Alisa Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov won’t compete for Team USA at the Winter Olympics in Milan
The pairs team ran out of time to fast-track Efimova’s application for U.S. citizenship
The two-time national pairs champs will instead compete next week in Beijing and then prepare for the World Championships in March
A “last-minute miracle” didn’t happen for Alisa Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov.
Despite qualifying for the Winter Olympics in Milan after placing first last week at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, the pairs team won’t compete for Team USA due to Efimova’s citizenship.
Efimova, 26, was born in Finland and is awaiting a three-year period to become an American citizen — and an attempt to speed up the process didn’t succeed, according to the Associated Press.
“Yes, we didn’t make it, but we don’t see that as a failure,” Mitrofanov, 28, said on Wednesday, Jan. 14 at a send-off at the Skating Club of Boston for the rink’s three Olympians, U.S. bronze medalist Maxim Naumov and the pair of Emily Chan and Spencer Howe.
He continued, “Hey, this was an opportunity. It may not have worked out. But so many great things have come from it that we are very happy moving forward.”
In lieu of the husband and wife team, the pairs spots for Milan went to Ellie Kam and Danny O’Shea, the silver medalists at nationals, and Chan and Howe, who finished fourth.
On Wednesday, Efimova and Mitrofanov supported Chan and Howe, who represent the Skating Club of Boston, where the pairs champs also skate.
After the U.S. team was announced on Sunday, Jan. 11, U.S. Figure Skating CEO Matt Farrell said regarding the absence of the pairs team that “there are sometimes rules … and this is not the fun part.”
Instead, Efimova and Mitrofanov will next compete in Beijing at the Four Continents — made up of non-Olympians — and then prepare for the World Championships in Prague in March.
“Whenever we first started as a team, we didn’t know whether or not the Olympics is even a possibility. We knew it was a long shot because of the paperwork,” Mitrofanov said. “The more we progressed with our skating career, the closer we got to that opportunity.”
By 2030, when the Winter Olympics is in France, Efimova will be 30 and Mitrofanov 32, so the couple is holding on to their Olympic dream — and thankful for the well-wishes in the meantime.
“There were so many people who messaged us and reached out to us wanting to support us,” Mitrofanov said. “So, for us, we’re very grateful.”
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