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

[Wyliefan]

How lovely to have an ice cream flavor named for you!

 

[Sylvia]

Spencer Howe's "Opening Ceremonies with Team USA x Pair skater POV " video:

Spencer Howe on Instagram: "Opening Ceremonies with Team USA x Pair skater POV 🇺🇸 @poloralphlauren @samsung #RLxTeamUSA #winterolympics #teamusa"

1,042 likes, 8 comments - spence_howe on February 8, 2026: "Opening Ceremonies with Team USA x Pair skater POV 🇺🇸 @poloralphlauren @samsung #RLxTeamUSA #winterolympics #teamusa".

www.instagram.com

Howe's older sister, Roxette Arisa, has posted 2 videos, including this one of the Opening Ceremony:

ROXETTE ARISA on Instagram: "CIAO MILANOOOO ! proud proud sis @spence_howe @chopstickspin !!!"

roxettearisa on February 9, 2026: "CIAO MILANOOOO ! proud proud sis @spence_howe @chopstickspin !!!".

www.instagram.com

And this one:

ROXETTE ARISA on Instagram: "wait for it lol"

roxettearisa on February 10, 2026: "wait for it lol".

www.instagram.com

Emily is visible sitting on Spencer's shoulders (1st photo) & Ellie on Danny's (2nd photo) in the Opening Ceremony:

U.S. Figure Skating on Instagram: "Find the Figure Skaters 👀🇺🇸 Drop who you see 👇 #WinterOlympics"

4,296 likes, 43 comments - usfigureskating on February 6, 2026: "Find the Figure Skaters 👀🇺🇸 Drop who you see 👇 #WinterOlympics".

www.instagram.com

NOT FOR THE SQUEAMISH (hearing body parts being adjusted - in this case, Spencer's foot):

Emily Chan and Spencer Howe on Instagram: "Ready for the Opening Ceremonies👍 POV: It’s THAT camera moment👋🏼🎥 #milancortina2026 #teamusa #openingceremony"

611 likes, 17 comments - emily_and_spencer on February 7, 2026: "Ready for the Opening Ceremonies👍 POV: It’s THAT camera moment👋🏼🎥 #milancortina2026 #teamusa #openingceremony".

www.instagram.com

 

[ice coverage]

Pairs humor:

View this content on Instagram

View this content on Instagram

The New Yorker Cartoons on Instagram: "A cartoon by @kyle_bravo_. #NewYorkerCartoons"

1,641 likes, 3 comments - newyorkercartoons on February 11, 2026: "A cartoon by @kyle_bravo_. #NewYorkerCartoons".

www.instagram.com

 

[Firedancer]

Article about Emily and Spencer before the pairs event:
https://usfigureskating.org/news/20...-winding-road-to-italy-for-chan-and-howe.aspx

 

[Sylvia]

U.S. Pairs' SP results:
7 Q KAM Ellie / O'SHEA Danny USA 71.87 (ISU SB) 38.81 33.06 8.32 8.39 8.14 0.00 #14 (will skate 2nd in group 3 tomorrow)
9 Q CHAN Emily / HOWE Spencer Akira USA 70.06 39.00 31.06 7.89 7.86 7.61 0.00 #5 (will skate last in group 2)

Kam/O'Shea's mixed zone quotes as transcribed by Golden Skate: https://www.instagram.com/p/DUy4-UojJVv/

Danny: "Skating is so much fun. I love figure skating. This shit’s awesome. Sorry.“

On how their performance compared to the Team Event SP:
Danny: "Honestly, I think that we did a great job of being a little bit calmer and being a little more together for today’s performance. After the team event short program, we discussed it quite a bit. It was our first time on the Olympic ice. We definitely had a little more jitters than usual. And since then, we’ve been able to settle in and really reframe, refocus on having the time of our lives. Really proud of the program today. A little disappointed in myself. I left some points out there with some levels that I normally don’t do. Three level 3s are not usual for me, so I’m a little annoyed at myself for that. But at the end of the day, I think the performance itself is something we’re really proud of. We stayed on our feet, got rid of those bigger mistakes, and it’s got a season’s best.“

Ellie: "We left the village and the area for a little bit to go and try and calm down and let our emotions settle a little bit. But I feel like we’ve had a lot of success in doing back-to-back competitions, so we tried to treat it just like that. So we left, and then we came back and started a new competition. And it feels like we were able to keep all the good momentum and the good things that we wanted to take from the team event, and leave all the rest that we didn’t need behind. And this program is definitely something that we’ve worked on a lot this year. It’s very special to both of us. We have a lot of emotion in it.“
Danny: "The story, the costumes. Our coach is also our choreographer, so there's a lot to this program that we're really proud of. I'm happy that we gave it a little bit better performance out there today."

On having two American pairs in the top ten:
Danny: "I'm so proud of the pairs teams of the U.S. and what they have been doing. And honestly, at the end of the last Olympics, Alexa and Brandon did great, and they really opened doors for us. That was part of the reason we started skating together, because there were three spots. We really hope to keep that tradition going. There are some amazing pairs teams within the U.S., and I think that you'll see all three of them in the worlds this year. It's awesome, because pairs in the U.S. is very dear to my heart."

Chan/Howe's mixed zone quotes as transcribed by Golden Skate: https://www.instagram.com/p/DUytGrtDByl/

On how being in one place for a long period influenced their performance:
Spencer: "It’s a very unusual experience for us to be in one place for so long and then compete a couple of weeks later. We’ve really had to take it one day at a time, focusing on our training and setting goals. And the anticipation was getting to both of us a little bit these last couple of weeks. But getting out there just felt so good. I felt so focused out there. And I know Emily did, too, because we were right there next to each other trying to deliver these elements."

On his shoulder:
Spencer: "My shoulder is great. When we started back up at the end of June last year, getting ready for the season, we really got together with a good team and just had a good routine. Both of us have been, thankfully, very healthy throughout the season. And my shoulder’s good. Our bodies, in general, are doing really well. And I think it’s been a big reason why we’ve been able to do pretty well this season."

Emily: "We’ve had a better support team this season. Just looking at the previous seasons, with Spencer going to the military, we’ve had time to kind of take a look at our plan. Knowing when he would come back, we had such a short time to plan for the Olympics. We used that time to make a plan, just to see if there were any gaps. We filled those in, so when we would come back, it was a little bit more organized."

On her sigh at the end:
Emily: "It was a bit of a sigh of relief and just excitement of feeling that we did it. We really went out there and we experienced that whole entire program together. And I just felt on the top of the mountain."

On their goals:
Spencer: "I think everybody’s goal is to go out there and skate clean and nail all the elements. For me, a big goal has always just been getting out there and feeling good. Because if you can feel good, then you have your best chances of delivering what you need to do. I was really laser-focused out there. We were communicating with each other, not just verbally, but also physically throughout that program. And we were just really able to execute and mesh well throughout it."

On their partnership:
Spencer: "There are always challenges when it comes to putting your heads together and trying to create greatness. The moral of the story when it comes to ice dancing pairs, where you're trying to develop with somebody, is you need to develop patience, you need to work on yourself, and do that with each other."
Emily: "I think it's ultimately a connection."

On what has changed since the US Nationals:
Spencer: "Every time we've tried to move forward from something, we're always both trying to learn and trying to grow from it. It's one thing that I've always appreciated about Emily. We also had a little more training time just to recover after Nationals. I think there was a lot of stress going into that competition because we were trying to see if we were going to be on the team. Once we found that out, we just said, 'Okay, let's really focus, just stay consistent with everything we've been doing.' And I think it's really paid off."

Both pairs spoke in the mixed zone (1-minute clip):

NBC BAY AREA on Instagram: "Team USA pairs figure skaters Ellie Kam and Danny O’Shea, along with Emily Chan and Spencer Akira Howe, spoke after finishing the Olympic pairs short program. #olympics #figureskating"

35 likes, 0 comments - nbcbayarea on February 15, 2026: "Team USA pairs figure skaters Ellie Kam and Danny O’Shea, along with Emily Chan and Spencer Akira Howe, spoke after finishing the Olympic pairs short program. #olympics #figureskating".

www.instagram.com

 

[HeatherC]

With the way the pairs teams have been performing in Milan, I feel like there should be a temporary moratorium on giving the US pairs ANY grief about inconsistencies because they sure have been pretty awesome. I'm so proud of Emily & Spencer for their feisty, well skated SP and Danny & Ellie were even better today than they were in the Team Event. Way to go US pairs!!!

 

[Sylvia]

NPR article with a focus on Danny O'Shea (who turned 35 on 2/13) by Rachel Treisman that was published on February 15 before the Pairs SP: https://www.npr.org/2026/02/15/nx-s1-5713620/olympics-danny-oshea-ellie-kam-pairs-figure-skating

Danny O'Shea and Ellie Kam are on a mission to spread joy at the Olympics — and it's been going well so far.
In their Olympic debut last weekend, they scored a personal best in their free skate, outperforming expectations to help the U.S. win gold in the team event by a single point.
"I wanted to cry, but I couldn't because I was so happy, so then we both ended up screaming at each other," Kam said. "[Joy] is something that we discussed as a team, just trying to enjoy every single moment. I think the crowd could feel it."

ETA - Team USA shared clips from both pairs' SPs: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DUzRat9EXTE/

 

[Karen-W]

Woohooo for Chan/Howe finishing 7th at the Olympics and with a score of 200.31 - first time over 200 since their great 2022-23 season! I'm so very pleased for them.

Rougher free skate today for Kam/O'Shea, but still managed to remain in the Top 10 with a 9th place finish. I'm sure they'll take this result along with their Team Olympic gold.

So much for people who thought the US didn't deserve 3 spots - I believe our pairs have acquitted themselves very well in Milano-Cortina!

 

[clairecloutier]

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

 

[miffy]

Well done to Chan/Howe! Excellent result that likely no one predicted (except Karen maybe!) Great if they are staying in too.

Does anyone know how Ellie is doing? She looked like she might be in pain after that nasty fall. I hope she’s ok

 

[Karen-W]

Well done to Chan/Howe! Excellent result that likely no one predicted (except Karen maybe!) Great if they are staying in too.

Does anyone know how Ellie is doing? She looked like she might be in pain after that nasty fall. I hope she’s ok

I dared not give voice to my hopes for them, but 7th in this field is about as good as I could have expected.

 

[Sylvia]

2026 Milan Olympics final standings:
7 CHAN Emily / HOWE Spencer Akira USA 200.31 (ISU SB) 9 7
9 KAM Ellie / O'SHEA Danny USA 194.58 7 12

FS scores:
7 CHAN Emily / HOWE Spencer Akira USA 130.25 68.50 62.75 7.82 7.89 7.79 1.00 #8 (ISU SB)
12 KAM Ellie / O'SHEA Danny USA 122.71 60.82 63.89 8.14 7.75 8.04 2.00 #10

Chan/Howe's mixed zone comments are also on Golden Skate's Insta:

Golden Skate | Emily Chan / Spencer Akira Howe 🇺🇸 130.25 /200.31 Spencer: “We’re stoked that we were able to deliver two strong performances and finish... | Instagram

80 likes, 1 comments - goldsk8 on February 16, 2026: "Emily Chan / Spencer Akira Howe 🇺🇸 130.25 /200.31 Spencer: “We’re stoked that we were able to deliver two strong performances and finish our...

www.instagram.com

Spencer: “We’re stoked that we were able to deliver two strong performances and finish our Olympic Games competition as we did.”

On their conversations before or after:
Emily: “We like to feel grounded before we skate. Spencer kind of leads that ritual that we both do. We also usually say a prayer before we go out.”

On the difference of pressure between Nationals and the Olympics:
Spencer: “It’s both pressure, but a different type of pressure. There was so much pressure on trying to get to the Games. And here, now that we made it, it’s that pressure of being able to skate great performances in front of such a large crowd. We work so hard to get to this stage. And once you make it, your brain doesn’t know how to process that. It’s hard to explain. We just felt grateful to be here, and to be able to skate as well as we did. It’s a huge blessing for us. “

On Danny and Ellie, and USA Pair Teams:
Spencer: “We’re so proud of Danny and Ellie. I know they didn’t have the performance they wanted tonight. But I’m sure a lot of factors, like fatigue, has played a role, because they’ve had to skate both programs in the team event. And we have the utmost respect for them. They’re Olympic champions in the team event. And we’re grateful to be here. We’re grateful to finish as well as we did, and also that we’ve been able to share that experience with our fellow teammates. 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.”

Kam/O'Shea:

Golden Skate | Ellie Kam / Danny O’Shea 🇺🇸 122.71 / 194.58 Ellie: “It’s definitely a bit of a mixed bag of emotions. I’m a little disappointed. I wish... | Instagram

103 likes, 2 comments - goldsk8 on February 16, 2026: "Ellie Kam / Danny O’Shea 🇺🇸 122.71 / 194.58 Ellie: “It’s definitely a bit of a mixed bag of emotions. I’m a little disappointed. I wish that I...

www.instagram.com

Ellie: “It’s definitely a bit of a mixed bag of emotions. I’m a little disappointed. I wish that I could have held out a little bit longer for another clean skate. I feel like we’ve built so much great momentum here at this competition. Every single time we’ve stepped out on the ice, it’s felt more comfortable. We had some great practices this morning. We had an even better six-minute warm-up. I felt like we were really ready to leave it all out there. We definitely did leave it all out there, just not in the way that I had thought that it was going to go. But I’m still so proud of everything that we’ve done here. I feel like all the work that we put in at home has carried through to this competition. We’re really excited to keep pushing until the world’s next month.”

Danny: “It is a lot of fun, honestly. I love skating. And skating on Olympic ice is literally a dream coming true. This whole time that we’ve been here has been an amazing experience. It’s definitely one where we’re feeling a little tired by the end of it. But we’re very proud of the whole body of work that we put out across the time that we’ve been here. And some programs were really, really good. If we could put like one long and one short together, I think we’d be super happy.”

On what they learned from their time here:
Danny: “We talk about this all the time with our coach, that competitions are like condensed learning experiences where you get to learn a lot about yourself and about each other, about the team. It’s been our first Olympics, our first opportunity to compete with an entire team, as Team USA. And I think that we’ve grown a lot in confidence.”

Ellie: "Competing four times here on the Olympic ice, that's been a lot. We are definitely tired by the end of it. But we have so much to take from this. Just learning that we can trust ourselves even more, we have definitely grown stronger the longer we've been here. I think that's why we've had better practices and better outcomes."

On next season:
Danny: "We take each season as it comes. We will sit down with our coach and have a meeting after worlds and figure out what the future holds."
Ellie: "Well, this season's not done yet. We can't think about it yet."

Danny: "We'll figure it out soon. We actually haven't even discussed it with each other. We're trying to focus on one thing at a time."

71.87 15.02.2026 Olympic Winter Games 2026 Figure Skating Individual Event (ISU season best score in SP)
135.36 08.02.2026 Olympic Winter Games 2026 Figure Skating Team Event (ISU personal best score in FS)

 

[Firedancer]

Congratulations to both teams. They definitely performed well and exceeded expectations. Also, excited Chan and Howe are continuing.

 

[HeatherC]

I am SO incredibly proud of Emily & Spencer and Danny & Ellie for doing so well at the Olympics! They have so much to be proud of and I hope they are able to build from their experiences in whatever comes next for them (skating and beyond skating). Yay US pairs!!!