The Chinese couple triumphed in front of their home crowd in Beijing 2022, giving China only its second Olympic gold medal in figure skating - ever.
Sui Wenjing and Han Cong were put under extreme duress.
The Chinese duo took to the ice as the final team in the pairs figure skating event as a nation watched: it was the penultimate night of the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 - and the expectation for gold was great.
The pairs event – normally held at the start of an Olympic skating schedule – had been moved to last. It's for them. This was the whole point of it all.
"We knew our rivals had performed so well before we stepped onto the ice," Han told reporters that night in Mandarin. "To be honest, we were under a lot of stress."
They delivered under duress in the four minutes that followed, taking Olympic gold four years after winning silver in PyeongChang 2018 - both events determined by less than a point. Over 15 years into their partnership, the two-time world champions were now Olympic gold medalists as well.
"This is going to be a memorable night," Sui stated in Chinese. "In our homeland, we realized our dreams." We put a great icing on the cake, and we're quite proud of it. In comparison to four years ago in PyeongChang, we have modified the color [of our medal]. This lofty goal was attained. We've been through a lot, and we've had a lot of injuries."
The injuries and operations have been numerous for both skaters, but Han said it was the uncertainty and naysayers they had experienced since teaming up that inspired them the most. For years, they'd been told that Han was too little for a pairs guy, that the couple couldn't compete with the best teams in the world.
"From a very young age, from being the underdog that no one believed we could perform pair skating because of our [sizes], we have now become Olympic champions," Han explained. "This is an incredible journey... We wanted to show people that you can achieve your goals no matter what. "All you have to do is take a risk and go for it."
Sui then remarked, "People have doubts about us since our heights are comparable." We've conquered so many obstacles. When others remark, "This is a dead end," don't be scared to forge your own way. Never lose faith in yourself. Never let your worries get the best of you."
Sui/Han: The fateful quadruple twist was never in doubt.
Sui/pressure-packed Han's moment was heightened by the ROC's Evgenia Tarasova and Vladimir Morozov, who scored 155 points in a practically faultless free skate, bringing their total to 239.25.
Sui and Han's opening move would be the deciding factor: A quadruple twist (a technique in which Han tosses a near-horizontal Sui and she performs compact rotations in the air while being caught in his arms) had previously been performed by only two teams in an Olympic Games.
Every other couple in the 16-team free skate had performed a triple twist, including Tarasova/Morozov. What is the point differential? Sui and Han received a 10.42 for their quad twist, while Tarasova and Morozov received a 9.00 for their triple twist.
With a total of 239.88 – just 0.63 ahead of the ROC duo – the risk was well worth it.
"We could do that feat when we were younger, but as we grew older, more injuries occurred, and it's not simple for us to do the quad any longer owing to our body type," Sui explained. "But, I believe, this is where the Olympic spirit comes into play: no matter if you have injuries, how your body is, or if you are suitable for this act, just try it and execute it." This, I believe, is also our approach to pursuing the Olympic spirit."
While the tough trick set the tone for a stunning skate, Sui struggled on the team's second leaping pass, side-by-side triple Salchows, for which she was demoted.
But, for a team that had become accustomed to Sui's jumping troubles after years of foot injuries, missing competitions, and additional operations, there was a strategy in place: no matter how large or tiny a mistake – keep going.
"We had prepared solutions for anticipated errors during the program," Sui revealed thereafter. "When I made that mistake, Han said, 'No problem, let's go on.' We made mistakes in past competitions, too, so just try to change swiftly and never give up." This is also one of the ways we intend to pursue the Olympic spirit."
China won gold in pairs for the second time in a row.
The wait for their kiss and weep scores was still torturous, as they sat with coach Zhao Hongbo, the lone Chinese skater to have won figure skating gold, and the leader of a renaissance for the nation in pair skating, having taken six Olympic medals in the discipline since 2002.
They'd done enough, the squad falling within itself as the scores were announced and Han let out a yell, the group of them folding into a hug as the Capital Indoor Stadium hit a decibel level previously unheard of at the Olympics.
Sui and Han had won an Olympic gold medal in front of their home country.
"I believe this is the team's medal, gained through our combined efforts," Sui would add afterwards.
“There’s an expression that goes,” Sui added, “’Maybe I can’t make it by myself, but if we do it together, we can make it.’”
"I said to her, 'Let's trust ourselves and we can win it,' and then we went on the rink hand in hand," Han continued.
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