Chinese figure skating pair Han Cong and Sui Wenjing became gold medalists at the ISU Grand Prix Skate Canada International on Saturday in Vancouver. Now two-time world champions, the pair aim to continue this momentum to strive toward the top spot at the upcoming Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games.
The two skaters won the gold with a total of 224.05 points, nearly 31 points ahead of the Russian pair Daria Pavliuchenko and Denis Khodykin, who took home the silver.
As the only Chinese pair to compete in the event this season, the two have been giving eye-catching performances. They danced over ice to the song “Bridge Over Troubled Water” and despite a small setback when Sui fell during a triple Salchow, the routine earned the Chinese team 145.11 points.
Remarking on their choice of songs, Sui told media that the song shows how they each waited for the other on the “bridge” as they recovered from injuries or operations.
The routine set to the song has long been one of the pair’s favorite, having previously appeared during the 2016-17 season. But in 2021, it has extra meaning, encouraging athletes to be bound together in the face of difficult situations brought by COVID-19.
“We have to be in the ‘bubble,’ can’t see our friends and family outside, but we have hope in our hearts and wish that we can be more united. This is also the new slogan for the Olympic Games,” Sui told media.
The two’s success overseas won applause from Chinese fans, and many netizens said they see their success as a good sign that they will continue to be competitive at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games.
“The gold now is valuable as they will take this good vibe to the Winter Games in Beijing,” said a netizen on Sina Weibo.
“I’ve been a fan of the ‘Cong Tong’ couple ever since 2010. Maybe it is because they never changed partners, there is a tacit understanding between them; they are mostly terrific at the flip and twist control, and their performances have always been art-like and full of passion, to me that’s the warmth of sport,” Li Yunling, an amateur skater and fan, told the Global Times on Monday.
Han and Sui are now considered one of China’s most prominent figure skating pairs following the retirement of two other successful Chinese pairs: Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo, and Pang Qing and Tong Jian. Han and Sui are 2018 Beijing Olympic Games silver medalists and won two world championships in 2017 and 2019.
The pair are already on their way to Turin, Italy, where the next Grand Prix for figure skating will take place.
