Challenging year hasn't halted Team China's quest for perfection on ice

Team China took another step toward its dream of Olympic gold at Beijing 2022 by producing a slew of outstanding performances at last week's SHISEIDO Cup of China ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating 2020 in Chongqing.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event was staged behind closed doors and featured an all-domestic field. However, despite missing the usual cheers of approval from the stands, the Chinese skaters were buoyed to compete in their first proper competition this year and get a better idea of how their preparations for the 2022 Winter Olympics are progressing.

Head coach Zhao Hongbo on Saturday told Xinhua that the team has been training continuously since March despite competitions being canceled in the first half of the year due to the pandemic.

"I think some of our skaters have made big progress," said Zhao. "Our preparation for the 2022 Olympic Games is on schedule. Although the pandemic forced us to change some training and competition plans, it hasn't had much of an impact on our preparations.

"We did a good job of ensuring the health and safety of our skaters. During the closed training sessions, the skaters can sometimes feel bored, but we can't just sit there and relax. The Winter Olympics is the priority. We have to do our best to prepare."

Jin Boyang, a two-time world championship bronze medalist, successfully defended his Cup of China men's singles title with a total score of 290.89 points. The 23-year-old placed first after the short program, landing two quadruple jumps but touching down on a third on his way to 186.95 points in the free skate.

His stunning routines, especially for his long program performed to House of the Rising Sun, earned rave reviews from fans online and proved his hard work this year has not been in vain.

"I got the program and new skating boots at the end of September. Two weeks ago I performed the two programs for the first time," Jin said.

"I'm satisfied with my performances today, which have been better than what I expected. I think I displayed 70 percent of my optimum strength today. I couldn't add some jumps into today's show because the preparation was a little bit hurried."

Head coach Zhao was particularly impressed by Jin's conditioning.

"Jin has made a big improvement in his physical fitness," said Zhao. "I sensed a lot of changes when I witnessed his performance. He could not produce all his power in the previous performances because he needed to save energy for the jumps.

"Now he has better physical strength, so he dares to perform more moves. Also, I think the dancing and acting classes he took recently have really given him a better understanding of music and artistic expression."

Zhao added that Jin in the past would often struggle to warm into the first meets of the season, but on this occasion adjusting quickly despite the limited preparation time.

Meanwhile, veteran Peng Cheng and Jin Yang also impressed to claim the pairs' gold with a total score of 223.90. Olympic silver medalists Sui Wenjing and Han Cong were absent from the event.

"We spent a lot of time on our jumps," said Peng, who claimed second place with Jin Yang in last season's Grand Prix Final and Four Continents Championships.

Peng, who took part in both the Sochi 2014 and Pyeongchang 2018 Olympic Games, said the lack of competition this year hasn't proved too problematic for her Beijing 2022 preparations.

"I am so grateful that we still can have normal training, and I am so lucky that we can still have big competitions like the Cup of China," Peng said. "The pandemic has affected most athletes in the world, and we are lucky so I will try my best to prepare for the Olympics."

Zhao was also encouraged by the pair's efforts, saying: "Peng Cheng and Jin Yang were not affected by their injuries and produced good performances in their new programs. The Cup of China is just a start. We will keep refining the details and prepare for the Winter Olympics step by step."