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

[Sylvia]

Emily, Spencer & Max were welcomed at Logan airport yesterday by their club (cross-posting from Max's fan thread):

WBZ News | CBS News Boston on Instagram: "Men and women from the U.S. Olympic Team returned home to Boston, Massachusetts on Tuesday after spending nearly a month in Milan, Italy. Athletes included Maxim Naumov, the local figure skater who tragically

312 likes, 0 comments - wbztv on February 24, 2026: "Men and women from the U.S. Olympic Team returned home to Boston, Massachusetts on Tuesday after spending nearly a month in Milan, Italy. Athletes included Maxim Naumov, the local figure skater who tragically lost his parents last year in the...

www.instagram.com

T. Sean Herbert on Instagram: "Got to meet and speak with some super talented Americans today!! Olympians Maxim Naumov, pair skaters, Emily Chance and Spencer Howe, among others. Their return from Milan was delayed by yesterday’s blizzard. All New En

24 likes, 0 comments - tseanherbert on February 24, 2026: "Got to meet and speak with some super talented Americans today!! Olympians Maxim Naumov, pair skaters, Emily Chance and Spencer Howe, among others. Their return from Milan was delayed by yesterday’s blizzard. All New Englanders, they...

www.instagram.com

Boston Logan International Airport on Instagram: "Welcome home, Olympians! This afternoon we cheered on @teamusa as they returned from the @olympics Winter Games in Milan! Boston Logan is proud to be part of your journey! ❄️🥇 👀 checkout stories for

544 likes, 6 comments - flylogan on February 24, 2026: "Welcome home, Olympians! This afternoon we cheered on @teamusa as they returned from the @olympics Winter Games in Milan! Boston Logan is proud to be part of your journey! ❄️🥇 👀 checkout stories for more!".

www.instagram.com

Danny O'Shea got big cheers at the Colorado Springs Olympic & Paralympic Training Center yesterday (he shared this Insta story): ETA - new clip posted on 2/25:

Team USA on Instagram: "Welcome home, @dannyoshea213. 🫶 Nothing beats a Colorado Springs U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Training Center welcome. #WinterOlympics"

11K likes, 102 comments - teamusa on February 25, 2026: "Welcome home, @dannyoshea213. 🫶 Nothing beats a Colorado Springs U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Training Center welcome. #WinterOlympics".

www.instagram.com

 

[OrioleBeagle]

Emily Chan and Alexander Selevko's families meeting for the first time at the Olympics.

Facebook

www.facebook.com

 

[Sylvia]

Last night I edited my post #781 above to remove the expired Insta story links and added Team USA's Instagram video link of Danny O'Shea's return to the Olympic Training Center: https://www.instagram.com/p/DVMRKzSkRDB/
An Olympics figure skating volunteer posted this in the comments: "Danny always made sure to smile at us volunteers and always thanked us each time. Made the experience so much more memorable and meaningful plus his joy was literally infectious Thank you @dannyoshea213 for being the absolute sweetest !!"

I'm glad he and Ellie have been added to the SOI tour! https://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/th...our-u-s-and-canada.113303/page-2#post-6906131

I came across this Feb. 17th post by @VGThuy in the "Unpopular Opinions" thread and felt like bringing it over here :

There have been so many excellent moments at this Olympics, but I think my favorite performance so far was Chan/Howe’s Olympic LP. I don’t know why, but I keep returning it to it. My husband is annoyed now because he rightfully suspects I like watching Spencer skate but I like watching him skate with Emily. There’s something non-IJS about them that I love. Reminds me of why I loved pairs skating back in the day. I put this in the unpopular opinion thread because I don’t think that performance with a fall would typically be anyone’s “favorite” performance, and from an American pairs team, would be a typical choice for favorite Olympic performance.

 

[VGThuy]

Notable from Chan/Howe's mixed zone:

Howe: "There are so many great teams in the U.S. that have surfaced over these last few years. We hope to continue to be part of that group."

https://x.com/goldenskate/status/2023517907376889884

I hope so too. Maybe having such a positive Olympics experience and seeing Kam/O’Shea have their golden moment in the teams event may keep that competitive fire lit, and who knows, maybe make it burn even more intensely.

Either way, I’m proud of the U.S. pairs teams.

 

[Sylvia]

Danny & Ellie were interviewed at the World Arena on Thursday, Feb. 26 (4-min. video is embedded):

U.S. Olympic figure skating pair returns to Colorado Springs after gold medal win

A pair of Olympic figure skaters are back in the U.S. and they brought gold medals home with them.

www.kktv.com

 

[Sylvia]

Jan. 15:

Recent splits as confirmed on IcePartnerSearch:

SENIOR
Samir Andjorin (CAN), 26 (10th in Junior at 2025 Nationals with Mazie McFarland; competed Senior with her in NQS this season): https://icepartnersearch.com/showbio.php?i=7979
Has been training with Rockne Brubaker & Stefania Berton in the Chicago area so I'm including him in this thread.

JUNIOR
Jon Maravilla (USA), 21 next month (competed in 2 JGPs in 2024 and they won the Junior bronze at 2025 Nationals with Saya Carpenter; split last summer): https://icepartnersearch.com/showbio.php?i=7917

Addyson McDanold (USA), 18 (competed in 2 JGPs and 5th at 2026 Nationals with Aaron Felberbaum): https://icepartnersearch.com/showbio.php?i=7977

JUNIOR or SENIOR:
Connor O'Grady (USA), 21: https://icepartnersearch.com/showbio.php?i=7968
He spent this past season training/competing with Ninon Dapoigny in/for France and had 1 competition together (Nov. 6-7, 2025 in Graz): https://results.isu.org/bios/isufs00124025.htm

Feb. 18:

Danny Nudecker posted on instagram that he is seeking a new partner.

Danny Neudecker | Life update! It’s been a rough year since nationals with ups and downs - but I am excited to announce that I am seeking a new senior pairs... | Instagram

277 likes, 6 comments - dannyneudecker on February 17, 2026: "Life update! It’s been a rough year since nationals with ups and downs - but I am excited to announce that I am seeking a new senior...

www.instagram.com

Neudecker's IPS profile: https://icepartnersearch.com/showbio.php?i=8018

Blake Eisenach, 26 in April, is looking to return to competition: https://icepartnersearch.com/showbio.php?i=6762

Laz Lune, 22 (Novice Pairs champ with Olivia Jung): https://icepartnersearch.com/showbio.php?i=8008

Blake McGee, 21: https://icepartnersearch.com/showbio.php?i=7997

Sarah Nunez, 26: https://icepartnersearch.com/showbio.php?i=7827
She competed at a 2015 JGP in singles: https://www.isuresults.com/bios/isufs00035037.htm

 

[BrightSkates]

Jan. 15:

Feb. 18:

Neudecker's IPS profile: https://icepartnersearch.com/showbio.php?i=8018

Blake Eisenach, 26 in April, is looking to return to competition: https://icepartnersearch.com/showbio.php?i=6762

Laz Lune, 22 (Novice Pairs champ with Olivia Jung): https://icepartnersearch.com/showbio.php?i=8008

Blake McGee, 21: https://icepartnersearch.com/showbio.php?i=7997

Sarah Nunez, 26: https://icepartnersearch.com/showbio.php?i=7827
She competed at a 2015 JGP in singles: https://www.isuresults.com/bios/isufs00035037.htm

Neudecker seems to have already paired up with Lyndsey Ream? It is in his Instagram bio

 

[skylark]

@VGThuy :

There have been so many excellent moments at this Olympics, but I think my favorite performance so far was Chan/Howe’s Olympic LP. I don’t know why, but I keep returning it to it. My husband is annoyed now because he rightfully suspects I like watching Spencer skate but I like watching him skate with Emily. There’s something non-IJS about them that I love. Reminds me of why I loved pairs skating back in the day.

Absolutely agree I keep watching Emily and Spencer's Olympic FS over and over. It's so much more than a lot of great technical elements, although it IS that, too. But I feel like the technical elements are in service of the connection, the beauty, and the interpretation of the skate. Plus, there's something magical about it. It's in their matching skating styles, in their power and presence, and their ability to include audiences (local and global) in the emotional beauty of the program.

I'm so happy that these two had a smashing Olympic moment. They deserve it.

I put this in the unpopular opinion thread because I don’t think that performance with a fall would typically be anyone’s “favorite” performance, and from an American pairs team, would be a typical choice for favorite Olympic performance.

Have to disagree. Along with Alysa Liu's skates, Emily and Spencer's FS is my favorite performance of 2026 Olympics.

 

[Sylvia]

Which reminds me... I came across this Spencer Howe article in the Burbank (CA) Leader during the Olympics but forgot to post it here (Feb. 20) - it includes quotes from his mother, father and longtime singles coach (when Spencer competed in his 2014 & 2015 JGPs): https://outlooknewspapers.com/burba...cle_8e8fe239-c5d0-471e-b1b7-2a5113048905.html
Excerpt:

“I worked with him from when he was almost 10 for about eight years,” said Wendy Olson, who has taught at Pickwick for more than 50 years. “I worked with him his whole singles career, basically.”
Olson said her biggest pleasure has always been starting with a skater and working with them until they advance to a new level. Regarding Spencer, she had high praise both for his skillset and talent, and also for the person he is.
“He’s always been a very kind-hearted, hard-working person who’s got a great family,” she said, describing him as very confident but also a little bit “Zen-like” in his composure. “He’s very much into breathing, and posture, very focused on himself and very calm, though he had a lot of energy. But the one thing about Spencer, he had fabulous balance. He had beautiful glide. His knees were very much over his feet so the ankle action was very nice.”
Olson said she was so happy to see him participate in this year’s Olympics, as well as Chan, as both have had their struggles with injuries.
“It’s a whole different thing when you’re out there on the Olympic stage,” she said.

ETA that Chan/Howe's "Ice Chips" exhibition performances this past weekend to their Nyah SP, plus their photos, are linked in this thread (post #10 onwards): https://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/th...r-2025-into-2026-edition.113423/#post-6907239