China’s Olympic pairs figure skating champions will not defend title at 2026 Winter Games after Han Cong retires injured
- ‘One and a half years after the Beijing Winter Olympics, I am still not fit to be back to the rink,’ Han says in social media post
- Partner Sui Wenjing says ‘I understand and support his decision’, adding ‘we’ll always be on the road of figure skating together’
One half of China’s reigning Olympic pairs figure skating champions has announced his retirement because of a persistent injury, meaning they will not return to defend their title at Milano-Cortina.
Two-time world champions Han Cong and Sui Wenjing took to social media on Tuesday to explain their planned absence from the 2026 Winter Games.
“I am sorry to announce that I have decided to withdraw from all competitions in the Milan cycle,” 31-year-old Han wrote. “One and a half years after the Beijing Winter Olympics, I am still not fit to be back to the rink.
“I will keep working on figure skating in a different capacity, and I wish all the best for Sui, who will be sure to pursue her own dreams. We will still be the most solid partners for each other!”
The 28-year-old Sui reposted her partner’s statement and added: “I hope Cong can recover soon. Although it’s regrettable, I totally understand and support his decision.
“We will always be each other’s cheerleaders … And we’ll always be on the road of figure skating together!”
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Han and Cong first reached the Olympic podium at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games, where they won silver.
Just one day before Han and Sui stepped onto the podium in Beijing, they had scored a world record 84.41 points in the short programme.
Since Beijing, however, the duo have yet to compete, raising speculation that they were planning on retiring soon.
Both Han and Sui have stayed active since their Olympic victory.
Sui is pursing dance and choreography following her studies at Beijing Dance Academy, while Han was invited by the ISU in September 2022 to become a member of the Single & Pair Skating Technical Committee.
