New Chinese figure skating national team training roster confirmed

BEIJING -- The Chinese Figure Skating Association (CFSA) announced the roster of the national training team and national youth training team for the next training period on Monday. Silver medalists from the Pyeongchang Winter Olymics Sui Wenjing and Han Cong will return, together with familiar names including Jin Boyang, Li Xiangning and the Peng Cheng/Jin Yang pair.

Due to a bone fracture in the right foot, Sui Wenjing was not involved in the qualification match and training in Sanya, Hainan Province last April with her partner Han Cong. Now that she has recovered, head coach Zhao Hongbo confirmed, it is high time that she and Han, a promising pair who have been gaining experience in major tournaments, returned to regular training to get prepared for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.

Jin Boyang, who ranked fourth in his Olympic debut at Pyeongchang in the men's singles, and Li Xiangning, the best female skater in China both saw their names on the new list. Besides women's singles, Li will also partner with Xie Zhong in pair skating.

"They were doing great in the previous round of training," coach Zhao Hongbo said. "Next we'll see how the pair performs in the Grand Prix."

The only surprise in the new list was the absence of another renowned pair: Yu Xiaoyu and Zhang Hao. Zhao explained that this was due to the relapse and slow recovery of Yu's foot injury. Substituting for the pair will be young talents Wang Yuchen and Huang Yihang.

The next round of training will be held at the newly opened Shougang Training Center for Winter Sports. Some skaters may also undertake training abroad, according to their individual events and performance.

The CFSA also announced the coaching team, with Zhao Hongbo being the head coach and three coaches each for singles, pair skating and ice dance. They will be supported by a 17-member feature team that includes a therapist, rehabilitation specialist, blade sharpening experts, and management staff.