Why Mikhail Shaidorov Wore a Panda Suit at the Olympics

As the athletes of the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympic Games file into the historic Verona Olympic Arena for the Closing Ceremony, keep an eye out for Kazakhstan’s Mikhail Shaidorov, who is that country's flag bearer. Shaidorov won a gold medal in the Men's Single figure skating competition and has become known for performing in panda costumes on the ice.

He first donned a panda outfit on December 8, 2024 at the ISU Grand Prix final in France while skating to Jack Black and Tenacious D's cover of Britney Spears' "...Baby One More Time." Shaidorov returned to the look with even more layers for the 2026 Olympics. For his February 21 Olympics exhibition skate, Shaidorov entered the ice in a Kung Fu Panda–inspired full-body outfit and skated to Carl Douglas' "Kung Fu Fighting." He briefly faced off against Georgia's Luka Berulava, who was still in his Mortal Kombat outfit, and Nika Egadze, dressed as Deadpool; after they faux beat him up, Shaidorov got up and completed a triple jump and a cartwheel.

Italy, Verona

mikhail shaidorov, kazakhstan, figure skating, panda suit, 2026 olympics, milan cortina, verona, grand prix, jack black, kung fu