> At a Glance
> – Alisa Efimova delivered a season-best 75.31 points at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships
> – She needs citizenship approval before Sunday’s Olympic team announcement
> – Efimova married partner Misha Mitrofanov in February 2024 and received her green card in July
> – Why it matters: Her Olympic eligibility hangs on a government waiver of the three-year citizenship wait
Alisa Efimova stepped off the ice wearing an American flag patch, but her path to the Milan Cortina Olympics remains frozen in bureaucratic limbo despite her dazzling performance at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships.
The 26-year-old, who was born in Finland and previously represented Russia and Germany, needs U.S. citizenship to compete for Team USA next month.
The Citizenship Hurdle
Efimova’s situation is urgent. The final Olympic team will be announced on Sunday, leaving her just days to secure the citizenship waiver she’s been seeking since her green card approval in July 2024.
She arrived in the U.S. full-time in 2023 when she partnered with Mitrofanov, who was born in America. The pair married in February 2024, but the standard three-year waiting period for citizenship threatens her Olympic dream.
Mitrofanov acknowledged the pressure:
> “We’re hoping maybe a last-minute miracle might happen.”
Record-Breaking Performance
Their short program at the Enterprise Center was flawless:
- Opened with a beautiful triple twist
- Nailed side-by-side triple toe loops
- Perfect throw triple loop finish
- Season-best 75.31 points
This score put them nearly eight points ahead of their closest competitors, Audrey Shin and Balazs Nagy, who scored 67.67 points.
Behind the Scenes Push
The Skating Club of Boston has been driving the citizenship effort, with U.S. Figure Skating strongly supporting their inclusion on the Olympic team.
Mitrofanov described the process:
> “Most of the season has been great. To be honest, the last few weeks, it’s been more difficult than normal. We’ve had to do a little more paperwork. There’s been a great push for it. Hopefully it happens, but it is out of our control.”
Competition Results
| Team | Score | Standing |
|---|---|---|
| Efimova/Mitrofanov | 75.31 | 1st |
| Shin/Nagy | 67.67 | 2nd |
| Kam/O’Shea | 67.13 | 3rd |
| Chan/Howe | 59.29 | 4th |
Key Takeaways
- Efimova needs a citizenship waiver within days to compete in the Olympics
- The pair leads by almost eight points after the short program
- The free skate is scheduled for Friday night
- Her Olympic fate depends on government approval, not her skating ability
While their competitors control their Olympic destiny on the ice, Efimova and Mitrofanov can only wait for a bureaucratic decision that could shatter or fulfill their Olympic dreams.
