The Milano-Cortina Olympic Games are just a few weeks away, and the US Figure Skating Championships this week in St. Louis served as the dramatic final qualifier for the team heading to the prestigious event. The air in the arena was thick with the pressure of Olympic dreams, but for one American pair, a spot on the team depended on more than just a medal-winning performance.

Apparently, it is completely out of their hands. As reported by The Athletic, Alisa Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov, the reigning national champions, have their Milano-Cortina Olympic dream clouded, as Efimova is not yet an American citizen. And, per the rules, all competitors must be citizens of the nation they represent.

For Efimova, a 26-year-old born in Finland who has previously skated for Russia and Germany, the path to citizenship is blocked for this reason. She moved to the US in 2023 to skate with Mitrofanov, a Wisconsin native, and the couple got married in February 2024.

The figure skater even received her green card that July, but standard US law requires a person who obtains a green card through marriage to wait three years before applying for naturalization. So, with the US Olympic team selections being announced this weekend, she is in a desperate race against the clock.

“The last few weeks, it has been more difficult than normal. We had to do a little bit more paperwork and everything like that. There has been a great push for it. Hopefully, things happen,” her husband, Mitrofanov, said before the competition.

Behind the scenes, both U.S. Figure Skating and the Skating Club of Boston, where the pair trains, have been actively supporting efforts to expedite Efimova’s citizenship process, though any final decision remains outside the sport’s control. Even if the pair’s Milano-Cortina Olympic dreams are indirectly in the hands of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, both Alisa Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov didn’t disappoint the fans at the US Figure Skating Championships.

The Milano-Cortina Olympic Games may be out of reach, but their intent to compete was still strong

At the 2026 US Figure Skating Championships, Alisa Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov delivered a performance that captivated the entire arena. Gliding through their short program in St. Louis, the couple executed a beautiful triple twist, solid side-by-side triple toe loops, and a spot-on throw triple loop.

This performance earned them a season-best 75.31 points and a commanding eight-point lead over their nearest competitors.

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“I couldn’t shut my thought process down. I was thinking about the competition, about the skate. But as soon as I entered the rink today, this is a space I know pretty well, and I just trusted the routine I’m used to before the competition. It doesn’t erase all the nerves. But I think what I’m happy about is we were still able to skate well,” said Efimova, despite knowing the fact that her Milano-Cortina Olympic dreams might get shattered in a few hours.

However, the potential absence of Efimova and Mitrofanov casts a significant shadow over Team USA’s chances to defend the team event gold Olympic medal it won in Beijing in 2022. The United States has historically struggled in pairs skating on the Olympic stage and has not medaled in the discipline since 1988, making the uncertainty surrounding its strongest current pair particularly consequential.

Indeed, Team USA’s closest competition for that top prize is a formidable Japanese squad featuring men’s world silver medalist Yuma Kagiyama and three-time women’s world champion Kaori Sakamoto.

In the team event, where every point from each discipline is crucial, Japan holds a decisive advantage in pairs against the American team. Their top team, Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara, are the reigning two-time world champions.

So, with Efimova and Mitrofanov, Team USA could have countered the stacked Japanese line-up, but only time will reveal their fate for the Milano-Cortina Olympic Games.

UPDATE: Alisa Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov successfully defended their national title

Alisa Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov claimed their second consecutive US title, despite facing the likelihood of Olympic disqualification due to Alisa’s pending US citizenship. The performance was terrific! The couple entered the free skate with a seven-point lead and finished more than ten points ahead of second place. However, the start was quite shaky. Skating their free program to “Where Do I Begin (Love Story)” by Gary Valenciano, the married pair combined refined unison, secure lifts and confident flow across the ice, reinforcing their position as the country’s top pairs team.

Mitrofanov stumbled during their double Axel move, and there was a tense moment later in the program when he narrowly avoided contact with Efimova’s skate during a jump, briefly throwing them off rhythm. The arena reacted in shock, as fans feared the mistake might cost them the title. However, the pair didn’t commit a single mistake after that.

Together they scored 207.71, 10 points ahead of Ellie Kam and Danny O’Shea, who scored 197.12, and in third place were Katie McBeath and Daniil Parkman with a total score of 187.45.

Together they scored 207.71, 10 points ahead of Ellie Kam and Danny O’Shea, who scored 197.12, and in third place were Katie McBeath and Daniil Parkman with a total score of 187.45. With the pairs competition now complete, attention turns to Sunday’s Olympic team announcement, as Efimova and Mitrofanov continue to wait on a decision that will determine whether their season ends as national champions, or Olympic hopefuls left on the outside.