Heading into this season, novice ice dancers Anaelle Kouevi and Yann Homawoo thought their ultimate goal would be earning an invitation to the national development camp held at the conclusion of the U.S. Figure Skating Championships. As they approached their final qualifying competition, their goal became even more enticing: an opportunity to compete.
In recent years, the U.S. Championships included only junior and senior divisions, but for the 2024 championships, there will be a small novice field. At the 2024 U.S. Ice Dance Final, Kouevi and Homawoo needed to place in the top five to earn their spot. They did much better, finishing second in the 13-team field, which puts them in position to make history at Nationals.
“It was a really good learning process for both of us—on the ice and off the ice, mentally and physically,” said Kouevi, 12. “All of our programs felt very strong. I felt very grounded into the ice. Normally, at a competition, it feels unfamiliar to be at some rinks, but this time, it felt more familiar to me.”
Homawoo, 14, said the time they spent training helped the programs feel strong and they felt very prepared. “[Making Nationals] means a lot, but also in my mind I knew we were going to go,” he said. “All the hard work we put in toward these programs, it paid off.”
The ice dancers, who are cousins (their mothers are sisters), both attend regular school. They said it keeps them grounded and they enjoy being with kids their age with diverse interests. Their training base is the Ice Dance Academy at the Ion International Training Center in Leesburg, VA.
While this season has been exciting, it also came with challenges. Kouevi suffered an injury at a competition in September. A positive attitude helped her move past it. “Obviously, it was physical because it was a physical injury, but for me, it was more mental. The way I wanted to look at it is this is just another bump in the road to success,” she said.
The only ice dance team of which both partners are Black to earn a podium finish in the U.S. Championships was that of Tiffani Tucker and Franklyn Singley in 1993. “It matters a lot to represent our community—to show that we can really skate and there are more of us to come,” said Homawoo, who gains inspiration by envisioning himself at the World Championships and Olympics.
