Just days before the opening ceremony of the XXV Winter Olympic Games, Ukrainian ice dancer Vadyn Kolesnik opened up about taking the citizenship test to compete for Team USA.
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During a recent interview with the Detroit Free Press, Kolesnik recalled he and his ice dancing partner, Emilea Zingas, went to a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services office in Troy, Michigan, to take the test in August.
“He was really nervous,” Zingas stated. “We were in the car on the way. He was driving, and I was quizzing him, and he’s getting some of the answers wrong, and he had been getting 100 percent right for weeks leading up to this.”
Despite missing the answers on the way to the office, Kolesnik said everything came together while he was taking the test.
“In my head, I’m like, ‘Wait, I have one more question,'” he said. “If I answer this., I’m done. This is all.”
The ice dancer passed the test and interview process. However, Zingas wasn’t aware of his progress.
“I’m waiting in the waiting room,” she recalled. “I’m so nervous, I’m like, praying to God that he passed this test, that the interview went well.”
When he entered the waiting room, Kolesnik appeared sad. “My heart dropped,” Zingas continued. “I’m thinking, this cannot be happening. It felt like my world was over.”
Instead of sharing bad news, Kolesnik screamed, “I passed! USA, baby!”
“He’s running around,” Zingas recalled the moment. “In that moment, we were so happy.”
“It means the world to me,” Kolesnik added.
The duo earned their spot on the 2026 Winter Olympics team last month.
The Ice Dancer Struggled Financially to Get to the Winter Olympics
Although he made Team USA, the ice dancer admitted to struggling financially to get to the Winter Olympics. He decided to start a GoFundMe to raise $25,000 for the trip.
“As I prepare for the Olympics, I am facing significant financial challenges,” he wrote in the campaign’s description. “Elite-level training requires extensive resources, including coaching fees, ice time, choreography, travel, and competition expenses.”
He further noted, “In addition, my greatest personal hope is to be able to bring my family from Ukraine to safely attend the Olympic Games—to finally have them in the stands after years apart, witnessing the dream we’ve all sacrificed for together.”
The funds will go towards the following:
- Coaching and training expenses as I prepare for the 2026 Winter Olympics
- Travel and logistics related to elite international competition
- Helping my family travel safely from Ukraine to be with me at the Games
The fundraiser has already surpassed its $25,000 goal.