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Alisa Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov at the 2025 World Figure Skating Championships in Boston
In one of the most memorable performances of their lives, Alisa Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov competed at the 2025 World Figure Skating Championships in Boston in honor of the skaters from the city who died in the D.C. plane crash earlier this year. Then, they broke down.
As the pair finished their free skate at the TD Garden in Boston on Thursday, March 27 and completed their final lift, Efimova hugged her partner and cried, according to the Boston Globe.
Mitrofanov then told her to turn around and look at the cheering crowd that was on its feet in appreciation. “Watch,” Mitrofanov, 27, said, according to the paper.
The duo, who have spent part of their careers training in Boston, placed 4th in the event, earning 6th overall. The results ensured they would be able to compete in the last Olympic qualifying event leading up to the 2026 Olympics in Milan.
“I have no words to explain what I’m feeling right now,” Efimova, 25, told the hosts as they waited for their score, according to Sports Illustrated. “Thank you, TD Garden. Thank you, Boston.”
Related: Young Skaters in D.C. Plane Crash 'Likely Felt Closer to Their Olympic Dream' Than Ever, Evan Lysacek Says (Exclusive)
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The duo on the ice following their free skate on March 27
It was a moving night for the duo and the city as they mourn the skaters who died.
On Jan. 29, 14 members of the skating community lost their lives when American Airlines flight 5342 crashed into a military aircraft over the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Six members of The Skating Club of Boston, including two married coaches and two teens and their moms, were on the flight. No one survived the crash.
Like other skaters competing in the championships, Mitrofanov and Efimova brought pictures of the victims with them. They held the photos as they waited to get their results, according to Olympics.com.
Related: Olympians Nancy Kerrigan and Peggy Fleming Are Among Those Who Will Honor Ice Skaters Who Died in D.C. Plane Crash
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Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov held photos of the victims of the D.C. plane crash
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"It feels like a family; we've all come together. We're very blessed to train there," said Mitrofanov, according to the organization. "Probably half the crowd [tonight] was from Skating Club of Boston."
For Mitrofanov and his partner, the night was a way to honor the people and the city that mean so much to them.
“This is a memory I will now keep forever,” Efimova told Sports Illustrated. “It’s such a deep feeling right now here. It’s so warm.”
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