Winter Olympics 2026: Reigning champions Sui Wenjing and Han Cong make return to Olympic ice after three years away
It wasn’t clear if Sui Wenjing and Han Cong would ever make a return to the ice after their spectacular Olympic victory on home ground during Beijing 2022. But the dynamic Chinese pairs team conquered uncertainty and returned on Sunday, February 15, bringing excitement and anticipation as they competed for the gold once more.
Just shy of a year into their comeback journey, Sui and Han made quite the impression, earning a remarkable score of 72.66 in a thrilling short program. This performance placed them in a strong second position after three groups of the pairs teams had skated.
At 30 and 33 years old respectively, Sui and Han made headlines in June 2025 when they announced their decision to return from retirement. “We really enjoyed this Olympic stage,” Han shared. “I know this is my last Olympics. It feels very incredible. The audience support is overwhelming, and our fans back home are cheering for us on TV.”
As the Olympic games approach, the path has been challenging. Competing in a topsy-turvy season, the pair finished third in both of their Grand Prix events, breaking a magnificent six-event winning streak from 2017 to 2021. They faced setbacks in Beijing last month, where they were runners-up at the Four Continents, struggling particularly during the free skate.
This return marks a deeply personal saga for Sui and Han, now gearing up for their third Olympic Games. “We had only eight months to train, and it feels like such a short time,” Sui remarked. “We aimed to regain our power, energy, and all of our technical elements, too.”
She further expressed, “Actually, I believe we need one more year and we would be at our best. But right now, we truly want to enjoy the competition.”
With a legacy of silver medals at PyeongChang 2018 and gold at Beijing 2022, alongside two world titles from 2017 and 2019, the stakes are high this time around. “At the Olympic Games, of course, the aim is to win the gold medal,” Han stated. “We need to take a big step, but above everything else, we just want to savor the experience and showcase our best efforts at this Olympic event.”
The skating world waits with bated breath as Sui Wenjing and Han Cong aim for glory at Milano Cortina 2026.
