A full team for USA at the Olympics? Shin and Nagy want to end a 41-year-long wait
For Audrey Shin and Balasz Nagy, the mission at the 2025 ISU Skate to Milano Figure Skating Qualifier is not only to prove that they deserve to be on the Olympic stage along with the world’s best pairs skaters, but also to recapture a milestone for Team USA.
If they manage to obtain a quota for their National Olympic Committee at this event, it would be the first time that the United States will send a full team to the Olympic Games since Sarajevo 1984. USA already have three skaters qualified in the men’s and women’s singles, three ice dance couples and two pairs.
It’s been a steep learning curve for Shin and Nagy who only teamed up in 2024. Before that, Shin was competing in singles skating.
“It’s kind of hard to believe because when I was doing singles, I was still watching Beijing 2022 (and thinking) maybe I can make it there, but now I’m here in Beijing trying to get the spot in the pairs discipline,” she told Olympics.com. “It’s been lots of ups and downs, but it’s been super exciting and, all the hard work, I’m excited to show it here.”
While USA athletes are used to being part of a large delegation at any figure skating event, the qualifier in Beijing has an entirely different feel. Here Shin and Nagy are the only USA skaters competing – an unusual circumstance that they were both quick to notice.
“It’s so weird,” Shin said. “Even when we were doing our team meeting, it took like 30 seconds.”
Her skating partner, on the other hand, is enjoying every minute of representing the USA flag in relative solitude.
“I love it,” Nagy said with a laugh. “I’m getting royal treatment!”