U.S. Men 2025-26 Discussion - Quad God and the Mere Mortals

[Sylvia]

Nice to see that 2 Richmond, Virginia local news stations have publicized Ken Mikawa's upcoming Nationals debut : https://www.wric.com/news/local-new...e-skater-qualifies-for-national-championship/

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — Richmond native figure skater Ken Mikawa has made local history after qualifying for the 2026 U.S. Figure Skating National Championships.
Twenty-two-year-old Mikawa will represent the Richmond Figure Skating Club in the Senior Championship level at the competition. This is the first time a skater has qualified for Nationals at this division in club history, per a release.
Mikawa, also a Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) alum, started skating at four years old through the Learn to Skate program at SkateNation Plus. He earned national recognition after qualifying and competing at the U.S. Nationals in 2013 at the juvenile level.

Richmond figure skater Ken Mikawa is heading to U.S. Figure Skating Nationals

Richmond figure skater Ken Mikawa will represent the Richmond Figure Skating Club in the 2026 U.S. Figure Skating National Championships in St. Louis.

www.wtvr.com

“This is an incredible moment for Richmond skating,” said Lea Rizer, Skating Director at SkateNation Plus. “Ken’s dedication, growth, and love for the sport have brought him to this point, and we could not be more proud.”
His coaching team, Rizer and Tracey Solomons-Henn, will travel with him to St. Louis for support.
“I’ve grown up on the ice here in Richmond,” said Mikawa. “To be able to represent my hometown at Nationals in the Championship division is an honor. I’m grateful to my coaches, the local skating community, and everyone who’s supported me since I first put on skates.”

 

[Sylvia]

Dec. 19, 2025 in Ilia's fan thread:

Ilia was at Great Park Ice this week, working with Shae-Lynn Bourne - she and Raf both spoke to a CBS LA sports reporter (posted by Great Park Ice): https://www.instagram.com/reel/DSdUnfTEk1j/

CBS LA uploaded the video to YT on 12/22/25: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_vpojnXQXs

I think I've seen some of Ilia's skating and interview footage before? This 2-minute segment, uploaded to YT today, also includes Jason talking about Ilia's 7 quads, filmed at Champs Camp in Boston - WOOD-TV Sports Director Jack Doles on Ilia's "Journey to Italy": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4hP9HHOFWQ

 

[Sylvia]

I came across Chicago Sun-Times' Instagram post with lovely photos of Lorenzo Elano:

Chicago Sun-Times on Instagram: "You haven’t heard of Lorenzo Elano. He’s hoping to change that. Elano is the reigning U.S. junior champion in figure skating and will make his senior debut at the national championships in St. Louis in January, whic

412 likes, 2 comments - chicagosuntimes on January 2, 2026: "You haven’t heard of Lorenzo Elano. He’s hoping to change that. Elano is the reigning U.S. junior champion in figure skating and will make his senior debut at the national championships in St. Louis in January, which will feature 18...

www.instagram.com

Link to his Jan. 2nd feature article by Mitch Dudek and photos by Tyler Pasciak LaRiviere:

Chicago skater Lorenzo Elano prepares to glide into the national spotlight

Although the teen skater — who is the reigning U.S. junior champion — may not be in the conversation for the upcoming Olympics in Italy, he has already set his sights on 2030.

chicago.suntimes.com

 

[ice coverage]

Junior Men update for U.S. Nationals:

Aleksandr Fegan (Eastern Final, junior) - withdrew 1/3
Henry Gao - added 1/3

https://usfigureskating.org/news/20...e-skating-championships-lineup-announced.aspx​

I'm sad for Sasha Fegan ... and happy for Henry.

 

[Evgeniafan]

Junior Men update for U.S. Nationals:

Aleksandr Fegan (Eastern Final, junior) - withdrew 1/3​

Henry Gao - added 1/3​

​

https://usfigureskating.org/news/20...e-skating-championships-lineup-announced.aspx​

I'm sad for Sasha Fegan ... and happy for Henry.

I feel the same. I like them both.

 

[Capt. DeSoto]

Junior Men update for U.S. Nationals:

Aleksandr Fegan (Eastern Final, junior) - withdrew 1/3​

Henry Gao - added 1/3​

Wouldn’t Marlo Rosen be next in line before Henry Gao? Do alternates come from the same section, or the next highest score nationally? I thought it was the latter. If so, I guess Marlo turned it down. Or is it just wildcards that pull from the national pool?

 

[Karen-W]

Wouldn’t Marlo Rosen be next in line before Henry Gao? Do alternates come from the same section, or the next highest score nationally? I thought it was the latter. If so, I guess Marlo turned it down. Or is it just wildcards that pull from the national pool?

No, for juniors it's by section - top 4 junior men & top 2 novice men in each section qualify for Nats. Withdrawals would be replaced by the next highest placed junior or novice man in the section.

 

[Capt. DeSoto]

No, for juniors it's by section - top 4 junior men & top 2 novice men in each section qualify for Nats. Withdrawals would be replaced by the next highest placed junior or novice man in the section.

Wasn’t Ava Ziegler’s replacement from out of section?

 

[Karen-W]

Wasn’t Ava Ziegler’s replacement from out of section?

Technically, no.

When you list all of the Sectional Results for the Senior Women, the list looks like this:

1) Nemirovsky 200.62 - Mids - M1
2) von Felten 192.31 - Easterns - E1
3) Higase-Chen 173.35 - Mids - M2
4) Hilmer 173.35 - Mids - At-Large 1
5) Ziegler 171.53 - Easterns - E2
6) Gewalt 166.63 - Mids - At-Large 2
7) Machida 165.40 - Easterns - Originally At-Large 3 moves up to E2
8) Shen 153.69 - Pac Coasts - PC1
9) Bonillo 152.24 - Mids - Originally At-Large Alt 1 moves into At-Large 3 spot
10) Erne 151.66 - Mids - Now At-Large Alt 1
11) M Lee 147.48 - Easterns - if another Eastern section skater withdraws then she would slot into the E2 spot
12) Gasparotto 147.21 - Mids - Now At-Large Alt 2
13) Levine 144.52 - Mids - Now At-Large Alt 3
14) Clarke 143.60 - Easterns - see M Lee
15) Wallace 142.79 - Pac Coasts - PC2
16) S Lee 142.20 - Pac Coasts - if a PC section skater withdraws, she would slot into the PC2 spot
17) Wang 142.14 - Pac Coasts - see S Lee

So, Machida is Ziegler's replacement and Bonillo then takes Machida's At-Large spot which is not dictated by the section you're from. Theoretically, the only way for Kendall Erne to get a spot ahead of Michelle Lee or Soho Lee is if one of the 5 women from the Midwestern Section were to withdraw.

 

[Capt. DeSoto]

So, Machida is Ziegler's replacement and Bonillo then takes Machida's At-Large spot which is not dictated by the section you're from.

Ah, I see. It wasn't clear to me that there were intermediate slot promotions mixed in there. Thanks.

 

[Sylvia]

Congratulations to the 2026 U.S. Junior Men's medalists! GOLD Patrick Blackwell, SILVER Caleb Farrington, BRONZE Louis Mallane and PEWTER Nicholas Brooks.
In the FS on Monday night, Patrick landed 4T, 4S (his 1st attempt in competition, IIRC), 3A+3Aq, 2T+1Eu+3S, 3Lz+3T, 3F & 3Lo and the audience gave him a standing O afterwards.
Caleb fell on his 3A (1st attempt in competition, IIRC) and 4Tq attempts in his SP & FS, respectively, but I was excited to see him successfully landing 4T & 3A in practices.

NBC6 South Florida's news story/video on Andrew Torgashev (Jan. 6): https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local...pot-on-team-usas-figure-skating-team/3733541/

Emmanuel Savary (Jan. 4):

Skater Emmanuel Savary sharpens routines for the 2026 U.S. Championships

Emmanuel Savary aims to make his mark at the 2026 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, as it may be his final U.S. nationals. Read about his journey and goals.

afro.com

 

[Jammers]

Hopefully Patrick will move up to Seniors next year and not just at Nationals but internationally he's a raw talent who just needs to harness it and get the coaching he needs and he will be a force by 2030.

 

[Allskate]

This is a very sweet message from the skaters Max Naumov coaches:

Watch this story by Maxim Naumov on Instagram before it disappears.

21K Followers, 2,275 Following, 40 Posts

www.instagram.com

 

[Dobre]

There is no perfect place to put this, but I wanted to say what a joy it has been to see the creative work being done by some of the gifted athletes here. Emmanual Savary, Samuel Mindra, and Sonja Hilmer all had such wonderful SPs and are all involved in their own choreography. A good reminder that Nationals is not only a showcase for developing competitors but also the future artists and coaches within the sport.

 

[AJ Skatefan]

There is no perfect place to put this, but I wanted to say what a joy it has been to see the creative work being done by some of the gifted athletes here. Emmanual Savary, Samuel Mindra, and Sonja Hilmer all had such wonderful SPs and are all involved in their own choreography. A good reminder that Nationals is not only a showcase for developing competitors but also the future artists and coaches within the sport.

Agree!

 

[tangerine dream]

There is no perfect place to put this, but I wanted to say what a joy it has been to see the creative work being done by some of the gifted athletes here. Emmanual Savary, Samuel Mindra, and Sonja Hilmer all had such wonderful SPs and are all involved in their own choreography. A good reminder that Nationals is not only a showcase for developing competitors but also the future artists and coaches within the sport.

Absolutely! I think back to someone like Rohene Ward who had some skates at nationals that were hard to watch, but it's so amazing with the work he has done as a choreographer and mentor to look back and see the progression of his skating career as a whole. I just love hearing about a "new" coach or choreographer and recognizing their name as someone who placed in the bottom half at nationals a decade ago. There are many paths in skating, it's not just about who wins or makes the Olympic team.

 

[livetoskate]

Fancam of Emmanuel Savary's free skate. Adam Rippon then encouraged everyone to give him another standing ovation in the kiss n cry:

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

youtu.be

 

[Karen-W]

From Jackie Wong - Men's selection committee will meet tomorrow morning at 7am CT, so they really won't know until a few hours before the gala who officially made the team.

https://twitter.com/x/status/2010108142076735750

 

[misskarne]

That's going to be nice and torturous for them.

 

[tangerine dream]

That's going to be nice and torturous for them.

Oof. Although there are certainly ways the standings could turn out that would make the team rather obvious, like if there is a big gap between third and fourth.

 

[Ananas Astra]

Just saw the results of the US Nationals.

Will they send Maxim Naumov to the Olympics over Jason Brown?
In this case, I am really stuck between two chairs. I love Jason and his body of work is quite cool, but I'd also give Maxim the chance, especially after everything he has been through.

I'd go with Maxim, I guess. Jason had his chance in 2014 already and got himself a bronze back then, so make way for a newcomer to the international scene.

 

[Karen-W]

Just saw the results of the US Nationals.

Will they send Maxim Naumov to the Olympics over Jason Brown?
In this case, I am really stuck between two chairs. I love Jason and his body of work is quite cool, but I'd also give Maxim the chance, especially after everything he has been through.

I'd go with Maxim, I guess. Jason had his chance in 2014 already and got himself a bronze back then, so make way for a newcomer to the international scene.

No clue. He only qualified into the Selection Pool by virtue of his finish here. Hiwatashi qualified into the selection pool in three different ways (same with Jason) and Jacob & Torgy qualified in two ways.

 

[Karen-W]

Alright then... Here's the Olympics, Worlds, 4CCs & Jr Worlds Selection Pool -

Skater

Level

Age Eligible

ISU Min Score (109/86/80)

2026 U.S. Nats

GPF / JGPF

GP/ JGP 1

GP/ JGP 2

GP/ JPG Highest

GP/ JGP Avg

CS/ Sr B/ Jr Int 1

CS/ Sr B/ Jr Int 2

CS/ Sr B/ Jr Int Highest

CS/ Sr B/ Jr Int Avg

Sect Final (Top 2 in each Section JR/SR)

NQS Score (Top 2 in each Section JR/SR)

Prev Yr Final Number

Total

Malinin, Ilia

S

Y

Y

324.88​

332.89​

321.00​

333.81​

333.81​

327.41​

306.65​

245.32​

306.65​

275.99​

0.00​

0.00​

16​

3878.35​

Kazanecki, Lucius

S/J

Y

JW

227.07​

225.85​

202.67​

219.63​

219.63​

211.15​

0.00​

0.00​

168.92​

168.92​

199.21​

206.31​

0​

2571.10​

Torgashev, Andrew

S

Y

Y

267.62​

0.00​

233.36​

212.01​

233.36​

222.69​

239.54​

191.63​

239.54​

215.59​

0.00​

234.45​

2​

2130.38​

Brown, Jason

S

Y

Y

227.52​

0.00​

239.59​

243.17​

243.17​

241.38​

257.81​

249.30​

257.81​

253.56​

0.00​

0.00​

5​

2038.74​

Hiwatashi, Tomoki

S

Y

Y

247.24​

0.00​

245.71​

230.58​

245.71​

238.15​

236.71​

237.11​

237.11​

236.91​

0.00​

0.00​

0​

2008.57​

Naumov, Maxim

S

Y

Y

249.16​

0.00​

226.74​

181.39​

226.74​

204.07​

223.43​

246.70​

246.70​

235.07​

0.00​

0.00​

0​

1958.15​

Blackwell, Patrick

S/J

Y

JW

236.30​

0.00​

222.17​

193.15​

222.17​

207.66​

0.00​

0.00​

166.13​

166.13​

222.60​

212.31​

0​

1937.59​

Sanchez, Jacob

S/J

Y

Y/JW

249.07​

0.00​

221.21​

176.97​

221.21​

199.09​

223.14​

235.89​

235.89​

229.52​

0.00​

0.00​

0​

1929.68​

Ma, Jimmy

S

Y

Y

225.71​

0.00​

208.56​

196.11​

208.56​

202.34​

207.53​

218.52​

218.52​

213.03​

0.00​

0.00​

6​

1884.75​

Martynov, Daniel

S

Y

Y

229.95​

0.00​

0.00​

0.00​

173.42​

173.42​

217.20​

216.34​

217.20​

216.77​

235.03​

0.00​

0​

1850.63​

Kapeikis, Liam

S

Y

4CCs

235.13​

0.00​

214.29​

171.43​

214.29​

192.86​

227.45​

211.74​

227.45​

219.60​

0.00​

0.00​

0​

1841.61​

Farrington, Caleb

J

Y

JW

211.04​

0.00​

210.66​

204.80​

210.66​

207.73​

0.00​

0.00​

166.18​

166.18​

215.84​

0.00​

0​

1765.89​

Elano, Lorenzo

S/J

Y

JW

213.34​

0.00​

180.59​

144.47​

180.59​

162.53​

0.00​

0.00​

130.02​

130.02​

240.44​

220.45​

0​

1685.14​

Endo, Goku

S

Y

4CCs

203.42​

0.00​

0.00​

0.00​

142.70​

142.70​

198.20​

158.56​

198.20​

178.38​

206.76​

229.11​

0​

1663.08​

Kovar, Kai

S

Y

4CCs/JW

225.75​

0.00​

0.00​

0.00​

153.02​

153.02​

189.91​

192.63​

192.63​

191.27​

0.00​

0.00​

0​

1621.62​

Mindra, Samuel

S

Y

4CCs

190.04​

0.00​

0.00​

0.00​

143.09​

143.09​

198.73​

158.98​

198.73​

178.86​

203.47​

213.49​

0​

1605.85​

Brooks, Nicholas

S/J

Y

JW

186.95​

0.00​

195.34​

156.27​

195.34​

175.81​

0.00​

0.00​

140.64​

140.64​

195.46​

0.00​

0​

1555.59​

Xie, Michael

S

Y

4CCs

196.78​

0.00​

0.00​

0.00​

159.51​

159.51​

200.07​

198.70​

200.07​

199.39​

0.00​

0.00​

0​

1535.50​

Savary, Emmanuel

S

Y

4CCs

188.14​

0.00​

0.00​

0.00​

131.51​

131.51​

182.65​

146.12​

182.65​

164.39​

215.77​

0.00​

0​

1495.15​

Mallane, Louis

J

Y

JW

187.67​

0.00​

157.61​

126.09​

157.61​

141.85​

0.00​

0.00​

113.48​

113.48​

190.06​

180.72​

0​

1463.80​

Gao, Henry

J

Y

N

165.78​

0.00​

144.87​

115.90​

144.87​

130.38​

0.00​

0.00​

104.31​

104.31​

0.00​

0.00​

0​

1189.72​

Annis, Will

S

Y

N

175.80​

0.00​

0.00​

0.00​

0.00​

0.00​

0.00​

0.00​

0.00​

0.00​

192.57​

0.00​

0​

799.49​

Azadpour, Ryan William

S/J

Y

N

157.96​

0.00​

0.00​

0.00​

0.00​

0.00​

0.00​

0.00​

0.00​

0.00​

194.05​

185.64​

0​

775.28​

Haugeto, Kirk

J

Y

JW

176.85​

0.00​

0.00​

0.00​

0.00​

0.00​

0.00​

0.00​

0.00​

0.00​

0.00​

184.87​

0​

753.62​

LoPinto, Zachary

J

Y

JW

181.43​

0.00​

0.00​

0.00​

0.00​

0.00​

0.00​

0.00​

0.00​

0.00​

0.00​

0.00​

0​

725.72​

Mikawa, Ken

S

Y

N

145.91​

0.00​

0.00​

0.00​

0.00​

0.00​

0.00​

0.00​

0.00​

0.00​

0.00​

0.00​

0​

583.64​

Olympics, Worlds & 4CCs - 7 men -
Malinin, Torgashev, Naumov, Sanchez, Hiwatashi, Kazanecki, Brown

Top 5 Selection Calculation Table - Malinin, Kazanecki, Torgashev, Brown, Hiwatashi
Top 5 from 2026 Nats - Malinin, Torgashev, Naumov, Sanchez, Hiwatashi
Top 10 from 2025 Worlds - Malinin, Brown
Top 24 current season World Rankings - Malinin 1, Brown 10, Hiwatashi 19, Sanchez 23

Jr Worlds - 8 men -
Kazanecki, Blackwell, Sanchez, Farrington, Elano, Mallane, Brooks, LoPinto

Top 5 Selection Calculation Table - Kazanecki, Blackwell, Sanchez, Farrington, Elano
Top 5 from 2026 Jr Nationals - Blackwell, Farrington, Mallane, Brooks, LoPinto
Top 5 Age-Eligible from 2026 Sr Nationals (only 3) - Sanchez, Kazanecki, Elano
Top 10 from 2025 Jr Worlds - Sanchez
Top 24 current season Jr World Rankings - Kazanecki 4, Blackwell 5, Farrington 9, Elano 20

 

[Tesla]

I say go with the top three, and I love Jason. Barring that, if possible, choose Jason but make it contingent on monitoring.

 

[misskarne]

i look at that table and I'm laughing and crying at the same time. Because even now Jason's total is still so much higher than nearly everyone else's.

But they won't leave Maxim off now. I am devastated, but resigned.

 

[Karen-W]

I say go with the top three, and I love Jason. Barring that, if possible, choose Jason but make it contingent on monitoring.

Jason ain't making the team. His only purpose would be delivering a lights-out FS in the TE but that is out of the question based on how he skated tonight.

 

[BittyBug]

I don't see how Jason gets named after his performance tonight. One of the factors for consideration is trajectory, and his trajectory has unfortunately been downward. I wish the results had been different, but I'd be shocked if he's named to the team.

What would not shock me is if Torgashev is left off, ala Ross Miner. He's repeatedly blown it internationally when it mattered. Consider it the curse of the surprise silver medalist.

 

[Allskate]

The American man I'm happiest for right now is Jacob Sanchez. No matter what, he should take away a lot of confidence from that long program performance. It was, by far, my favorite performance from him to date. He finished ahead of Max in the long program and was only a tenth of a point behind Max in the overall score, and there certainly is a good argument that Jacob should have finished ahead of him. I expect him to be named to Four Continents. I wish they would at least put him on the Worlds team, but I don't think that will happen.

On the other end of the spectrum is Jason. Jason was skating at a snail's pace from the beginning, and I could tell it was not going to be good. It was a total disaster. I've never seen him skate like this. Ever. The worst program of his life by far. I'm heartbroken for him. Not just because of the Olympics, but because this was probably his final competitive skate and certainly his final skate at home. Heartbreaking. I think the emotions of this final Nationals and the rumors/stress just consumed and destroyed him. He has had technical problems this season, but nothing like this. Even if everyone else had completely bombed, I don't think Jason could mentally recover from this by Milan. I very much wanted him on the Olympic team, but I think NBC should hire him to do commentary/interviews instead.

I'm not sure why Ilia changed his mind after he told Andrea that he was going to go for a more difficult program. But, even a watered-down Ilia is great. USFS should point this out to him and get down on bended knees to beg him to do an "easy" long program in the Olympic TE in addition to the short program.

Torgy hasn't skated well since last year's Nationals. But, aside from the fall in the short program, he skated great in St. Louis. Given how he skated at Worlds (repeatedly) and how he skated the rest of the season, there is no way I would want him in the team event. Put him on the team, but not the team event.

I hoped for a better skate from Max, but he skated as I expected. A bit sloppy with the jumps, a wonky spin, and a little problem with the timing. But, he is a lovely skater. (His short is one of my favorites of the season.) I would not be surprised if USFS picks him for the Olympic team, but he wouldn't be a great choice for the TE either. I'm sure Andrea Joyce would love more opportunities to ask him about his parents and that the commentating team would love to talk more about it, too. I'm so sick of it. He's more than his dead parents' son. He is a beautiful skater.

I have never been a fan of Tomoki's skating, but he has had a better season than Torgy and Max until now. He finished less than two points behind Max and arguably should have finished ahead of him. I think there is a good argument for putting Tomoki on the Olympic team, and I will feel really sad for him if/when he is not selected. I hope they will at least send him to Worlds.

 

[kwanfan1818]

Hiwatashi was 11th at 2024 4C's and 9th at 2025 4C's. His highest placement was 8th in 2019. (Also in 2022, but that was in an Olympic year.) He placed 4th and 9th at GP's this year, and two bronze medals and a 9th in CS events.

Naumov was 10th at his highest 4C's in 2023, 12th in 2024. He was 9th in his GP, 4th and 9th at CS, and 1st at Ice Challenge.

Torgashev was 8th at his one 4C's in 2024. He was 6th and 9th at his GP's, and 2nd at a CS.

It's not like anyone else is blowing away the field internationally, and while Torgashev did blow it twice at Worlds, and was stupid enough to slag on Brown, as it turned out, "when it mattered" was really in our own minds, because both times Jason Brown, after being written off, was US two and combined with Malinin (3rd + 5th, 1st + 8th) to earn three spots for US Men.

There's been plenty of a robust discussion about how none of Brown with the current state of his 3A, Torgashev, Naumov, nor Hiwatashi would perform well in the FS in the TE.

 

[Allskate]

Hiwatashi was 11th at 2024 4C's and 9th at 2025 4C's. His highest placement was 8th in 2019. (Also in 2022, but that was in an Olympic year.) He placed 4th and 9th at GP's this year, and two bronze medals and a 9th in CS events.

Naumov was 10th at his highest 4C's in 2023, 12th in 2024. He was 9th in his GP, 4th and 9th at CS, and 1st at Ice Challenge.

Torgashev was 8th at his one 4C's in 2024. He was 6th and 9th at his GP's, and 2nd at a CS.

None of this is relevant under the selection criteria. The selection criteria are based on the last year. Either the rules mean something or they don't. Like I said, I am not a fan of Tomoki's skating, but the reason he's been getting buzz is not just because of how he looked in practice. It's because, heading into Nationals, he had a stronger case than others under the rules.