https://www.scmp.com/rss/511689/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva received a four-year doping ban on Monday, effectively stripping the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) of its gold medal in the team event at the 2022 Beijing Winter Games nearly two years after the competition. In its long-awaited ruling, the highest court in sport found Valieva guilty of committing an anti-doping rule violation that rattled the Beijing Olympics and frustrated competitors who are still waiting for their medals from the event to be... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3250222/figure-skater-kamila-valieva-banned-doping-russians-lose-olympic-gold?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3250222/figure-skater-kamila-valieva-banned-doping-russians-lose-olympic-gold?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 Jan 2024 19:28:42 +0000 Winter Olympics gold medallist figure skater Nathan Chen has been reunited with his Beijing-born and raised mother on US national television. The 22-year-old was visibly shocked to see mother Hetty Wang’s surprise appearance during his interview on NBC’s Today show. Chen, who often cites his mother’s sacrifices for his career since stepping on ice aged three, immediately placed his gold medal around Wang’s neck. He had not seen her in about a month. “What the heck? No way! Oh my gosh. It’s my... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3168084/winter-olympics-us-gold-medallist-nathan-chen-thanks-beijing-born?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3168084/winter-olympics-us-gold-medallist-nathan-chen-thanks-beijing-born?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Feb 2022 11:15:11 +0000 Japanese superstar Yuzuru Hanyu was at his ethereal best skimming across Olympic ice for what might be the last time, as he joined the best figure skaters of the Beijing Games at the exhibition gala. Inside the Capital Indoor Stadium, the crowd went wild – outside, fans lined up with Winnie the Pooh toys, waiting to catch a glimpse of their hero, one even in a full bear body suit. Despite his disappointing fourth place finish in Beijing, double Olympic champion Hanyu inspires passionate devotion... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3167732/winter-olympics-japans-ice-prince-yuzuru-hanyu-thrills-fans-figure?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3167732/winter-olympics-japans-ice-prince-yuzuru-hanyu-thrills-fans-figure?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 20 Feb 2022 09:31:19 +0000 Coaches Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo were in the audience last night, as their pupils Sui Wenjing and Han Cong followed in their footsteps and took home China’s second Olympic gold in pair figure skating. Nostalgia was felt by Chinese fans on a celebratory evening. Beijing 2022 is China’s arrival as a world-class winter sports power, and Shen and Zhao have been its eye witnesses since the beginning. The two paired up in 1992 - the year their student Han Cong, three years his partner’s elder, was... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3167721/winter-olympics-who-are-shen-xue-and-zhao-hongbo-golden-couple-behind?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3167721/winter-olympics-who-are-shen-xue-and-zhao-hongbo-golden-couple-behind?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 20 Feb 2022 07:00:12 +0000 China’s world record holders Sui Wenjing and Han Cong turned on another mesmerising performance at the Capital Indoor Stadium to outdance a powerful trio of Russian rivals and take gold in the figure skating pairs competition on Saturday. After soaking up the pressure on Friday to score a world record 84.41 points in the short programme, the pair – partners in real life as well as on the ice – knew they needed to again summon every bone and sinew to perform their free skate to near perfection... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3167696/winter-olympics-figure-skating-pair-sui-wenjing-and-han-cong-magical?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3167696/winter-olympics-figure-skating-pair-sui-wenjing-and-han-cong-magical?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 19 Feb 2022 14:47:17 +0000 Lawyers for the US figure skaters whose Olympic silver medals are being withheld have notified the IOC that they have filed an appeal to have them awarded before the end of the Beijing Games, it has been learned. In a letter sent to IOC president Thomas Bach on Saturday, a copy of which was obtained by the AP, lawyers said they would ask the Court of Arbitration for Sport for a ruling before Sunday’s closing ceremony. Kamila Valieva led the Russian team to a victory in last week’s team event,... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3167682/winter-olympics-us-figure-skaters-file-legal-challenge-force-ioc-award?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3167682/winter-olympics-us-figure-skaters-file-legal-challenge-force-ioc-award?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 19 Feb 2022 10:40:14 +0000 The Kremlin on Friday responded to comments by the Olympic chief, in which he said he was “disturbed” watching Russian teen skater Kamila Valieva crumble under pressure and hit out at the 15-year-old’s coach for her “chilling” reaction. In a press conference earlier on Friday, International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach said he had been “disturbed” watching Valieva’s error-filled fourth place performance in the women’s single on Thursday night. Bach also said he was confounded by... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3167537/winter-olympics-ioc-president-thomas-bach-very-very-disturbed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3167537/winter-olympics-ioc-president-thomas-bach-very-very-disturbed?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Feb 2022 06:51:26 +0000 Hong Kong Olympic short-track speed skater Sidney Chu shared his delight and relief after learning of the government’s plans to build its first international standard ice skating rink. Following Team Hong Kong’s last competition at the Beijing Games, chef de mission Karl Kwok Chi-leung revealed plans for a rink in Pak Shek, Tai Po while also boasting the Hong Kong Sports Federation and Olympic Committee’s “communication with relevant ice and snow project leaders” in China. Though there is no... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3167455/winter-olympics-hong-kongs-plans-top-class-ice-rink-gift-and-leap?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3167455/winter-olympics-hong-kongs-plans-top-class-ice-rink-gift-and-leap?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Feb 2022 00:15:23 +0000 Figure skating officials are probably breathing a lot easier now, much relieved that embattled Russian Kamila Valieva failed to make the podium in the Beijing Winter Olympics’ women’s figure skating competition on Thursday. The 15-year-old at the centre of a doping controversy was unable to build on her brilliant performance in the short programme two days ago, scoring 141.93 points to finish fourth behind compatriot Anna Shcherbakova, whose 175.75 in Thursday’s free skate was enough for gold... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3167464/winter-olympics-kamila-valieva-finishes-fourth-letting-ioc-hook-after?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3167464/winter-olympics-kamila-valieva-finishes-fourth-letting-ioc-hook-after?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Feb 2022 14:58:47 +0000 On the ice, the 15-year-old Russian Kamila Valieva exudes composure and emotional maturity. But as a Beijing Olympic doping scandal exposes the teenager’s vulnerability, debate has reopened over age in women’s figure skating and whether young athletes are adequately protected. Female skaters have always skewed young, with six of the past seven Olympic golds won by teenagers. This year is likely to be no exception, with Valieva and her 17-year-old teammates Alexandra Trusova and Anna... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3167305/winter-olympics-kamila-valieva-doping-saga-puts-spotlight-teen-figure?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3167305/winter-olympics-kamila-valieva-doping-saga-puts-spotlight-teen-figure?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 16 Feb 2022 23:00:27 +0000 Hong Kong’s Beijing Winter Olympics chef de mission is confident the performances of his record-breaking athletes will improve integration with “our motherland” and “bring positive momentum” to local ice and snow sports projects. Teasing a proposed ice rink to be built in Tai Po, Kark Kwok Chi-leung was proud of Hong Kong’s winter sports “breakthrough” as short-track speed skater Sidney Chu and Alpine skiers Adrian Yung Hau-tsuen and Audrey King wrapped up competitions this week. But the trio... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3167268/winter-olympics-hong-kong-can-take-advantage-chinas-winter-sports?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3167268/winter-olympics-hong-kong-can-take-advantage-chinas-winter-sports?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 16 Feb 2022 09:36:24 +0000 The results of the women’s figure skating event will be provisional should Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva win a medal, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said, as a report emerged that the Russian’s doping sample had three different substances used to treat heart conditions. Valieva, 15, tested positive for the banned heart medicine trimetazidine in a sample taken at the Russian championships on December 25. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on Monday confirmed the lifting of... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3167232/winter-olympics-result-provisional-if-kamila-valieva-wins-medal-report?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3167232/winter-olympics-result-provisional-if-kamila-valieva-wins-medal-report?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 16 Feb 2022 06:25:36 +0000 With most of the world expressing outrage that Russia’s Kamila Valieva was even allowed on the ice for Tuesday’s women’s short programme, the waiflike 15 year-old weighed down by a crushing doping scandal simply shut the world out while she went to work. Valieva, under untold pressure after she was cleared to skate despite a positive doping test in December, kept her emotions in check while she performed her routine, seemingly oblivious to the disbelief, despair and conspiracy that surrounds her... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3167176/winter-olympics-teenager-kamila-valieva-shrugs-doping-controversy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3167176/winter-olympics-teenager-kamila-valieva-shrugs-doping-controversy?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Feb 2022 15:21:23 +0000 The 15-year-old figure skater embroiled in a Winter Games doping scandal has defended her positive drug test, saying it was caused by a mix-up with her grandfather’s heart medication, an Olympic official said on Tuesday. Kamila Valieva made the argument at a hearing with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) into whether she should be allowed to continue competing in Beijing, Denis Oswald, permanent chairman of the International Olympic Committee’s Disciplinary Commission, said. “Her argument... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3167081/winter-olympics-russian-figure-skater-kamila-valieva-blamed-positive?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3167081/winter-olympics-russian-figure-skater-kamila-valieva-blamed-positive?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Feb 2022 05:52:15 +0000 Legendary South Korean figure skater Kim Yuna did not mince her words when talking about Russian teenager Kamila Valieva’s controversial return to competition in Beijing. The 15-year old Valieva was allowed to continue her Olympic campaign despite testing positive for a banned substance in December, after the Court of Arbitration of Sport (CAS) ruled she could continue to compete. Valieva, who won team gold last week, will have a chance to compete for the women’s individual gold after CAS deemed... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3167055/winter-olympics-south-korean-figure-skating-great-kim-yuna?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3167055/winter-olympics-south-korean-figure-skating-great-kim-yuna?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Feb 2022 02:16:47 +0000 Japanese figure skating deity Yuzuru Hanyu quashed any rumours of retirement at a jam-packed press conference on Monday night. Fans were caught off guard after the Japanese Olympic Committee confirmed the two-time Olympic champion wanted to hold a separate press conference from his standard media scrums after failing to defend his title last week. Knowing that there would be several questions marks over his future – such whether he would continue in the sport, if he was injured, and if the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3167020/winter-olympics-yuzuru-hanyu-confirms-he-not-retiring-i-dont-know?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3167020/winter-olympics-yuzuru-hanyu-confirms-he-not-retiring-i-dont-know?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 14 Feb 2022 12:30:22 +0000 The highest court in the sports world came under fire on Monday after teenaged Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva was allowed to continue her Olympic campaign despite testing positive for a banned substance in December. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) upheld the lifting of the 15-year-old’s temporary suspension in a ruling, saying that barring her from competition “would cause her irreparable harm in these circumstances”. Valieva is favourite for the women’s individual gold and CAS... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3166969/winter-olympics-dark-day-doping-fight-cas-clears-russian-teen-kamila?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3166969/winter-olympics-dark-day-doping-fight-cas-clears-russian-teen-kamila?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 14 Feb 2022 08:23:46 +0000 The Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC) said star figure skater Yuzuru Hanyu would be holding a press conference on Monday evening, sparking a frenzy of retirement rumours, whispers over his future, and even – thanks to it being Valentine’s Day – a surprise engagement. Hanyu, a two-time Olympic champion and considered one of the sport’s greatest of all time, missed out on gold in Beijing last week in what was a long-touted quest to land the fabled quadruple axel. Loyal fans, outside the Capital... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3166946/winter-olympics-will-figure-skating-great-yuzuru-hanyu-announce?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3166946/winter-olympics-will-figure-skating-great-yuzuru-hanyu-announce?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 14 Feb 2022 06:14:25 +0000 Day 10 of the Winter Olympics will see a jumbled-up schedule, with Sunday’s freeski slopestyle and women’s aerials rescheduled because of bad weather. However, this also means that fan favourites and good friends Eileen Gu and Su Yiming will be competing on the same day. As the Games edge well into their second week, some familiar sports will be wrapping up with medal rounds on Monday, with the snowboard big air kicking off with men’s and women’s qualification rounds. Chinese ice dancers Wang... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3166904/winter-olympics-five-things-watch-day-10-eileen-gu-and-su-yiming-back?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3166904/winter-olympics-five-things-watch-day-10-eileen-gu-and-su-yiming-back?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 13 Feb 2022 23:00:32 +0000 Russia’s 15-year-old skating prodigy Kamila Valieva is set to compete against 29 other athletes in the women’s figure skating individual short programme on Tuesday night at the Beijing Winter Olympics – but only if she is cleared at a drugs hearing on Sunday night. A Russian Anti-Doping Agency (Rusada) disciplinary committee lifted a temporary suspension on Valieva on Wednesday, after she tested positive for a banned drug. Now, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the World Anti-Doping... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3166885/winter-olympics-doping-scandal-what-15-year-old-russian-figure-skater?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3166885/winter-olympics-doping-scandal-what-15-year-old-russian-figure-skater?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 13 Feb 2022 11:27:20 +0000 The coaching team surrounding Kamila Valieva has come under fierce scrutiny after the 15-year-old Russian figure skater was engulfed by a doping controversy at the Beijing Olympics – and none more so than Eteri Tutberidze. After it was confirmed Friday that Valieva had failed a drugs test and could be kicked out of the Games, the hashtag “shame on Tutberidze” began trending on Twitter in Russia. Russia’s anti-doping agency RUSADA said that “an investigation has been initiated into the athlete’s... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3166799/winter-olympics-russian-doping-scandal-shines-light-kamila?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3166799/winter-olympics-russian-doping-scandal-shines-light-kamila?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 12 Feb 2022 05:08:30 +0000 The Kremlin said on Friday it was fully behind Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva, whose Olympic gold medal hangs in the balance after she failed a doping test. “We boundlessly and fully support Kamila Valieva and call on everyone to support her,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. “And we say to Kamila: don’t hide your face. You are a Russian – perform and defeat everybody,” Peskov added. He said the Kremlin was encouraging everyone to wait for the results of the investigation... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3166640/winter-olympics-figure-skater-kamila-valieva-face-doping-hearing-decide?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3166640/winter-olympics-figure-skater-kamila-valieva-face-doping-hearing-decide?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 11 Feb 2022 04:42:04 +0000 As US figure skater Nathan Chen dethroned Yuzuru Hanyu, the two-time Olympic champion and former world record holder, Chinese social media flared up in a polarised reaction to the American and Japanese figure skaters. Hanyu, who enjoys immense popularity in China, was showered with support and admiration on Weibo, China’s Twitter-like social media platform. In stark contrast, the freshly minted Olympic champion Chen faced near unanimous vitriol. “Besides pity, there’s also admiration! Yuzuru is... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3166633/winter-olympics-online-fans-attack-us-gold-medallist-nathan-chen-over?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3166633/winter-olympics-online-fans-attack-us-gold-medallist-nathan-chen-over?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 11 Feb 2022 04:14:26 +0000 California-born Chinese figure skater Zhu Yi declared her “excitement” at the possibility of becoming “another big name for China” when she renounced her US citizenship in 2018. Zhu has certainly fulfilled that potential at the Beijing Winter Olympics – just not for the right reasons. After a costly team event fumble and further falls in the free skate, the sniffling 19-year-old was subjected to negative comments on Chinese social media platform Sina Weibo, where she was labelled “a disgrace”... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3166558/winter-olympics-who-zhu-yi-us-born-chinese-figure-skater-whose-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3166558/winter-olympics-who-zhu-yi-us-born-chinese-figure-skater-whose-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 11 Feb 2022 02:45:12 +0000 A Chinese figure skating judge who was previously banned for unfairly favouring his own country’s athletes is serving on a technical judging panel at the Beijing Winter Olympics. Huang Feng was one of two Chinese judges who were suspended by the International Skating Union (ISU) after being found guilty of bias during the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics in 2018. While his countryman Chen Weiguang was handed a two-year ban and excluded from judging at Beijing 2022, Huang was given just a one-year... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3166598/winter-olympics-chinese-figure-skating-judge-who-was-banned-obvious?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3166598/winter-olympics-chinese-figure-skating-judge-who-was-banned-obvious?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 10 Feb 2022 18:21:15 +0000 Many Chinese fans of Japanese figure skating superstar Yuzuru Hanyu were upset that his eight-year reign as Olympic champion had ended but still praised him for attempting a quadruple axel, which has never been landed in competition. During Hanyu’s free skate performance at the Beijing Winter Olympics on Thursday, a Chinese citizen, one of the around 550 spectators allowed to enter the venue, cheered for him in Japanese repeatedly after he fell. A Chinese woman in her 50s told Kyodo News: “It’s... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3166597/winter-olympics-chinese-fans-yuzuru-hanyu-upset-hail-wonderful-spirit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3166597/winter-olympics-chinese-fans-yuzuru-hanyu-upset-hail-wonderful-spirit?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 10 Feb 2022 17:50:11 +0000 Russian media reported on Wednesday that 15-year-old figure skater Kamila Valieva had tested positive for a banned drug, after the ceremony to present her and her teammates with their Olympic gold medals was postponed for unexplained legal reasons. Newspapers RBC and Kommersant named the drug as Trimetazidine, which is used to treat angina. The news broke late at night in Beijing, where Valieva was part of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) ensemble that won the figure skating team event on... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3166450/winter-olympics-russian-figure-skater-who-won-gold-fails-drug-test?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3166450/winter-olympics-russian-figure-skater-who-won-gold-fails-drug-test?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 09 Feb 2022 15:27:24 +0000 Eileen Gu melted hearts and crashed the internet after winning her first Winter Olympics gold on Tuesday, and even questions over her nationality and Peng Shuai’s surprise appearance in the crowd failed to overshadow the occasion. The teenager stormed to victory in the freeski big air competition, nailing an improbable double cork 1620 on her final run to earn a 94.5 and take the lead from France’s Tess Ledeux. Such was the influence of Gu’s performance on the day’s proceedings that it outshone... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3166300/winter-olympics-eileen-gus-gold-medal-display-melts-hearts-and-crashes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3166300/winter-olympics-eileen-gus-gold-medal-display-melts-hearts-and-crashes?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 08 Feb 2022 14:51:00 +0000 Nathan Chen had just shattered the world record for a figure skating short programme, even throwing a defiant fist in a rare display of emotion, when he was asked how he’d spend the next 48 hours before his long-awaited Olympic coronation. “I’ve been here a while,” the 22-year-old American star replied with a shrug on Tuesday. “I’ve got some clothes to wash. Some other things to clean around my room. Just ordinary chores, really. Nothing crazy.” He left the crazy – the downright stunning – on... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3166291/winter-olympics-us-figure-skater-nathan-chens-world-record-celebrations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3166291/winter-olympics-us-figure-skater-nathan-chens-world-record-celebrations?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 08 Feb 2022 13:40:19 +0000 Yuzuru Hanyu, widely regarded as one of the best male figure skaters of all time, found himself wondering if he had fallen out of favour with the ice after a rare mistake on Tuesday. Far from the dazzling performances that won him gold at the last two Olympics, the Japanese “Ice Prince” landed eighth in the men’s short programme at the Beijing Games after a missed opening quadruple Salchow jump cost him precious points. “To be honest, I’m wondering, did I do something wrong? Is it because I did... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3166281/winter-olympics-yuzuru-hanyu-wonders-if-ice-doesnt-me-any-more-blames?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3166281/winter-olympics-yuzuru-hanyu-wonders-if-ice-doesnt-me-any-more-blames?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 08 Feb 2022 12:13:03 +0000 China’s “Golden Girl” Eileen Gu has jumped to the defence of embattled figure skater Zhu Yi, who has faced online abuse over her disappointing performance at the Winter Olympics. Zhu, who like her gold-medal winning teammate is Chinese-American, fell several times in the space of two days while performing in the short programme mixed team event. The figure skater left the ice in tears both times and has since been subjected to bullying over her performances, with some suggesting family influence... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3166263/winter-olympics-eileen-gu-jumps-defence-really-amazing-figure-skater?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3166263/winter-olympics-eileen-gu-jumps-defence-really-amazing-figure-skater?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 08 Feb 2022 10:23:48 +0000 Day 3 of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics was another action-packed affair, with more success for China on the slopes and the ice. Snowboarder Su Yiming got off to a strong start after he bagged a historic silver medal in the men’s snowboard slopestyle final – which could have been gold, if not for a “glaring judging error”. The Games host later won its second gold and silver in the evening, after speed skaters Ren Ziwei and Li Wenlong were awarded the top two spots on the podium in dramatic... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3166170/winter-olympics-five-things-watch-day-4-eileen-gu-yuzuru-hanyu-take?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3166170/winter-olympics-five-things-watch-day-4-eileen-gu-yuzuru-hanyu-take?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 07 Feb 2022 22:00:17 +0000 US figure skater Vincent Zhou has revealed he tested positive for Covid-19, and will not be able to compete in Tuesday’s men’s singles short programme event. The 21-year-old Zhou achieved a childhood dream by becoming an Olympic medallist on Sunday, when the US took silver in the Team Event, where he took part in the men’s singles free skating portion at Beijing’s Capital Indoor Stadium. But the Chinese-American was left an “emotional wreck” after being ruled out from further competition at... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3166168/winter-olympics-emotional-wreck-vincent-zhou-tests-positive-covid-19-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3166168/winter-olympics-emotional-wreck-vincent-zhou-tests-positive-covid-19-us?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 07 Feb 2022 16:46:58 +0000 China’s US-born figure skater Zhu Yi burst into tears on the ice after stumbling twice during her latest Winter Olympics routine, as online criticism of the 19-year-old intensified. Zhu was subjected to abuse on Chinese social media platform Weibo after she tumbled and crashed into the wall during Sunday’s women’s short programme team event. She finished last again during Monday’s free skate event, with a score of 91.41, and many users on the Twitter-like Weibo chided her for crying, pointing... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3166122/winter-olympics-chinas-us-born-figure-skater-zhu-yi-falls-again-cries?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3166122/winter-olympics-chinas-us-born-figure-skater-zhu-yi-falls-again-cries?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 07 Feb 2022 10:27:19 +0000 US-born figure skater Zhu Yi has come under fire from Chinese fans on social media after a fall on her Winter Olympics debut for Team China. The 19-year-old Californian fell flat on the ice during her routine on Sunday, finishing last in the Beijing 2022 women’s short programme team event. The hashtag “Zhu Yi has fallen” quickly became a top trending topic on China’s Twitter-like Weibo platform, gaining 200 million views in just a few hours, before it was later seemingly censored. Zhu’s... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3166035/shame-zhu-yi-chinese-fans-turn-us-born-figure-skater-after-fall-winter?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3166035/shame-zhu-yi-chinese-fans-turn-us-born-figure-skater-after-fall-winter?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 06 Feb 2022 15:15:17 +0000 Figure skating has long been a popular sport in China, whose national team has won eight Olympic medals, including one gold, three silver and four bronze. The only gold came at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics, when Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo topped the podium in the pairs event. At that same Games, teammates Pang Qing and Tong Jian won silver. China will have eight figure skaters in four competitions at Beijing 2022: one in the men’s singles, one in the women’s singles, two duos in the pairs,... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3165817/winter-olympics-meet-chinas-beijing-2022-figure-skating-big-guns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3165817/winter-olympics-meet-chinas-beijing-2022-figure-skating-big-guns?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 04 Feb 2022 08:30:21 +0000 Double Olympic figure skating champion Yuzuru Hanyu has still not been seen in public in Beijing, but the Japanese star posted a video message asking fans for support and promising to attempt a quadruple Axel at the Winter Games. Missing from practice sessions all week, Hanyu had fans and media on edge as they awaited word on his arrival in the host city. “It feels the entire world is looking for Hanyu,” was a trending post on Weibo, China’s equivalent of Twitter, with 30 million views over 24... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3165799/winter-olympics-why-do-chinese-fans-love-yuzuru-hanyu-ice-prince-teases?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3165799/winter-olympics-why-do-chinese-fans-love-yuzuru-hanyu-ice-prince-teases?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 04 Feb 2022 05:15:12 +0000 Nathan Chen threw down the gauntlet to gold medal rival Yuzuru Hanyu at the Winter Olympics on Friday, skating a personal best and coming within a tenth of his Japanese opponent’s word record. The pair are widely tipped to battle it out for gold in the men’s individual figure skating event, and Chen’s 111.71 in the team event was an early statement of intent. Chen’s score, which beat his 2019-20 Grand Prix final score of 110.38, gave the United States the early lead as the figure skating... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3165797/winter-olympics-nathan-chen-throws-down-gauntlet-hanyu-yuzuru-nearly?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3165797/winter-olympics-nathan-chen-throws-down-gauntlet-hanyu-yuzuru-nearly?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 04 Feb 2022 04:44:18 +0000 Three-time world men’s figure skating champion Nathan Chen strapped on his first pair of skates at age three after watching his two older brothers playing ice hockey. His parents, Chinese immigrants Hetty Wang and Chen Zhidong, got him figure skates instead – and changed the course of the sport in the process. Nathan Chen enters this week’s Beijing Olympics chasing the only major prize that has eluded him, a gold medal, and the 22-year-old American is expected to battle two-time defending... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3165308/winter-olympics-nathan-chen-has-yuzuru-hanyu-his-sights-he-jumps?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3165308/winter-olympics-nathan-chen-has-yuzuru-hanyu-his-sights-he-jumps?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 30 Jan 2022 10:15:19 +0000 All eyes will be on Yuzuru Hanyu when he attempts to complete a hat-trick of Olympic figure skating golds in Beijing, but don’t expect that to bother him – Japan’s “Ice Prince” revels in the spotlight. The two-time defending champion will bring his full mega-watt star power to the Winter Games when they begin this week, watched around the world by his adoring legion of “Fanyu” supporters. With his elegant skating style and delicate, boyish looks, the 27-year-old inspires complete devotion among... https://www.scmp.com/beijing-winter-olympics-2022/figure-skating/article/3165281/winter-olympics-japans-ice-prince-hanyu?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/beijing-winter-olympics-2022/figure-skating/article/3165281/winter-olympics-japans-ice-prince-hanyu?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 30 Jan 2022 01:47:31 +0000 Tara Lipinski was a sprightly 15-year-old ballerina-on-ice when she won figure skating gold at the 1998 Nagano Olympics. Sarah Hughes was but a year older when she did the same thing four years later in Salt Lake City. In fact, six of the past seven Olympic champions in women’s figure skating were old enough to dangle a gold medal around their neck but unable to buy a celebratory bottle of champagne – at least in the US. That includes reigning champion Alina Zagitova, who had yet to turn 16 when... https://www.scmp.com/sport/article/3165100/winter-olympics-when-it-comes-figure-skating-its-all-matter-age-how-old-too?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/article/3165100/winter-olympics-when-it-comes-figure-skating-its-all-matter-age-how-old-too?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Jan 2022 07:38:46 +0000 At the 2008 Summer Olympics, China’s athletes showed the fruits of their sporting labour when they won an unprecedented 100 medals, 48 of them gold. After being awarded the Games in Beijing in 2001, the country set about undertaking a massive effort to produce world calibre athletes in virtually every sport on the docket. The move paid off and now fans around the world are wondering if they can repeat the feat next month. China’s medal tally 14 years ago was equally impressive because in 2004 in... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3163557/beijing-2022-will-china-be-able-improve-upon-its-9-medals-pyeongchang?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3163557/beijing-2022-will-china-be-able-improve-upon-its-9-medals-pyeongchang?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 16 Jan 2022 00:15:13 +0000 Nathan Chen has accomplished just about everything that one can accomplish in the sport of figure skating. Six consecutive national championships, the most since two-time Olympic champion Dick Button in the 1940s and ‘50s. Three consecutive world championships, the best run by an American since Scott Hamilton in the early ‘80s. Nearly four years with only a single defeat, a run that includes three consecutive wins at the Grand Prix Final. The only thing he’s yet to accomplish? Winning Olympic... https://www.scmp.com/sport/article/3163162/beijing-2022-nathan-chen-eyes-elusive-winter-olympic-gold-battle-yuzuru-hanyu?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/article/3163162/beijing-2022-nathan-chen-eyes-elusive-winter-olympic-gold-battle-yuzuru-hanyu?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Jan 2022 17:25:17 +0000