Chinese pair skaters eye grand prix final

China's figure skating team set their sights on competing in the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final on home ice as the skating pairs had an open training session on Thursday at the Capital Indoor Stadium in Beijing. 

The 2023 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Series consists of six international senior events that culminate with the final to be held in Beijing from ­December 7 to 10. 

Currently, Chinese skaters are gearing up for the fourth leg of the series, which will take place in Southwest ­China's Chongqing Municipality from November 10 to 12. The three pairs who will compete in Chongqing and a junior pair took part in the training session. 

Figure skating has been one of the most popular winter sports in China since pair skaters Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo clinched China's first figure skating gold medal at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic Games. 

Since Chinese pair skaters Sui Wenjing and Han Cong stepped out of competition after winning gold in the Beijing Winter Olympic Games, Peng Cheng and Wang Lei have emerged as the top pair for China.  

Yao Jia, manager of the national figure skating team, told the Global Times after the training that she expects the young skaters to gain experience and win enough points at each international event to qualify for the final in Beijing and the year 2024's world championships in Canada.

"For the new season, we have set different goal for each member. As to Peng and Wang, their goal is to qualify for the grand prix final in Beijing, which means that they need to achieve a podium finish at two of the six legs of the grand prix," said Yao. 

Pair skaters and men's skater Jin Boyang are favorites to reach the final. Jin will also compete in Chongqing after finishing the third leg in France this week, Yao noted.

Regarding the pressure of competing on home ice, Yao said a growing number of domestic fans have given them more motivation, and she sees getting into the final as a success for the team. 

Peng won fifth place in pair skating at the Beijing Olympics with former partner Jin Yang. Since striking up a new partnership with Wang in March, the duo has made steady progress. 

In their debut at the international event, Peng and Wang came from behind to triumph at the ISU 2023 Shanghai Trophy on October 4. 

"From their current form and overall difficulty, they have achieved their initial goals. However, pair skating requires cooperation. I think they still need more time to enhance mutual understanding and cultivate a stronger chemistry," Yao said.

Wang, 35, told the Global Times that the most important thing is to remain true to his original aspiration and that he wants to go further with his new partner. "We're getting better on the ice. Peng is an excellent skater. We have good communication, and we can remain calm and summarize what we didn't do well during daily training," Wang said. 

Peng is grateful for her partner's support and trust. 

"We've overcome a lot of difficulties in the past months. Staying composed against the odds is crucial to our partnership," Peng noted. 

"He takes the initiative to inquire about my emotional shifts and unravel the complexities within my heart. We can shoulder the challenges together," said Peng. 

As one of the legacies of the Beijing Winter Olympic Games, more international winter sports events have come to China and provided young skaters opportunities to progress. 

In addition to the grand prix final in Beijing, the Chinese team is also preparing for the 2024 Four Continents Figure Skating Championships, which will take place in Shanghai from January 30 to February 4, 2024. 

"We have fielded young skaters to compete in the ISU Junior Grand Prix as more international events will help them improve. I hope young players could win enough points to participate in the four continents championships," Yao said.