Men’s Free Skate at the Olympic Winter Games

Last week the magic of the 2026 Winter Olympics came to an end — and I still get goosebumps thinking about it. What started as a yearly mother-daughter city trip turned into one of the most unforgettable experiences we’ve ever had.

One year ago, my mom and I booked our tickets to Milan. Every year we choose a new city to explore together, but this time was extra special. How often do the Winter Games happen this close to the Netherlands? It felt like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity — and we grabbed it.

We stayed from Tuesday to Sunday, giving ourselves time to explore the city, shop, visit the TeamNL House, celebrate Dutch medals, and soak in inspiration for the brand.

 

Orange Sweater 🧡

For this trip I made a special orange sweater and T-shirt, featuring skates inspired by my own tattoo (and yes… they might become a new design soon ).

⛸️ Men’s Free Skate

We had tickets for the men’s free skate on Friday the 13th.

My mom and I had never been to an event like this before. I’ve attended Europeans and Nationals, but never the Olympics — though honestly, the atmosphere felt very similar to Europeans, just on an even bigger scale.

The moment we stepped inside the Milano Ice Skating Arena, the energy was electric. The crowd was buzzing in anticipation of a potential gold-medal moment, especially around Ilia Malinin, the clear favorite going in. It was incredibly crowded and busy. And to be honest, the tickets were insanely expensive — I joked that I could have flown to China and back for that amount — so I expected a bit more. The seats were very narrow, and I barely had space for my bag and the merchandise we had just bought. Still, we were beyond excited to be there.

The first half of the evening was such a joy to watch, especially with some of my favorites like Nika Egadze and Lukas Britschgi. But of course, we were also there for Ilia — and for Adam Siao Him Fa.

Ilia had led after the short program and was the favorite for Olympic gold.

And then there was Mikhail Shaidorov. I had already told my mom earlier that he might just win a medal since his skate was perfect! He skated beautifully and delivered a season’s best. Watching his reaction was one of the highlights of the night — first the surprise at his score, then the realization that a medal was possible, then that he had secured one… then silver… and finally the complete disbelief when it turned into gold. Seeing that emotional rollercoaster live was incredibly special.

Despite the huge anticipation that Ilia would win gold, he struggled with his jumps. He popped planned quads into easier elements, made multiple mistakes, even had a few falls, and ended up with a free skate score far below what anyone expected.

In the end, he finished 8th overall in the men’s singles competition — a massive surprise to the skating world.

It was so sad to see but he was really kind to Mikhail. But being there in person somehow made it even more unforgettable.

🥇 Gold: Mikhail Shaidorov

The biggest surpise of the night was Mikhail Shaidorov, who delivered a powerful and clean long program to take gold — the first Olympic figure skating title for Kazakhstan. His performance was composed, technical, and confident, climbing from fifth after the short program to win it all.

Fun Fact: we were sitting with Mikhail fans and clapped with our Dutch Clap-Mittens for him!

🥈 Silver: Yuma Kagiyama

Japan’s Yuma Kagiyama also impressed, earning silver overall with a very strong skate. Even with a few small mistakes, his performance was emotional and precise — and the arena loved cheering for him.

🥉 Bronze: Shun Sato

Another Japanese skater, Shun Sato, captured the bronze medal, delivering a strong and confident performance under pressure. Meanwhile, France’s Adam Siao Him Fa had a few mistakes in his program, but his incredible artistry and presence on the ice still made him an absolute pleasure to watch.

Inspiration On and Off the Ice

The rest of the week we celebrated Dutch successes — including the 1000m men’s long track speed skating event where three Dutch skaters competed and one brought home silver (Jenning de Boo). The pride in the TeamNL house during the medal ceremonies was incredible.

Beyond the arena and TeamNL House, we also loved spending our days in Milan. We went shopping, explored different neighborhoods, and I couldn’t stop observing fabrics, street style, store displays, and color combinations. Milan has such a powerful fashion energy — I found myself constantly taking mental notes of fresh palettes, striking textures, and bold contrasts. Different shades of orange (of course 😉), warm neutrals, deep reds, icy blues… inspiration was everywhere.

🧡 Until Next Time

The Olympic Games showed us beauty, heartbreak, surprise, and inspiration. And for our figure skating brand, it reminded us to keep dreaming boldly, keep skating with heart, and always chase the unexpected.