Wikipedia

Figure skating at the 2018 Winter Olympics – Pair skating

The pairs' figure skating competition at the 2018 Winter Olympics was held on 14 and 15 February at the Gangneung Ice Arena in Gangneung, South Korea. Aljona Savchenko and Bruno Massot of Germany won the gold medals, while Sui Wenjing and Han Cong of China won the silver, and Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford of Canada won the bronze. Savchenko and Massot had finished in fourth place after the short program, but rallied back in the free skate to win the gold, setting a new world record score in the process.

Pair skating
at the XXIII Olympic Winter Games
Figure skating pictogram
VenueGangneung Ice Arena
Gangneung, South Korea
Dates14–15 February 2018
Competitors44 from 14 nations
Winning score235.90 points
Medalists
1st place, gold medalist(s) Aljona Savchenko
and Bruno Massot		  Germany
2nd place, silver medalist(s) Sui Wenjing
and Han Cong		  China
3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Meagan Duhamel
and Eric Radford		  Canada
← 2014
2022 →
Han Cong, Sui Wenjing, Aljona Savchenko, Bruno Massot, Meagan Duhamel, and Eric Radford pose on the ice
The medalists from the pairs event at the 2018 Winter Olympics (from left to right): Sui Wenjing and Han Cong of China (silver), Aljona Savchenko and Bruno Massot of Germany (gold), and Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford of Canada (bronze)

Background

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In 2016, an independent report commissioned by the World Anti-Doping Agency confirmed allegations that the Russian Olympic team had been involved in a state-sponsored doping program from at least late 2011 through February 2014, when Russia hosted the Winter Olympics in Sochi.[1][2] On 5 December 2017, the International Olympic Committee announced that the Russian Olympic Committee had been suspended from the 2018 Winter Olympics. Athletes with no previous drug violations and a consistent history of drug testing were allowed to compete under the Olympic flag as an "Olympic Athlete from Russia" (OAR).[3] Under the terms of the decree, neither the Russian flag nor anthem would be allowed at the Olympics; the Olympic flag and Olympic Anthem were used instead.[4]

The pair skating competition at the 2018 Winter Olympics was held on 14 and 15 February at the Gangneung Ice Arena in Gangneung, South Korea.[5][6] Sui Wenjing and Han Cong were seen as likely candidates for Olympic medals. Sui and Han were the reigning world champions,[7] as well as two-time world silver medalists (2015–2016). They were also four-time Four Continents champions (2012, 2014, 2016–2017).[8] They were well-regarded for their technical skill, emotional performance, and quality transitions between elements. Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford were two-time world champions (2015–2016) and were part of the Canadian team that had earlier won the team event.[7] They were also two-time Four Continents champions (2013, 2015) and seven-time Canadian national champions (2012–2018).[9] Aljona Savchenko and Bruno Massot were two-time German national champions (2016, 2018),[10] but Savchenko had previously competed with different partners.[7] With her Robin Szolkowy, they were two-time Olympic bronze medalists (2010, 2014), five-time world champions (2008–2009, 2011, 2012, 2014), four-time European champions (2007–2009, 2011), and eight-time German national champions (2004–2009, 2011, 2014).[11] The 2018 Winter Olympics were the fifth for Savchenko,[7] having previously competed three times with Szolkowy (2006, 2010, 2014),[11] as well as in 2002 when she was partnered with Stanislav Morozov and competing for Ukraine.[12]

Qualification

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Sixteen quota spots in the pairs' event were awarded based on results at the 2017 World Championships.[13] France had originally qualified two quota spots in pair skating at the 2017 World Championships; however, they relinquished one of their spots. The extra quota spot was made available at the 2017 Nebelhorn Trophy along with the other four spots originally allocated.[14]

Although South Korea did not qualify a pairs team through the normal process, as the host nation, they were still able to enter a team in the 2018 Winter Olympics.[15] North Korea originally qualified one quota spot after Ryom Tae-ok and Kim Ju-sik finished in sixth place at the Nebelhorn Trophy.[16] However, after North Korea missed the deadline to submit their entries for the Olympics, their spot was re-allocated to Japan.[17] Following negotiations with South Korea, North Korea agreed to send athletes to the Olympics after all.[18] On 20 January, the International Olympic Committee announced that, as part of the "Olympic Korean Peninsula Declaration", they had allocated an additional quota spot for Ryom and Kim to compete in the pairs' event.[19]

Qualifying nations in pairs[13][20]
Event Teams
per NOC		 Qualifying NOCs Total
teams
2017 World Championships 3  China
International Olympic Committee OAR
 Canada		 15
2  Germany
 France
 Italy
1  France
 United States
2017 Nebelhorn Trophy 1  Australia
 Austria
 North Korea
 Israel
 Czech Republic
 Japan		 5
Host nation privilege[15] 1  South Korea 1
"Olympic Korean Peninsula Declaration"[19] 1  North Korea 1
Total 22

Required performance elements

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Couples competing in pair skating performed their short programs on 14 February.[5] Lasting no more than 2 minutes 40 seconds,[21] it had to include the following elements: one hip lift, one double or triple twist lift, one double or triple throw jump, one double or triple solo jump, one pair spin combination with a change of foot, one death spiral, and a step sequence using the full ice surface.[22]

The top sixteen couples after completion of the short program moved on to the free skating, which was performed on 15 February.[5] The free skate could last no more than 4 minutes 30 seconds,[21] and had to include the following: three pair lifts, one twist lift, two different throw jumps, one solo jump, one jump combination or sequence, one pair spin combination, one death spiral, and a choreographic sequence.[23]

Judging

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Skaters were judged according to the required technical elements of their program (such as jumps and spins), as well as the overall presentation of their program, based on five program components (skating skills, transitions, performance, composition, and musical interpretation/timing). Each technical element in a figure skating performance was assigned a predetermined base point value and scored by a panel of nine judges on a scale from −3 to +3 based on the quality of its execution.[24] Each Grade of Execution (GOE) from –3 to +3 was assigned a value as indicated on the Scale of Values.[25][26] For example, a triple Axel was worth a base value of 8.50 points, and a GOE of +3 was worth 3.00 points, so a triple Axel with a GOE of +3 earned 11.50 points.[25] The judging panel's GOE for each element was determined by calculating the trimmed mean (the average after discarding the highest and lowest scores). The panel's scores for all elements were added together to generate a Total Elements Score.[27] At the same time, the judges evaluated each performance based on the five aforementioned program components and assigned each a score from 0.25 to 10 in 0.25-point increments.[28] The judging panel's final score for each program component was also determined by calculating the trimmed mean. Those scores were then multiplied by the factor shown on the chart below; the results were added together to generate a total Program Component Score.[29]

Program component factoring[29]
Discipline Short program Free skate
Pairs 0.80 1.60

Deductions were applied for certain violations, such as time infractions, stops and restarts, or falls.[30] The Total Elements Score and Program Component Score were then added together, minus any deductions, to generate a final performance score for each skater or team.[31]

Records

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The following new record high score was set during this competition.

Record high scores
Date Skater(s) Segment Score Ref.
15 February Free skate 159.31 [32]

Results

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Aljona Savchenko and Bruno Massot at the 2016 European Championships
Sui Wenjing and Han Cong at the 2019 Cup of China
Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford at the 2017 World Championships
The gold, silver, and bronze medalists from the pairs event at the 2022 Winter Olympics (from left to right):
Aljona Savchenko and Bruno Massot of Germany (gold); Sui Wenjing and Han Cong of China (silver); and Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford of Canada (bronze)
Code key

Short program

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The pairs' short program was held on 14 February. Sui Wenjing and Han Cong of China finished in first place, barely edging out Evgenia Tarasova and Vladimir Morozov of Russia with a "breathtaking" performance to "Hallelujah" by Leonard Cohen.[33] Their score of 82.39 was a new season's best, and less than one point over that of Tarasova and Morozov. The Russian pair skated to a piano concerto by Sergei Rachmaninoff and scored 81.68; also a new season's best score. Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford of Canada, who performed to April Meservy's cover of "With or Without You", finished in third place,[34] less than one point ahead of Aljona Savchenko and Bruno Massot of Germany.[33] Massot landed a planned triple Salchow as a double, causing the German pair to lose nearly four points from their technical score.[35]

Some of the biggest applause of the night was for Ryom Tae-ok and Kim Ju-sik of North Korea.[35] Considered North Korea's only elite-level athletes at the Olympics, Ryom and Kim finished in eleventh place. Their goal was to be able to advance to the free skate, which required finishing among the top sixteen teams. The North Korean duo spoke positively about their experience in South Korea. They spoke of positive interactions with the other skaters: Ryom received a birthday gift from Kim Kyu-eun, a South Korean pair skater, while Meagan Duhamel took the pair shopping. "Everyone is really supportive of them,” said Alex Kam, Kim Kyu-eun's skating partner. “It’s good to see how sports brings everyone together without boundaries."[36] As Ryom and Kim came from the world's most isolated country,[37] they were the focus of much attention and curiosity. Many South Koreans in the audience cheered for them and held up signs referencing Korean reunification.[36]

Pairs' short program results[38]
Pl. Team Nation TSS TES PCS SS TR PE CO IN
1  China 82.39 44.49 37.90 9.36 9.32 9.61 9.50 9.57
2 International Olympic Committee OAR 81.68 43.97 37.71 9.46 9.25 9.54 9.50 9.39
3  Canada 76.82 41.26 35.56 8.89 8.64 8.89 9.00 9.04
4  Germany 76.59 39.16 37.43 9.29 9.18 9.32 9.46 9.54
5  China 75.58 42.10 33.48 8.39 8.29 8.46 8.50 8.21
6  France 75.34 40.67 34.67 8.64 8.43 8.89 8.68 8.71
7  Italy 74.50 40.36 34.14 8.32 8.29 8.68 8.68 8.71
8 International Olympic Committee OAR 74.35 40.13 34.22 8.68 8.25 8.64 8.57 8.64
9  Italy 74.00 40.41 33.59 8.43 8.25 8.46 8.46 8.39
10 International Olympic Committee OAR 70.52 38.93 31.59 7.89 7.71 8.00 7.96 7.93
11  North Korea 69.40 38.79 30.61 7.61 7.36 7.86 7.71 7.71
12  Canada 67.52 35.63 31.89 7.96 7.79 8.04 8.04 8.04
13  Canada 65.68 34.46 31.22 7.89 7.64 7.68 7.96 7.86
14  United States 65.55 34.18 31.37 7.96 7.54 7.82 7.89 8.00
15  Czech Republic 63.25 34.62 28.63 7.18 7.04 7.11 7.29 7.18
16  Germany 63.04 34.61 28.43 7.11 6.96 7.18 7.11 7.18
17  China 62.61 33.50 30.11 7.64 7.46 7.50 7.61 7.43
18  Australia 61.55 34.70 26.85 7.00 6.64 6.75 6.71 6.46
19  Israel 60.35 34.26 26.09 6.54 6.32 6.68 6.57 6.50
20  Austria 58.80 31.71 28.09 7.07 6.93 6.96 7.07 7.07
21  Japan 57.74 32.89 24.85 6.39 5.96 6.29 6.25 6.18
22  South Korea 42.93 21.04 22.89 6.04 5.54 5.57 5.79 5.68

Free skating

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The pairs' free skate was held on 15 February. In a stunning rebound, Aljona Savchenko and Bruno Massot, who had finished the short program in fourth place, performed a "flawless" free skate with "flowing choreography", leapfrogging to an Olympic gold medal finish.[32] Their free skate also set a new world record score, breaking the previous record,[32] which had been set by Savchenko and Massot at the 2018 Grand Prix Final.[39] Savchenko had twice won an Olympic bronze medal with her previous partner Robin Szolkowy, but this was her first Olympic gold medal.[32] Savchenko and Massot performed a triple twist lift, side-by-side triple Salchow-double toe loop jump combination, throw triple flip, and a throw triple Salchow. It was Germany's first Olympic gold medal in pair skating in 66 years.[40]

Skating to music from Turandot,[40] Sui Wenjing and Han Cong finished in second place after they produced some errors with their jumps, ultimately losing to Savchenko and Massot by 0.47 points.[41] Sui and Han successfully performed a quadruple twist lift, throw triple flip, and throw triple Salchow. Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford's performance to "Hometown Glory" by Adele featured a throw quadruple Salchow, a throw triple Lutz, and a triple Salchow-double toe loop-double toe loop jump combination. Their score of 153.33 in the free skate was a new season's best, allowing them to place second in the free skate, but they ultimately finished in third place, winning the bronze medals. Evgenia Tarasova and Vladimir Morozov ultimately finished in fourth place after Tarasova missed her throw triple Salchow and landed the side-by-side triple Salchow as a double. Ryom Tae-ok and Kim Ju-sik earned a new personal best score and finished in thirteenth place.[40]

Pairs' free skate results[42]
Pl. Team Nation TSS TES PCS SS TR PE CO IN
1  Germany 159.31 82.07 77.24 9.57 9.46 9.82 9.64 9.79
2  Canada 153.33 79.86 73.47 9.21 9.04 9.32 9.21 9.14
3  China 153.08 76.29 76.79 9.57 9.46 9.54 9.71 9.71
4 International Olympic Committee OAR 143.25 70.08 74.17 9.54 9.18 9.14 9.32 9.18
5  France 143.19 71.59 71.60 8.96 8.82 8.93 9.04 9.00
6  Italy 142.09 73.94 68.15 8.39 8.32 8.64 8.57 8.68
7 International Olympic Committee OAR 138.53 70.36 68.17 8.54 8.25 8.57 8.61 8.64
8  Canada 136.50 71.28 65.22 8.11 7.93 8.25 8.18 8.29
9  Canada 132.43 70.42 62.01 7.82 7.50 7.86 7.79 7.79
10  Italy 128.74 64.60 65.14 8.18 8.00 8.07 8.25 8.21
11  China 128.52 62.98 67.54 8.68 8.43 8.21 8.57 8.32
12  North Korea 124.23 63.65 60.58 7.68 7.29 7.71 7.61 7.57
13 International Olympic Committee OAR 123.93 62.17 63.76 8.04 7.82 7.71 8.21 8.07
14  Czech Republic 123.08 64.34 58.74 7.43 7.39 7.21 7.36 7.32
15  United States 120.27 60.57 60.70 7.68 7.54 7.43 7.75 7.54
16  Germany 108.94 53.79 55.15 6.93 6.82 6.79 7.00 6.93

Overall

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Pairs' results[43]
Rank Team Nation Total SP FS
1st place, gold medalist(s)  Germany 235.90 4 76.59 1 159.31
2nd place, silver medalist(s)  China 235.47 1 82.39 3 153.08
3rd place, bronze medalist(s)  Canada 230.15 3 76.82 2 153.33
4 International Olympic Committee OAR 224.93 2 81.68 4 143.25
5  France 218.53 6 75.34 5 143.19
6  Italy 216.59 7 74.50 6 142.09
7 International Olympic Committee OAR 212.88 8 74.35 7 138.53
8  China 204.10 5 75.58 11 128.52
9  Canada 204.02 12 67.52 8 136.50
10  Italy 202.74 9 74.00 10 128.74
11  Canada 198.11 13 65.68 9 132.43
12 International Olympic Committee OAR 194.45 10 70.52 13 123.93
13  North Korea 193.63 11 69.40 12 124.23
14  Czech Republic 186.33 15 63.25 14 123.08
15  United States 185.82 14 65.55 15 120.27
16  Germany 171.98 16 63.04 16 108.94
17  China 62.61 17 62.61 Did not advance
to free skate
18  Australia 61.55 18 61.55
19  Israel 60.35 19 60.35
20  Austria 58.80 20 58.80
21  Japan 57.74 21 57.74
22  South Korea 42.93 22 42.93

Controversy

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The International Skating Union (ISU) launched an investigation into two Chinese judges following the 2018 Winter Olympics: Chen Weiguang, who had been a judge in the men's event, and Huang Feng, who had been a judge in the pairs' event. Both were found to have given "preferential marking" to Chinese skaters and deliberately low scores to their strongest competitors. The investigation into Huang began in March and was concluded in June. Huang had given Sui Wenjing and Han Cong of China scores of +3 in seven different elements, while, at the same time, giving Aljona Savchenko and Bruno Massot of Germany the lowest scores of all nine judges. The ISU concluded that Huang had "obviously favoured his pair ... vis-à-vis the other top candidates for the Olympic gold medal".[44] As a result, he received a one-year suspension from judging. The ISU described the behavior of both judges as "one of the most serious ethical offences" that a judge can commit.[45]

References

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  1. ↑ Ruiz, Rebecca R. (9 December 2016). "Russia's doping program laid bare by extensive evidence in report". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2 March 2018. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
  2. ↑ Ruiz, Rebecca R. (18 July 2016). "Russia may face Olympics ban as doping scheme Is confirmed". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 25 April 2025. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
  3. ↑ Ruiz, Rebecca R.; Panja, Tariq (5 December 2017). "Russia Banned From Winter Olympics by I.O.C.". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 17 December 2017. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
  4. ↑ "IOC suspends Russian NOC and creates a path for clean individual athletes to compete in Pyeongchang 2018 under the Olympic Flag" (Press release). International Olympic Committee. 5 December 2017. Archived from the original on 24 April 2020. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
  5. 1 2 3 "Figure Skating – Schedule". PyeongChang2018.com. Archived from the original on 10 February 2018. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
  6. ↑ "Gangneung Ice Arena". PyeongChang2018.com. Archived from the original on 10 February 2018. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Schleicher, Chris (14 February 2018). "Let this figure skater turned comedy writer guide you through the Olympics pairs competition". Time. Archived from the original on 14 June 2021. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  8. ↑ "CHN–Wenjing Sui/Cong Han". Skating Scores. Archived from the original on 28 October 2025. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  9. ↑ "CAN–Meagan Duhamel/Eric Radford". Skating Scores. Archived from the original on 19 January 2025. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  10. ↑ "GER–Aljona Savchenko/Bruno Massot". Skating Scores. Archived from the original on 6 December 2025. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  11. 1 2 "GER–Aljona Savchenko/Robin Szolkowy". Skating Scores. Archived from the original on 27 April 2024. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  12. ↑ "Aliona Savchenko & Stanislav Morozov (UKR)". International Skating Union. 29 July 2007. Archived from the original on 22 February 2025. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  13. 1 2 "Communication No. 2093: Entries/Participation 2018 Olympic Winter Games (OWG) – Single & Pair Skating/Ice Dance". International Skating Union. 23 May 2017. Archived from the original on 31 December 2017. Retrieved 31 December 2017.
  14. ↑ "Tarasova/Morozov (RUS) lead in Pairs Short at Nebelhorn Trophy". International Skating Union. 27 September 2017. Archived from the original on 1 April 2019. Retrieved 28 September 2017.
  15. 1 2 "Qualification System for the XXIII Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018". International Skating Union. 17 May 2016. Archived from the original on 29 September 2017. Retrieved 20 January 2018.
  16. ↑ Zaccardi, Nick (29 September 2017). "North Korea qualifies for PyeongChang Winter Olympics". NBC Sports. Archived from the original on 14 June 2025. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  17. ↑ "ISU Statement – Democratic People's Republic of Korea Olympic participation". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 18 March 2020. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
  18. ↑ Bishop, Mac William; Harrison, Bruce (9 January 2018). "North Korea agrees to send athletes to South Korea Olympics". NBC News. Archived from the original on 9 January 2018. Retrieved 9 January 2018.
  19. 1 2 "Unified Korean Olympic team to march at Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018". International Olympic Committee. 20 January 2018. Archived from the original on 20 January 2018. Retrieved 29 May 2026.
  20. ↑ "Tarasova/Morozov (RUS) win Nebelhorn Trophy - Alexandrovskaya/Windsor (AUS) qualify Olympic spot". International Skating Union. 29 September 2017. Archived from the original on 3 January 2018. Retrieved 30 September 2017.
  21. 1 2 S&P/ID 2016, pp. 74–75.
  22. ↑ S&P/ID 2016, pp. 109–110.
  23. ↑ S&P/ID 2016, pp. 112–113.
  24. ↑ S&P/ID 2016, pp. 76–77.
  25. 1 2 "Communication No. 2089" (PDF). International Skating Union. 11 May 2017. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 May 2017. Retrieved 28 May 2017.
  26. ↑ "Communication No. 2094". International Skating Union. 31 May 2017. Archived from the original on 28 February 2018. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
  27. ↑ S&P/ID 2016, pp. 15–16.
  28. ↑ S&P/ID 2016, pp. 79–80.
  29. 1 2 S&P/ID 2016, p. 16.
  30. ↑ S&P/ID 2016, pp. 16–18.
  31. ↑ S&P/ID 2016, p. 19.
  32. 1 2 3 4 Tetrault-Farber, Gabrielle; Lies, Elaine (15 February 2018). "Figure Skating – Record-breaking German pair soar to stunning gold". Reuters. Archived from the original on 16 February 2018. Retrieved 17 February 2018.
  33. 1 2 Skretta, Dave (14 February 2018). "Flawless skate gives Chinese lead". The Register-Guard. The Associated Press. p. C5. Retrieved 2 June 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  34. ↑ "Boutin threatened on social media after bronze medal win". Whitehorse Daily Star. The Canadian Press. 14 February 2018. p. 22. Retrieved 2 June 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  35. 1 2 "Chinese pair leads after short program". San Francisco Chronicle. The Associated Press. 14 February 2018. p. B4. Retrieved 2 June 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  36. 1 2 Longman, Jeré (13 February 2018). "For North Korean skaters, the short program was just the beginning". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 31 October 2025. Retrieved 2 June 2026.
  37. ↑ Berry, Vyomica (20 November 2021). "Why is North Korea known as the most isolated country in the world?". WION. Retrieved 2 June 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  38. ↑ "Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018 – Pair Skating Short Program – Result Details". International Skating Union. 14 February 2018. Archived from the original on 6 March 2026. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  39. ↑ "Progression of Highest Score – Pairs (historic records achieved before 2018/2019 season) – Free Skating Score". International Skating Union. 22 March 2018. Archived from the original on 19 August 2018. Retrieved 2 June 2026.
  40. 1 2 3 "Aljona Savchenko/Bruno Massot (GER) soar to Olympic gold". International Skating Union. 15 February 2018. Archived from the original on 9 June 2018. Retrieved 5 April 2019.
  41. ↑ Longman, Jeré (15 February 2018). "Germans unexpectedly win Olympic pairs figure skating". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 27 February 2018. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
  42. ↑ "Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018 – Pair Skating Free Skating – Result Details". International Skating Union. 15 February 2018. Archived from the original on 6 March 2026. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  43. ↑ "2018 Olympic Winter Games – Pairs Final Results". Skating Scores. Archived from the original on 7 October 2024. Retrieved 29 May 2026.
  44. ↑ Diamond, James (20 June 2018). "Embarrassment for China ahead of Beijing 2022 as ISU bans two officials for biased judging at Pyeongchang 2018". Inside the Games. Archived from the original on 23 July 2024. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  45. ↑ "Chinese figure skating judges banned for bias at Pyeongchang Olympics". CBC Sports. The Associated Press. 21 June 2018. Archived from the original on 22 July 2019. Retrieved 30 May 2026.

Works cited

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