Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo win China’s first ever Olympic Gold in pairs figure skating“We love competing in Canada,” the 36-year-old Zhao said at a recent training session in Beijing before leaving for Vancouver to compete in the Olympics. “We have a real emotional attachment to that place ever since Edmonton.”
That would be the 1996 world championships, the debut for the two on the world stage. They only finished 15th, but the crowd was entranced and gave them a standing ovation. That was followed by a steady march to the top, including three world championships.
The two also won bronze in 2002 at the Salt Lake City games and seemed headed for greater things but in 2006 Zhao injured himself and later that year at the Turin games the two only managed another bronze.
Their career seemed over when they decided to put personal matters first and married, announcing their engagement after the 2007 World Figure Skating Championships in the least reserved way possible. At the end of their long program, Zhao went down on one knee at center ice and proposed to Shen, who accepted. He then kissed her on the cheek and the two left the ice arm in arm to loud cheers.
http://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2010/02/16/chinese-skating-pair-breaks-the-mold/
China's Xue Shen and Hongbo Zhao took the gold medal and compatriots Qing Pang and Jian Tong took the silver in pairs figure skating Monday night at Pacific Colliseum in Vancouver.
Shen and Zhao, who came out of retirement to compete at the 2010 Winter Games, scored 216.57 to take the top spot. Pang and Tong, who landed a near-flawless performance, finished a close second with 213.31.
http://www.vancouversun.com/sports/China+wins+gold+silver+pairs+figure+skating/2568017/story.html
It was the fourth Olympics for Shen and Zhao, who skated to "Adagio" choreographed by Canadian Lori Nichol.
Germany's Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy took the bronze, with enchanting performances. The classically graceful Russians came in 4th; the first time since 1960 that Russia (/ Soviet Union) did not win the pairs gold.
The third Chinese pair of Dan Zhang and Hao Zhang, who took silver in Turin with a remarkable comeback following a heavy fall, took a respectable fifth place.
Also: see http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/opinion/2010-02/17/content_9472500.htm - more on Pang Qing and Tong Jian.
