Alisa Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov couldn’t skate at the Olympics — that was out of their control since Efimova was (and still is) in the process of getting U.S. citizenship — but they were one of the world’s elite figure skating pairs each of the last two seasons.
The two-time U.S. champions go into Saatva Skate America, which starts Friday night, with a chance to reach the exclusive — and, for U.S. pairs, fairly elusive — Grand Prix Final in December.
The world’s top six pairs over the six-event Grand Prix regular season in October and November qualify for the Final in China. It’s the second-most prestigious annual competition after the World Championships held every March.
While Efimova and Mitrofanov finished sixth at each of the last two World Championships, they have yet to qualify for the six-pair Final since teaming up in 2023.
The married couple based in the Boston area opened this season by placing second at Skate Canada two weeks ago, matching their best career Grand Prix finish.
If they make the podium again this week, they will have a shot at qualifying for the Final once the standings are settled after the last regular season event two weeks from now.
Each of the last five seasons, the last outright spot in the Final went to a pair that finished second and third in its two regular season starts — though not every pair that had those finishes got in.
In three decades of the Final’s existence, only seven American pairs have competed in it, the fewest for the U.S. across the four disciplines.
Efimova and Mitrofanov were fortunate in how this season’s Grand Prix fields shook out.
At Skate Canada and at Skate America, only one pair in each field also competed together at the Olympics (granted, at Skate America that pair is world champions Minerva Hase and Nikita Volodin of Germany in their season debut).
Plus elite pairs from Russia — which were not allowed at the Olympics — were neither at Skate Canada nor Skate America, but scattered at the four other Grand Prix events instead.
At Skate Canada, Efimova and Mitrofanov posted a total score that ranks them sixth in the world this season behind Olympic silver medalists Anastasiia Metelkina and Luka Berulava of Georgia, three pairs from Russia and world bronze medalists Lia Pereira and Trennt Michaud of Canada.
No more than one pair from Russia can compete at March’s worlds. Keep that in mind when considering Efimova and Mitrofanov’s medal chances at that event in Finland, which is Efimova’s birth nation.
Also consider that Efimova and Mitrofanov made their season debut at Skate Canada. It was a late start after Mitrofanov sustained a left knee injury in early spring that still affects him, though they are able to train all their elements. They are still ramping up and will hope their scores are, too.
Before the season, they called making the Grand Prix Final a “big goal.” This week, they described the possibility as a milestone in their still-young partnership.
“It would mean a lot for us,” Mitrofanov said. “We’re definitely not heavily focused on it because I feel like that’s also when you’re thinking too far ahead, you almost miss the now.”
Two years ago, Efimova and Mitrofanov, who previously skated with different partners, made their Grand Prix debut together at Skate America and finished third. Efimova still gets chills thinking about that memory.
“It’s been just constant learning,” Mitrofanov said. “Especially heading up into this event, I feel like we’re very well aware of each other, and I think that’s definitely going to help us going into Skate America.”
They are the first repeat U.S. pairs’ champions since 2014 (Marissa Castelli and Simon Shnapir) and, two months from now, can become the first to three-peat since 2002 (Kyoko Ina and John Zimmerman).
If their ascension continues on the international stage, they could vie in 2030 for the first U.S. Olympic pairs’ medal since 1988 (Jill Watson and Peter Oppegard).
Efimova and Mitrofanov got married on Feb. 1, 2024, and she obtained green card approval that July. If the usual three-year waiting period for citizenship holds, then Efimova will have her U.S. passport in plenty of time to be eligible for the 2030 Olympics in France.
They are allowed to represent the U.S. in other international competitions without it, but the Olympics do require it.
“It is nice knowing that it shouldn’t be a problem as long as everything’s going according to plan for 2030,” Mitrofanov said. “However, we don’t know until we get the citizenship, so it’s also very difficult to know until everything happens. So for us, we don’t like to have anything in terms of conjecture. We like it when it’s facts. So when Alisa gets citizenship, facts, we know we are eligible for the Olympics.”
