Olympic champion Sui Wenjing announces return to figure skating with new partner
Sui, who won pairs gold on home ice at the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 with Han Cong, has announced her aim to try to qualify for Milano Cortina 2026 alongside Li Ze'en.
Figure Skating
One half of the reigning Olympic pairs champion team is set to return to figure skating competition.
Sui Wenjing, who won a popular gold medal on home ice for the People's Republic of China at Beijing 2022 alongside Han Cong, made the announcement on her Chinese social media platforms on Friday (6 December) alongside a training video.
The 29-year-old, who also won silver at PyeongChang 2018 with Han, has not competed since her triumph in Beijing. According to China News, Sui spent time learning different dances at the Beijing Dance Academy and helped choreograph programs for young Chinese pairs.
"After a period of hard work and preparation, and with the help from the team, I've returned to training to prepare to return to competition," Sui wrote in her social media post.
"I hope to continue to show more routines and cannot wait to see everyone in the competition arena. Come on Team China for Milan!"
In the video, Sui is seen performing two triple jumps. According to an International Skating Union athlete profile, her new partner is 25-year-old Li Ze'en, born in 1999.
The People's Republic of China have not won a major figure skating event since Sui and Han took gold in Beijing. The pair were also the last Chinese skaters to win a Grand Prix of Figure Skating event, in 2021.
Han is currently a tutor in the sports faculty at Tsinghua University, according to China News. He announced last year he would not compete during the Milano Cortina Olympic cycle.
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