Sui Wenjing and Han Cong

Sui Wenjing, born July 18, 1995, in Harbin, Heilongjiang, and Han Cong, born August 6, 1992, also in Harbin, formed their pairs figure skating partnership in 2007. Neither had prior pairs skating experience, their shared inspiration stemming from watching 2010 Olympic Champions Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo compete at the 2002 Winter Olympics. Under the guidance of coaches including Zhao Hongbo, Zhang Wei, and Guan Jinlin, they quickly rose through the ranks. Their early careers were marked by significant junior-level success, achieving three World Junior titles from 2010 to 2012, and two Junior Grand Prix Final titles in 2009-10 and 2011-12. This remarkable junior record laid the foundation for their transition into senior international competition, where they continued to excel through technical skill and chemistry on ice.

Throughout their senior career, Sui and Han demonstrated resilience and consistent performance despite facing multiple injury setbacks. Sui underwent surgery on both feet after the 2015-16 season and later recovered from a stress fracture in her foot, impacting their competition schedules in 2016-17 and 2018-19 respectively. Han also underwent hip surgery in 2020. Despite these challenges, their career highlights include two World Championship titles in 2017 and 2019, six Four Continents Championships titles, and their triumph at the 2019–20 Grand Prix Final. Their most significant achievement came at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, where they won the gold medal, adding an Olympic title to their extensive list of accolades and becoming the first pair skating team to achieve a “Super Slam” by winning all major competitions in both their senior and junior careers. Their retirement in 2023 was followed by a surprising announcement in June 2025 of their return to competitive skating for the 2025/26 season, reflecting their enduring dedication to the sport. Sui has also ventured into choreography, working with other Chinese pairs teams, further contributing to the sport’s development.

Their sustained success and ability to overcome adversity have established Sui Wenjing and Han Cong as highly respected figures in figure skating. They are recognized not only for their numerous medals but also for their pioneering technical elements, being the only team to have successfully landed throw quadruple salchows and quadruple twists in competition. Their world records include the highest scores for the pairs’ short program and combined total, set at the 2022 Winter Olympics and 2019 World Championships, respectively. Their journey exemplifies perseverance and excellence, making them enduring icons in the sport.