out of enthusiasm. And look where that enthusiasm led.
Returning to the topic of salaries: a coach preparing a high-level athlete is not an unknown specialist. They have rich experience, successful students, or a strong sports career.
Alexei Urmanov is an Olympic champion, a high-level specialist. We’ve worked together for a long time, and at one point he helped me almost as a volunteer, for which I’m especially grateful. But the Olympic season is a different level of work and responsibility, so of course his work should be paid as a professional coach.
I’m grateful that in the Olympic season, I received financial support and Alexei’s work was compensated.
In our sport, it’s normal: if you want to compete and show results, you need to work with strong specialists. These are normal working processes, without which it’s hard to expect a high level.
Q: Is your father the main figure in your career?
Mikhail Shaidorov: Today I was sent a video of my dad coaching his students in “Ramstore.” I was very small, coming up to him and tugging his hand for attention. It was very touching. I teared up and then called him. He cried too.
Because our family has come a long way. It was very hard, but we never thought something wouldn’t work out. I always knew I was working and would be rewarded. My parents believed in me. Even if I finished 20th, they said I had a great future, wonderful abilities, and everything would work out. That was most important to me.
Q: Did they just support their son, or did they see all your potential?
Mikhail Shaidorov: My father, of course, knew my potential. He’s a very good specialist. The foundation is laid in childhood. If my father hadn’t taught me well as a child, I wouldn’t be Olympic champion now. The main credit is his. He put me on skates and made real the life I have now. That proves my dad is a great specialist. This season, he was actively involved in my preparation.
Q: There’s a post your father made years ago about the state not helping you. It’s being discussed now.
Mikhail Shaidorov: When my dad posted it, I told him, “Don’t worry, we’ll manage, don’t write about it.” I was very young, 16–17, and didn’t understand. Now I realize how much my dad fought for me, always believed in me, and tried to show me not to stay silent, but to speak up about what’s true.
My father gave me that, and I’m incredibly grateful. What he’s done for me can’t be measured in money, cars, or apartments. That fatherly love will always stay with me. I want to say a huge thank you! Everything he wanted to do, he succeeded.
Q: By tradition, you should say you’ll give your dad a car, but Arsen Tomsky has already promised him one.
Mikhail Shaidorov: I’ll give my dad everything! (laughs) I don’t need anything – I just want to skate.
Q: You’re 21 and already have Olympic gold. When Gennady Golovkin congratulated you, he said: the main thing is to stay human. Do you understand what he meant?
Mikhail Shaidorov: For me, staying human means being yourself. Being who you are, respecting others, not doubting yourself, and always striving for the best. I’m always sincere, always honest, and always grateful to people for their support.
I’m proud of my country and promote it to the world. I just love what I do. And it’s important for me to keep growing. My potential is not yet fully realized.
I still have a lot of time to prepare for the next season. Olympic gold was a great reward, but I’m not going to stop here. I have big plans ahead. This award changed my life, but it didn’t change my drive.
Q: There are many examples of athletes who, after achieving results at such a young age, lose their way – parties, distractions, and so on.
Mikhail Shaidorov: No, I definitely won’t go down that path. I have big plans ahead. I want to develop as an athlete, first and foremost. I understand my responsibility to my country and to myself. Now I’m opening a new book and starting to write it. Parties don’t interest me, because when you love what you do, that’s your party (laughs).
Q: And how do you keep motivating yourself after achieving the biggest goal?
Mikhail Shaidorov: When it comes from the heart -not for the sake of awards.”
Related topics: Alexei Urmanov, Mikhail Shaidorov, Olympic Games
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