An impossible dream no longer

Chinese pair admit relationship; win silver in perhaps last event of 16-year career

VANCOUVER: If Tong Jian had bowed and kissed his partner Pang Qing instead of laying his lips on the ice surface at the Pacific Coliseum, it would have been a perfect night for the Chinese figure skating pair and their fans. But Olympic silver medals were enough for them to call it the most spectacular night of their lives.

A professional pair for the past 16 years, the two realized their dreams of an Olympic medal in this their possibly last Winter Olympic competition on Monday. But a possible end to their skating careers will not end their lives together: The duo finally admitted their love for each other after the competition.

"Actually, I wanted to kiss Pang after the free skating competition, but I didn't find her by my side," Tong said. "Many fans who have cared about us have asked us about our relationship, but we have been busy training before the Games. Now, I want to announce that we are in a relationship with each other."

Skating to the music of "Impossible Dream" from the 1965 musical Man of La Mancha, the duo put on a clean and solid routine with high twists and flying throws, earning them a standing ovation and the highest score of the night in the free-skating round: 141.81 points. The mark is a record for the long program in the history of the event.

Their total score of 213.31 lifted them from fourth to second place, following gold medalists and compatriots Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo.

"It is a perfect result today. I feel very thrilled about it," said Tong. "We have given our best and I really loved the audience tonight. I believe what we did on the ice touched the audience. We have done our best."

Moments after netting silver, Pang said the night is still like a dream.

"When we finished the routine, I didn't think our dreams would be realized," said the 30-year-old Pang. "But when I saw the score, I knew we made it."

Selected as a pair in 1993, the pair is considered China's second best of all time, right behind Shen and Zhao.

Making their debut in the World Championships 2000, Pang and Tong have steadily progressed over the years. They clinched the bronze at the Worlds in 2004. At the 2006 Turin Winter Games, the duo narrowly missed out on a medal, finishing fourth.

The combination reached the peak of their careers by winning the Worlds a month later, but injuries have hampered the pair since then. They had been struggling until recently to recapture their brilliance.

They missed the podium at the 2008 and 2009 World Championships, but have come back strong with new routines since October.

"The short program this season has returned to classical music, which was always our choice about 10 years ago. We have tried various styles in recent years, such as tango and blues, but for our last possible Winter Olympics, we wanted to go back to the beginning," Tong previously told China Daily. "The music this time is slow and talks about love stories. It could show the advantages of our figures and our performing style."

For the pair, the title of the song for their free-skating routine was perfect.

"Everyone has a dream. It may be difficult to achieve but if we try our best, then we will have no regrets," said Tong.

Their dreams of an Olympic medal came closer and closer this season, when they won two Grand Prix events and earned a silver at the Grand Prix Final, defeating all the world medalists at the previous two World Championships.

Still, they said they had to overcome some nervousness before the competition at the Olympic Games.

"Before the free skating competition, Pang's muscle was very tight and actually we were not in our best form this afternoon," Tong told China Daily. "But when we stepped onto the ice, I felt that the atmosphere inspired us to perform at our very best. I should say thank you for all the fans and friends that supported us. It's a perfect result for all."

(China Daily 02/17/2010 page12)