US pairs figure skating is experiencing a positive shift, with Emily Chan and Spencer Akira Howe, along with Ellie Kam and Danny O’Shea, demonstrating significant improvement at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan. Historically, US pairs have been underrepresented and rarely medal contenders, but recent performances indicate a promising trend. Chan and Howe, representing the Skating Club of Boston, qualified for the Olympics after a strong performance in the short program, finishing ninth overall, with a notable rebound from their previous national performance. They scored a season-best 70.06 points, highlighted by a triple toe loop, and expressed relief and excitement after their performance. Howe and Chan's partnership, which began seven years ago, has faced setbacks due to injuries and training disruptions but has shown resilience and progress, finishing fifth at the 2023 world championships and 12th in 2024. Their recent performances, including a season-best 71.87 in the team event, demonstrate an upward trajectory for US pairs skating, with the potential to break a medal drought that has lasted since 1988. Ellie Kam and Danny O’Shea, who contributed to the US team’s gold in the team event, also improved their standings, finishing seventh in the short program with a season-best score of 71.87. They are currently in seventh place overall, marking the first time in two Olympics that two US pairs are in the top 10 after the short program. The US pairs' resurgence is seen as a sign of progress for a discipline that has struggled for decades, with hopes of returning to the podium in future Olympics.