The American phenomenon, unbeaten for more than two years, entered the final as the overwhelming favourite but produced a nightmare performance when it mattered most.
Malinin, 21, fell twice during his free skate and popped his attempt at a history-making quad axel.
Shaidorov seizes the moment
While his rival floundered, Shaidorov held his nerve to deliver a near-faultless routine in Milan.
The world silver medallist posted a total score of 291.58 to secure his nation’s first-ever figure skating Olympic title.
It was a display of cool composure from the Kazakh star on a night where many of the world’s elite failed to stay upright.
‘Quad God’ brought down to earth
Malinin had planned an ambitious seven quadruple jumps but landed only a single in a programme that stunned the crowd into silence.
The Virginia native looked distraught as his score was read out, burying his face in his hands after placing 15th on the night to drop out of medal contention entirely.
Despite his devastation, the former world champion recovered to congratulate the visibly amazed winner.
Japan secure double podium
Yuma Kagiyama took the silver medal with 280.06 points, surviving an error-strewn skate that had initially left the door wide open for the favourite.
His compatriot Shun Sato rounded off the top three, finishing six points further back to claim an emotional bronze.
Yuto Totsuka has claimed Olympic gold in the men’s halfpipe at the Milan Cortina Games, delivering a spectacular 95-point run to edge out Australian rival Scotty James.
The 24-year-old produced a technical masterclass in Livigno, landing back-to-back triple corks during a massive second attempt.
That high-risk strategy was rewarded by the judges, vaulting the current World Cup leader into pole position with a score that proved insurmountable.
James suffers final run heartbreak
Scotty James, looking to upgrade the silver he won at Beijing 2022, had looked formidable after topping the qualification standings on Wednesday.
However, the Australian veteran could not improve on his second-run score of 93.50.
Pushing for gold on the very last run of the competition, the 31-year-old fell near the bottom of the pipe, confirming his status as runner-up for the second consecutive Games.
It marks a third Olympic medal for James, adding to the bronze he collected in Pyeongchang eight years ago.
Japanese snowboarders dominate in Italy
It was a historic day for Japan, with Ryusei Yamada securing bronze to ensure two steps on the podium were occupied by the Asian nation.
The result continues a trend of dominance at these Milan Cortina Games, marking the team’s fifth and sixth snowboarding medals.
Previous victories include golds for Kira Kimura and Kokomo Murase in big air events.
While Totsuka celebrated, there was disappointment for defending champion Ayumu Hirano.
Still recovering from significant facial and pelvic injuries sustained last month, the 2022 gold medallist could only manage a seventh-place finish.
Ruka Hirano narrowly missed out on the medals, finishing fourth to round out a powerful showing for the Japanese squad.
The United States women’s curling team have claimed their first-ever Olympic victory over Canada, edging out the world number ones 9-8 in a dramatic contest in Cortina d’Ampezzo.
It was a result that stunned the rink, with the American quartet unaware they had made history until after the final stone was thrown.
Ending a historic drought
Since women’s curling debuted at the 1998 Games, the two nations have met in every tournament.
However, the Canadians had emerged victorious on every previous occasion, dominating the rivalry for nearly three decades.
While the US men famously secured gold against their northern neighbours in 2018, the women’s squad had been forced to wait for their own breakthrough moment.
Friday’s triumph against Team Homan, widely considered the best on the planet, finally snapped that losing streak.
“If that’s true, I think we just played a really good game,” said Minneapolis native Taylor Anderson-Heide following the nail-biting finish.
“They’re number one in the world.”
Capitalising on the ice
Tabitha Peterson’s side managed to capitalise on uncharacteristic errors from the Canadian skip Rachel Homan.
The Americans walked down the ice raising their fists in triumph, celebrating a vital win in the round-robin stage.
Tara Peterson, sister of the skip, admitted the historical weight of the result added to the emotion.
“Apparently, we’ve never beat them in the Olympics before,” she told the Associated Press.
“That makes it just extra special.”
Mothers and medics
This US squad balances elite sporting ambition with professional careers and motherhood.
The lineup features a dentist, a pharmacist, and a lab technician, grounding the team with real-world perspective.
Alongside the Peterson sisters, the team includes Cory Thiesse, who has already secured a silver medal in the mixed doubles event.
The victory moves the United States to a 2-1 record in Italy, having already defeated Korea but fallen to Sweden earlier in the week.
Matt Weston has propelled himself into first place with a composed third run in the men’s skeleton at the Winter Olympics.
The Team GB athlete delivered a clinical performance on day seven of the Games to overhaul his rivals.
He credited a relaxed technique for the success, noting that he aimed to "allow the sled to do the work".
Weston sets the pace
This masterful display sees the Briton looking down on the rest of the pack.
His smooth navigation of the icy track has raised genuine hopes of a podium finish for the squad.
Rivals were left trailing as the slider found the perfect line through the technical corners.
Eyeing Olympic glory
Pressure is now mounting ahead of the final deciding heat.
Weston must maintain this composure to secure a historic result for Great Britain.
Fans back home will be watching closely as the competition reaches its thrilling climax.
Fabio Wardley will defend his WBO heavyweight title against Daniel Dubois in a massive all-British clash at Manchester’s Co-op Live Arena on Saturday, 9 May.
The unbeaten champion is making the first defence of his belt against his domestic rival in a bout promising destructive power.
High stakes surround this encounter, with the victor potentially lining up a blockbuster showdown against Tyson Fury later this year.
Eyes on the ultimate prize
Fury has admitted he is open to facing the winner, provided they emerge victorious from this domestic dust-up.
Wardley secured the WBO crown in November after Oleksandr Usyk vacated the strap rather than facing a mandatory defence against the Ipswich fighter.
Now, the 31-year-old is looking to cement his legacy by choosing a voluntary defence against one of the division’s heaviest hitters.
“I’ve never been in this game to mess around or play small. Big fights only!”
Fabio Wardley
The champion remains supremely confident in his matchmaking decisions.
“I’m the champion, this is a voluntary defence. I picked him. One thing you can’t say about me is that I’ve ever shied away from a challenge.”
Redemption and knockouts
Dubois is aiming to reclaim world champion status following the end of his IBF reign.
The Londoner suffered a knockout defeat to Usyk in their Wembley rematch last July but has rebuilt his team ahead of this explosive challenge.
Following a brief split, the former champion has reunited with trainer Don Charles to prepare for the trip to Manchester.
Both men enter the ring in ominous form.
The WBO king has stopped every opponent since turning professional, including a stunning 11th-round finish of Joseph Parker to claim the interim title.
Meanwhile, the challenger had been on a tear prior to his loss against the Ukrainian, having demolished Anthony Joshua in a career-best performance in September 2024.
“With me you’re always guaranteed an all-action fight, but this one is going to be fireworks from the first bell.”
Fabio Wardley
Wardley’s manager, Mike Ofo, believes the pressure will be too much for the challenger.
“This is a huge moment – a massive all-British clash, and I expect Fabio to break Daniel Dubois’ spirit on May 9th.”
The stakes could not be higher for the hosts as they look to salvage their Six Nations campaign against their oldest rivals.
Sione Tuipulotu has described his side as a "desperate team" as he issued a rallying cry to supporters ahead of the high-stakes Calcutta Cup meeting with England at Murrayfield.
The Glasgow Warriors centre is clearly still reeling from the nightmare start to the championship in Rome last weekend.
Italy outsmarted the visitors at a sodden Stadio Olimpico to claim a deserved victory, leaving the Scots’ title hopes hanging by a thread.
The 29-year-old struck a defiant figure during his pre-match media conference, avoiding the usual platitudes often heard when backs are firmly against the wall.
Honesty amidst the storm
Tuipulotu pulled no punches regarding how difficult the week has been following the defeat to the Azzurri.
He acknowledged that a reaction is non-negotiable against their southern neighbours on Saturday as their campaign dangles on a cliff edge.
Despite a run of damaging results, the midfielder insisted that belief and confidence remain intact within the camp.
He also offered a stinging response to media coverage he feels has been excessively critical of the squad and head coach Gregor Townsend.
Rallying the weary faithful
Tension currently surrounds the national set-up as they attempt to salvage their season.
To turn the situation around, the skipper believes the players must reconnect with a fanbase that has grown increasingly sceptical.
"It’s obviously a game that means a lot to the country, and one that we really lean into," said Tuipulotu.
"Ever since I arrived in Scotland, I know this is the biggest fixture of the year for everyone, for the supporters especially."
He emphasised that the squad must deliver a performance primarily for those in the stands.
"That’s my main message – although the last three or four games have been really tough for especially us, there’s a lot of supporters that haven’t quit on us. They’re the ones that we’re going to go out there and do it for."
Sione Tuipulotu, Scotland Captain
Facing an in-form enemy
While the hosts are searching for answers, Steve Borthwick’s side arrive in Edinburgh with the wind in their sails.
The visitors are currently riding the momentum of a formidable 12-game winning streak.
England have begun to rebuild an aura of invincibility that had been lacking in their performances in recent years.
Tuipulotu drew parallels between his side’s current predicament and the struggles their opponents faced not long ago, noting how quickly fortunes can change in international rugby.
The International Skating Union has steadfastly defended the ice dance scoring at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, despite a French judge’s marks playing a decisive role in denying the United States gold.
Controversy erupted in Milan after marks awarded by judge Jezabel Dabouis helped Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron defeat American rivals Madison Chock and Evan Bates.
Dabouis favored the French duo by nearly eight points over the three-time world champions in the free dance segment.
Statistical analysis suggests that if the French official’s score were removed entirely, Chock and Bates would have topped the podium.
‘Complete commitment to fairness’
The global governing body has moved quickly to dismiss allegations of impropriety regarding the final results.
In a statement, the ISU insisted that variations in scoring across a panel are standard practice within the sport.
“It is normal for there to be a range of scores given by different judge in any panel and a number of mechanism are used to mitigate these variations.”
The organisation added that it holds “full confidence in the scores given and remains completely committed to fairness.”
Despite the reassurance, the silver medallists from the United States have little recourse if the federation refuses to investigate the discrepancy further.
‘A disservice to our sport’
This is not the first instance where Dabouis has awarded favourable marks to Fournier Beaudry and Cizeron.
At the Grand Prix Final in December, the same official scored the Americans narrowly ahead in the free dance, despite the French pair suffering two deductions and a significant fall.
Chock, who had already secured a team gold earlier in the Games, expressed frustration at the lack of clarity for spectators.
“Any time the public is confused by results, it does a disservice to our sport.”
The veteran skater believes that such confusion alienates the fanbase.
“I think it’s hard to retain fans when it’s difficult to understand what is happening on the ice.”
Echoes of Salt Lake City
The current judging storm has drawn uncomfortable comparisons to the sport’s most notorious scandal.
During the 2002 Salt Lake City Games, a French judge was found guilty of misconduct after allegations of vote-swapping involving Russian and Canadian pairs.
That incident led to the suspension of Marie-Reine Le Gougne and a complete overhaul of the scoring system two years later.
While the 6.0 system was scrapped to reduce subjectivity, critics argue the current component score model still allows for confusing discrepancies.
Tyson Fury has been urged to abandon hopes of a third fight with Oleksandr Usyk despite confirming his ring return against Russian heavyweight Arslanbek Makhmudov this April.
The ‘Gypsy King’ is targeting vengeance after suffering his first two career defeats to the Ukrainian master.
However, former world champion Barry McGuigan believes pursuing a trilogy bout would be a strategic error.
Fury has not fought for 16 months and faces questions over his physical longevity.
A risky road back
The Morecambe fighter had an unblemished record of 35 fights unbeaten before running into Usyk.
While the desire to reclaim his status is clear, the path to victory appears far narrower than it did in 2024.
McGuigan contends that Usyk has already proven he possesses the tactical blueprint to dismantle Fury.
“He proved in successive bouts that he had all the answers to Fury. At this stage of his career Fury offers little we haven’t seen before.”
Barry McGuigan
The concern is that the Briton must first prove he remains a credible force before challenging for world titles again.
The opponent dilemma
Fury’s comeback opponent has been identified as Arslanbek Makhmudov.
The Russian stands at a towering 6ft 6ins and boasts a formidable record.
- Wins: 21
- Knockouts: 19
- Defeats: 2
Despite these statistics, critics argue Makhmudov’s upright style leaves him vulnerable to Fury’s right hand.
Makhmudov’s previous defeats came against Agit Kabayel and Guido Vianelli, suggesting he may not trouble a fully functioning Fury.
This has raised concerns that the April encounter will not provide the necessary test to gauge Fury’s post-retirement peak.
The battle against time
Boxing relies heavily on split-second distance control and spatial awareness.
These attributes are maintained only through active competition, not gym circuits.
McGuigan warns that after a long hiatus, a fighter risks being the one “getting nailed” rather than delivering the punishment.
“You can be out running, doing circuits and spending time in the gym but without sparring and fending off punches, the marginal gains you need to win against elite opponents are just not there.”
Fury relies on timing rather than brute strength to execute his game plan.
Whether the former unified champion can rediscover that rhythm in April remains the heavyweight division’s biggest question.