Olympic gold medalists Sui Wenjing and Han Cong made a triumphant return to competitive figure skating at the ISU Grand Prix Cup of China in Chongqing, securing third place in the pairs short program on Friday. The 2022 Winter Olympic champions, skating to Bizet's Carmen, earned 72.45 points despite a one-point deduction after Sui's fall during their opening triple toe loop.
"We had no more than a month to prepare," Sui admitted, emphasizing their focus on adapting to competition rhythm. Han added: "We love figure skating and are honored to represent the country." Georgia's Anastasiia Metelkina and Luka Berulava led with a personal best of 77.77 points, while Italy's Sara Conti and Niccolo Macii claimed second.
In other categories, Japan's Shun Sato dominated the men's short program with a season-best 94.13 points, while U.S. skater Alysa Liu topped the women's rankings with 74.61. Three-time world ice dancing champions Madison Chock and Evan Bates (U.S.) led their discipline with 84.44 points.
The event highlighted both veteran comebacks and rising talent, with China's Jin Boyang placing fifth in men's singles and young skaters like Zhang Ruiyang making their mark. Over 10 teams competed across disciplines, showcasing Asia's growing influence in global figure skating.
