After two decades, the dance must end

The two concluded their on-ice careers with a series of Artistry on Ice shows, and say they will turn their attention to behind-the-scenes matters going forward.

"We've been together on the ice for 20 years, and we felt this was the perfect time to bid farewell to the fans, though we've grown very attached to the ice rink," said the 38-year-old Zhao.

"The next step for us is to be coaches for the national reserve team. It took us 18 years to win the Olympic gold medal. I hope it will take less time for us to train new Olympic champions."

To mark the farewell, the pair choreographed two programs for Artistry on Ice. The event was in its third edition, and was themed "red temptation".

The show was initiated by the Olympic and multi-world champion pair in 2010. The first was themed "Love and Beauty", and the two were married during the show. The show last year was held in Beijing, Shanghai and Taipei, with the theme "Art and City".

This year, Artistry on Ice extends to four cities. It started in Taipei last Saturday and come to Beijing for its second stop on Tuesday. Shenzhen hosted the show for the first time on Friday, and the last stop is in Shanghai on Sunday.

In their first program for the show, Zhao sang a song publicly for the first time, presenting "The moon represents my heart" to his wife. They also gathered the highlights of four routines they have used before and combined them into a grand finale.

All the high-quality jumps, twists and throws were there, just as they've always been.

"All the ups and downs we experienced in the past 20 years were on the ice, and I'm very lucky to do a job I love with the person I love," Zhao said.

Shen couldn't stop crying as she talked about retiring.

"The show is our last performance. Thank you for all the support our fans gave us in the past years," Shen, 33, said through tears.

Since teaming up in 1992, the pair has played a significant role in China's figure skating, though their careers were fraught with injury problems.

Four months after teaming up, the two won the national championships title.

Four years later, they made their World Championship debut. Despite finishing 15th, their ambitious moves and distinctive style distinguished them as a pair to watch.

After finishing second in the World Championships in 1999, Shen and Zhao were among the favorites in the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics. A failed attempt at the quadruple Salchow - the most difficult move in the sport - sent them tumbling to bronze.

The pair recovered from that disappointment to claim gold in the World Championships later that year, repeating it the following year despite a serious injury to one of Shen's ankles, which was wrapped heavily in tape.

Then another injury struck. The duo was forced to withdraw from the 2005 World Championships when Zhao ruptured his Achilles tendon while practicing a triple toe-loop in August that year. He was off the ice for months afterward.

Following a full recovery, the pair stood on the podium again with a bronze medal at the 2006 Turin Olympics half a year later, deciding to retire after winning their third Worlds in 2007.

But China's drought of Olympic gold in the sport drew the duo back to the ice in 2009. Overcoming their age - their careers have lasted longer than some of the skaters have been alive - and lingering injuries, the couple started chasing Winter Olympic gold in May 2009.

Nine months later, they broke Russia's 46-year stranglehold on the Olympic figure skating pairs event at the Vancouver Winter Olympics with a mesmerizing performance. The duo earned a record combined total of 216.57 points to capture China's first title in the event.

"We have experienced so much in our careers, and earning an Olympic gold medal at such an age is noteworthy," Zhao said after winning the gold.

Training the country's next Olympic champion is their new ambition.

"Our next goal is to train young talents to be Olympic champions," Zhao said. "We will work with team officials and local sports authorities to find young skaters."

Team officials are happy to have them on board.

"The Chinese Skating Association welcomes Shen and Zhao to the coaching staff," said Wang Yumin, manager of the national team. "They will start by training young skaters on the national reserve team, which provides a good stage for young talents.

"Their techniques and artistic performances should set a good example for the youngsters. Through their attempts, I hope an increasing number of young skaters will become interested in figure skating. The skating association will give them its full support."

There is still another item on the couple's to-do list: having a baby.

"We are at the age where we want to have a baby and our parents expect it very much," Zhao said. "We hope to have a baby this year."