At least four men in Sheffield had an additional weight on their shoulders, other than that of competing at one of the major events of the season, the Europeans.
For Italy’s Matteo Rizzo and Nikolaj Memola on one hand, and for Estonia’s Aleksandr Selevko and Mihhail Selevko pictured above, there was more at stake than a potential European medal: a place in the Olympic team of their respective countries.
Italy has two spots for men at the Olympics, and one had already been secured by Daniel Grassl, so Nikolaj and Matteo had Europeans as their skate-off before Italian officials made the final decision on who got the remaining spot.
And there will be only one Estonian man at the Olympics in Milano-Cortina, so Mihhail and Aleksander needed to bring their A-game in Sheffield and fight for that sole Olympic spot.
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Story by Florentina Tone
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But no one from the Estonian federation, or the skating world altogether had probably imagined how tight the competition between the brothers would be – or the fact that Aleksandr and Mihhail would actually be second and third after the men’s short program at 2026 Europeans.
Mihhail Selevko: a really intriguing short program – and he made it work. Part of Estonian team cheering in the stands, with Niina Petrokina waving the national flag.
Mihhail received 88.28 points for his performance in Sheffield, inspired by a video game he used to play, “Little Nightmares”: “I got really inspired by the music, by the atmosphere, and I really wanted to try to make a horror program, which hasn’t really been done that much. I really enjoy skating this program, it’s my second season skating it”.
Asked about competing with his brother, younger Mihhail would answer when exiting the ice: “There’s competition between us, definitely. I feel we really try to push each other and support each other and, obviously, we want to beat each other.
But I think that we’re really used to it, because we’ve been doing that since we were kids and it’s kind of like a bit of fun”.
Seen live, Aleksandr Selevko’s Prince short program is even more impressive. Him interacting with the judges, just like his brother? Priceless. A shark was thrown on the ice at the end.
About this particular short program that suits him so well, Aleksandr will say in all honesty: “My coach offered me this music – first I was kind of Eeeeh?, but then I listened to it more and more and I started to like it. I spoke to Adam Solya and we did a really nice program”.
Aleksandr’s scores – 88.71 points – will have him in second place at the end of men’s SP, surpassing Mihhail only by 0.43 points.
Aleksandr too will be asked about competing with his brother, and competing for that sole Olympic spot that Estonia has in the men’s event in Milano-Cortina: “The Europeans are part of the Olympic selection, thus I don’t really want to take any chances here.
I am happy I was able to show such a performance today. It will depend on the results of the challengers and GP, and Europeans is the last competition.
I’m happy I’m so close to my brother, I’m so happy he skated so well today and I’m happy I skated well. We’ll see what will happen in the free skating”.
Casual day at the office: the two brothers representing Estonia, waiting for the start of the small medal ceremony after SP
WOULD THEY SKATE EACH OTHER’S PROGRAM? LAUGHTER FOLLOWS: “NOT REALLY”
So here we are in the press conference room in Sheffield, top 3 men after the short program at the table, facing the journalists – Georgia’s Nika Egadze in first, Estonia’s Aleksandr Selevko and Mihhail Selevko in 2nd and 3rd – and the atmosphere feels casual, relaxed.
And the complicity between the 24-year old Aleksandr, training in Norwood, USA, and the 23-year old Mihhail, training mostly in Tallinn, is easy to grasp.
They really dreamed of a shared podium at Europeans, the older brother would say smiling: “Our goal was to be on the podium together and I am happy we made it in the short program. We still have to skate our long program, but I think we achieved our goal today”.
To which Mihhail added: “Being here together is amazing and the scores are so close [that] it’s funny”.
On top of that, both short programs have been choreographed by Adam Solya, Mihhail smiled: “Both programs are very unique and different, Adam Solya made them based on personality. I love his (Aleksandr’s) program and I enjoy skating mine”.
Aleksandr: “Adam did a great job. The programs are absolutely different for me and Misha. I love his program, it’s his own style there, and it looks great”.
Would they switch? Would they skate each other’s program?
“Not really – just sometimes I did his moves for fun”, Aleksandr answered, while making funny, scary faces.
And Mihhail, would he skate & dance to Prince? He laughed and gestured: “I can’t imagine skating his program – it will be horrible, I can’t pull it off! It’s a different style, but when his music plays I sing and dance along for sure”.
FREE SKATE DAY, DECIDING DAY
Just before the men’s free skate kicks off, on January 17, I meet the freshly crowned European champion, Estonia’s Niina Petrokina, for an interview.
“I’ll go and support my brothers!”, Niina smiles at the end of our talk, exiting the room and heading for the stands.
She’ll be there cheering, screaming, alongside her coaches, in support of Mihhail and Aleksandr’s bid for European medals and Olympic spot.
But on the free skating day in Sheffield, nerves and pressure got to both of them. And both will feel disappointed with their outings.
Mihhail Selevko during his free program in Sheffield, to music from the soundtrack of “X-Men Dark Phoenix” – and what a unique skating vocabulary he has
Mihhail: “It was quite hard to skate today, I am not happy with the result. I wanted to overcome myself, but, unfortunately, it didn’t work out.
I am still struggling to comprehend what happened, will analyze it later. The preparation wasn’t the best – it was enough for the short, but not for the free”.
As for the Olympic spot on the line, “I wasn’t thinking about it at all. I just wanted to do my maximum and enjoy the competition. I have mixed feelings after the free, but, in general, I enjoyed competing here”.
Aleksandr Selevko has such a presence, he is such a presence: his long program embarks you on a journey. Not the best outing on the day, but the program was magnetic.
Aleksandr: “It was a disappointing skate, I was trying to gain as many points as possible, not all worked, but I hope the next competition will be better.
This competition was full of nerves because it’s the Olympic qualifier, so I hope the next competition, whatever it will be, will be better and less nerves wrecking”.
Still: finishing the men’s event in Sheffield on the 5th place (Aleksandr) and on the 6th place (Mihhail), the Selevkos, as they are affectionately called, qualified an additional spot for Estonian men at next year’s Europeans, and that’s commendable.
As for who goes to Milano-Cortina after all, the Estonian Olympic Committee officially announced the athletes making the Olympic Team on January 23rd, and Aleksandr Selevko was confirmed to be the country’s representative in the men’s event.
This will be Aleksandr’s second Olympics – he was 28th four years ago in Beijing.
A lot has happened in the meantime though: Aleksandr is the 2024 European silver medalist, the 2025 Skate Canada silver medalist and an eight-time medalist in the ISU Challenger Series.
First Estonian skater in history to win a medal at an ISU Championships and the first to win a medal on the Grand Prix circuit, Aleksandr will definitely try to make a new name for himself in Milano-Cortina.
[Story by Florentina Tone
Photos by Alberto Ponti, Sheffield]
TO FOLLOW: The battle for Olympic spots: Italy’s Nikolaj Memola and Matteo Rizzo / interview with the 2026 European silver medalist