A $250,000 cash reward, a monthly salary of 1.5 million Kazakhstani tenge, and a new contract for the next Olympic cycle were the promises made to Mikhail Shaidorov under the Republic of Kazakhstan’s sports system. The 2026 Winter Olympics winner has gotten his cash reward, but he has not received a single tenge in salary since winning the event three months ago, while negotiations over a new deal keep stalling. At the center of the dispute is a controversial contract clause.

Following the expiry of Shaidorov’s previous agreement on February 22, 2026, the payments stopped. He expected a new contract in March, but as there has been no progress on that yet, the 21-year-old took to social media on May 29. He claimed that the deal before him would require him to emulate a feat achieved by just three men in Winter Games history.

“My team and I were contacted until mid May to discuss new 2026 contract, I have a confirmation correspondence,” Shaidorov shared on Threads (translated via Google Translate). “The contract is not agreed, but not because I do not agree with the amount or refuse to come as it is presented and want to show it. The contract, valid until the end of 2026, includes a commitment to win a medal at the 2030 Olympics.”

Guaranteeing a gold medal at an Olympic Games is far from certain, with Kazakhstan itself having to wait 32 years for one. Now, per the deal, they want Shaidorov to join Sweden’s Gillis Grafstrom (1924, 1928), America’s Dick Button, and Japan’s Yuzuru Hanyu as the only men to win back-to-back gold medals in figure skating at the Winter Games. This is quite a tedious ask, with it having been achieved just three times in 25 editions of the Winter Olympics.

“Me and the team just asked the legally to review this clause because it’s illogical and impossible, I can’t win the Olympics in 2026 only in 4 years. We asked these questions to the lawyers, asked this item to be reviewed, but to this day we have not been contacted, as it is reported in the media. Considering everything that’s happening, I suppose that all payments, signing of the contract and other issues were artificially dragged, so I voiced it.”

Amid the contract dispute, Shaidorov says the delays are already affecting his preparations for the upcoming season.

Shaidorov skipped the 2026 World Championships to recover after winning gold at the Winter Olympics. Though he is supposed to begin a training camp on June 5, there is still no clarity on funding for the same.

“Our question about preparing for the new season has been ignored for a month,” he added on Threads. “We voiced all this, repeatedly called, submitted budget proposals, asked if funding would cover program choreography and travel, if they would pay the fees, if they would buy tickets, to which there were no clear answers, nor the organization of the fees respectively to date, although the departure is in a week.”

Shaidorov, who has been paid his salary for January until February 22, 2026, says he understands the reason given for the salary delay.

“Like many other high-class athletes from different sports, I receive my salary from the Federation and the Directorate of Sports Development. An agreement was signed with the Federation. But, I’m told, payments are delayed because the Sport Support Fund is considering a funding application. That’s why neither I nor the team have been getting paid for 5 months.”

The salary and contract issues aside, Shaidorov has yet to receive his Honored Master of Sports certificate, despite meeting the requirements in 2025 following a silver medal at the World Figure Skating Championships. That situation remains unresolved, but the sports directorate has explained the reasons Shaidorov has not received a salary.

Sports Directorate clarifies the reason behind Mikhail Shaidorov’s funding pause

“Starting in March of this year, in connection with the start of the new Olympic cycle, a new employment contract is planned. This document provides for significantly improved financing terms, taking into account the athlete’s high status. Currently, the draft contract is undergoing mutual discussion and legal approval between the parties, which is why the signing process has been delayed, and payments will resume immediately after the contract is signed,” they said in their statement.

They also noted that the new agreement includes updated funding terms and performance indicators that are still being discussed between both sides.

Kazakhstan’s freestyle mogul head coach, Yelena Kruglykhina, questioned the entire responsibility of the federation in renewing the agreement.

“Has Misha gone too far, or are you being used?” Kruglykhina shared on Instagram. “You signed a contract until Feb. 22, 2026, just like all of us winter sports athletes, and it’s the federation’s fault they didn’t renew your contract. You have agents, managers and so on. Why didn’t they work on it? The ministry is now blushing because people don’t understand our system.” (translated via Instagram)

The question of Shaidorov’s agents and managers not working on it may not be the concern, as there is a deal before him. The issue remains the obligation to stand atop the podium in Nice.

Such situations, where athletes lose funding during contract disputes, are not unheard of. One of the closest examples came in 2022 when Chris Spring, a four-time Olympian from Canada, went four months without federal funding after refusing to sign parts of an athlete agreement that he opposed.

The bobsledder publicly said, “There are some provisions in the athlete agreement that I don’t agree with. And so I don’t want to sign an agreement that I don’t agree with just to get paid.”

His funding remained suspended while the contract dispute continued.

In Shaidorov’s case, his June 5 training camp approaches and the parties are still at loggerheads.

But unlike many contract disagreements in sport, Shaidorov’s case involves an athlete who made his country proud, while uncertainty remains around his salary, contract, and future support.