Pasadena Skater Emily Chan Finishes 7th at Olympics

Chan and partner Spencer Akira Howe deliver strong long program performance.

Published on Feb. 17, 2026

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Emily Chan, a figure skater from Pasadena, Texas, and her partner Spencer Akira Howe finished in 7th place in the pairs figure skating event at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy. The duo skated a strong long program, with their only blemish being a stumble by Chan on a triple toe loop. Their score of 130.25 was a season best, briefly putting them at the top of the leaderboard before they were passed by later skaters.

Why it matters

Chan and Howe were not originally expected to make the U.S. Olympic team, but earned their spot after two pairs who finished ahead of them at the U.S. championships could not qualify due to citizenship issues. Their 7th place finish marks a strong showing for the American pair, who were 5th at the 2023 World Championships before Howe's injury sidelined them the last two years.

The details

Chan and Howe opened their long program with a strong triple salchow, double axel, double axel combination. The only mistake came when Chan stumbled on a triple toe loop. Their score of 130.25 was a season best, briefly putting them at the top of the leaderboard before they were passed by later skaters. The U.S. has not earned a medal in pairs figure skating since 1988.

  • The 2026 Winter Olympics pairs figure skating long program took place on Monday, February 16, 2026 in Milan, Italy.

The players

Emily Chan

A 28-year-old figure skater from Pasadena, Texas who grew up in the city and now trains at the Skating Club of Boston.

Spencer Akira Howe

Chan's pairs figure skating partner, who has competed with her since they were fifth at the 2023 World Championships before an injury sidelined them the last two years.

Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara

The Japanese pair who won the gold medal in the pairs figure skating event at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Elle Kam and Danny O'Shea

The other American pairs figure skating team that competed at the 2026 Winter Olympics, finishing 9th.

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What they’re saying

“We're so stoked that we could do two strong performances and finish our Olympic Games competition as we did. We work so hard to get to this stage, and then once you make it, it's kind of like your brain doesn't know how to process that.”

— Spencer Akira Howe, Pairs Figure Skater

“It was a bit of a sigh of relief and just excitement. Like, 'We did it.' We really went out there and we were together, and we experienced that whole entire program together. And I just felt on the top of the mountain.”

— Emily Chan, Pairs Figure Skater

“We definitely did leave it all out there, just not in the way that I had thought that it was going to go. But I'm still so proud of everything that we've done here. I feel like all the work that we put in at home has carried through to this competition.”

— Elle Kam, Pairs Figure Skater

What’s next

The U.S. Figure Skating Association will evaluate the performance of all American pairs teams at the Olympics and make decisions on future team selections and funding.

The takeaway

Despite not medaling, Emily Chan and Spencer Akira Howe's 7th place finish at the 2026 Winter Olympics represents a strong showing for the American pair, who overcame long odds to make the U.S. team and delivered their best performance of the season on the biggest stage.