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As the figure skating world turns its attention toward Milan-Cortina 2026, the pairs discipline is entering one of its most unpredictable Olympic cycles in recent memory. The post-Beijing landscape has been reshaped by coaching realignments and the continued absence of traditionally dominant Russian teams from international competition, creating openings for nations that have spent years operating in their shadow. Canada and the United States have both invested heavily in rebuilding their pairs pipelines, with Skate Canada and U.S. Figure Skating launching targeted development camps aimed at closing the technical gap that has defined the last two Olympic quadrennials.



Meanwhile, the International Skating Union's continued refinement of the pairs short program requirements—particularly around side-by-side jump consistency and throw jump technical execution—has forced teams to prioritize reliability alongside difficulty. Italian skating officials are also expecting a home-ice bump, hoping that hosting the Games at the refurbished Palavela in Turin and the new venues in Cortina will galvanize their pairs program after years of limited international depth. With no clear successor yet to the established Olympic champions and several junior teams quickly rising through the ranks, the race for podium spots in Cortina remains wide open heading into the 2024-2025 competitive season.

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