Zingas/Kolesnik Fan Thread - They Have “It”

Ty Steele's interview with them:
www.instagram.com

Ty Steele on Instagram: "They just delivered one of the cleanest skates of the Olympics… and many are saying they expect a very bright future for these two ice dancers from Metro Detroit❄️🇺🇸 I’m talking with Emilea Zingas (Grosse Pointe Farms) and V

1,156 likes, 52 comments - tysteelenews on February 18, 2026: "They just delivered one of the cleanest skates of the Olympics… and many are saying they expect a very bright future for these two ice dancers from Metro Detroit❄️🇺🇸 I’m talking with Emilea Zingas (Grosse Pointe Farms) and Vadym...
www.instagram.com www.instagram.com

Photo:
www.instagram.com

Ty Steele on Instagram: "Just caught up with Vadym Kolesnik and Emilea Zingas at the Olympic Village after a performance last week that had the world talking. On the ice? Cool, precise, fearless. Off the ice? Hilarious, humble, and so fun to be aroun

1,045 likes, 15 comments - tysteelenews on February 17, 2026: "Just caught up with Vadym Kolesnik and Emilea Zingas at the Olympic Village after a performance last week that had the world talking. On the ice? Cool, precise, fearless. Off the ice? Hilarious, humble, and so fun to be around...
www.instagram.com www.instagram.com
 
I didn't see this podcast interview posted in this thread - it was recorded in St. Louis before 4CC (uploaded on Feb. 8, 2026): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3mMMUQaoLU
In the next episode of Meet Team USA Figure Skating (Frozen Waters), a special mini-series from Unfiltered Waters, Katie [Hoff] sits down with Emilea Zingas and Vadym Kolesnik, ice dance partners and 2026 Four Continents champions, fresh off a whirlwind stretch that changed their lives. Emilea and Vadym reflect on qualifying for the Olympics, the moment it finally felt real, and what it means to exhale after chasing a lifelong goal. They open up about partnership, trust, and why committing to mental training with a sports psychologist transformed both their skating and their relationship on and off the ice. Honest, joyful, and deeply connected, this conversation continues the heart of Frozen Waters—a closer look at the journeys, identities, and inner lives of Team USA figure skaters on the road to the Games.
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So happy about his family going to worlds!

I read the list of dance entries. With GuiFab out, and if FearGib perform without error, I am expecting another 5th place finish. Which in the world of “wait your turn” is pretty good!

Am looking forward to seeing if the Golden Waltz separates wheat from chaff next season. I expect ZingKol to ace it.
 
Icetalavista said:
So happy about his family going to worlds!

I read the list of dance entries. With GuiFab out, and if FearGib perform without error, I am expecting another 5th place finish. Which in the world of “wait your turn” is pretty good!

Am looking forward to seeing if the Golden Waltz separates wheat from chaff next season. I expect ZingKol to ace it.
Click to expand...
Other couples may bow out too. This is early days…
 
skatfan said:
Other couples may bow out too. This is early days…
Click to expand...
I just have such a hard time seeing Piper & Paul and Madi & Evan there.

I mean, I will miss them so much after watching them for 15 seasons it feels bizarre that they wouldn't be there.

And? Piper & Paul seemed so overjoyed with their Bronze (as was I!) and Madi & Evan so bitterly disappointed (totally understandably) it just is so hard to picture after that level of intensity coming back for what would probably be yet another silver and bronze. Incidentally they gave the 2 performances that gave me the most tears - Piper & Paul in the FD, and Madi & Evan in the gala.

How had I not seen "Once I Was Loved" before? 😭

ETA: I watched Emilea & Vadym's FD again last night! It was just so impressive. Don't hang in there 4 years, Laurence & Guillaume, because you'll be in Madi & Evan's shoes I am sure at the end of the Olympics, and that's a tough spot...
 
Taso said:
I just have such a hard time seeing Piper & Paul and Madi & Evan there.

I mean, I will miss them so much after watching them for 15 seasons it feels bizarre that they wouldn't be there.

And? Piper & Paul seemed so overjoyed with their Bronze (as was I!) and Madi & Evan so bitterly disappointed (totally understandably) it just is so hard to picture after that level of intensity coming back for what would probably be yet another silver and bronze. Incidentally they gave the 2 performances that gave me the most tears - Piper & Paul in the FD, and Madi & Evan in the gala.

How had I not seen "Once I Was Loved" before? 😭

ETA: I watched Emilea & Vadym's FD again last night! It was just so impressive. Don't hang in there 4 years, Laurence & Guillaume, because you'll be in Madi & Evan's shoes I am sure at the end of the Olympics, and that's a tough spot...
Click to expand...
I listened to Piper on a podcast yesterday and she said they’re definitely going to worlds.
 
Novi on Wed Mar 11:

" You’re invited to a Welcome Back Meet & Greet with Emilea Zingas & Vadym Kolesnik on Wednesday, March 11th! The two will take the ice for a special performance at 4:30 p.m. on the Red Rink at Novi Ice Arena. They will be available for photos after the performance! "

www.instagram.com

Suburban Ice on Instagram: "You’re invited to a Welcome Back Meet & Greet with Emilea Zingas & Vadym Kolesnik on Wednesday, March 11th! The two will take the ice for a special performance at 4:30 p.m. on the Red Rink at Novi Ice Arena. They will be a

6 likes, 0 comments - skatewithsuburbanice on March 5, 2026: "You’re invited to a Welcome Back Meet & Greet with Emilea Zingas & Vadym Kolesnik on Wednesday, March 11th! The two will take the ice for a special performance at 4:30 p.m. on the Red Rink at Novi Ice Arena. They will be available for...
www.instagram.com www.instagram.com

Ann Arbor on Sat Mar 14 (cross-posting from Club Shows thread):

" We are so excited to announce our 2026 Melody on Ice Guest Skaters!

Saturday Night 7:00pm Show:
💙 U.S. 2026 OLYMPIANS Emilea Zingas and Vadym Kolesnik ..."

www.instagram.com

Ann Arbor Figure Skating Club on Instagram: "We are so excited to announce our 2026 Melody on Ice Guest Skaters! Saturday Night 7:00pm Show: 💙 U.S. 2026 OLYMPIANS Emilea Zingas and Vadym Kolesnik Saturday Afternoon 2:00pm Show: ❤️U.S. 2025 WORLD TE

89 likes, 0 comments - annarborfsc on March 4, 2026: "We are so excited to announce our 2026 Melody on Ice Guest Skaters! Saturday Night 7:00pm Show: 💙 U.S. 2026 OLYMPIANS Emilea Zingas and Vadym Kolesnik Saturday Afternoon 2:00pm Show: ❤️U.S. 2025 WORLD TEAM Caroline Green and Michael Parsons...
www.instagram.com www.instagram.com

ice coverage said:
Coming up on Mar 13 and 14 in Ann Arbor MI, guest skaters for Melody on Ice:

Friday Night 7:00pm Show:
Sam Herbert and Alena Kerr, 2026 U.S. junior pairs pewter medalists
Cody Kock, South Africa national team for junior men

Saturday Afternoon 2:00pm Show:
Caroline Green and Michael Parsons

Saturday Night 7:00pm Show:
Emilea Zingas and Vadym Kolesnik

www.instagram.com

Ann Arbor Figure Skating Club on Instagram: "We are so excited to announce our 2026 Melody on Ice Guest Skaters! Saturday Night 7:00pm Show: 💙 U.S. 2026 OLYMPIANS Emilea Zingas and Vadym Kolesnik Saturday Afternoon 2:00pm Show: ❤️U.S. 2025 WORLD TE

89 likes, 0 comments - annarborfsc on March 4, 2026: "We are so excited to announce our 2026 Melody on Ice Guest Skaters! Saturday Night 7:00pm Show: 💙 U.S. 2026 OLYMPIANS Emilea Zingas and Vadym Kolesnik Saturday Afternoon 2:00pm Show: ❤️U.S. 2025 WORLD TEAM Caroline Green and Michael Parsons...
www.instagram.com www.instagram.com

https://www.annarborfsc.org/events/

" Each year, the Ann Arbor Figure Skating Club hosts one of the longest running ice shows in the nation. Known as Melody on Ice, the production showcases skaters of all levels and ages! This year’s show is titled Power of Love. Performances will include National Solo Dance medalists, members of the US National Development Team, the club’s Hockettes Synchronized Skating teams, and many more! "
Click to expand...
 
There were two long TikTok lives this weekend from Emi and Vadym. Did anybody besides me catch them? Some old news, some new news and some gems too. If anyone wants a summary I’ll try to do one.

New to me: Marina Zueva choreographed several singles programs for Emi when she was around 14 year old. Marina asked her to try out with one of her ice dance boys but Emi turned her down. Marina then told her she was destined for ice dance. Years later, at ZK’s first Nationals, Marina came up to her saying she always knew Emi would be a dancer.
 
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Rackon said:
There were two long TikTok lives this weekend from Emi and Vadym. Did anybody besides me catch them? Some old news, some new news and some gems too. If anyone wants a summary I’ll try to do one.

New to me: Marina Zueva choreographed programs for Emi when she was a 14 year old singles skater. Marine asked her to try out with one of her ice dance boys but Emi turned her down. Marina then told her she was destined for ice dance. Years later, at ZK’s first Nationals, Marina greeted her with a hug and a kiss saying she always knew Emi would be a dancer.
Click to expand...

I caught most of the second one but missed the first. I saw some notes from a fan on X but would love another summary in case they missed some things!

I was 🤣🤣 during the second one when someone asked when Vadym is going to propose and he kept joking that they’re already married 😂 And Emi kept yelling at him to stop spreading misinformation 😂
 
Rackon said:
There were two long TikTok lives this weekend from Emi and Vadym. Did anybody besides me catch them? Some old news, some new news and some gems too. If anyone wants a summary I’ll try to do one.

New to me: Marina Zueva choreographed programs for Emi when she was a 14 year old singles skater. Marine asked her to try out with one of her ice dance boys but Emi turned her down. Marina then told her she was destined for ice dance. Years later, at ZK’s first Nationals, Marina greeted her with a hug and a kiss saying she always knew Emi would be a dancer.
Click to expand...
Yes pls a summary would be greatly appreciated
 
Rackon said:
There were two long TikTok lives this weekend from Emi and Vadym. Did anybody besides me catch them? Some old news, some new news and some gems too. If anyone wants a summary I’ll try to do one.

New to me: Marina Zueva choreographed programs for Emi when she was a 14 year old singles skater. Marine asked her to try out with one of her ice dance boys but Emi turned her down. Marina then told her she was destined for ice dance. Years later, at ZK’s first Nationals, Marina greeted her with a hug and a kiss saying she always knew Emi would be a dancer.
Click to expand...
Im never able to watch their lives so would love a summary!
 
I caught some of their lives. Some of them are quite long, but they're actually really enjoyable!! They try to answer as many questions as they can, even the somewhat "unhinged" ones from the comments. Very refreshing, laid back, and honest content. Lots of laughter and banter. Fans keep telling them to please never do media training because their answers come off very natural and funny.

Some details I remember off the top of my head:

(1) Marina asked Emi to try ice dance at 14. She said no and Marina told her: "you're making a big mistake... you'll end up an ice dancer anyway." When they met years later at Nationals, Marina said "i told you so" and was very complimentary. Vadym never met Marina. Igor would always shield him from her lol.


(2) Emi's whole speech after making the Olympic team thanking the people who doubted her because it "felt so good to prove them wrong" was intentional... The person who told her she was "too ugly, too fat, will never succeed in ice dance" was standing right in front of her during that press conference. She said she's never felt so powerful.


(3) Vadym bought a mobile home for $2,000 in Novi and fixed it up. The asking price was 10k but Emi negotiated it down to 2k. This is where he and his mom live. She came from Ukraine in the spring of 2023. She speaks no English, and Vadym has been taking her to medical/dental appointments. She cleans their costumes, looks after their dog Chaplin (Chapa for short) when they're away, etc. They both love that dog so much. He's present in many of their lives.

(4) They've tried the golden waltz recently and Igor seems pleased. He told them not to worry. It's his second favorite pattern after Tango Romantica. Igor can be intense on the ice, but they generally talk about him with much affection. He calls Emi "Zaika", a Russian term of endearment. They said he's always been in a good mood lately. They think he deserves to be nominated Best Coach in the ISU awards. When asked if they'd consider skating with others, Vadym said he'd only ever do it with Natalia Deller (their technical coach) in adult skating. Emi said she'll probably just retire if Vadym can't skate anymore.

(5) They're still in negotiation with Stars on Ice for possible guest appearances in certain shows. They're unable to commit to the entire tour because their schedule does not allow it. They have plans of doing choreo with Benoit, and also have a trip scheduled (with Emily Bratti and Ian Somerville, among other friends) to Marco Island. They seem very excited to finally get some R&R after a long season. They also have no agent, so they have to do all negotiations themselves.

(6) Their love story. There's soooo many fan questions about this. They always have a fun banter about who made the first move, etc. But the gist of it is: they liked each other from the moment they met. However, dating your partner was discouraged, so no one said a word for a full year. Vadym invited Emi to a cabin trip with friends on new year's eve one year. They talked for hours and they started going out on dates after that. They hung out together frequently, drinking boba (even if they both grew sick of it), etc, to find the excuse to spend time together. Vadym sent Emi 100 roses for her birthday even before they started dating. Some of their gifts to each other include: a leaf blower for Vadym (this is the only thing he's ever asked for), a sewing machine for Emi, plus jewelry (her R&J earrings and the promise ring from Costco). Vadym jokes that they've eloped to Lansing, MI recently but Emi keeps saying it's not true. There's also a hilarious segment of fans suggesting a Costco wedding, and Vadym was loving it! Chicken bake reception and all! When he stepped away, Emi told fans to please stop encouraging the Costco fantasy. She loves Costco too, but she wants to get married in Cyprus, not in Costco. It was hilarious! Jokes aside, they've said that they're still young and they want to be more financially independent before getting married. He wants 3 kids. She wants 4 or 5.

I think ZK fans are very lucky that they're sharing this much time and content. I echo the comments - hope they never get media training! LOL! They're charming, and they keep it real!
 
Last edited:
teraytan said:
I caught some of their lives. Some of them are quite long, but they're actually really enjoyable!! They try to answer as many questions as they can, even the somewhat "unhinged" ones from the comments. Very refreshing, laid back, and honest content. Lots of laughter and banter. Fans keep telling them to please never do media training because their answers come off very natural and funny.

Some details I remember off the top of my head:

(1) Marina asked Emi to try ice dance at 14. She declined and Marina told her: "you're making a big mistake... you'll end up an ice dancer anyway." When they met years later at Nationals, Marina said "i told you so" and was very complimentary. Vadym never met Marina. Igor would always shield him from her lol.


(2) Emi's whole speech after making the Olympic team thanking the people who doubted her because it "felt so good to prove them wrong"... The person who told her she was "too ugly, too fat, will never succeed in ice dance" was standing right in front of her during that press conference. She said she's never felt so powerful.


(3) Vadym bought a mobile home for $2,000 in Novi and fixed it up. The asking price was 10k but Emi negotiated it down to 2k. This is where he and his mom live. She came from Ukraine in the spring of 2023. She speaks no English, and Vadym has been taking her to medical/dental appointments. She cleans their costumes, looks after their dog Chaplin (Chapa for short) when they're away, etc. They both love that dog so much. He's present in many of their lives.

(4) They've tried the golden waltz recently and Igor seems pleased. He told them not to worry. It's his second favorite pattern after Tango Romantica. Igor can be intense on the ice, but they generally talk about him with much affection. He calls Emi "Zaika", a Russian term of endearment. They said he's always been in a great mood lately. When asked if they'd consider skating with others, Vadym said he'd only ever consider doing it with Natalia Deller (their technical coach) in adult skating. Emi said she'll probably just retire if Vadym can't skate anymore.

(5) They're still in negotiation with Stars on Ice for possible guest appearances in certain shows. They're unable to commit to the entire tour because their schedule does not allow it. They have plans of doing choreo with Benoit, and also have a trip scheduled (with Emily Bratti and Ian Somerville, among other friends) to Marco Island. They seem very excited to finally get some R&R after a long season. They also have no agent, so they have to do all negotiations themselves.

(6) Their love story. There's soooo many fan questions about this. They always have a fun banter about who made the first move, etc. But the gist of it is: they liked each other from the moment they met. However, dating your partner was discouraged, so no one said a word for a full year. Vadym invited Emi to a cabin trip with friends on new year's eve one year. They talked for hours and they started going out on dates after that. They hung out together frequently, drinking boba (even if they both grew sick of it), etc, to find the excuse to spend time together. Vadym sent Emi 100 roses for her birthday even before they started dating. Some of their gifts to each other include: a leaf blower for Vadym (this is the only thing he's ever asked for), a sewing machine for Emi, plus jewelry (her R&J earrings and the promise ring from Costco). Vadym jokes that they've eloped to Lansing, MI recently but Emi keeps saying it's not true. There's also a hilarious segment of fans suggesting a Costco wedding, and Vadym was loving it! Chicken bake reception and all! When he stepped away, Emi told fans to please stop encouraging the Costco fantasy. She loves Costco too, but she wants to get married in Cyprus, not in Costco. It was hilarious! Jokes aside, they've said that they're still young and they want to be more financially independent before getting married. He wants 3 kids. She wants 4 or 5.

I think ZK fans are very lucky that they're sharing this much time and content. I echo the comments - hope they never get media training! LOL! They're charming, and they keep it real!
Click to expand...

Thank you so much for this!! I’m really bummed they won’t be able to do the whole SOI tour. My show is the last weekend so I doubt I’ll get to see them 😭
 
TanithandBenFan said:
Thank you so much for this!! I’m really bummed they won’t be able to do the whole SOI tour. My show is the last weekend so I doubt I’ll get to see them 😭
Click to expand...

I was hoping to see them too 😭 ! Mine is looking bleak as it coincides with their Marco Island trip. I think yours is still possible. Though a lot of it depends on SOI too. I hope they know how much fans want to see ZK!
 
ice coverage said:
Novi on Wed Mar 11:
" You’re invited to a Welcome Back Meet & Greet with Emilea Zingas & Vadym Kolesnik on Wednesday, March 11th! The two will take the ice for a special performance at 4:30 p.m. on the Red Rink at Novi Ice Arena. They will be available for photos after the performance!"​
Click to expand...
1-minute clip from their first performance (RD):
www.instagram.com

Suburban Ice on Instagram: "Thank you to everyone who came out to welcome back Emilea Zingas & Vadym Kolesnik tonight at Novi Ice Arena! If you missed the performance, here’s their first routine for you to enjoy."

1,569 likes, 28 comments - skatewithsuburbanice on March 11, 2026: "Thank you to everyone who came out to welcome back Emilea Zingas & Vadym Kolesnik tonight at Novi Ice Arena! If you missed the performance, here’s their first routine for you to enjoy.".
www.instagram.com www.instagram.com
 
Emi and Vadym did a Tiktok live today and mentioned that they've agreed on doing some Stars on Ice shows, but the contract hasn't been signed yet so they can't announce just yet. It sounds like shows in the east coast (Long Island was mentioned), among others. They also said they'll be performing in a show for Ice Theatre of New York.
 
aprilediv said:
They also said they'll be performing in a show for Ice Theatre of New York.
Click to expand...
I posted about ITNY's May shows in this GSD thread (post #21): https://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/th...r-2025-into-2026-edition.113423/#post-6913419

Photos from their welcome back show:
www.instagram.com

Suburban Ice on Instagram: "A look back to our Welcome Back event with Emilea Zingas and Vadym Kolesnik. Join us in wishing them Good Luck at the 2026 ISU World Figure Skating Championships next week (March 25-29th)!!"

129 likes, 6 comments - skatewithsuburbanice on March 20, 2026: "A look back to our Welcome Back event with Emilea Zingas and Vadym Kolesnik. Join us in wishing them Good Luck at the 2026 ISU World Figure Skating Championships next week (March 25-29th)!!".
www.instagram.com www.instagram.com
 
Fantastic World debut for Emi and Vadym, sitting 4th after the RD. Here's what they had to say in the mixed zone

On competing at Worlds and the season overall:

Emilea: “We are both feeling really good. This is a really amazing experience. We’re really grateful to have this opportunity to compete here, especially after the season we had. It’s all been so exciting and overwhelming, really. So this is kind of the cherry on top of the cake for us. It’s been very difficult to get here, but we really want to capitalize on this opportunity and do the best we can.”

On the energy they put out today:

Vadym: “I feel like we saved a little bit. My mindset going into this was, no matter if we skate clean or if we do mistakes, I just want to enjoy this performance, and I want to give this program justice because it’s been such a great vehicle for us, and I just want to have fun with it one more time. If I mess up going too hard, that’s okay. If I sometimes save somewhere, that’s also okay, as long as I enjoy it. This performance is for me and for Emi.”

On the journey this season:

Emilea: “It’s been such a long journey. I think at the beginning of this year, I remember we competed in the Japanese Challenger, and I was a little discouraged after this competition because we didn’t quite get the result that we wanted. You know, we were really excited about these programs, and I feel like both programs were really good, great vehicles for us. So after the Challenger, we got back home and had a frank conversation saying, this is what we need to do, and this is what we want. And after that, we made a plan to do the work, and we did it, and I feel so happy that we had that moment of maybe run down at the beginning of the season to kind of light the fire underneath that, and that set us on the path to success this season.”

Vadym: “I just felt like at that moment it wasn’t enough to get us to the Olympics, so we had to step on the gas a little bit more.”

On being fourth and the top American team here:

Emilea: “But it’s kind of crazy. I think we had big goals coming into this competition. Obviously, after such a successful Olympics, I’m really happy that we moved up a placement from our place there.”

Vadym: “Hopefully tomorrow we can skate just as well and put all our emotions into the program. We’re not that far away from third or second, so who knows, anything can happen. We have opportunities to gain.”

www.instagram.com

Golden Skate on Instagram: "Emilea ZINGAS / Vadym KOLESNIK 🇺🇸 84.21 On competing at Worlds and the season overall: Emilea: “We are both feeling really good. This is a really amazing experience. We’re really grateful to have this opportunity to compe

398 likes, 5 comments - goldsk8 on March 27, 2026: "Emilea ZINGAS / Vadym KOLESNIK 🇺🇸 84.21 On competing at Worlds and the season overall: Emilea: “We are both feeling really good. This is a really amazing experience. We’re really grateful to have this opportunity to compete here, especially...
www.instagram.com www.instagram.com
 
:cheer: :cheer2:

What a dream season for Emilea and Vadym, and they're just beginning!

Two more great programs in Prague and I can finally say what I've been wanting to say since about the middle of this season (but I'm superstitious :shuffle: ), not only have they improved enormously this year in every way, but what incredible consistency they've shown throughout the season. It really speaks to their preparation, so, so impressive. I'm not sure if I was able to see every skate at the challengers, but I don't recall any major errors in any of their skates.
 
To be honest, I wasn't a fan of their Sd until nationals. Then I was in love.
My only one nitpik is their low pattern and step levels. But I know they know they need to work on that.
Congrats! You earn this!
 
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