Chinese Pairs Skating and Men’s Single Skating Team Miss Medals at Four Continents Championships
The Chinese team had a tough day at the 2024 ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships, missing out on medals in both the pairs skating and men’s single skating events. In the pairs skating event, the Canadian pair of Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps claimed the championship, while the Chinese pair of Peng Cheng and Wang Lei had to settle for a sixth-place finish. In the men’s single skating event, Japanese skater Yuma Kagiyama took home the gold, with Chinese skater Jin Boyang finishing in fifth place.
The pairs skating competition saw the Chinese team sending out three pairs: Peng Cheng/Wang Lei, Zhang Siyang/Yang Yongchao, and Wang Yuchen/Zhu Lei. Ultimately, it was Peng Cheng and Wang Lei who fared the best, finishing in sixth place with 180.22 points. However, the other two Chinese pairs had to settle for tenth and twelfth place finishes, respectively.
Pairs skating has historically been a strong event for Chinese figure skating, with the country winning two Winter Olympic gold medals and multiple World Championship gold medals. However, with key skaters Sui Wenjing and Han Cong out of the competition, the Chinese pairs skating combination appears to be in a period of weakness.
Peng Cheng and Wang Lei only formed their partnership in March 2023, making them a relatively new combination in the figure skating world. Despite their victory at the figure skating Shanghai Super Cup and a bronze medal at the figure skating China Cup, their results have been inconsistent. In fact, Wang Lei described their performance as “up and down.”
Injuries also played a role in the competition. Peng Cheng was hindered by a left-foot injury, which affected his ability to perform his single jumps. This led to frequent mistakes and ultimately impacted their final ranking.
After the competition, Peng Cheng acknowledged the need to improve and vowed to address his shortcomings in future games. Wang Lei also emphasized the need for improvement and additional technical difficulty, stating that they need to “go find the extra points” as they prepare for the Milan Winter Olympics.
In the men’s single skating event, Jin Boyang finished in fifth place with 256.89 points, while his teammates Chen Yudong and Dai David finished in ninth and twentieth place, respectively. Despite battling a cold the day before, Jin Boyang was proud of the training he received in Canada, which helped him feel more solid and relaxed during the competition.
Looking ahead to the Milan Winter Olympics, Jin Boyang emphasized the need to take it step by step and continue working hard, as it has always been his original intention to fight for what he loves.
Overall, the Chinese team may have missed out on medals at the Four Continents Championships, but they remain determined to improve and compete at their best in future competitions.