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

[BaileyCatts]

Heard from an insider that they didnt get the citizenship for Alisa.

Do they plan on continuing to 2030 and if so, will she have citizenship by then?

 

[Taso]

Do they plan on continuing to 2030 and if so, will she have citizenship by then?

I sure have been hoping....

 

[kwanfan1818]

Under normal processing, as a spouse, and training and living in Boston/meeting any residency requirements, she should have citizenship by 2030.

Her English is as good as many, many native English speakers, and she's smart as a whip, so any language or citizenship tests should be a slam dunk.

 

[Karen-W]

Do they plan on continuing to 2030 and if so, will she have citizenship by then?

Under normal processing, as a spouse, and training and living in Boston/meeting any residency requirements, she should have citizenship by 2030.

Her English is as good as many, many native English speakers, and she's smart as a whip, so any language or citizenship tests should be a slam dunk.

In the SCoB web page about her citizenship status, they stated she received her green card in July 2024. With the 3-year wait for spouses, she should be on track to receive her citizenship in late 2027, so now it's a matter of whether or not they wish to continue on to 2030 or not.

 

[farahfan]

In the SCoB web page about her citizenship status, they stated she received her green card in July 2024. With the 3-year wait for spouses, she should be on track to receive her citizenship in late 2027, so now it's a matter of whether or not they wish to continue on to 2030 or not.

I read I think in Reddit that Alisa wants to start medical school and so they likely are not continuing?

 

[Karen-W]

I read I think in Reddit that Alisa wants to start medical school and so they likely are not continuing?

They've publicly stated they don't know whether they will continue or not, but, yes, she's also mentioned medical school. Who knows what they'll decide?

 

[Vagabond]

I read I think in Reddit

Enough said.

 

[acraven]

During the post-FS press conference, Efimova and Mitrofanov were asked about defending the title. Alisa answered that it was a challenge, but they had learned from it and would try to use the experience internationally [my paraphrase]. I took that to mean they planned to continue for long enough to have an international title to defend.

 

[Theatregirl1122]

Enough said.

At one point, Reddit was convinced that Torgashev’s mean twitter comments about Jason were because he’d been told by USFSA that Tomoki and Jason were definitely going to the Olympics.

So uh, not everything over there is true.

 

[Spiralgraph]

Is there somewhere I can see the LP program of McBeath/Parkman? Semi ravid skating fan here would be very appreciative.

 

[A.H.Black]

Is there somewhere I can see the LP program of McBeath/Parkman? Semi ravid skating fan here would be very appreciative.

It's probably still available on the USFS youtube channel included in the full pairs competition. However, it will most liked be music dubbed.

Try googling and filter by video and time posted - last week.

 

[Sylvia]

Audrey Shin just posted this (back to training for 4CC starting in 8 days):

Audrey Shin 신수민 on Instagram: "it’s been a few days since nationals ended - the competition i prepared for after leaving home last spring and training relentlessly every single day. like any athlete, i wanted so badly to reach the olympic stage

297 likes, 33 comments - audreyshin.skater on January 13, 2026: "it’s been a few days since nationals ended - the competition i prepared for after leaving home last spring and training relentlessly every single day. like any athlete, i wanted so badly to reach the olympic stage. that dream made...

www.instagram.com

it’s been a few days since nationals ended - the competition i prepared for after leaving home last spring and training relentlessly every single day.

like any athlete, i wanted so badly to reach the olympic stage. that dream made the last few days especially heavy and emotional.

after transitioning to pairs, i began training seriously with my partner, balázs, in june 2024. at the beginning, there were no clear answers. i fell a lot, bruised myself constantly, and i knew nothing about pair elements. i can only imagine how overwhelming it must have been for him to suddenly become partners with someone learning everything from scratch.

i have so much respect for every senior pairs woman who competed at nationals. and to @elliekam.w @dannyoshea213 / @chopstickspin @spence_howe who achieved their olympic dreams, congratulations from the bottom of my heart knowing how much you endured to get there only deepens my admiration.

today, i stepped back onto the ice again, just like before. it’s hard to put into words what i want to say. as my coach @meaganduhamel said after we finished our freeskate, maybe it was just a little too early for our time - maybe we needed a bit more time together as a pair. either way, we were so close, and it really hurts to feel our olympic chance slip away. we were so well prepared, but some messy mistakes showed up in our free skate.

through it all, i’m so grateful to have bruno and meagan by my side every step of the way, and to train alongside world champions @riku9111 @kihara_ryuichi watching how they train every single day inspires me and motivates me + and everyone at @skateoakville throughout this season. these are the moments of my life i will never take for granted.

this season was seriously full of highs and lows, but fighting for an olympic spot and coming so close tops everything. i’ve cried so many tears the last few days i could probably fill at least 20+ buckets hahah. but through it all, i’m just grateful. i truly believe everything happens for a reason. it just wasn’t meant to be this time, even if that’s hard to accept.

thank you endlessly for all the love and support

I see supportive comments so far by Ilia Malinin ("proud of you keep fighting"), Danny O'Shea ("You’ve achieved amazing things in such a short time!! "), Audrey Lu (I saw her in St. Louis and she admitted it was bittersweet to attend this Nationals even though she will graduate from UCLA later this year and has a great job lined up already! ), Daniel Tioumentsev (posted last July that he was "stepping away from SpaceX to go back to being a full time student and finishing my B.S. in Mechanical Engineering": https://www.instagram.com/p/DMkD2AVO61q/).

ETA more comments:

Coach Meagan Duhamel: "How cool was that experience after the short program! A press conference and final group at Nationals! Hold onto those small wins. Being successful in pairs skating is a marathon, not a sprint."

Ellie Kam: "Audrey. So much respect for you you guys have so much to be proud of, I’m glad I can call you a fellow pair girl. Takes. Lot to do what we do "

 

[Firedancer]

E/M do plan to continue:

https://twitter.com/x/status/2011484924751098226

 

[LilJen]

E/M do plan to continue:

https://twitter.com/x/status/2011484924751098226

Good. She can postpone med school, but there’s a limited timeline on an elite athlete’s career (usually). Med school will always be there.

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

Delete

 

[BrightSkates]

And boy do we need good senior pairs since I dont know who will be left after these Olympics.

 

[Sylvia]

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

 

[Karen-W]

Recent splits as confirmed on IcePartnerSearch:

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

Wow! Wasn't expecting this. They're both solid pairs skaters who've come a long way during their partnership.

 

[Sylvia]

From the end of this Associated Press article (Jan. 14) - this was on Wednesday at a send-off at the Skating Club of Boston that was attended by the media (refer to Kat Cornetta's X post above):

Skating pair took title at U.S. nationals but can't compete in Olympics after passport delay

Alisa Efimova had an American flag on her warmup jacket but not where she needed it most: in her passport.

apnews.com

And there’s still a chance for the 2030 Games in the French Alps. Efimova will be 30 and Mitrofanov will be 32.
“We’re thinking about it,” she said. “Four years is a very long time. For now, I think we’re just thinking of how to approach the next season, because this situation, and after these nationals, it left us with some kind of hunger to make it.
“(If) we make it in four years to the Olympics, I think it would be even more valuable, even more precious,” Efimova said. “So that’s definitely a motivation.”

 

[Willin]

I hope they do continue! They're a truly special pair.

And while she does want to go to med school, living in Boston there's plenty of places for her to build an amazing resume for med school: working part time in their medical centers, doing lab work, taking prerequisites... Maybe even doing a part time master's in something that would boost her resume.

 

[Sylvia]

NBC Sports' 6.5-minute video showing clips of Ellie/Danny & Emily/Spencer from the "Making The Team" show on Sunday, Jan. 11 (introductions by Brandon Frazier & Alexa Knierim with Chris Knierim standing by holding his & Alexa's baby son, plus their interviews with Andrea Joyce): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUEPGVLUhC4

Danny's post + 15 photos:

Danny O'Shea on Instagram: "The moments of making the US Olympic Figure Skating Team! What a journey! Jobs not done! 😉"

1,310 likes, 75 comments - dannyoshea213 on January 12, 2026: "The moments of making the US Olympic Figure Skating Team! What a journey! Jobs not done! 😉".

www.instagram.com

Ellie's tribute post to her recently deceased grandfather:

Ellie Kam on Instagram: "クリスマス、年末年初そして全米選手権と慌ただしい中で、私の家族に悲しみと癒しの時間を与えることができるように、祖父の他界の事は，投稿はしたくありませんでしたが、もし祖父が生きていたら本当に喜んでくれたと思うので、その祖父の思い出を皆さんにお話ししたいと思います。 私の祖父は、私が知っている誰よりもスポーツと競争のスリルが大好きでした。彼は厳しいトレーニングの日の勇気と、競争での成功に伴う勝利を尊敬していました。 彼の孫娘がオリンピック選手であ

elliekam.w on January 15, 2026: "クリスマス、年末年初そして全米選手権と慌ただしい中で、私の家族に悲しみと癒しの時間を与えることができるように、祖父の他界の事は，投稿はしたくありませんでしたが、もし祖父が生きていたら本当に喜んでくれたと思うので、その祖父の思い出を皆さんにお話ししたいと思います。 私の祖父は、私が知っている誰よりもスポーツと競争のスリルが大好きでした。彼は厳しいトレーニングの日の勇気と、競争での成功に伴う勝利を尊敬していました。...

www.instagram.com

Emily's joint post with Spencer:

Emily Chan on Instagram: "I’m truly honored to say Spencer and I have qualified for the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics 🇺🇸❄️ @spence_howe @emily_and_spencer @olgalexcoaching I’m so grateful to every person who is a part of this journey, on and o

742 likes, 50 comments - chopstickspin on January 13, 2026: "I’m truly honored to say Spencer and I have qualified for the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics 🇺🇸❄️ @spence_howe @emily_and_spencer @olgalexcoaching I’m so grateful to every person who is a part of this journey, on and off the ice...

www.instagram.com

 

[Sylvia]

Re-posting here from the U.S. Men's news thread last week:

I was just thinking today, I sure hope Chan & Howe get some visibility during the Olympics, because if there was ever an athlete who would utterly own Dancing with the Stars, it’s Spencer Howe.

Spencer would rock that show.

Thanks to @ice coverage for reminding me about Norwood (MA) Community Media's 6-minute 1/16 Norwood News report (Chan/Howe & Naumov spoke to the local media at SCoB on 1/14):

Norwood Community Media on Instagram: "As we reported last week, skaters from the Skating Club of Boston were in St. Louis at the U.S. Championships trying to earn a spot on the U.S Olympic Team. Here is Mark Hoover with the latest news. @skatingclu

61 likes, 0 comments - norwoodcommunitymedia on January 17, 2026: "As we reported last week, skaters from the Skating Club of Boston were in St. Louis at the U.S. Championships trying to earn a spot on the U.S Olympic Team. Here is Mark Hoover with the latest news. @skatingclubbos @maximnaumov_...

www.instagram.com

Spencer before the 3-minute mark: "Max is like my brother; he was my roommate for many years... On Sunday... I was just praying the whole time like 'I want Max to walk through that door' - ironically he was one of the last ones to come through..." (recommend watching to hear the entire sweet story; will repost this video in Max's fan thread).

 

[Sylvia]

Jill Jaracz and Alison Brown of the "Keeping the Flame Alive" podcast recorded an excellent, in-depth interview with Spencer Howe before Nationals - it starts at 31:56 and goes until 1:17:32: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmUgbfcheO4&t=31m56s

Timestamped links:
31:56 PV2 Spencer Howe Interview
32:40 PV2 Spencer Howe on joining the US Army's World Class Athlete Program
36:28 Incorporating a skating partner into the decision
39:54 Spencer Howe on choosing this season's programs
44:17 Spencer Howe on finding the right partner in Emily Chan
51:02 The importance of weight training as a pairs figure skater
53:21 The current state of pairs' programs
56:20 Looking at Chan/Howe's 2025-2026 so far
01:05:22 Spencer Howe on competing for Japan
01:07:32 Splitting with a partner
01:08:57 What Spencer Howe has learned in the World Class Athlete Program

 

[Sylvia]

Chan/Howe's joint post earlier today:

Emily Chan and Spencer Howe on Instagram: "Hi friends! 🤗 We wanted to extend our gratitude to everyone following our journey and the support and love we’ve received. It really means so much to us and motivates us everyday. We are home training and su

344 likes, 0 comments - emily_and_spencer on January 21, 2026: "Hi friends! 🤗 We wanted to extend our gratitude to everyone following our journey and the support and love we’ve received. It really means so much to us and motivates us everyday. We are home training and super excited to leave for...

www.instagram.com

Hi friends! We wanted to extend our gratitude to everyone following our journey and the support and love we’ve received. It really means so much to us and motivates us everyday. We are home training and super excited to leave for Milan very soon!
As we published earlier this year, Spencer and I have a GofundMe to assist us offset our training expenses. If you would like to contribute, we would greatly appreciate the help in preparing this last week heading to the Olympics!

Link:

Donate to Support Emily and Spencer’s Skating Journey, organized by Emily Chan

Hi everyone, Figure skating has been our passion for as long as we can rememb… Emily Chan needs your support for Support Emily and Spencer’s Skating Journey

www.gofundme.com

 

[ice coverage]

Update on Sydney Cooke and Matthew Kennedy:

After their Dec 1 withdrawal from Nats, they now are training at Skating Club of Boston with Carrie Wall, whose video shows them practicing throws and lifts.

Carrie Wall on Instagram: "So excited to welcome senior pair team Sydney Cooke & Matthew Kennedy to our training camp & The Skating Club of Boston! ✨"

31 likes, 0 comments - carriewall_inspiredcoaching on January 23, 2026: "So excited to welcome senior pair team Sydney Cooke & Matthew Kennedy to our training camp & The Skating Club of Boston! ✨".

www.instagram.com

(Jan 23)​

 

[BrightSkates]

Update on Sydney Cooke and Matthew Kennedy:

After their Dec 1 withdrawal from Nats, they now are training at Skating Club of Boston with Carrie Wall, whose video shows them practicing throws and lifts.​

​

Carrie Wall on Instagram: "So excited to welcome senior pair team Sydney Cooke & Matthew Kennedy to our training camp & The Skating Club of Boston! ✨"

31 likes, 0 comments - carriewall_inspiredcoaching on January 23, 2026: "So excited to welcome senior pair team Sydney Cooke & Matthew Kennedy to our training camp & The Skating Club of Boston! ✨".

www.instagram.com

(Jan 23)​

& Simon Shnapir!

 

[~tapdancer~]

Alisa and Misha just won 4CCs! Wow. So happy for our champions. They were so good here.

 

[~tapdancer~]

Just my 2 cents. These Olympics are for K/O and C/H to represent and shine. Whatever their results are not the point. It is very likely both teams will not be going through another cycle. Perhaps Ellie will continue, Danny has been a spectacular partner for her, mentoring and teaching but he is likely to be done soon. Trust me, I have NO inside info, just feelings. Same with C/H...they likely won't go for another cycle either.
I feel like E/M are definitely on the upswing and will be the US dominant pair if they decide to go through the next cycle. They certainly have the goods and she will have citizenship by 2030. Then we have pairs like S/N to keep improving, Mc/P are also a possibility for the next cycle, too. I hope E/M continue so as to be the US flagship.

 

[Sylvia]

Alisa and Misha just won 4CCs! Wow. So happy for our champions. They were so good here.

Short clip of Alisa speaking at the 4CC press conference afterwards: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQ21ivzgVu4

Copied out from the ISU's Press Conference after the Pairs FS document:

Efimova: This competition, and particularly today, was very interesting. Already in practice we could feel
how tight the competition could be, which made it even more special, added a little pressure. There also
was this athletic interest to give your best - even at that practice - and I felt that everyone was doing their
best and so it was exciting to wait for the evening and see how we all will perform. I'm very happy,
obviously, with our results and thank you so much to all the competitors for making this very interesting
competition. (On how they felt winning their first ISU Championship medal together) So for me too, this is
the first combined ISU Championship medal and of course I knew that Misha already had won Four
Continents (gold in 2022 with Audrey Lu) and it's just so cool that we now have done it together, too. So I'm
very proud of us, I'm proud of Misha for accomplishing this now twice and for me to do it for the first time.
So I can't catch up with Misha. But overall, the medal today, we will celebrate the medal but in the big
picture, the athletic career and life is a path and a way where things happen and we just keep on moving
forward and I feel that from this competition, we try to take that knowledge and experience of handling
pressure, of handling the excitement that what can happen, what could we achieve. Because I saw the
medal after the short program and I feel it's just a medal but I think what's more valuable is what we have
learned together through this competition.

The 3 medalist pairs posing for photos (serious then fun ) at the press conference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vvcLCzJyDQ

CGTN Sports Scene also shared clips from E/M's SP practice run through before the SP: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQb1NGr9fUY

 

[HeatherC]

So happy for Alisa and Misha! They were fabulous today!