2025-26 USFS International Assignments

[Karen-W]

This is the second time I've seen "YN" for Erica, what is that?

NM

 

[Rukia]

Erica uses YN and they/them pronouns. Their post-Sectionals Instagram post ended: "Excited to represent my country, my coaching team, and my community of support a a nonbinary athlete!"

Oh I did not know this. Thank you for pointing it out!

 

[Sylvia]

Erica uses YN and they/them pronouns. Their post-Sectionals Instagram post ended: "Excited to represent my country, my coaching team, and my community of support a a nonbinary athlete!"

Clip from Machida's Sectionals FS: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DROBJiBEr9l/

 

[Capt. DeSoto]

More late in the day edits to the USFS international assignments page...

CS Tallin Trophy
Women: Everhardt, Bonillo, Andrews (all new)
Men: Kapeikis, Naumov (all unchanged)
Dance: Cui/Rogers, Pate/Bye, Zingas/Kolesnik (all new)

Tallinn Trophy (non-CS, all new entries, all juniors)
Women: Bezkorovainaya, Nemirovsky, von Felton
Men: Blackwell, Elano, LoPinto

 

[Tinycities]

More late in the day edits to the USFS international assignments page...

CS Tallin Trophy
Women: Everhardt, Bonillo, Andrews (all new)
Men: Kapeikis, Naumov (all unchanged)
Dance: Cui/Rogers, Pate/Bye, Zingas/Kolesnik (all new)

Tallinn Trophy (non-CS, all new entries, all juniors)
Women: Bezkorovainaya, Nemirovsky, von Felton
Men: Blackwell, Elano, LoPinto

I’m assuming if ZingKol make GPF, they’ll likely withdraw right? 3 competitions in 3 weeks sounds a bit insane.

 

[Capt. DeSoto]

I’m assuming if ZingKol make GPF, they’ll likely withdraw right? 3 competitions in 3 weeks sounds a bit insane.

Normally that would be a reasonable assumption to me (but see my next paragraph). USFS is just going to announce the facts as of today. We'll see what happens if and when they qualify for GPF.

Helsinki and Tallinn are just a two hour ferry ride across the bay from each other, so, it might just be easier to compete in Tallinn and treat it like practice for GPF if they qualify. It'd be much less stressful, in my opinion, to leave them in Europe for a few extra days if they qualify for GPF. And instead of trying to find practice ice, just do CS Tallinn Trophy before flying to Japan.

 

[TanithandBenFan]

Emilea posted a photo of her and Vadym on the way to Tallinn so I guess they’re still competing next week.

 

[Capt. DeSoto]

Per the USFS assignments page...

Zingas/Kolesnik has been withdrawn from CS Tallinn Trophy.
von Felton has been withdrawn from Tallinn Trophy

 

[Karen-W]

Challenge Cup entries are out. No senior entries for the USA and the only junior entries are in pairs & dance.

Jr Pairs -
Sofia Jarmoc/Luke Witkowski
Reagan Moss/Jakub Galbavy
Kaitlyn Oh/Michael Chapa
also listed as substitutes - Giuliana Gariti/Matthew Curtis, Gabrielle Kaplan/Carter Griffin, Milada Kovar/Jared McPike, Addyson McDanold/Aaron Felberbaum, Juliet Meek/Devin Meek, Baylen Taich/Nikolai Apter, Naomi Williams/Lachlan Lewer

Jr Dance -
Jasmine Robertson/Chase Rohner

 

[Sylvia]

Challenge Cup
Tilburg, Netherlands
Jan. 22-25, 2026
Entries will be published by USFS at some point: https://usfigureskating.org/sports/2025/6/26/2025-26-international-assignments-and-results.aspx

Ditto for:

Bavarian Open
Oberstdorf, Germany
Jan. 27-Feb. 1, 2026

 

[Karen-W]

Press Release announcing the Olympic team and alternates -

U.S. Figure Skating Nominates 16 Athletes to 2026 U.S. Olympic Team - U.S. Figure Skating

U.S. Figure Skating today announced the 16 skaters nominated to the U.S. Olympic Team for the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026.

usfigureskating.org

Women - Amber Glenn, Isabeau Levito, Alysa Liu
1st Alternate - Bradie Tennell, 2nd Alternate - Sarah Everhardt, 3rd Alternate - Starr Andrews

Men - Ilia Malinin, Maxim Naumov, Andrew Torgashev
1st Alternate - Jason Brown, 2nd Alternate - Tomoki Hiwatashi, 3rd Alternate - Jacob Sanchez

Pairs - Emily Chan/Spencer Akira Howe, Ellie Kam/Danny O'Shea
1st Alternate - Audrey Shin/Balazs Nagy, 2nd Alternate - Valentina Plazas/Maximiliano Fernandez, 3rd Alternate - Chelsea Liu/Ryan Bedard

Ice Dance - Christina Carreira/Anthony Ponomarenko, Madison Chock/Evan Bates, Emilea Zingas/Vadym Kolesnik
1st Alternate - Caroline Green/Michael Parsons, 2nd Alternate - Emily Bratti/Ian Somerville, 3rd Alternate - Oona Brown/Gage Brown

ETA - I really hate this revamped website from the USFS where they don't have a landing page that has all the press releases like they used to.

 

[haribobo]

Here is worlds, jr worlds, and 4cc

U.S. Figure Skating Announces World Championships, World Junior Championships and Four Continents Teams - U.S. Figure Skating

U.S. Figure Skating today announced its selections for the ISU World Figure Skating Championships 2026, the ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships 2026 and

usfigureskating.org

 

[Karen-W]

Whoa! Waiting on a link to the press release but...

https://twitter.com/x/status/2010465016508530896

Jason on the Worlds team???

 

[jmtfti]

Why on earth are Z/K going to 4CC?

 

[Andrea82]

Zingas/Kolesnik doing 4 Continents

https://www.x.com/rockerskating/status/2010466439829045732?s=20

 

[jlai]

The Browns get to go to 4cc but not B/S? and Z/K are going?
Hopefully Z/K are withdrawing and B/S gets a chance

 

[danafan]

Why on earth are Z/K going to 4CC?

Do they have a chance to improve their world standing and potential warmup group at the Olympics?

 

[Karen-W]

Here is worlds, jr worlds, and 4cc

U.S. Figure Skating Announces World Championships, World Junior Championships and Four Continents Teams - U.S. Figure Skating

U.S. Figure Skating today announced its selections for the ISU World Figure Skating Championships 2026, the ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships 2026 and

usfigureskating.org

Worlds
Women - Amber Glenn, Isabeau Levito, Alysa Liu
1st Alternate - Bradie Tennell, 2nd Alternate - Sarah Everhardt, 3rd Alternate - Starr Andrews

Men - Jason Brown, Ilia Malinin, Andrew Torgashev
1st Alternate - Maxim Naumov, 2nd Alternate - Tomoki Hiwatashi, 3rd Alternate - Jacob Sanchez

Pairs - Alisa Efimova/Misha Mitrofanov, Ellie Kam/Danny O'Shea, Katie McBeath/Daniil Parkman
1st Alternate - Audrey Shin/Balazs Nagy, 2nd Alternate - Emily Chan/Spencer Akira Howe, 3rd Alternate - Valentina Plazas/Maximiliano Fernandez

Ice Dance - Christina Carreira/Anthony Ponomarenko, Madison Chock/Evan Bates, Emilea Zingas/Vadym Kolesnik
1st Alternate - Caroline Green/Michael Parsons, 2nd Alternate - Emily Bratti/Ian Somerville, 3rd Alternate - Oona Brown/Gage Brown

4CCs
Women - Starr Andrews, Sarah Everhardt, Bradie Tennell
1st Alt - Elyce Lin-Gracey, 2nd Alt - Josephine Lee, 3rd Alt - Katie Shen

Men - Jason Brown, Tomoki Hiwatashi, Jacob Sanchez
1st Alt - Liam Kapeikis, Jimmy Ma, Daniel Martynov

Pairs - Alisa Efimova/Misha Mitrofanov, Katie McBeath/Daniil Parkman, Audrey Shin/Balazs Nagy
1st Alt - Valentina Plazas/Maximiliano Fernandez, 2nd Alt - Chelsea Liu/Ryan Bedard, 3rd Alt - Olivia Flores/Luke Wang

Ice Dance - Oona Brown/Gage Brown, Caroline Green/Michael Parsons, Emilea Zingas/Vadym Kolesnik
1st Alt - Emily Bratti/Ian Somerville, 2nd Alt - Katarina Wolfkostin/Dimitry Tsarevski, 3rd Alt - Eva Pate/Logan Bye

Jr Worlds
Women - Angela Shao, Sophie Joline von Felten
1st Alt - Annika Chao, 2nd Alt - Sherry Zhang, 3rd Alt - Emilia Nemirovsky

Men - Lucius Kazanecki, Jacob Sanchez
1st Alt - Patrick Blackwell, 2nd Alt - Caleb Farrington, 3rd Alt - Lorenzo Elano

Pairs - Olivia Flores/Luke Wang, Reagan Moss/Jakub Galbavy
1st Alt - Sofia Jarmoc/Luke Witkowski, 2nd Alt - Naomi Williams/Lachlan Lewer, 3rd Alt - Milada Kovar/Jared McPike

Ice Dance - Hana Maria Aboian/Daniil Veselukhin, Jane Calhoun/Mark Zheltyshev, Jasmine Robertson/Chase Rohner
1st Alt - Michelle Deych/Ryan Hu, 2nd Alt - Annelise Stapert/Maxim Korotcov, 3rd Alt - Grace Fischer/Luke Fischer

 

[Belsornia]

Kouevi/Homawoo wozrobbed of a junior worlds alternates spot.

 

[jlai]

And Blackwell doesn't get junior world?

 

[Karen-W]

Do they have a chance to improve their world standing and potential warmup group at the Olympics?

They can't earn enough points from winning 4CCs to move from the penultimate warm-up group to the last warm-up group. They have 3307 points right now - the most they can earn from 4CCs is 840, but then they'll lose the 428 they have from 2024 4CCs, so they'd add 412 max, which would give them 3719. GilPoir are 5th in the WS with 3798.

All it does is move them to skating last in the penultimate group ahead of CarPon, who are currently 6th with 3530 points. Is it worth it to do that? I dunno. It does give Igor another chance to politik for them, though, I suppose.

 

[Marta24]

I'm glad that the Browns are getting one of the 4cc spots. It's their first ISU Championship since 2022 Junior Worlds. With the field competing at 4cc, this should give their World Ranking a nice boost.

 

[Rukia]

the real weird choices were in the rest of the assignments

 

[hoptoad]

I wonder if they said they wanted Four Continents just in case they didn't get selected for the Olympic team. If so, they may withdraw.

That fits with something from the gala about Zingas not canceling her flight home after nationals out of superstition.

 

[miffy]

Is it odd that Shin/Nagy are first alternate for worlds over Chan/Howe? It seems strange to me but maybe someone more clued up on the criteria (Karen?!) can explain it.

 

[Wyliefan]

I wonder if they said they wanted Four Continents just in case they didn't get selected for the Olympic team. If so, they may withdraw.

That fits with something from the gala about Zingas not canceling her flight home after nationals out of superstition.

That's an expensive superstition.

 

[Taso]

Kouevi/Homawoo wozrobbed of a junior worlds alternates spot.

Totally - what the heck?

ETA: If anyone knows why could they please post?

 

[Taso]

the real weird choices were in the rest of the assignments

Totally, the weirdness goes on and on and on....

ETA: I wanted to say that I'm glad they still gave Bye & Pate 3rd alternate to 4CC considering their FD mistake and score were a total fluke. Though I do feel for Neset & Markelov...

 

[Karen-W]

Is it odd that Shin/Nagy are first alternate for worlds over Chan/Howe? It seems strange to me but maybe someone more clued up on the criteria (Karen?!) can explain it.

No idea. Best guess is that the compromise in the selection committee meeting was giving ShiNagy the Worlds 1st alt spot as a compromise/bone for ChanHowe getting the Olympic spot?

 

[Vagabond]

Do they have a chance to improve their world standing and potential warmup group at the Olympics?

They are going to lose World Standings points from two years ago whether or not they go this year. They don't want to regress in the World Standings, and finishing higher than fourth can help their seeding at Worlds, their prospects for two spot on next season's Grand Prix, etc.