Written by James Carter
Defending national champions Alisa Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov delivered the standout performance of the opening night, posting a season-best score of 75.31 in the pairs short program at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships. Their routine featured a clean triple twist, steady side-by-side elements and a confident throw triple loop, putting them more than seven points clear of the rest of the field.
Despite their dominance on the ice, the pair’s Olympic future remains uncertain. While Mitrofanov was born in the United States, Efimova was born in Finland and only moved to the U.S. full-time in 2023 when their partnership began. The married couple wed in February 2024, and Efimova received her green card approval in July of that year. She is now awaiting a decision on a waiver of the standard citizenship waiting period, a ruling that will determine whether the pair is eligible for selection to the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics.
“We’re hoping maybe a last-minute miracle might happen,” Mitrofanov said, adding that while paperwork has intensified in recent weeks, their focus has remained on training and performance.
Audrey Shin and Balazs Nagy sat second after the short program with 67.67 points, followed closely by Ellie Kam and Danny O’Shea on 67.13. Valentina Plazas and Maximiliano Fernandez were fourth on 67.03, with Katie McBeath and Daniil Parkman fifth at 66.81. Other contenders struggled, including Emily Chan and Spencer Akira Howe, who suffered multiple errors and finished the segment with 59.29. The pairs titles will be decided in Friday’s free skate.
In the women’s short program, early skaters produced a tightly packed leaderboard. Sherry Zhang jumped into first place with 60.99 points, narrowly ahead of Sophie Joline von Felten on 60.68. Alina Bonillo followed with 58.94, while Logan Higase-Chen posted 55.22 despite a deduction for a fall.
Sonja Hilmer drew some of the loudest applause of the night with a short program that incorporated tap-dancing steps timed precisely to the music, though her score of 55.00 placed her just outside the early top group.
Several marquee names were still to skate later in the session, including Alysa Liu and Amber Glenn, as the championships serve as the final domestic event before U.S. Figure Skating announces its Olympic team on Sunday. Coverage of the event is streaming on Peacock and airing on USA Network.
Before competition began, a moment of silence was held to honor skaters, coaches and parents who lost their lives in a January 2025 plane crash, with tributes displayed inside the arena.
