2025-26 US Pairs Discussion - Milano-Bound By Way of Beijing & St. Louis

[Karen-W]

The US pairs teams aiming for Milano aren't looking particularly Olympic to me.

Shin & Nagy still have my bet for one of the spots. They've shown consistency in putting out C+/B- quality performances. But, yes, I do get the sense that their scores would shoot up when and if they finally go squeaky clean.

Chan & Howe were fire in the SP at Trialeti, but were utterly blah in the FS.

Sorry not sorry, but Ellie Kam just looked out of sorts to me at Trialeti.

Your thoughts...

Lol. Sure, ShiNagy's scores would jump if they went squeaky clean... Which they essentially did in their SP at GPdF.

Their 3tw is still a major work in progress (though credit to them for at least managing fairly credible attempts on it this season). It is in no way comparable to the spectacular 3tw that ChanHowe, PlaFern or KamO all have. It may get there eventually, but it won't be this season. They are no more successful on SBS triples than any other US Pairs team, same with the throws.

Even if they did go clean, they're not going to score as high as a clean ChanHowe or KamO - not even close to the same ballpark, if we're being honest. They scored 61.79 at GPdF - clean, they'd have been in the neighborhood of 64-65.

As far as the FS goes... I suppose it's possible they could go clean and score in the same range as PavSvia did with their error on the SBS jump combo or SDDes did with the popped twist - so maybe 122-123.

That would put them in the 183-185 range, which isn't terrible, but it's also not putting them ahead of a clean ChanHowe or KamO by a long shot. It's not even putting them ahead of a clean SP/messy FS ChanHowe or KamO.

I just can't see their chances of making it onto the Olympic team as all that bright - at least not versus those two teams, not to mention PlaFern and LiuBed making a play for consideration also. ShiNagy have shown a tendency to struggle un major competitions and I'll be surprised if Nats goes any differently.

The USFS may have, in them, a team for the future, but not yet, and probably not in 3.5 months.

 

[Tinycities]

Would mcbeath Parkman even be eligible for the Olympics in 2030? I’m assuming no? Might be why they’re not getting as much of a push either.

 

[farahfan]

Would mcbeath Parkman even be eligible for the Olympics in 2030? I’m assuming no? Might be why they’re not getting as much of a push either.

I don't think anyone knows where Parkman currently is in his citizenship process.
2023-2030 is seven years so if he gets his green card this year he could possibly make it.

 

[Karen-W]

I don't think anyone knows where Parkman currently is in his citizenship process.
2023-2030 is seven years so if he gets his green card this year he could possibly make it.

Yeah, he came to the US in May 2023, so he may already have his green card, but that actually won't help him for 2030 since he wouldn't be eligible for citizenship until after Feb 2030.

 

[tangerine dream]

Yeah, he came to the US in May 2023, so he may already have his green card, but that actually won't help him for 2030 since he wouldn't be eligible for citizenship until after Feb 2030.

I thought the mystery with Parkman was that he lived in the US as a kid for like ten years (learned to skate in Seattle IIRC) and no one seems to know his father's nationality. Am I misremembering?

 

[farahfan]

I thought the mystery with Parkman was that he lived in the US as a kid for like ten years (learned to skate in Seattle IIRC) and no one seems to know his father's nationality. Am I mis remembering?

I don’t recall him saying the exact number of years…
In the US, a foreign-born child can’t get citizenship unless their parents do, and it’s possible his parents were in the US for many years and didn’t fulfill the requirements.

 

[skatingguy]

I may have missed this, but was it known that Efimova & Mitrofanov were married on Feb. 1, 2024.

Alisa Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov American Champions Olympic Hopefuls – The Skating Club of Boston

 

[ChillSkate]

Their marriage was widely rumored but don't believe it had been confirmed anywhere

 

[kirkbiggestfan]

No journalists at Worlds ask them the question???

 

[Jarrett]

I may have missed this, but was it known that Efimova & Mitrofanov were married on Feb. 1, 2024.

Alisa Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov American Champions Olympic Hopefuls – The Skating Club of Boston

I just got this on Reddit. lol wow.

 

[Jarrett]

No journalists at Worlds ask them the question???

No they would rather ask who is more messy and what their favorite song is.

 

[kirkbiggestfan]

No they would rather ask who is more messy and what their favorite song is.

Aren’t we glad she didn’t say that her favorite was her wedding strawberry cake!

 

[Rukia]

No journalists at Worlds ask them the question???

No one has ever asked them directly if they were married, they just asked indirectly by asking about citizenship and why they are so confident

 

[Tinycities]

I have a hard time being annoyed or upset about it because they’re two consenting adults over 25. It could be real, it could not be, but it’s not really my business.

Also I would enjoy seeing them at the Olympics and I like their vibe on and off the ice.

 

[Rukia]

I have a hard time being annoyed or upset about it because they’re two consenting adults over 25. It could be real, it could not be, but it’s not really my business.

Also I would enjoy seeing them at the Olympics and I like their vibe on and off the ice.

oh yeah I have no problem with it. They are old enough to understand what they are doing so I fully support it. Get that citizenship girl.

 

[Tinycities]

I did find the sign off/recommendation letters from all of USFS executives and USOPC executives interesting. They know this makes the team event medal easier.

 

[Badams]

I have a hard time being annoyed or upset about it because they’re two consenting adults over 25. It could be real, it could not be, but it’s not really my business.

Also I would enjoy seeing them at the Olympics and I like their vibe on and off the ice.

Same.

 

[Theatregirl1122]

So FSU's statements that, even if they got married, they still wouldn't have time for her to get citizenship were correct. She's seeking an exception.

 

[PRlady]

So FSU's statements that, even if they got married, they still wouldn't have time for her to get citizenship were correct. She's seeking an exception.

Yup. Three years’ minimum on marriage qualification. I’m not optimistic given what we know about the slow-walking on legal immigrants these days.

 

[kirkbiggestfan]

That immigration interview will be a lot of fun. You got married a few months after meeting her? Sir, she looked like Gordeeva in Love Story. It was love at first sight.

 

[Karen-W]

Yup. Three years’ minimum on marriage qualification. I’m not optimistic given what we know about the slow-walking on legal immigrants these days.

Sigh. You know, I really don't want a response to dive too far into the US political climate, but the optics on this are bad in so many ways - damned if the Trump administration does grant the exception because then some left-leaning politician will attempt to twist this into Trump being a friend of Russia (seeing as she's Russian-Finnish and represented Russia for 6 years and has barely been in the US 2.5); damned if Trump administration does from the right as well because there will be people who scream about taking opportunities away from people who are already American citizens & didn't need to jump the line to expedite the process.

Also, while I would imagine that the SCoB folks have been aware that they're married, it just doesn't look good that they kept it private and are only now revealing it as they seek the exception to the three-year waiting period. Those reporters did ask what the status was for her citizenship and they could have been open about how they fell in love and got married, blah blah blah, especially since by that point last January she already had her green card. Announcing it now... Seems calculated.

And I say that while still being very torn because I'd love nothing more than for the two US pairs team in Milano-Cortina to be Efimova/Mitrofanov and Chan/Howe.

Also, I will be DAMN pissed if Efimova gets an exception while Christina Carreira is still waiting for her damned passport.

 

[PRlady]

Also not delving into the politics too deeply, but if the Trump administration cares about optics on immigrants, their problems exceed to infinity the status of one star figure skater.

I would also like them to go and think they’ve made their case as the best pair we’ve had since Alexa and Brandon retired. Not sure if it matters how and when the public found out about their marriage; either way it’s too late for the regular process. They probably had advice, legal or otherwise, to stay vague about the marriage and application for exception until the process was well underway.

 

[Karen-W]

Also not delving into the politics too deeply, but if the Trump administration cares about optics on immigrants, their problems exceed to infinity the status of one star figure skater.

Well, I don't disagree with this view either. I don't even know that I'd call any of our current US pairs skaters "star figure skaters." They get the job done, sometimes better than others, but we all know pairs is the "oh yeah, them" discipline of US figure skating, lol. I'm not sure anyone younger than Gen X could name a "famous US pairs skater" and then those Gen Xers & Boomers would maybe grasp at straw to come up with Kitty & Peter Carruthers, lol.

 

[chameleonster]

Even if she can't get it in time for Milan, this makes 2030 much more viable. I don't think the waiver succeeding is particularly likely, although they could always get extremely lucky. Their marriage may even be real, who knows. Melissa Gregory and Denis Petukhov got married six months after meeting and they're still married with kids and coaching together.

 

[Karen-W]

Even if she can't get it in time for Milan, this makes 2030 much more viable. I don't think the waiver succeeding is particularly likely, although they could always get extremely lucky.

2030 is all but definite even if she doesn't get the waiver this year. She should have her US citizenship before LA 2028, lol.

 

[peibeck]

Yup. Three years’ minimum on marriage qualification. I’m not optimistic given what we know about the slow-walking on legal immigrants these days.

Yes, but she's not brown skinned AND could help America be great again at the Olympics, so.... If she was South African it would be a given.

 

[farahfan]

I may have missed this, but was it known that Efimova & Mitrofanov were married on Feb. 1, 2024.

Alisa Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov American Champions Olympic Hopefuls – The Skating Club of Boston

Am I understanding that SCOB just recently posted all this info?

 

[Karen-W]

Am I understanding that SCOB just recently posted all this info?

Pretty sure that it's a new part of their website, though I'm not 100% on that.

 

[Baby Yoda On Skates]

Before this news broke, I didn't care much about the missed opportunity for the 3rd pairs Olympic spot.

But damn, if Alisa gets the exception, they may still miss the Games.

 

[Spiralgraph]

To add to the commentary and not delving into the politics too closely, the present administration is not fond of Massachusetts and is probably not likely to grant any favors for The Skating Club of Boston.