In the days leading up to the Milan Olympics, Alisa Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov were watching from home. Mitrofanov had not yet completed the citizenship process required to represent the United States at the Games — a bitter pill that the Skating Club of Boston teammates have channeled into something remarkable.
Two-time U.S. champions. Four Continents gold medalists. Sixth at the 2026 World Championships with a score of 202.51. And still only 26 and 28 years old, respectively.
"We wanted to show this season what we're capable of on the world stage," Efimova said after their World Championship performance in Prague. "Missing the Olympics was really hard. But it pushed us to be better."
The pair, coached by Aleksey Letov and Olga Ganicheva in Norwood, Massachusetts, have become one of the most technically complete U.S. pairs teams in years — a throw triple Lutz that consistently draws strong grades of execution, a short program built on intricate footwork, and a free skate that combines emotional depth with ambitious element content.
With the next Olympic cycle now beginning, Efimova and Mitrofanov are positioned to be the face of U.S. pairs skating for the foreseeable future. The citizenship delay that cost them Milan has, by all accounts, only sharpened their focus.
"We have a lot of unfinished business," Mitrofanov said simply. "We're just getting started."