ST. LOUIS, Missouri — It was a night of nerves and raw emotion as the 2026 Prevagen U.S. Figure Skating Championships opened with the pairs short program in St. Louis, Missouri, — and with two Olympic berths expected to be awarded out of this event, every element felt like it carried extra weight.

At the top, Alisa Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov delivered the highest score of the night, skating away with the short program lead with 75.31 points

The Skating Club of Boston team brought the most force and attack of the event, as Efimova punctuated a throw triple loop with a smile and a wink to her partner, later punching a fist in the air, confident they’d put down something worthy of their skill. Their 'Cloak and Dagger' short remains worthy of a place on the U.S. Olympic team, although as of this event, Efimova has not yet received her American citizenship, a requirement to compete in the Games.

Behind them, the race tightened: Audrey Shin and Balazs Nagy sat 2nd on 67.67 after a performance that moved Shin to tears as they finished — a sign of both the pressure and the relief that can come with getting through the first half of nationals in an Olympic year. 

The 2024 national champions, Ellie Kam and Danny O’Shea, were 3rd with 67.13. Their program opened with an eye-catching lifted start pose, and they still managed to keep their campaign pointed in the right direction despite a costly mistake when Kam fell and then stepped out of the throw. It wasn’t the clean, confident statement they would have wanted, but they remain firmly in the hunt heading into the free skate.

Valentina Plazas and Maximiliano Fernandez (67.03) had a strong night but finished the short program in 4th place. Their death spiral and side-by-side spins were the kind of highlight elements that drew loud cheers from the St. Louis crowd, who were rewarded by a season’s-best score. “It’s really exciting to be back,” Plazas said afterward. “It felt good.” For a team that missed last season and has been fighting their way back, it read as both performance and exhale.

Right behind them, Katie McBeath and Daniil Parkman posted 66.81 with a steady skate. Despite a few wobbles, there was stability where it counted, keeping them in striking distance of the podium. And Olivia Flores and Luke Wang, 2024 World Junior Silver Medalists and U.S. Junior Champions, continued their senior nationals introduction with a strong, confident outing for 63.58. For a team that has dealt with injuries and limited competition opportunities this season, it looked like a step forward at exactly the right time.

Further down the standings, Chelsea Liu and Ryan Bedard (62.34) held their own at their first U.S. Championships together as a team, while the toughest story of the night belonged to Emily Chan and Spencer Howe in eighth at 59.29 after coming in as contenders for one of the two coveted Olympic berths. They opened with one of the best twists in the event and hit a huge lift, laying down a strong step sequence. But two falls and a late start deduction left them with -3.00 total deductions.

Rounding out the field, Naomi Williams and Lachlan Lewer scored 55.09 and Linzy Fitzpatrick and Keyton Bearinger had 54.56, both teams still very much in the mix for big movement depending on how the free skate unfolds.

The 2026 Prevagen U.S. Figure Skating Championships continue with the women's short program airing live on USA Network and streaming on Peacock.