‘Gold is ours in Beijing’: China’s Sui Wenjing and Han Cong look ahead after pairs silver at Winter Olympics
The duo finish an agonising 0.43 of a point behind gold medal winners Aljona Savchenko and Bruno Massot, of Germany
Battling a foot injury that hindered her movements, China’s Sui Wenjing vowed to win gold in front of home fans in four years’ time after she and her partner, Han Cong, took silver in the Winter Olympics pairs figure skating competition in Gangneung on Thursday.
The 22-year-old Sui said he was in pain during practice and while performing her routine with Han, 25, as they lost the gold to Germany’s Aljona Savchenko and Bruno Massot – who set a free skate world record – by just 0.43 of a point.
Hot favourites and world champions Sui and Han, both from Harbin, scored 235.47, with the Germans earning 235.90. Canada’s Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford won bronze with 230.15.
“I was quite nervous, this being my first Olympic Games,” said a tearful Sui, having led the field after the short programme. “We really wanted to do well, but simply fell too short in the end. But I hope that this will give us the motivation we need over the next four years to do well again at the Beijing 2022 Games when we will be at home.
“It was a very small gap. If they won by a big margin, I wouldn’t be so disappointed. Every morning when we practice the foot [injury] is painful. But this is a life experience. I have learned a lot, it is our first Olympics and we are still young. There are still many opportunities.”