Wenjing Sui/Cong Han (CHN) skating during the Pair Skating Short Program at the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing, China. @Getty Images
2018 Olympic silver medalists Wenjing Sui/Cong Han (CHN) took the lead setting a new record score as the Figure Skating competition continued with the Pairs Short Program at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games at the Capital Indoor Stadium on Friday. Two-time ISU World silver medalists Evgenia Tarasova/Vladimir Morozov (ROC) are just 0.16 points behind in second place, while 2021 ISU World Champions Anastasia Mishina/Aleksandr Galliamov (ROC) came third. The top three couples set a new personal best score for themselves.
Sui/Han show off their skills
Sui/Han (CHN) skated second in the final flight and to the delight of the home crowd put out a spectacular performance of their crisp Flamenco program, completing a side by side triple toe, huge throw triple flip, triple twist and difficult lifts, spin and footwork. The two-time World Champions collected a level four for the twist, side by side spin, lift, step sequence and backward outward death spiral to score 84.41 points.
Wenjing Sui/Cong Han (CHN) skate during the Pair Skating Short Program at the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing, China.@ AFP
“We performed our best at the Olympics in our home country. It’s also a new beginning. It laid a good foundation for our Free skating tomorrow. We will prepare properly and enjoy the Olympic stage and the different feelings it brings,” Han said.
“It wasn’t really about the world record but our joy on the ice as well as to amaze the audience, judges and whoever watches our competitions,” Sui added. “In the last group only we had an Olympic medal in the individual event. This is where we are coming from and based on that we were able to put on a good Short Program. For the Free Skating we just want to work harder, work on every element and enjoy the competition and do our best. Then we’ll leave it to others as which medal we’ll get,” she continued.
Tarasova/Morozov, Mishina/Galliamov flawless as well
Tarasova/Morozov (ROC) were flawless as well and impressed with their triple twist, throw triple loop and a set of triple toes in their program “Pygmalion and Galatea” to earn 84.25 points.
Evgenia Tarasova/Vladimir Morozov (ROC) skate during the Pair Skating Short Program at the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing, China.@Getty Images
"I think we just felt relief that we finished the Short Program. We delivered, and we are happy with how we skated and the results were good as well,” Morozov said. “We had some good and not so good competitions during the season and we all kept improving and we worked towards the Olympic Games on our Short Program and Free Skating and we showed the result of our work today.”
Evgenia Tarasova/Vladimir Morozov (ROC) skate during the Pair Skating Short Program at the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing, China.@AFP
Mishina/Galliamov’s (ROC) performance to “Esmeralda” was highlighted by their precise elements such as a high triple twist, throw triple flip and side by side triple Salchow. The 2022 ISU European Champions received 82.76 points.
“We got a seasons best, we did all we had, we will go through it with our coaches later, now we will just rest and start fresh tomorrow from scratch,” Galliamov noted. He felt that participating in the Team Event was helpful. “It was nice skating in that wonderful atmosphere and we felt the ice before our individual performance, it was like a practice,” he explained.
Anastasia Mishina/Aleksandr Galliamov (ROC) skate during the Pair Skating Short Program at the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing, China.@Getty Images
“It's the usual gap of ten days (since the Team Event) between competitions, so we skated like we were at a new event,” Mishina said. “We take it easy, we don't expect some super comfortable conditions, we have great ice and a great village.”
Anastasia Mishina/Aleksandr Galliamov (ROC) skate during the Pair Skating Short Program at the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing, China.@AFP
2021 World bronze medalists Alexandra Boikova/Dmitrii Kozlovskii (ROC) are currently ranked fourth. Performing to “Swan Lake”, the 2021 ISU World bronze medalists produced a side by side triple Salchow, but she touched down with her hand on the throw triple flip. Nevertheless, they managed a seasons best of 78.59 points.
Aleksandra Boikova/Dmitrii Kozlovskii (ROC) skate during the Pair Skating Short Program at the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing, China.@AFP
Two-time ISU Four Continents medalists Cheng Peng/Yang Jin (CHN) placed fifth with a clean program to a modern version of the “Moonlight Sonata” (76.10 points).
“I think the score is as we expected. I was only not completely happy with the throw triple loop, which I think was not perfect,” Peng said. “To be honest, before the competition, everyone has great pressure. I cried this afternoon because I’m really anxious. The pressure was not from outside, because people around me didn’t push us. But I hope I can have good performance and have no regrets. These are my third Olympic Games, I hope it’s perfect,” she continued.
Peng Cheng/Jin Yang (CHN) skate during the Pair Skating Short Program at the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing, China.@AFP
Alexa Knierim/Brandon Frazier (USA) finished sixth with a strong performance and 74.23 points, just ahead of teammates Ashley Cain/Timothy LeDuc (USA), who skated also very well (74.13 points).
Alexa Knierim/Brandon Frazier(USA) skate during the Pair Skating Short Program at the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing, China.@AFP
"In the last 24 hours I've been able to get all the care I need to put on a strong performance today. I just felt I did not want to let anything go. In the last two years what we've learned the most is how to adapt to what has come our way, and this was just another thing that we needed to adapt to. We just kept looking at each other, and we were like, 'It's been six years of work to get here', and we weren't going to let any moment get away from us,” Cain-Gribble commented, referring to an injury to her right ankle.
Riku Miura/Ryuichi Kihara (JPN) came eighth on 70.85 points. Vanessa James/Eric Radford (CAN) finished 12th after she doubled the toeloop (63.03 points).
The Figure Skating competition at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games concludes Saturday with the Pairs Free Skating.
