\u201cIt was a bit of a sigh of relief,\u201d Chan said, \u201cand just excitement. Like, \u2018We did it.\u2019 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.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Chan, 28, and Howe, 29, will compete in the free skate Monday alongside one other American pair, Ellie Kam and Danny O\u2019Shea, who finished seventh. No American pair has won a medal in this event since 1988, and the United States has never won gold.<\/span><\/p>\n Skating to the song \u201cNyah\u201d by CH2, the pair made it through their program with just one slight misstep \u2014 Chan\u2019s hand briefly touched the ice on their third element, a throw triple loop, but they received no deductions.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cGetting out there just felt so good,\u201d Howe said. \u201cI felt so focused out there. And I know Emily did, too, because we were right there next to each other, trying to deliver these elements.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n It\u2019s atypical for figure skaters to spend so much time in one place without competing. They arrived in Milan more than two weeks ago and this was their first competition of the Games.<\/span><\/p>\n Chan\u2019s boyfriend, Estonian figure skater Aleksandr Selevko, also qualified to compete. Their families were able to meet for the first time, posing for photos on the top of the Duomo before the Games began<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n Chan said her father and brother were in the audience watching her compete live for the first time in more than a decade. Howe\u2019s parents, sister, and brother-in-law were watching, as were an aunt and cousin whom he hasn\u2019t seen in quite a while.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s been awesome to see all the support of our family and friends come here and cheer us on,\u201d Howe said. \u201cWe\u2019re so grateful.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Along with Maxim Naumov, who finished 20th in the men\u2019s singles competition, Howe and Chan are part of the largest contingent of skaters from the Skating Club of Boston to compete in the Olympics since 1992.<\/span><\/p>\n During the US championships, Howe and Chan got off to a rocky start, finishing eighth out of 10 pairs in the short program. Their rebound in the free skate \u2014 their best showing as a pair ever \u2014 put them into position to be at these Games.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI think there\u2019s a lot of stress going into that competition, because we\u2019re trying to see if we\u2019re going to be on the team,\u201d Howe said about nationals. \u201cAnd so once we found out that [we were on the team], we just said, \u2018OK, let\u2019s really focus.\u2019 \u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Inside Chan\u2019s Team USA jacket, she had printed a message: \u201cTrust the process.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n It defines their partnership on the ice, which began seven years ago in Norwood. Through that time, Howe has battled shoulder injuries \u2014 he had a torn labrum repaired in May 2023 \u2014 and gone through Army basic training. Howe is part of the Army\u2019s World Class Athlete Program and is the first figure skater to join and make an Olympic team.<\/span><\/p>\n They finished fifth in world championships in 2023 but tumbled to 12th in 2024, their first major competition back from Howe\u2019s injury. In 2025, they finished fourth at the US championships that January, and Howe was at basic training a month later. <\/span><\/p>\n Howe and Chan didn\u2019t get back on the ice together until June 2025, a rarity for teams pursuing an Olympic berth. Chan said the tighter timeframe forced them to come up with a better plan for training. <\/span><\/p>\n Safe to say, it has all paid off.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe are communicating with each other not just verbally but also physically throughout that program,\u201d Howe said Sunday. \u201cAnd we were just really able to execute.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Katie McInerney can be reached at katie.mcinerney@globe.com<\/a>. Follow her on Instagram at @katiemac.sports<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n![\"Emily](\"https:\/\/bostonglobe-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com\/resizer\/v2\/FC3QAFQRKEO45SBTTVUATWNIYM.jpg?auth=8125cce81e3700e97d06b64702e38564f883d89c0e2783a55404d96cf586851e&width=1440\")
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