2026 Olympics: Pairs' Free Skate | Golden Skate

2026 Olympics: Pairs' Free Skate

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dorispulaski

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Olympic Winter Games 2026 Figure Skating
Milano Cortina / ITA
6 Feb - 22 Feb, 2026
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Milano Ice Skating Arena
Unipol Forum
Via Giuseppe di Vittorio, 6, 20057 Assago MI, Italy
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MAP
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Pairs Free Skate
Monday, 16 February 2026
20:00 CET (UTC +1)
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Times in Other Places
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StN.
Name
Nation
Rank
Points
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Warm-Up Group 1
1
FRA.GIF
FRA
1664.65
2
POL.GIF
POL
1565.23
3
CAN.GIF
CAN
1466.04
4
GBR.GIF
GBR
1366.07
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Warm-Up Group 2
5
ARM.GIF
ARM
1266.27
6
GER.GIF
GER
1167.52
7
ITA.GIF
ITA
1069.08
8
USA.GIF
USA
970.06
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Warm-Up Group 3
9
ITA.GIF
ITA
871.70
10
USA.GIF
USA
771.87
11
CHN.GIF
CHN
672.66
12
JPN.GIF
JPN
573.11
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Warm-Up Group 4
13
HUN.GIF
HUN
473.87
14
CAN.GIF
CAN
374.60
15
GEO.GIF
GEO
275.46
16
GER.GIF
GER
180.01


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Qualification rule: The best 16 teams after the Short Program have advanced to this next segment

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Entries in Pairs


1 Karina AKOPOVA & Nikita RAKHMANIN ARM 🇦🇲
Wikipedia
SP: "Artsakh" by Ara Gevorgyan
FS: "Latika's Theme" by A.R. Rahman, Suzanne; "Ringa Ringa' by A.R. Rahman, Alka Yagnik, Ila Arun; "Jai Ho" by A.R. Rahman, The Pussycat Dolls featuring Nicole Scherzinger (Slumdog Millionaire OST); choreo by Sofia Evdokimova

FanFest: https://www.goldenskate.com/forum/threads/karina-akopova-nikita-rakmanin.90053/
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2 Anastasia GOLUBEVA & Hektor GIOTOPOULOS MOORE AUS 🇦🇺
Wikipedia
SP: "Exogenesis: Symphony Pt. 3 (Redemption)" by Muse; "I Won't Stand Down" by Muse
FS: Penny Dreadful soundtrack by Abel Korzeniowski; choreo by Igor Tchiniaev (SP); Julie Marcotte (FS)

FanFest: https://www.goldenskate.com/forum/threads/anastasia-golubeva-hektor-giotopoulos-moore.91895/
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3 Lia PEREIRA & Trennt MICHAUD CAN 🇨🇦
National bio
Wikipedia
SP
: "Say You Love Me" by Jessie Ware, Benjamin Ash, Benny Blanco, Ed Sheeran
FS: The Mission soundtrack:
"Gabriel’s Oboe" by Ennio Morricone; "Miserere" by Ennio Morricone; "River" by Ennio Morricone; "Guarani" by Ennio Morricone; "Falls" by Ennio Morricone; "The Mission (Main Theme)" by Ennio Morricone; "Prayer of the Fall" by Karl Hugo; choreo by Madison Hubbell, Adrian Diaz, Jean-Luc Baker, Olivia Smart, Alison Purkiss

FanFest: https://www.goldenskate.com/forum/threads/lia-pereira-trennt-michaud.94556/
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4 Deanna STELLATO- DUDEK & Maxime DESCHAMPS CAN 🇨🇦
National bio
Wikipedia
SP
: Medley of Carmine Burana: "In Trutina" and "O Fortuna;"
FS: "Poeta en el Mar" by Vicente Amigo; "Amor Dolce Muerte" by Vicente Amigo; choreo by Lori Nichol

FanFest: https://www.goldenskate.com/forum/threads/deanna-stellato-dudek-maxime-deschamps.90275/unread
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SP: "Asturias" by Suprhot, 2WEI​
FS: "Say Something" by A Great Big World & Christina Aguilera; "The Turmoil of Love" (original arrangement) by Karl Hugo; choreo by Mark Pillay, Paul Boll (SP), David Wilson, Sandra Bezic (FS)​

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5 Wenjing SUI & Cong HAN CHN 🇨🇳
隋文静 / 韩聪
Wikipedia
SP: Carmen: "Habanera" (arranged for Acoustic Guitar by Marcin Patrzalek)
FS: "A Tapestry of a Legendary Land" by Lü Liang; choreo by Lori Nichol; Wenjing Sui

FanFest: https://www.goldenskate.com/forum/showthread.php?52545
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SP: "Nemesis" by Benjamin Clementine​
FS: "O" by Coldplay, choreo by Aljona Savchenko (SP), Simone Vaturi (SP), Benoit Richaud (FS)​

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6 Camille KOVALEV & Pavel KOVALEV FRA 🇫🇷
National bio / National bio
Wikipedia
SP: "
Une vie d'amour" by Mireille Mathieu and Charles Aznavour
FS: "Come Together" performed by Gary Clark Jr. Junkie XL, John Lennon; "After Dark" by Tito et Tarantula, Steve Huffstester; "Seven Nation Army" by The White Stripes, Jack White; choreo by Pavel Kovalev, Dominique Deniaud

FanFest: https://www.goldenskate.com/forum/showthread.php?59943
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SP: "Within" by Daft Punk​
FS: "Yearning" (feauring Fathi Aljarah) by Raul Ferrando; "Hob Fi Dimashq" by Radwan Nasri, Quincy Simms; "Oasis" by JO Blankenburg; choreo by Pierre Loup Bouquet (SP) , Mahil Chautelauze (SP, FS)​

FanFest: https://www.goldenskate.com/forum/threads/aurelie-faula-theo-belle.93174/
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7 Anastasia VAIPAN-LAW & Luke DIGBY GBR 🇬🇧
National bio / National bio
Wikipedia
SP:
"Lighthouse" by Patrick Watson
FS: "Arrival of the Birds" by Cinematic Orchestra, Rob Colling, "Carry You" by Fleurie, Ruelle; choreo by Christopher Dean and Mark Hanretty (SP), Mark Hanretty (FS)

FanFest: https://www.goldenskate.com/forum/threads/anastasia-vaipan-law-luke-digby.92734/
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8 Anastasiia METELKINA & Luka BERULAVA GEO 🇬🇪
Wikipedia
SP: "Bolero" (Excerpt) by Miloš Karadaglić
FS: "Le discours d'Arthur" by Jerome Rebotier; "Keeping Me Alive" (Acoustic) by Jonathan Roy; choreo by Sergei Plishkin, Ivan Malafeev

FanFest: https://www.goldenskate.com/forum/threads/anastasiia-metelkina-luka-berulava.96366/
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9 Minerva Fabienne HASE & Nikita VOLODIN GER 🇩🇪
Wikipedia
SP: "El Abrazo" by Maxime Rodriguez; choreo by Mark Pillay
FS: "Europe, After the Rain" (from "Memoryhouse") by Max Richter "November" (from "Memoryhouse") by Max Richter "Last Days" (from "Memoryhouse") by Max Richter; choreo by Mark Pillay, Paul Boll (SP), Benoit Richaud (FS)

FanFest: https://www.goldenskate.com/forum/threads/minerva-fabienne-hase-nikita-volodin.96212/
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10 Annika HOCKE & Robert KUNKEL GER 🇩🇪
Wikipedia
SP
: "Hold My Hand" by Lady Gaga
FS: "I Would Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)" by Meat Loaf; choreo by Anna Cappellini; Luca Lanotte

FanFest: https://www.goldenskate.com/forum/s...Hocke-amp-Robert-Kunkel&p=2524075#post2524075
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11 Maria PAVLOVA & Alexei SVIATCHENKO HUN 🇭🇺
Wikipedia
SP
: "Earth Song" by Michael Jackson
FS: "Without You" by Ursine Vulpine featuring Annaca; choreo by Sofia Evdokimova, Luca Lanotte, Benoît Richaud

FanFest: https://www.goldenskate.com/forum/threads/maria-pavlova-alexei-sviatchenko.94626/
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12 Sara CONTI & Niccolo MACII ITA 🇮🇹
National bio / National bio
Wikipedia
SP: "The Wild Bull" by John Califra; "Concerto de Espana" by Benise
FS: "Caruso" performed by Hauser; "Caruso" performed by Lara Fabian; "Occhi Verdi" by Karl Hugo; "Caruso" performed by Hauser; "Occhi Verdi" by Karl Hugo; "Caruso" performed by Lara Fabian; choreo by Matteo Zanni, Roberto Tedesco, Romain Haguenauer (FS)

FanFest: https://www.goldenskate.com/forum/threads/sara-conti-niccolo-macii.89492/
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13 Rebecca GHILARDI & Filippo AMBROSINI ITA 🇮🇹
National bio / National bio
Wikipedia
SP: "Volare" by Il Volo, Domenico Modugno
FS: "Poeta En El Mar" by Vicente Amigo; "Flamenco del Mar" (Original Composition for Ghilardi-Ambrosini) by Lorenzo De Benedictis; "V for Vivaldi" by Duomo, Power-Haus, Sebastian Pecznik, Axel Tenner, Daniel Belardinelli, Sebastian Pecznik; choreo by Daniel Aggiano, Raffaella Cazzaniga, Corrado Giordani

FanFest: https://www.goldenskate.com/forum/threads/rebecca-ghilardi-filippo-ambrosini.88569/
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SP: "La donna cannone" by Francesco De Gregori​
FS: Avatar: The Way of Water soundtrack by James Horner: "Jake Enters His Avatar World" by James Horner; "The Songcord;" from Avatar (soundtrack) by Simon Franglen; "Adiemus" by Karl Jenkins; "I See You" (theme from Avatar soundtrack) by James Horner; choreo by Andrea Vaturi​

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14 Rika MIURA & Ryuichi KIHARA JPN 🇯🇵
三浦 璃来 / 木原 龍
National bio
Wikipedia
SP: "Paint It Black" by Keith Richards and Mick Jagger (kept from 2024-25)
FS: "Strength And Honor" by Harry Gregson-Williams; "Nelle Tue Mani (Now We Are Free)" from Gladiator (soundtrack) by Lias Gerrard, Hans Zimmer, perf. by Andrea Bocelli

FanFest: https://www.goldenskate.com/forum/showthread.php?83792-Riku-Miura-amp-Ryuichi-Kihara
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15 Yuna NAGAOKA & Sumitada MORIGUCHI JPN 🇯🇵
長岡 柚奈 / 森口 澄士)

National bio
Wikipedia
SP: "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" by Elton John, Bernie Taupin; "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" (from “Ant-man and the Wasp: Quantumania Trailer”) by Epic Geek, Elton John, Bernie Taupin; "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" (from "Ant-man and the Wasp: Quantumania" (Epic Version) by Alala, Elton John, Bernie Taupin
FS: "Tree of Life Suite: V. Figlia del Cielo" by Roberto; "Cacciapaglia; "Tree of Life Suite: I1" by Roberto Cacciapaglia; "Fiamme" by Roberto Cacciapaglia; "Tree of Life Suite: VI. Wild Side" by Roberto Cacciapaglia; choreo by Cathy Reed

FanFest: https://www.goldenskate.com/forum/threads/yuna-nagaoka-sumitada-moriguchi.97311/
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16 Daria DANILOVA & Michel TSIBA NED 🇳🇱
Wikipedia
SP
: "Take Back the Power" by Raury
FS: "Stairway To Heaven" by Led Zepplin; choreo by Joti Polizoakis, Pasquale Camerlengo

FanFest: https://www.goldenskate.com/forum/threads/daria-danilova-and-michel-tsiba.88388/
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17 Ioulia CHTCHETININA & Michal WOZNIAK POL🇵🇱
Wikipedia
SP: "Moderation" by Florence + The Machine
FS: "I Love You (Acoustic)" by Woodkid; "I Love You" by Woodkid; choreo by Mark Pillay, Paul Boll
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18 Emily CHAN & Spencer Akira HOWE USA 🇺🇸
National bio
Wikipedia
SP: "Nyah" by CH2
FS: "Unchained Melody" (Dance) from Ghost the Musical soundtrack; "The Love Inside" from Ghost the Musical soundtrack; "Unchained Melody" (Dance) from Ghost the Musical soundtrack; choreo by Olga Ganicheva

FanFest: https://www.goldenskate.com/forum/threads/emily-chan-spencer-akira-howe.90272/
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19 Ellie KAM & Danny O'SHEA USA 🇺🇸
National bio
Wikipedia
SP: "Hallelujah" by K.D. Lang
FS: "Sweet Dreams" performed by Cinematic Pop; "Everybody Wants to Rule the World” (featuring Spencer Jones & Mckenna Breinholt) by Cinematic Pop; choreo by Drew Meekins; Marie-France Dubreuil

FanFest: https://www.goldenskate.com/forum/threads/ellie-kam-danny-oshea.94558/
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SP: "Angel of Small Death and the Codeine Scene" by Hozier​
FS: "Two Men in Love" by The Irrepressibles; choreo by Yura Min, Brandon Frazier​
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SP: "Rhapsody on A Theme of Paganini, Op 43: Variation 11" by Sergei Rachmaninoff; "Rhapsody on A Theme of Paganini, Op 43: Variation 8" by Sergei Rachmaninoff​
FS: "Burden of Pride" (from "The Lion King" soundtrack) by Hans Zimmer; "& of Mufasa" (from "The Lion King" soundtrack) by Hans Zimmer; "Rafiki's Fireflies" (from "The Lion King" soundtrack) by Hans Zimmer; "A Story of a Great King" (from "The Lion King" soundtrack) by Hans Zimmer; "Remember' (from "The Lion King" soundtrack) by Hans Zimmer​


SP: "El Tango De Roxanne" by José Feliciano​
FS: "Two Men in Love" by The Irrepressibles; choreo by John Kerr, Sylvia Fontana, John Zimmerman, and Tessa Virtue​

 
Last edited:
That cut seems very high to me, I'm sure that over the last few worlds, 64 would have easily been top 16!
It is high - This was, apart from a few dicey skates, a very well-skated (and well-scored) pairs event.

Starting with the introduction of the new scoring system, the 16th highest score at Worlds (and the 2022 Olympics) was always below 60 until now.

2019 WCh - 53.16
2020 WCh - Cancelled
2021 WCh - 54.30
2022 Oly - 55.83
2022 WCh - Fewer than 16 pairs
2023 WCh - 58.12
2024 WCh - 59.34
2025 WCh - 57.82
2026 Oly - 64.65

Just a "small" jump of almost 9 points since the last Olympics (and that without the Russian pairs).
 
It is high - This was, apart from a few dicey skates, a very well-skated (and well-scored) pairs event.

Starting with the introduction of the new scoring system, the 16th highest score at Worlds (and the 2022 Olympics) was always below 60 until now.

2019 WCh - 53.16
2020 WCh - Cancelled
2021 WCh - 54.30
2022 Oly - 55.83
2022 WCh - Fewer than 16 pairs
2023 WCh - 58.12
2024 WCh - 59.34
2025 WCh - 57.82
2026 Oly - 64.65

Just a "small" jump of almost 9 points since the last Olympics (and that without the Russian pairs).
without the Russian pairs with a * considering the number of Russian raised/trained athletes in the pair event and especially in the top group

But yes, the level is improving and it's nice to see.
 
I just hope it's not like the men's where we had a whole lot of good performances in the short, and complete carnage in the free.

Maybe the top pairs serving up a bit of chaos in the short will be enough entropy for this competition.
 
I just hope it's not like the men's where we had a whole lot of good performances in the short, and complete carnage in the free.

Maybe the top pairs serving up a bit of chaos in the short will be enough entropy for this competition.
I was going to say... where did you see a whole lot of good performances ? but then your second sentence made sense ;)

To me that was extremely chaotic. Some teams got lucky.
 
I was going to say... where did you see a whole lot of good performances ? but then your second sentence made sense ;)

To me that was extremely chaotic. Some teams got lucky.
I really thought the rank and file teams mostly performed very well, loads of SBs and PBs, and it was the medal prospects who faltered. Until we got to Deanna and Max, I thought things were going nicely...
 
I really thought the rank and file teams mostly performed very well, loads of SBs and PBs, and it was the medal prospects who faltered. Until we got to Deanna and Max, I thought things were going nicely...
you are right... I am just not over Deanna and Max and Riku and Ryuichi

but it's true that the event was well skated considering the cut was 64 points. WOW.
 
It is high - This was, apart from a few dicey skates, a very well-skated (and well-scored) pairs event.

Starting with the introduction of the new scoring system, the 16th highest score at Worlds (and the 2022 Olympics) was always below 60 until now.

2019 WCh - 53.16
2020 WCh - Cancelled
2021 WCh - 54.30
2022 Oly - 55.83
2022 WCh - Fewer than 16 pairs
2023 WCh - 58.12
2024 WCh - 59.34
2025 WCh - 57.82
2026 Oly - 64.65

Just a "small" jump of almost 9 points since the last Olympics (and that without the Russian pairs).
Interesting. In addition to strong, clean early skates, this year's high scoring cut-off might also be attributed to S/H skating early and being given an overly high score with a mistake and a bit of labored skating. Other early clean skates automatically needed to be given strong credit.
 
Kinda strange there is no day break between no?
Pairs are always treated poorly. It's the most difficult discipline, yet they are rarely given a day off. The best thing to say, though, is that the skaters are used to coming back the next day for the fp. Meanwhile, the men are used to just one or to no days off in between. But they were given an exorbitant 2 days off.
 
I was going to say... where did you see a whole lot of good performances ? but then your second sentence made sense ;)

To me that was extremely chaotic. Some teams got lucky.
I am not dissing any of the pairs, but compared to years gone by, there werent alot of steller performances. I just went back and watched Shen and Zhao 2010 and Sui/Han 2022. I would say today's 80 point program was not an 80 point program compared to Sui/Han's 2022 84 point program. That's my story and I'm stickin to it. Speed, synchro, throw distances...best wishes to all tomorrow and a pox on NBC rabbit ears for not showing Sui/Han and Emily and Spence, which they could have easily done during the ice resurface time.
 
but it's true that the event was well skated considering the cut was 64 points. WOW.
Eh, that just means there weren't any big disasters.

I would not call it an especially well skated event. Nobody was spectacular. The top 5 in 2022 were all better than what was seen here.

I would say today's 80 point program was not an 80 point program compared to Sui/Han's 2022 84 point program. That's my story and I'm stickin to it.
Hase/Volodin were a bit overscored with their 80 but also something to remember is that the required lift in the SP this year is worth 2 points more than the required lift in 2022.
 
In order of SP Score plus FS Season Best

1 Minerva Fabienne HASE / Nikita VOLODIN GER 80.01+149.57=229.58
2 Riku MIURA / Ryuichi KIHARA JPN 73.11+155.55=228.66
3 Anastasiia METELKINA / Luka BERULAVA GEO 75.46+148.07=223.53
4 Sara CONTI / Niccolo MACII ITA 71.70+146.06=217.76
5 Maria PAVLOVA / Alexei SVIATCHENKO HUN 73.87+135.49=209.36
6 Lia PEREIRA / Trennt MICHAUD CAN 74.60+134.42=209.02
7 Ellie KAM / Danny O'SHEA USA 71.87+135.36=207.23
8 Deanna STELLATO-DUDEK / Maxime DESCHAMPS CAN 66.04+140.37=206.41
9 Wenjing SUI / Cong HAN CHN 72.66+130.47=203.13
10 Rebecca GHILARDI / Filippo AMBROSINI ITA 69.08+126.21=195.29
11 Emily CHAN / Spencer Akira HOWE USA 70.06+123.58=193.64
12 Annika HOCKE / Robert KUNKEL GER 67.52+122.80=190.32
13 Karina AKOPOVA / Nikita RAKHMANIN ARM 66.27+123.71=189.98
14 Anastasia VAIPAN-LAW / Luke DIGBY GBR 66.07+119.09=185.16
15 Ioulia CHTCHETININA / Michal WOZNIAK POL 65.23+111.91=177.14
16 Camille KOVALEV / Pavel KOVALEV FRA 64.65+107.30=171.95
 
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