在世界花樣滑冰的歷史上，雙人滑只產生過五個200分以上的成績，這其中，四次是申雪、趙宏博創造的。3月21日晚上，在日本東京舉行的世界花樣滑冰錦標賽上，即將暫別冰壇的中國黃金組合申雪、趙宏博，以一曲《沉思》拿下203.50的高分，收獲了職業生涯中的第三塊世錦賽金牌。一曲終了，兩人長久地保持著擁抱的姿態，趙宏博單膝跪地，在申雪的臉頰上留下輕輕一吻。

China's Shen Xue (R) and Zhao Hongbo perform to win the pairs free program of theWorld Figure Skating Championshipsin Tokyo March 21, 2007. The pair, who had announced their retirement after the championships, won the world title. [Reuters]

Having finished their farewell program as national pair skaters at the ongoing Championships in Tokyo, Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo embraced on the ice with a kiss on the cheek from Zhao to his partner, waved to crowd, who threw toys and flowers as salute towards the ice, kissed the ice for difficult good-bye and hugged their coach Yao Bin with tears.

That was the emotionaladieuof the top Chinese ice lovers, which yielded their third and most deserved world champion as a leaving present.

Having announced plans to retire at the end of the season when the Champions concludes, Shen and Zhao look poised to exit in a blaze of glory having finished top of the podium in every event they have entered this season, including the Grand Prix final and Winter Asian Games.

Have paired with each other for as long as 15 years, they earned three world champions, two Olympic bronzes and numerous Grand Slams titles, merely missed, however, a single Olympic gold.

With still three years away to the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games, 28-year-old Shen Xue and her 33-year-old partner seem to run short of energy.

"The intensive training in the national team is too much for us, so we have decided take a leave from the team for a while for a rest," said Shen Xue before the Championships.

The "while" Shen mentioned may be two years from now on. "We will return if our form remains at that time. After all, we need an Olympic gold," the pair said.

The pair needs to grab the demanded rankings at the Championships and Olympic qualifications the year before the Olympics to book a berth to Vancouver in 2010.

The 2010 Games emerged to be the best chance for the veteran pair to fulfill their Olympic dream as their arch rival, 2006 Turin Olympic gold winners Tatiana Totmianina and Maxim Marinin from Russia have retired.

A bronze finish at Turin as it was, it was won under the condition that Zhao had just recovered from an injured Achilles tendon the year before.

Seen from their performance at the Tokyo Championships, where they delivered perfect toeloop jumps and throw jumps in a violin piece Meditation from Thai by French composer Jules Massenet, they seem to stand a big chance to mark their names on the Vancouver gold.

But, in case they fail to roll back the years in 2009, is there any pair to become China's talismen for a Olympic gold?

The prospect now seems bright as China still has newly-crowned world champion pair Pang Qing and Tong Jian and Turin Olympic silver medalists Zhang Dan and Zhang Hao.

The veteran pair, however, is still cherishing, and will cherish their Olympic dream.

（Chinadaily.com.cn） 

Vocabulary:    

adieu: 再見

World Figure Skating Championships:世界花樣滑冰錦標賽

（英語點津陳蓓編輯）