Chinese Skating News, Pt. 4: Fresh Noodles for Milan 2026

[otisgear]

Actually, seems 缇可张 weibo page has many, many more than what she's uploaded to bilibili so far? https://m.weibo.cn/u/6290293780

https://space.bilibili.com/5368968/channel/collectiondetail?sid=949880
^^All of the short programs for the club league finals are here

Normally, the results of the Chinese Nationals are not related to the entries to any major international events.
Still very curious to see who they will send to Romania or whether they will send any skaters to Winter Universiade coz it will also happen in the same week.

I think I saw in a comment that the two going to Romania are Cheng Jiaying and Li Anqi? And that Nini will go to some other senior B to get her mins for worlds?? Not too sure about that since that would mean Nini won't get to go to 4cc,

 

[raruki]

https://space.bilibili.com/5368968/channel/collectiondetail?sid=949880
^^All of the short programs for the club league finals are here


I think I saw in a comment that the two going to Romania are Cheng Jiaying and Li Anqi? And that Nini will go to some other senior B to get her mins for worlds?? Not too sure about that since that would mean Nini won't get to go to 4cc,

I have heard that they are planning to attend another senior B, not sure what the competition is and who will be sent.

 

[On My Own]

I think I saw in a comment that the two going to Romania are Cheng Jiaying and Li Anqi?

?? Who is Li Anqi? I can't find the isuresults page for her?

 

[otisgear]

?? Who is Li Anqi? I can't find the isuresults page for her?

Ooops sorry, that's Angel Li. Think she's based in the US and converted her nationality to China like Beverley and Ashley.

 

[On My Own]

Ooops sorry, that's Angel Li. Think she's based in the US and converted her nationality to China like Beverley and Ashley.

Ah okay. Not sure about the history, but this says place of birth: Shanghai. http://www.isuresults.com/bios/isufs00109105.htm

 

[Sylvia]

Ooops sorry, that's Angel Li. Think she's based in the US and converted her nationality to China like Beverley and Ashley.

I believe Angel Li has trained in the U.S. in the summer and competed in club comps (like Glacier Falls) but never changed her citizenship.

Her lone international listed in her ISU bio was the domestic GP in China in the pandemic season.

 

[otisgear]

I believe Angel Li has trained in the U.S. in the summer and competed in club comps (like Glacier Falls) but never changed her citizenship.

Her lone international listed in her ISU bio was the domestic GP in China in the pandemic season.

Ahh I see. Kinda rare to see Chinese (by birth) skaters use an English name internationally

 

[On My Own]

https://space.bilibili.com/5368968/channel/collectiondetail?sid=949880
^^All of the short programs for the club league finals are here

Actually I do follow her too! Didn't notice she had all of them.

Some of them are so good. I really hope Chinese skating can recover, because it's got so much potential. Unlike the other state system, they teach proper jumps, which is so refreshing to see. And the pairs have good presentation that doesn't rely on foolish gimmicks.

 

[otisgear]

Just finished watching the club league finals pairs free skate and wanna drop down some notes. So now the clear number 3 and number 4 senior pairs are Zhang/Yang and Wang/Jia. Zhang/Huang actually beat Wang/Jia here but they have that weird age gap limbo issue that's gonna keep them out of international competitions till 2025/26. Zhang/Huang's tech is top tier (3T+2T+2T, 3S, 3FTh, 3LoTh) but they haven't really proven their consistency in actual non-pre-filmed competitions. Anyway, they're kinda irrelevant internationally due to the age issue, don't know what they're gonna do about that (or why they even teamed up in the first place). The girl also still has to go through puberty so that's a big ?

Zhang/Yang were pretty good here, huge throws with fantastic smooth landings. Their speed across the ice seem to have improved a lot. Wished we got to see videos of Zhang/Yang and Wang/Jia at Golden Spin, based on the protocols seems like both pairs were pretty inconsistent. Wang/Jia had a rough time going through puberty the past couple years but they seem to have survived that now. Hope they can continue to improve but their 3FTh is still such a complete yeet and pray. Hope these two teams will show up (along with P/J) at 4CC.

Yang/Deng keeping the junior pairs flame alive for now. Hope they get to go to junior worlds and make the most out of it. Personally I don't know if they'll ever get to the top tier level technically due to their late start to skating but I appreciate their dedication to skating, it's been a pretty tough journey for them. I think their jumps will always be an issue but at least their throws seem to have improved.

Sun/Li a.k.a the yikes pair... why is this allowed... every single one of their elements look clunky and weird. I'm totally not impressed by their quad/quint twist shenanigans that continue to give me clickbait vibes. I don't know why Sun's mum sent her to Zhang Tianci instead of Luan Bo if she was so set on her daughter going into pairs. At least Luan could've found her a remotely age-appropriate partner. Like Zhang/Huang, this "pair" is also irrelevant internationally.

And finally Guo/Zhang who I think are one of the two Luan Bo baby pairs (along with Zhang/Feng, both pairs can do FoDs) that have a lot of potential. 3Tw, double throws and double jumps here but I think they're pretty on track for their ages. Hope we see them on the junior circuit in a year or two when they're age eligible. Personally I think these two pairs are the most exciting baby pairs we've seen in a while, they have solid basics for a young pair and rather engaging performance-wise. Hopefully they'll continue to grow and develop technically and artistically, Chinese pairs really need some young ones to pick up the slack.

Will come back and drop links to the videos when they're uploaded. Edit: updated links

Videos:
Zhang/Yang (SP/FS) a.k.a. the olympics gala pair
Wang/Jia (SP/FS) a.k.a. the yeet and pray pair
Zhang/Huang (SP/FS) a.k.a the pair where the guy ditched his previous partner because she got too tall and heavy and is now with a tiny pre-pubescent girl
Yang/Deng (SP/FS) a.k.a. the acro gymnastics cross discipline pair
Sun/Li (SP/FS) a.k.a. the what the hell is going on quint twist pair
Guo/Zhang (SP/FS) a.k.a. Luan Bo baby pair #1

also bonus link to Luan Bo baby pair #2 Zhang/Feng (SP/FS). They didn't make the club league finals but they're really cute and have great potential imo.

 

[On My Own]

Does anyone have the ISU bio of the 10 year old's partner? He looks old enough to be her father wtf

 

[Gris]

Does anyone have the ISU bio of the 10 year old's partner? He looks old enough to be her father wtf

I don't think he has ever competed internationally so no. He's 24 years old.

The most charitable explanation for this pair that I can find is that he's just... there for her to learn pair skills. Still it's very disturbing.

 

[On My Own]

I don't think he has ever competed internationally so no. He's 24 years old.

https://m.weibo.cn/u/6187244026 this man?

 

[On My Own]

I do quite like Tian Tonghe, he skates like a young Yan Han haha. https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1tP4y1B77w/

 

[Gris]

https://m.weibo.cn/u/6187244026 this man?

Yes. Youmei Sun (the 10-year-old girl) got her 3T and 3S at age 9 so... I wish I could convince her parents to let her focus on singles. (As @otisgear said above, from social media posts, her parents seem set on her becoming a pairs skater.)

 

[otisgear]

https://m.weibo.cn/u/6187244026 this man?

I read somewhere that he has, at various points in time, participated in singles, pairs, dance AND synchro. So he's either very versatile or the ultimate multi-tool for his coach/club

I love Tonghe too, he's got lovely musicality and skating skills.

 

[otisgear]

I don't think he has ever competed internationally so no. He's 24 years old.

The most charitable explanation for this pair that I can find is that he's just... there for her to learn pair skills. Still it's very disturbing.

I remember the first time I saw that video of Sun Youmei doing the quad twist and I 100% thought he was an assistant coach or some sort of coaching staff. And then they showed up at the club league competitions as a legit pair and I was like

 

[On My Own]

Can someone post a biography list for these skaters? With my non-existent memory, I can never remember their ages. So for example I want to say "Tian Tonghe has amazing skating skills for his age", but for all I know he's 35.

Han Wenbao is also nice. https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1be411c7MC/

"David Day" must be American-born, I'm guessing?

 

[otisgear]

Yes. Youmei Li (the 10-year-old girl) got her 3T and 3S at age 9 so... I wish I could convince her parents to let her focus on singles. (As @otisgear said above, from social media posts, her parents seem set on her becoming a pairs skater.)

They did do 3S and 3T earlier on but dropped the 3S to 2S in the club league finals... wonder if they were starting to have consistency issues. I'd hate if it was a sign that something's starting to go wrong with the girl because the intensity of the training from what they've been posting on social media is insane. Nini's mum got a lot of flack for that interview that she did few years earlier but I think Sun's mum is at least twice as crazy.

 

[On My Own]

They did do 3S and 3T earlier on but dropped the 3S to 2S in the club league finals... wonder if they were starting to have consistency issues. I'd hate if it was a sign that something's starting to go wrong with the girl because the intensity of the training from what they've been posting on social media is insane. Nini's mum got a lot of flack for that interview that she did few years earlier but I think Sun's mum is at least twice as crazy.

Youmei Li

Sun Youmei

Just so there's no confusion, Sun Youmei is the girl's name, in Chinese name order (Youmei Sun in western name order). Li is the man's family name.

 

[Gris]

Can someone post a biography list for these skaters? With my non-existent memory, I can never remember their ages. So for example I want to say "Tian Tonghe has amazing skating skills for his age", but for all I know he's 35.

Han Wenbao is also nice. https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1be411c7MC/

"David Day" must be American-born, I'm guessing?

Tonghe is 14 and David was born to a Chinese father and a Russian mother. (I had wondered if his name should be transliterated as David Day or Dawei Dai until I saw this competition video)

Just so there's no confusion, Sun Youmei is the girl's name, in Chinese name order (Youmei Sun in western name order). Li is the man's family name.

Ah sorry, I'll fix the typo.

 

[raruki]

Yes. Youmei Li (the 10-year-old girl) got her 3T and 3S at age 9 so... I wish I could convince her parents to let her focus on singles. (As @otisgear said above, from social media posts, her parents seem set on her becoming a pairs skater.)

Sun even scolded the netizens in her coach's Tik-Tok account who questioned her decision and training methods in pairs skating and insisted that she does everything voluntarily. SO 尊重, 祝福.

 

[On My Own]

had wondered if his name should be transliterated as David Day or Dawei Dai until I saw this competition video

Well it was Dawei, so I thought it must be "David" and therefore probably not (full or native) Chinese, but unusual to me that his father being Chinese still lead to him having his last name written as "Day". Y'all would know these idiosyncracies better than me though, lol.

 

[On My Own]

How would people transliterate 李泽恩? Li "Zeen" is definitely not going to capture how it's going to be pronounced. Sun Youmei at least sounds kind of close?

 

[otisgear]

How would people transliterate 李泽恩? Li "Zeen" is definitely not going to capture how it's going to be pronounced. Sun Youmei at least sounds kind of close?

Hahahaha I would go with Li Ze-en or Li Ze'en. Either way people who don't speak Chinese are probably not gonna get it right

 

[Gris]

How would people transliterate 李泽恩? Li "Zeen" is definitely not going to capture how it's going to be pronounced. Sun Youmei at least sounds kind of close?

I think it's common practice to put an apostrophe before pinyin syllables starting with a, e or o (unless it's the beginning of a word) so I'll transliterate it as Ze'en.

 

[otisgear]

The club league finals free skate for singles:
https://space.bilibili.com/5368968/video

and pairs here:
https://space.bilibili.com/1733371507

 

[On My Own]

https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1ue4y1T7DL/ Is Zhang Siyang wearing Wenjing's Olympic costume? What a blessing!

 

[On My Own]

Twitter found Sun/Li

https://twitter.com/twistandtwizzle/status/1605220826160275461

 

[Wyliefan]

Twitter ain't always wrong.

 

[otisgear]

Twitter found Sun/Li

https://twitter.com/twistandtwizzle/status/1605220826160275461

Quick someone go post the quint twist video on twitter for maximum chaos