Be each other’s bridge: China’s figure skating pair Han Cong/Sui Wenjing wins Olympic gold

By Global Times Published: Feb 19, 2022 09:57 PM Updated: Feb 19, 2022 11:58 PM

Photo:Li Hao/GT

China's figure skating pair Han Cong and Sui Wenjing won a gold medal at the Beijing 2022 Games' Pairs Free Skating event on Saturday. Their resilience in face of difficulties such as injuries and their support for each other in the past 15 years as skating partners have moved Chinese audience.

The two-time world champions finished the entire routine with a total 155.47 points. With a bold Quad twist lift perfectly executed, they became the only pair amongst all of the 16 competitor groups to attempt the maneuver during Olympic Games.

The team's result surpassed Team China's top competitor - ROC'S Evgenia Tarasova and Vladimir Morozov, who came in second in the final.

Performing along to their iconic song of choice "Bridge Over Troubled Water," the duo topped their previous Olympics record after became the silver medallists at PyeongChang 2018 Games.

"Bridge Over Troubled Water," a song written by US folk duo Simon & Garfunkel, was meaningful to the pair as it helped them grab the title of "world champion" for the first time in World Figure Skating Championships in Helsinki, Finland in 2017.

The song also resonates with their personal life as they had been each other's "bridge" on and off the ice, encouraging each other especially when Sui was forced to undergo injury-led ligament operations in 2016 and Han underwent hipbone operations in 2020.

"We used this program in 2017. I had to wait for her to return to the ice rink, and to give her supports and strengths like a bridge," Han told media. "I also had an operation in 2020, little Su became my bridge this time, supported us."

At the medal ceremony after Saturday's event, the two were captured embracing each other, crying with happiness. Han lifted Sui onto the podium resembling a move from their skating routine. They then placed the two gold medals on each other's necks.

Picking it up again for Beijing 2022, the old performance gained new meaning given that amid the COVID-19, the pair aimed to encourage people to be courageous in front of difficulties. The current program was also a new adaption to the 2017 routine, adding new elements such as high-difficulty lifting moves.

"When evening falls so hard, I'll comfort you," was a line in the 1970's single, describing warmth between friends when one experiences setbacks and frustration.

They have been partners on the ice for 15 years.

A day before the final, the pair completed a world-record breaking short program routine to the theme song of Mission Impossible 2 on Friday that scored 84.41 points by delivering an almost perfect throw triple flip and other level-four moves.

Some fans expressed that their decades-long professional dedication to China's figure skating career has already shown the "never-give-up" Olympics spirits notwithstanding win or lose.

Han Cong and Sui Wenjing is considered China's most prominent pair skater following the retirement of two other Chinese pairs: Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo, and Pang Qing and Tong Jian. Coached by Shen and Zhao, who won China's first gold medal in Vancouver 2010 Games, they have finally fulfilled their Olympic gold medal dream on their home ground.

Photo:Li Hao/GT