by sportswriters Gao Meng, Li Jia, Ding Wenxian, Xu Xintao
MILAN, Feb. 18 (Xinhua) -- As the final notes of "A Tapestry of a Legendary Land" faded, so did Sui Wenjing and Han Cong's last journey at the Winter Olympics.
The Chinese pair, Olympic champions at Beijing 2022 and silver medalists at PyeongChang 2018, scored 135.98 points in Monday's free skate at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics and finished fifth overall with 208.64.
It came just six months after their return to competition.
Their free skate drew inspiration from the dance drama of the same name, based on the famed Song Dynasty painting "A Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains." In the program, Han portrayed a painter, while Sui embodied a deity symbolizing nature's mountains and rivers, together expressing the beauty of the natural world and traditional Chinese culture.
Sui worked with Canadian choreographer Lori Nichol on the routine.
When the music stopped, before acknowledging the crowd, the two turned toward each other, bowed and waved -- a private gesture before a public farewell.
"This must be our last competition together as a pair on the competitive stage," Han told Xinhua. "I wanted to bow to my partner to thank her support all these years. It was also a kind of closing ritual and farewell."
Paired by their coach in 2007, Sui and Han rose from the junior ranks to the national team and then to the Olympics. They won three consecutive World Junior titles, claimed two world championships, and completed a Grand Slam career with Olympic silver and gold.
Their breakthrough on the Olympic stage came at PyeongChang 2018, where they won silver in their Games debut. Four years later in Beijing, Sui and Han set a world record in the short program and added a high-difficulty quadruple twist in the free skate to capture the Olympic title.
After the Beijing Games, both stepped away from competition to pursue new directions. Han obtained judging credentials and began teaching at a university. Sui pursued a master's degree, published an autobiography and began working as a figure skating choreographer.
In December 2024, Sui announced her return. In June 2025, the Chinese Skating Association's roster for the 2025-26 ISU Grand Prix series included Sui and Han, before the pair officially resumed competition in October.
When they returned to the ice, Sui was 30 and Han 33, and the comeback was anything but simple.
To regain competitive form, Sui lost five kilograms, while Han shed nearly 10. Their goal was straightforward: the Olympics and a medal.
"Every competition brings a sense of suffocation -- like you're about to die," Han said. "But it's also exhilarating. That's the charm of competition. It makes me feel young again, active on the ice, and I truly enjoy it."
"Reality tells me there is still a gap between me and a medal," Sui said. "But there is always an element of luck. Opportunities favor those who are well-prepared, so I have to stay grounded, do my part and be ready for that moment."
The road back to Olympic qualification was far from easy for the defending champions. No longer in their early years, they faced more than just the challenge of returning after time away.
With a new generation of younger competitors emerging, Han said the hardest part was accepting reality and adjusting his mindset.
"I've never experienced competing and possibly not winning a medal. Since winning the junior title, every event I entered was about taking gold. If I fell outside the top three, I couldn't accept it -- the same if I wasn't first," he said.
Sui, meanwhile, also battled injuries.
"Until the day before we left for the Olympics, I was still in a wheelchair. Skating was extremely difficult. For three or four days I couldn't even stand. I kept asking myself whether I could make it to Milan. On the day of the free skate, I took four or five painkillers before going on the ice," she said.
In the end, they left what they called their most beautiful performance on Olympic ice.
"I think it was perfect for that moment," Sui said. "As a work of art, there is always room for improvement, always a better way to express it. But at that moment, we told the story we wanted to tell. We brought traditional Chinese culture to the Olympic stage. We dared to challenge the impossible."
"I'm very satisfied with what we created together today," Han said. "We gained a new experience. Most people will never have something like this -- six months to recover and then face everything head-on. We faced it with passion. We hope it can inspire others."
"I believe Chinese figure skating is a discipline with deep tradition," Sui said through tears. "Perhaps the Olympic story of us ends here, but I hope Chinese figure skating will continue to thrive and pass the torch from generation to generation."
"The Sui-Han pair will certainly say goodbye," Han said. "It's good. Life is not entirely perfect, but in many ways we've already made it complete. Life is meant to be experienced. At this stage, we've been able to hold so many beautiful memories. One must be content -- only then can you keep moving forward." Enditem
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