Chinese skating news & social media updates pt. 5, 2023 onwards

[binbinwinwin]

I'm assuming the protocols were formatted differently or something, although Song Nan was from Heilongjiang he represented Ningxia during his skating career.

 

[On My Own]

I'm assuming the protocols were formatted differently or something, although Song Nan was from Heilongjiang he represented Ningxia during his skating career.

Difficult to verify since the ones linked on wikipedia are dead, and skating scores doesn't link its sources (from what I can tell, anyway).

Anyway, that's resolved so here's something different instead:

Chinese Figure Skating Championships - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Here are the 2010 national championships on Wikipedia which claim that Song Nan was 7th. The links appear dead, even on archive.org (I didn't check all of them).

People can check for themselves what it says on the skating scores website. He was 3rd apparently.

Here's the ISU webpage for him: http://www.isuresults.com/bios/isufs_cr_00010636.htm

It says he was 2nd.

 

[Sylvia]

I'm assuming the protocols were formatted differently or something, although Song Nan was from Heilongjiang he represented Ningxia during his skating career.

So that's where the "Ningxia" came from - thank you!

Difficult to verify since the ones linked on wikipedia are dead, and skating scores doesn't link its sources (from what I can tell, anyway).

Wikipedia also is volunteer-run. SkatingScores will link to the source of the "official results" if possible - this is the case for all the results pages I've looked at recently aside from Chinese Nationals going back to 2008 (one source link provided by SkatingScores that I did find is for 2014 Nationals in December 2013 https://web.archive.org/web/2014011...0/wp-content/uploads/events/2013nc5/index.htm): https://skatingscores.com/natchn/

Anyway, that's resolved so here's something different instead: ...

You're welcome. FYI: skatingscores@gmail (dotcom) if you feel like being helpful.

 

[On My Own]

if you feel like being helpful.

I don't usually.

Wikipedia also is volunteer-run.

Yes, I'm well aware. Although I'd never do skating pages, I've edited others.

Point is, clearly, the volunteers linked the protocols. I am not sure what Skating Scores is pulling from when he doesn't seem to, and the links seem dead by now. And why they differ from the isuresults records, for that matter.

 

[bladesofgorey]

if you feel like being helpful.

I don't usually.

Understatement of the year.

 

[Sylvia]

I don't usually.

Yes, I get it now.

And why they differ from the isuresults records, for that matter.

The ISU isn't responsible for verifying the Nationals results of ISU member countries. From an archived page of ISU Communication No. 2448 - National Results 2020/21:

In accordance with Rule 104, paragraph 13 a), b) and c) the ISU publishes the following results for the season 2020/21: [...]
c) The names of the five best Ladies and Men Figure Skaters, the five best pairs and the five best couples in Ice Dance and the five best Synchronized Skating Teams based on the results of National Championships. [...]
The ISU cannot take any responsibility for the accuracy of the results furnished by the Members.

The pertinent rule is published in Section C. Obligations of ISU Members in the ISU's Constitution and General Regulations document - Rule 104 13. Publication of Best Skaters: "Each ISU Member shall publish on its website the most critical results of the ISU Member’s Skaters. The minimum information shall include the results of the National Championships."

 

[On My Own]

Anyway, back to looking at results.

Wu Jialiang. http://www.isuresults.com/bios/isufs_cr_00005105.htm

2009 Championships
ISU results: 1st, instead of Song Nan as claimed by both Wikipedia and Skating Scores.
Wikipedia and Skating Scores: 5th

At least Wikipedia and skating scores are in tune there.

2010 Championships
ISU results: 1st
Wikipedia: 4th
Skating Scores: 2nd

Not that this has anything much to do with databasing on skating scores anymore.

ETA: I almost want to ask how it is two posts that were basically "how did this person who does databasing make this mistake? is he sure he didn't elsewhere?" ended up this popular But I won't really. If some want to be snarky, go ahead.

 

[On My Own]

I don't usually.

Understatement of the year.

Aren't you the person who told me I was "fishing" for answers when I asked a question a few too many times, seemingly unaware that there are people who don't all speak English as their first language?

Sometimes November 2024 can be regarded as a deserved celebration for some.

 

[farahfan]

has China announced their Asian Winter Games entries yet?

 

[On My Own]

has China announced their Asian Winter Games entries yet?

Not to my knowledge.

 

[ginsengtea]

New glimpse of Wenjing Sui and her new partner skating together! They look better than I was expecting.

https://www.reddit.com/r/FigureSkating/comments/1jett1f/sui_wenjingli_zeen_new_training_footage

 

[kwanfan1818]

Like with Savchenko, it must be a different experience with possibilities to have a taller partner, even if Szolkowy was a little taller than Han.

 

[On My Own]

They look better than I was expecting.

A throw AND a lift already exceeds my expectation, I just hope the training is safe if they've made this much progress in a short while.

微博

随时随地发现新鲜事！微博带你欣赏世界上每一个精彩瞬间，了解每一个幕后故事。分享你想表达的，让全世界都能听到你的心声！

m.weibo.cn

3T sequence by Wenjing.

 

[Karen-W]

Hasn't the concern with this team always been about his SBS jumps? Without those being reliable, they're gonna sink like a rock in the current international field, even if they do have one decent throw triple and one alright lift.

 

[coralline]

BTW Savchenko is choregraphing for Jiaxuan Zhang & Yihang Huang in Italy right now.
http://xhslink.com/a/KoTlHR8VtBE8

 

[coralline]

Wenjing Sui & Zeen Li
25-26 SP One Time
https://weibo.com/7285372573/5149216005164828

Lifts & death spiral
https://weibo.com/3798750773/PkFyx3uWp

Jumps
https://weibo.com/3798750773/5149261043075458

Throws
https://weibo.com/3798750773/5149259206492660

 

[Karen-W]

Wenjing Sui & Zeen Li
25-26 SP One Time
https://weibo.com/7285372573/5149216005164828

Not bad - skated through their twist & throw, but we've seen their throws already, so that's not a concern.

Seems pretty clear they'll get a CoC host spot. If I were the CFSA, I'd probably invest the $$ in sending both Sui/Li and Zhang/Huang to John Nicks IPC in early September, ahead of the Olympic Qualifying Event, just to see how they score & compete internationally. Waiting to send them to Lombardia doesn't really give the teams a decent turnaround time between the two competitions - and you want to give whichever team that competes at the OQE the best opportunity & preparation to win one of the three spots up for grabs.

 

[On My Own]

25-26 SP One Time
https://weibo.com/7285372573/5149216005164828

Lifts & death spiral
https://weibo.com/3798750773/PkFyx3uWp

Jumps
https://weibo.com/3798750773/5149261043075458

Throws
https://weibo.com/3798750773/5149259206492660

Have to wonder how it'll look like with the full run of elements, and then there's the LP too.

Good for them though. It must have taken a lot of hard work to get to this.

 

[farahfan]

Not bad - skated through their twist & throw, but we've seen their throws already, so that's not a concern.

Seems pretty clear they'll get a CoC host spot. If I were the CFSA, I'd probably invest the $$ in sending both Sui/Li and Zhang/Huang to John Nicks IPC in early September, ahead of the Olympic Qualifying Event, just to see how they score & compete internationally. Waiting to send them to Lombardia doesn't really give the teams a decent turnaround time between the two competitions - and you want to give whichever team that competes at the OQE the best opportunity & preparation to win one of the three spots up for grabs.

is the Challenger schedule up already?

 

[Karen-W]

is the Challenger schedule up already?

It wasn't when I checked a week or two ago. Should get it sometime next month.

Saw this earlier... Sui has officially announced her partnership & return with Li Zeen - they plan on competing at the Olympic Qualifying Event in September.

I really hope they plan on at least one international competition before that comp.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1906668454368665865

 

[On My Own]

@coralline You should know that a group of Chinese fans has gathered on twitter to promote the idea that Sui/Han and Wang/Liu are all returning for Milan.

Others can correct me, but just checking, Wang/Liu's post seems to be lip service - they were also saying they'd go to AWG, but didn't. They did (unfortunately) show up for CoC.

Sui/Li, apart from being on CCTV5, per the linked tweet above, Wenjing also said she and Li would be showing up at the Olympic qualifier.

ETA: the "evidence" for sui/han seems to be the usual "I've heard rumours for months!" claim that Chinese fans usually do, along with a (supposedly) recent pic from XHS where Wenjing and Cong are both standing under a banner saying "Milan Olympics". Also, the people saying it seem to be shippers, and knowing Chinese shippers' "proofs" of quite literally anything at all...

Wang/Liu seem to be in Jilin. The "national team", such as it is, trains in Beijing.

 

[On My Own]

Further "evidence" of the S/H comeback which is a screenshot of a XHS post: https://m.weibo.cn/detail/5161078573501311

 

[coralline]

@coralline You should know that a group of Chinese fans has gathered on twitter to promote the idea that Sui/Han and Wang/Liu are all returning for Milan.

Others can correct me, but just checking, Wang/Liu's post seems to be lip service - they were also saying they'd go to AWG, but didn't. They did (unfortunately) show up for CoC.

Sui/Li, apart from being on CCTV5, per the linked tweet above, Wenjing also said she and Li would be showing up at the Olympic qualifier.

ETA: the "evidence" for sui/han seems to be the usual "I've heard rumours for months!" claim that Chinese fans usually do, along with a (supposedly) recent pic from XHS where Wenjing and Cong are both standing under a banner saying "Milan Olympics". Also, the people saying it seem to be shippers, and knowing Chinese shippers' "proofs" of quite literally anything at all...

Wang/Liu seem to be in Jilin. The "national team", such as it is, trains in Beijing.

As for ice dance, there's no national team right now. Ren & Xing, Xiao & He are both in Montreal with IAM (and IAM London). Wang & Liu are in Jilin. Liu did say in a recent post that they are aiming for Milano.
As for Sui & Han, some rumor says CFSA or Winter Sports Management Center does not quite support the idea of Sui & Li, and tries to persuade Han's comeback. Just rumor, no concrete evidence.

 

[On My Own]

As for ice dance, there's no national team right now. Ren & Xing, Xiao & He are both in Montreal with IAM (and IAM London). Wang & Liu are in Jilin. Liu did say in a recent post that they are aiming for Milano.
As for Sui & Han, some rumor says CFSA or Winter Sports Management Center does not quite support the idea of Sui & Li, and tries to persuade Han's comeback. Just rumor, no concrete evidence.

There's no national team, but W/L are the only ones in Jilin who are preparing "for Milan". I don't know how it could be so.

I also see they seem to have performed in some sort of stage show for new year in Jilin on their profile. Don't really seem to be invited to be around the others, apart from that CoC '24 thing.

And yeah, I saw that rumour about Sui/Li, it was posted both here and on reddit at the time - but I think someone on reddit stated there was never a concrete source for that at the time either. The "persuading" Han part is new I guess.

 

[On My Own]

https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/ig3AlcPzC_EOXIG72UZRew <- this mentions Wenjing and Boyang as part of an event organized by the "national team", and "coach Zhao Hongbo" for that matter, but no mention of any other skaters, including Han Cong. Some link about the May Fourth movement or whatever. (ETA: Take each and every single word with several bucketfuls of salt because IDEK wtf this is)

Not that I ever understood Chinese skating anyway. But could this be the source of the photo of "Sui, Han, and Zhao" floating around?

ETA: Ren Hongguo is still around, good grief.

 

[On My Own]

Have Shi/Wang both retired?

 

[On My Own]

@coralline Is the suspension of Li Ze'en any solid rumour, or yet more speculation?

If it's really real, then why would someone say Sui/Han are happening due to fed not having confidence in Li, rather than a much more straightforward explanation like that one?

 

[On My Own]

As a brief, relevant update, Han Cong's back on the ISU doping test pool.

OTOH, despite having retired before, he didn't seem to have registered on the 2025-26 list released by CFSA a few days ago.

 

[Karen-W]

As a brief, relevant update, Han Cong's back on the ISU doping test pool.

OTOH, despite having retired before, he didn't seem to have registered on the 2025-26 list released by CFSA a few days ago.

Here's the link - https://isu-d8g8b4b7ece7aphs.a03.az...ols/RTP-TP-2024-25-250520-1747729918-9349.pdf

FWIW - Brandon Frazier was in the ISU doping test pool in 2023-24 even though he & Alexa had clearly retired. The theory at the time was that he needed to remain in the doping test pool in order to keep his USOPC health insurance. But that wouldn't explain why Han is back in the doping pool now after having been out of it for a few years.

 

[On My Own]

Just to add more context to Karen's post and also my own post, Jin Boyang was also not on the athlete registration list - but he's not been associated with a Chinese club for more than three years now, so apparently he didn't need to be. His info desk (associated with his close fans) emailed and clarified.

OTOH, the Sui/Han info desk, which I think is also run by their close fans, posted Wenjing's registration on the list on the Wenjing super talk/fan thread. They've also as of now not said anything about Han Cong being back, nor have they (again, as of now) pulled the Doping pool up either, even though it contains both of them.

I have no clue if Li Ze'en has or hasn't been on the registration list or the doping pool before.

(I think the only info desk that's not run by close fans is the W/L one, because their management company bought it out, but could be wrong)

Anyway, Han is on the RTP, which I think is the strictest of the pools, so we'll have to see what happens.

ETA: I do think his presence on the doping pool is too much of a coincidence right after the rumours of coming out of retirement.