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

[marshallpond]

New junior pairs in the US International Selection Pool: Baylen Taich and Nikolai Apter (former partner of Tallulah Tanner)

 

[Spiralgraph]

When will TPTB select the American team that will go to the qualifier to confirm that third spot? Can somebody remind me when the competition is please?

 

[Stephanie]

The entries are due August 15th, but USFS might just throw in a placeholder and wait until after John Nicks to make the final decision.

 

[Karen-W]

When will TPTB select the American team that will go to the qualifier to confirm that third spot? Can somebody remind me when the competition is please?

The entries are due August 15th, but USFS might just throw in a placeholder and wait until after John Nicks to make the final decision.

That's my assumption as well, unless one of the teams is looking really strong at Champs Camp next week.

 

[bobmcm]

That's my assumption as well, unless one of the teams is looking really strong at Champs Camp next week.

I understand that there are competition simulations, including both short and free programs scheduled during Champs Camp... with actual judges doing the scoring. My guess is that will have an impact on the decision.

 

[Karen-W]

John Nicks IPC entries are out - almost all of the senior US teams listed on the ISP are competing here; and it would seem that all of the junior US teams on the ISP are either competing or listed as substitutes.

Sr teams -
Chan/Howe
Efimova/Mitrofanov
Fitzpatrick/Bearinger
Flores/Wang
Kam/O'Shea
Liu/Bedard (this is a guess - the entry list skips team #11, so that team doesn't seem to have an ISU bio yet & Liu/Bedard are the only US senior team without one)
McBeath/Parkman
Shin/Nagy
Williams/Lewer

Jr teams -
Carpenter/Maravilla
Meek/Meek
Moss/Galbavy

Jr teams listed as substitutes -
Jarmoc/Witkowski
Kovar/McPike
McDanold/Felberbaum
(it's possible that Taich/Apter are also substitutes, but not listed as they don't have an ISU bio yet)

Interesting that PlaFern aren't competing here but every single other US senior team is.

 

[happycamper2554]

Interesting that PlaFern aren't competing here but every single other US senior team is.

https://x.com/AnythingGOE/status/1953817668160454902

They are assigned to kinsoshita cup.

 

[myhoneyhoney]

Katia Gordeeva (post on IG) helping out with Efimova and Mitrofanov

 

[Wyliefan]

Katia Gordeeva (post on IG) helping out with Efimova and Mitrofanov

Aw, Katia and her clone. That's nice.

 

[Karen-W]

KamO have withdrawn from John Nicks IPC. It was reported last week during Champs Camp that Ellie is dealing with a minor injury.

 

[Lanie]

I hope Ellie gets better soon!

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

Katia Gordeeva (post on IG) helping out with Efimova and Mitrofanov

And even more photos, I love the colors of the costume, and I love how she poses them into their move

How wonderful it is to see her and also Natalia M working with US pairs

Alisa Efimova on Instagram: "Alisa and Misha’s long program, “Love Story”, is a heartfelt tribute to the 2-time Olympic Champions, legendary pair Katia Gordeeva and Sergey Grinkov — our true idols in the skating world. This year marks 30 years since

2,387 likes, 99 comments - alisaefim on August 18, 2025: "Alisa and Misha’s long program, “Love Story”, is a heartfelt tribute to the 2-time Olympic Champions, legendary pair Katia Gordeeva and Sergey Grinkov — our true idols in the skating world. This year marks 30 years since Sergey’s passing...

www.instagram.com

 

[her grace]

Guess they're really leaning in to her being the "new Katia"

 

[Stephanie]

Shin/Nagy are on the USFS international assignments page as the entry for the Olympic Qualifying Event (so it appears they’re not just a placeholder tbc after John Nicks, etc.)

Good luck to them! that they can handle the pressure

 

[ChillSkate]

Shin/Nagy are on the USFS international assignments page as the entry for the Olympic Qualifying Event (so it appears they’re not just a placeholder tbc after John Nicks, etc.)

Wait I'm so confused - Do you mean USFS is sending Shin & Nagy to confirm the 3rd spot for US Pairs at the Olympics?

Why would they be sent over Chan & Howe??

 

[Amy L]

Wait I'm so confused - Do you mean USFS is sending Shin & Nagy to confirm the 3rd spot for US Pairs at the Olympics?

Why would they be sent over Chan & Howe??

Apparently Shin & Nagy did extremely well at Champs Camp. Maybe they were more obviously ready to go than Chan & Howe.

 

[happycamper2554]

Kam/ O'Shea FS Everybody Wants to Rule the World

On Ice Perspectives ❄️🎥 on Instagram: "Everybody Wants to Rule the World 🌐 @elliekam.w & @dannyoshea213 preview their 2025–2026 Free Program. 🎶 “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” (feat. Spencer Jones & Mckenna Breinholt) by @cinematic_pop ⛸️ Choreo

775 likes, 19 comments - oniceperspectives on August 24, 2025: "Everybody Wants to Rule the World 🌐 @elliekam.w & @dannyoshea213 preview their 2025–2026 Free Program. 🎶 “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” (feat. Spencer Jones & Mckenna Breinholt) by @cinematic_pop ⛸️ Choreography by...

www.instagram.com

 

[TanithandBenFan]

Kam/ O'Shea FS Everybody Wants to Rule the World

On Ice Perspectives ❄️🎥 on Instagram: "Everybody Wants to Rule the World 🌐 @elliekam.w & @dannyoshea213 preview their 2025–2026 Free Program. 🎶 “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” (feat. Spencer Jones & Mckenna Breinholt) by @cinematic_pop ⛸️ Choreo

775 likes, 19 comments - oniceperspectives on August 24, 2025: "Everybody Wants to Rule the World 🌐 @elliekam.w & @dannyoshea213 preview their 2025–2026 Free Program. 🎶 “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” (feat. Spencer Jones & Mckenna Breinholt) by @cinematic_pop ⛸️ Choreography by...

www.instagram.com

Glad it’s not the dirge version that’s become popular in skating, but this doesn’t sound much better.

 

[Rukia]

Glad it’s not the dirge version that’s become popular in skating, but this doesn’t sound much better.

This one has been skated to fairly often as well and I guess it builds well to the end but it's still kind of meh to me

 

[clairecloutier]

I'm at a loss as to why anyone thinks a country rendition of this song is going to play well at an Olympics in Italy, but what do I know.

 

[BittyBug]

I'm at a loss as to why anyone thinks a country rendition of this song is going to play well at an Olympics in Italy, but what do I know.

Just speculating, but since they're not really Olympic medal contenders maybe they're thinking more about what will make an impact in St. Louis so they can just make the team.

I think it's hard to judge a program by a snippet on Instagram (unless it's a clip of Jason Brown's footwork sequence to his new Riverdance SP), but for the life of me I don't understand why skaters choose covers when the original (in this case, Tears for Fears) is iconic.

 

[marshallpond]

Tears for Fears) is iconic.

So true. Saw them in their TIPPING POINT WORLD TOUR and will be watching Tears for Fears when they have their residency in Las Vegas. I can't stand the cover versions that skaters skate to

 

[Karen-W]

Apparently Shin & Nagy did extremely well at Champs Camp. Maybe they were more obviously ready to go than Chan & Howe.

Do we have any info apart from the basic "they won the pairs simulated comp"? We don't know how well the other teams did, nor do we even know how well ShiNagy did. It could have been well-skated all around with them looking more prepared simply because they're not coming back from injury the way PlaFern and ChanHowe are. Or it could have been messy all-around and they were least messy.

 

[TanithandBenFan]

Or it could have been messy all-around and they were least messy.

This sounds like the most likely scenario considering we’re discussing pairs.

 

[Amy L]

Do we have any info apart from the basic "they won the pairs simulated comp"? We don't know how well the other teams did, nor do we even know how well ShiNagy did. It could have been well-skated all around with them looking more prepared simply because they're not coming back from injury the way PlaFern and ChanHowe are. Or it could have been messy all-around and they were least messy.

Sure. Pairs competitions can be won by mere survival but if they were going with Shin & Nagy over everyone else I think it must've been at least a marked difference. USFSA loves giving gifts to their faves so if S&N fell two times when everyone else fell 3+ times I would have assumed they'd still send out a team like Kam & O'Shea. Or are they resting up for their GPs or other events? I admittedly have paid zero attention to the preseason. Should I borrow ANL's fax machine for updates?

 

[Andrea82]

Sure. Pairs competitions can be won by mere survival but if they were going with Shin & Nagy over everyone else I think it must've been at least a marked difference. USFSA loves giving gifts to their faves so if S&N fell two times when everyone else fell 3+ times I would have assumed they'd still send out a team like Kam & O'Shea. Or are they resting up for their GPs or other events? I admittedly have paid zero attention to the preseason. Should I borrow ANL's fax machine for updates?

Kam/O'Shea can't be sent to the Olympic Qualifier. Both them and Efimova/Mitrofanov are ineligible for the Beijing competition as they were the entries who earned the US spots at 2025 Worlds.

 

[Amy L]

Kam/O'Shea can't be sent to the Olympic Qualifier. Both them and Efimova/Mitrofanov are ineligible for the Beijing competition as they were the entries who earned the US spots at 2025 Worlds.

Thanks. I may have known that around the time of Worlds but I've since forgotten in the off season. My brain will catch back up eventually lol

 

[Karen-W]

Thanks. I may have known that around the time of Worlds but I've since forgotten in the off season. My brain will catch back up eventually lol

Yeah, the only options were ShiNagy, ChanHowe, McBPark, PlaFern and FlorWang. No way do you trust FlorWang with such an important assignment. I have my concerns about trusting ShiNagy but I'd feel the same about McBPark and PlaFern presuming they're anywhere close to the level they were at when they scored their PB a couple seasons ago. By all accounts, it sounds like Spencer spent a considerable length of time doing more recovery on his shoulder (or potentially had a third surgery on it after Nats). I didn't see a hint of him being on the ice until the end of June or early July. If that's the case, then ChanHowe may not be fully back and in that case, I suppose the USFS has to take a gamble on ShiNagy getting the job done.

 

[peibeck]

"Everybody Wants to Rule the World" is a bold choice when she rarely lands a throw triple jump.


Also, I think this is the "Cimematic Pop" cover, not a country version (although those are out there too, but not with a full orchestra).

 

[Amy L]

"Everybody Wants to Rule the World" is a bold choice when she rarely lands a throw triple jump.


Also, I think this is the "Cimematic Pop" cover, not a country version (although those are out there too, but not with a full orchestra).

But I'm sure she wants to land the triple throw jumps! I'm sure everybody wants her to at this point!

This should be the Cinematic Pop cover, at least that's what comes up when I searched for it by the names of the singers.