The two-time world champions were silver medallists at PyeongChang 2018, but set a new world record Friday night (18 February). The ROC’s Tarasova/Morozov sit second, just 0.16 behind the top duo.
Four years later, it’s deja vu after the pairs short program at the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022.
China’s Sui Wenjing and Han Cong set a new world record score of 84.41 to wow the home crowd inside the Capital Indoor Stadium on Friday night (18 February) and place first, while the ROC’s Evgenia Tarasova and Vladimir Morozov sit second, just 0.16 points back.
The same two teams sat in first and second place following the short at PyeongChang 2018, as well.
But both duos would like to up their final result from four years ago. The Chinese hope to capture an Olympic gold to close their home Games while Tarasova/Morozov would like redemption from a fourth-place finish in South Korea.
“I think today we enjoyed it and we are happy,” Sui said after the short program, speaking in her native Mandarin. “I hope we can perform our best tomorrow (19 February). The short program is just the beginning.”
Both teams beat the 82.83 world record score that Sui/Han had scored in the figure skating team event to open the Games on 4 February.
Reigning world champions Anastasia Mishina and Aleksandr Galliamov will have to play catch-up as the ROC duo is in third place with a 82.76.
China and the ROC make up the top five: Aleksandra Boikova and Dmitrii Kozlovskii, the 2020 European champions, are fourth with a score of 78.59, while the No.2 Chinese team of Peng Cheng and Jin Yang are fifth with a 76.10.
Americans Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier scored a 74.23 to place sixth, one tenth ahead of teammates Ashley Cain-Gribble and Timothy LeDuc at 74.13.
See the full results from the short program here.
Pair skating is being staged as the final of the four disciplines at an Olympic Games for the first time in over 60 years – since the 1956 Winter Games. The move was made to highlight the two-time world champions Sui/Han, who will try and add to China’s tally of eight golds this Games.