US EditionSkating Pair Took Title at US Nationals but Can't Compete in Olympics After Passport Delay
Alisa Efimova's prior international representation restricts the pairs champions from U.S. Olympic eligibility despite winning their second straight national title.
- Jan. 14, 2026: Alisa Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov, two-time reigning U.S. pairs champions, are ineligible for Milan Cortina 2026 because Efimova lacks U.S. citizenship.
- Efimova moved full-time to the U.S. in 2023, received a green card and faced a three-year citizenship waiting period; their home rink enlisted U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey, but red tape remained before Saturday's roster submission.
- The two U.S. pairs spots were awarded to Ellie Kam and Danny O'Shea and to Emily Chan and Spencer Akira Howe; Efimova and Mitrofanov will compete at Four Continents in Beijing next week, then prepare for the world championships in Prague.
- Efimova and Mitrofanov said the setback fuels plans for the next season, noting a renewed hunger and that the 2030 Games in the French Alps remain a goal.
- ISU rules differ from the IOC, so Efimova can skate for the U.S. at ISU events without citizenship; Alisa Efimova was born in Finland and represented Russia and Germany, while Misha Mitrofanov is a U.S. citizen by birth.
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30 Articles
Pairs Team That Won U.S. Championship Won't Compete in 2026 Winter Olympics Due to Citizenship Issue
Alisa Efimova — who is not an American citizen — and her husband and partner Misha Mitrofanov came in first at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships last weekMatthew Stockman/Getty Alisa Efimova and Misha MitrofanovNEED TO KNOWAlisa Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov won't compete for Team USA at the Winter Olympics in MilanThe pairs team ran out of time to fast-track Efimova's application for U.S. citizenshipThe two-time national pairs champs will in…
U.S. Champion Pairs Team Ruled Out of 2026 Winter Olympics Over Citizenship Issue
A hoped-for “last-minute miracle” never materialized for Alisa Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov, ending what briefly looked like a fairytale Olympic breakthrough. U.S. Champions, Olympic Roadblock Efimova and Mitrofanov stunned the field last week by winning the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, a result that would normally punch a direct ticket to the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan. But despite earning the title on the ice, the married pairs team w…
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