Olympic figure skating pair Emily Chan and Spencer Howe will take center stage on Sunday, February 15, competing in the 2026 Winter Olympics from the Milano Ice Skating Arena. The Winter Olympics have brought heavenly moments to heartbreak, and that’s just a few days in, so we’re certain the pairs competition will bring more excitement.
So, are Emily Chan and Spencer Howe dating? Is this pair a couple on and off the ice, or is it strictly professional?
Are Emily Chan and Spencer Howe Dating or Married? Inside the Olympic Figure Skating Couple and Their Journey
So, are Emily Chan and Spencer Howe dating and a couple? Or, possibly, are Emily Chan and Spencer Howe married? Well, it appears that this relationship is not romantic.
In a feature for Town and Country out on February 9, Rachel King states that this pairing appears to be just a working relationship.
“The 2023 U.S. silver medalists at nationals have been skating together since 2019, and Milan is their first appearance at the Olympics,” she notes in the piece. “Due to the gold medalist at 2026 U.S. nationals, Alisa Efimova, not having U.S. citizenship in time before the Olympics started, Chan and Howe were awarded the second pair skating spot for the 2026 Winter Olympics. They appear to have just a working relationship.” So, just a “working relationship,” but they’re still magical on the ice.
Emily Chan and Spencer Howe: A Couple on the Ice Overcoming Obstacles to Get to the 2026 Winter Olympics
So, even if they aren’t a romantic couple off the ice, they’re a couple on the ice. In the sport, Howe has struggled with shoulder issues throughout the couple’s career, but that hasn’t stopped them from thriving.
“When we first got together, I was teetering between even continuing my skating career just because the shoulder injuries were continuing to be a burden to the success of my skating and my career,” Howe told Boston.com in an interview. “Our first tryout together, we didn’t even do any real pair elements because my shoulder was still not in good condition.”
Howe added, “In Season 1, the main mission was to try to get myself to a healthy place where we can even train to do lifts.”
Things haven’t been easy for this pair. But, they’ve made it work. “Our career has come with a lot of ups and downs,” Howe said in the same Boston.com interview. “You name it, we’ve probably gone through it. So to be able to achieve this kind of level of skating together just makes it that much more special.”
Chan fell into skating at an early age. “Emily’s path to the Olympics started at a child’s birthday party at an ice rink,” NBC DFW notes. “By age four, she was competing and her parents, Mary and John Chan, were soon immersed in the demanding life shared by families of elite athletes: long drives, meals in the car, and homework done between practices.”
“Mary Chan also began making Emily’s skating dresses. Every competition dress Emily has ever skated in, including her Olympic costume, was handmade by her mother,” NBC DFW adds.
Are Emily Chan and Spencer Howe Dating?