Craig LeMoult

The married couple of Elisa Afimova and Misha Mitrovanov had hoped to represent the U.S.

in the Olympics.

But Afimova, who has Finnish citizenship, didn't manage to get an American passport in time.

While they're not headed to the Olympics, they say they're trying to focus on another major competition that's happening later this month in Beijing.

Three other athletes from the skating club of Boston will compete in Milan, pair Emily Chan and Spencer Howe, and Max Nomov, whose parents were among the victims in a Washington, D.C.

plane crash last January.

For NPR News, I'm Craig LeMoult in Boston.