The Race for the Top Five: Efimova and Mitrofanov Crash the Elite Tier in ISU Pairs Standings

The summer reset of the International Skating Union (ISU) World Standings often cements the established hierarchy, rewarding the medalists of the previous Olympic cycle. For the 2026–2027 season, the top four pairs in the world are exactly who analysts expected: Japan's Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara, Germany's Minerva Fabienne Hase and Nikita Volodin, Georgia's Anastasiia Metelkina and Luka Berulava, and Italy's Sara Conti and Niccolo Macii.

But sitting in fifth place is a team that did not even step on the ice at the Milano Cortina Olympics: the United States' Alisa Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov.[1]

With 3,244 points, the two-time U.S. national champions have officially crashed the elite tier of global pair skating. Their surge into the top five is a testament to consistency, resilience, and a strategic mastery of the ISU's Challenger Series, proving that a team can climb the global ranks even when locked out of the sport's biggest stage.[2]

The American duo's absence from the 2026 Winter Games was not due to a lack of talent, but a lack of paperwork. Efimova, who was born in Finland and previously skated for Russia and Germany, married Mitrofanov in early 2024 and obtained her U.S. green card that summer. However, she could not secure a waiver for the mandatory three-year waiting period to obtain a U.S. passport before the Olympic deadline.[1]

Forced to watch the Milano Cortina Games from their training base in Boston, the pair could have let the disappointment derail their season. Instead, they channeled their focus into the events they could control.[1]

"We're going to do what we can, what we can control, which is focusing on our skating," Mitrofanov said earlier this year. That mindset translated into a dominant run on the international circuit.[1]

The ISU World Standings calculate points based on a team's placements over the current and preceding two seasons, with recent results weighted at 100% and older results at 70%. Because Efimova and Mitrofanov only teamed up in June 2023, they had no legacy points to fall back on—every point had to be earned from scratch.

They racked up those points with ruthless efficiency. The duo took silver at the John Nicks Pairs Challenge, bronze at the Nebelhorn Trophy, and silver at the Finlandia Trophy. In January 2026, while other teams were resting for the Olympics, Efimova and Mitrofanov traveled to Beijing and captured the Four Continents Championship, defeating the field by more than four points.

They capped their season with a strong sixth-place finish at the 2026 World Championships in Prague, cementing their status as a top-flight team and pushing their World Standings total past the 3,200-point threshold.[1]

Their rise stands in stark contrast to the turbulent season experienced by the team sitting just below them in the standings: Canada's Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps.[2]

The Canadians, who captured the world title in 2024, entered the Olympic year as heavy favorites. But a severe training injury just days before the Milano Cortina team event derailed their momentum. Stellato-Dudek, 42, battled through the pain to compete in the individual event, finishing 11th in a gritty but heartbreaking Olympic debut.

With 2,890 points, the Canadians now sit in sixth place, setting up a fascinating mid-pack battle for the upcoming Grand Prix season. Both the Americans and the Canadians will be vying for the podium to close the gap on the top four.[2]

For Efimova and Mitrofanov, the top-five ranking is more than just a number—it carries tangible competitive advantages. High-ranking teams receive premium seeding at Grand Prix events, ensuring they skate in the later, higher-scoring warm-up groups and avoid drawing the world's top three teams in the short program.[2]

Furthermore, their success has revitalized the U.S. pairs program. With Ellie Kam and Danny O'Shea sitting in seventh place with 2,810 points, the United States is the only country alongside Canada and Italy to boast multiple teams in the top ten.

As the figure skating world pivots toward the 2026–2027 season, the race for the Grand Prix Final will run directly through Boston. Efimova and Mitrofanov have proven they belong in the elite tier; now, with the Olympic eligibility hurdles behind them, they have their sights set on the World podium.[2]