Alisa Efimova & Misha Mitrofanov (USA) captured their first ISU championship title at the ISU Figure Skating Four Continents Championships 2026 in Beijing Saturday as the Pairs event concluded with a Free Skating full of excitement and suspense. 

Alisa Efimova & Misha Mitrofanov (USA) golden in Beijing 

Back-to-back US champions Alisa Efimova & Misha Mitrofanov (main picture) rose from third place to skate off with the ISU Four Continents crown. The 2022 Olympic Champions Wenjing Sui & Cong Han of China earned the silver medal, while Japan’s Yuna Nagaoka & Sumitada Moriguchi claimed the bronze.

Efimova & Mitrofanov delivered an emotional performance of their “Love Story” Free Skating that they dedicate to two-time Olympic champions Ekaterina Gordeeva and the late Sergei Grinkov. The ISU Grand Prix Finlandia Trophy silver medalists produced a triple twist, triple Salchow-double Axel-double Axel sequence as well as a throw triple loop and Salchow and excellent lifts. The husband-and-wife team scored 133.49 points and totalled 205.34 points to win the event – and their first ISU championship medal as a team. Four years ago, Mitrofanov was the ISU Four Continents champion with his previous partner Audrey Lu. 

“My first thought was that we held it together because it was a quick turnaround after Nationals,” Efimova said. “I believed that if we skate clean, we do have a chance (to win), for sure. Right after free skate, I didn’t know yet if it’s possible or not, but I was still very happy with our skate anyway,” she added. 

A seemingly astonished Mitrofanov could scarcely believe the result: “Holy cow, we won!” he said. “Definitely amazing emotions. Actually, it’s a little secret, (coach) Olga (Ganicheva) told us right before we left, ‘Don’t go here and try to win, just skate with your heart’ and so that’s what we felt like we did today and with the Short Program – we were just honestly skating with our heart and doing what we could.”

The 2026 ISU ISU Four Continents Pairs champions, Alisa Efimova & Misha Mitrofanov (USA) in Beijing, China © ISU

The crowd at the Beijing National Indoor Stadium cheered loudly when Sui & Han, the last to skate, stepped on to the ice. The six-time ISU Four Continents champions risked it all in their characteristic performance to music from the Chinese dance drama “A Tapestry of a Legendary Land”, landing a triple twist, throw triple flip and difficult lifts. However, Sui was affected by a recent hip injury and missed the side-by-side triple Salchow and stumbled on the throw triple Salchow. With a score of 124.97 points, the two-time ISU world champions were ranked fourth in the Free Skating and slipped from first to second at 200.99 points. 

“I think that this is my last Four Continents Championship and today we’re very close to the gold medal but because of the sudden injury before the competition we were affected but we are still happy that in my last Four Continents Championship I got a medal,” Han said. 

Sui added further context to their result: “Actually the Four Continents Championship has a special meaning for us because it was our first championship at the senior level in 2010,” she said. 

“After 15 years, we can still get on the podium. We are very proud of ourselves. I was facing difficulties because of the injuries to my ankle, to my knee and then because of the torn hip muscle, and this injury is acute. I believe that with the treatment in the next 15 days we will be able to adjust ourselves to skate in Milan. Despite the difficulties we had, we completed this competition and we are happy for that.”

Silver medalists Wenjing Sui and Cong Han (CHN), at the ISU Four Continents Championships in Beijing, China © ISU

Performing to the “Tree of Life Suite”, Nagaoka & Moriguchi impressed with their triple loop-double Axel-double Axel sequence as well as with their lifts, but Nagaoka struggled with the throw jumps. The Japanese champions produced the third-best Free Skating of the night with 125.51 points and earned the bronze, their first ISU Championship medal, with a total score of 197.46 points. 

“The fact that we got this bronze means a lot and we’re very happy,” Nagaoka told the post-event press conference. “In terms of the performance, I’m disappointed with both throws because I made mistakes, but we’re very happy that we were able to come to this big championship and got on to the podium”, she added.

“This really is our first ISU championship medal,” Moriguchi said. “We are generally happy about that. This Four Continents will be one in the books and it will be embedded as our skating career memory. 

“But this is not the end. I want to motivate myself and compete at the Olympics and at the World Championships to aim higher. We will make this medal as a motivator to keep going forward.”

Yuna Nagaoka & Sumitada Moriguchi (JPN), who claimed the bronze medal in Beijing, China © ISU

The 2024 ISU Junior Grand Prix Final Champions Jiaxuan Zhang & Yihang Huang (CHN) had a strong debut at the ISU Four Continents to come fourth at 196.29 points. They ranked second in the Free Skating segment. Kelly Ann Laurin & Loucas Ethier (CAN) remained in fifth place at 188.27 points while Katie McBeath & Daniil Parkman (USA) moved up one spot to come sixth (181.12 points).

What and when 

The schedule of the ISU Figure Skating Four Continents Championships 2026 is as follows:

Thursday, January 22: Women’s Short Program, Rhythm Dance, Pairs Short Program
 Friday, January 23: Free Dance & Women’s Free Skating 
 Saturday, January 24: Men’s Short Program & Pairs Free Skating
 Sunday, January 25: Men’s Free Skating & Exhibition Gala

For more information, full entry lists and results, visit the ISU event page of the ISU Figure Skating Four Continents Championships 2026. Find comments of the skaters and the press conference highlights on the ISU event website in the “For Media” section. For more information also see the Facts & Figures.

Follow the discussion on social media using #4ContsFigure and #FigureSkating. 

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