The pairs' figure skating competition at the 2010 Winter Olympics was held from 14 to 15 February at the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver, Canada, and featured 20 teams from 12 different nations. Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo of China, two-time bronze medalists from the 2002 and 2006 Winter Olympics, won the gold, while Pang Qing and Tong Jian, also of China, won the silver, and Aljona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy of Germany won the bronze. In addition to their gold and silver medals, both Chinese teams set new world record scores: Shen and Zhao in the short program and overall total, and Pang and Tong in the free skating. This marked the first time since 1960 that a Soviet or Russian team did not win the pairs' event at the Winter Olympics.

Background The pair skating event was one of four figure skating competitions contested at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia, in Canada. It was held at the Pacific Coliseum over two nights: the short program took place on 14 February and the free skating on 15 February. The competition featured 20 teams representing 12 nations. Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo of China were considered the favorites to win the gold medals. Shen and Zhao had won bronze medals at the 2002 and 2006 Winter Olympics, and were three-time world champions, three-time Four Continents champions, six-time Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final champions, and eight-time Chinese national champions. They had retired after the 2007 World Championships, after which they got married, but they returned to competition in 2009 with the intention of competing at the 2010 Winter Olympics. Shen and Zhao were undefeated since returning to competition and held the world record scores in both the short program and overall total. They had also held the record score in the free skate until Yuko Kavaguti and Alexander Smirnov of Russia beat that score at the 2010 European Championships. Their strongest competition was expected to be Aljona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy of Germany. Savchenko and Szolkowy were two-time world champions, three-time European champions , and six-time German national champions.

Qualification

Sixteen quota spots in the pairs' event were awarded based on the results at the 2009 World Figure Skating Championships. Four additional quota spots were made available at the 2009 Nebelhorn Trophy. +Qualifying nations in pairs Event Teamsper Qualifying NOCs Totalteams 2009 World Championships 3 16 2 1 2009 Nebelhorn Trophy 1 4 Total 20

Required performance elements Couples competing in pair skating performed their short programs on 14 February. Lasting no more than 2 minutes 50 seconds, the short program had to include the following elements: one hand-to-hand lift, one double or triple twist lift, one double or triple throw jump, one double or triple solo jump, one solo spin combination with a change of foot, one pair spin combination with a change of foot, one death spiral, and a step sequence.

After completing the short program, all twenty couples advanced to the free skating, which was performed on 15 February. Lasting 4 minutes 30 seconds (+/− 10 seconds), the free skate had to include the following elements: three pair lifts, two twist lifts, two different throw jumps, one solo jump, one jump combination or sequence, one solo spin combination, one pair spin combination, one death spiral, and a spiral sequence.

Judging

Skaters were judged according to the required technical elements of their program (such as jumps and spins), as well as the overall presentation of their program, based on five program components (skating skills, transitions/linking footwork and movement, performance/execution, choreography/composition, and musical interpretation). Each technical element in a figure skating performance was assigned a predetermined base point value and scored by a panel of nine judges on a scale from −3 to +3 based on the quality of its execution. Each Grade of Execution (GOE) from –3 to +3 was assigned a value as indicated on the Scale of Values. For example, a triple Axel was worth a base value of 8.20 points, and a GOE of +3 was worth 3.00 points, so a triple Axel with a GOE of +3 earned 11.20 points. The judging panel's GOE for each element was determined by calculating the trimmed mean (the average after discarding the highest and lowest scores). The panel's scores for all elements were added together to generate a Total Elements Score. At the same time, the judges evaluated each performance based on the five aforementioned program components and assigned each a score from 0.25 to 10 in 0.25-point increments. The judging panel's final score for each program component was also determined by calculating the trimmed mean. Those scores were then multiplied by the factor shown on the chart below; the results were added together to generate a total Program Component Score.

+Program component factoring Discipline Short program Free skate Pairs 0.80 1.60 Deductions were applied for certain violations, such as time infractions, stops and restarts, or falls. The Total Elements Score and Program Component Score were then added together, minus any deductions, to generate a final performance score for each skater or team.

Results

Code key

Short program The pairs' short program was held on 14 February. Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo of China, performing to "Who Wants to Live Forever" by Queen, finished in first place, setting a new world record with a score of 76.66. They beat the previous record, which had been set by them at the 2009–10 Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final. At 31 (Shen) and 36 (Zhao), they were the oldest skaters at the Olympics. Their performance featured side-by-side triple toe loops and a triple twist lift, and, according to Nancy Armour of the Associated Press, "oozed elegance". They skated as if they were one person, with perfect timing and unity. Their score was a mere 0.70 points ahead of Aljona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy of Germany. Yuko Kavaguti and Alexander Smirnov of Russia finished in third place, while Pang Qing and Tong Jian of China finished fourth, and Zhang Dan and Zhang Hao, also of China, finished fifth.

+Pairs' short program results Skater Nation 1 76.66 42.42 34.24 8.60 8.30 8.70 8.60 8.60 0.00 2 75.96 42.24 33.72 8.40 8.25 8.55 8.50 8.45 0.00 3 74.16 40.92 33.24 8.25 8.10 8.45 8.30 8.45 0.00 4 71.50 39.90 32.60 8.25 7.90 8.25 8.15 8.20 1.00 5 71.28 41.08 30.20 7.70 7.40 7.55 7.65 7.45 0.00 6 65.36 36.16 30.20 7.60 7.30 7.60 7.65 7.60 1.00 7 64.20 37.60 26.60 6.70 6.30 6.75 6.80 6.70 0.00 8 63.44 34.24 30.20 7.65 7.40 7.50 7.65 7.55 1.00 9 62.14 34.62 27.52 7.05 6.70 6.85 7.00 6.80 0.00 10 57.86 33.10 24.76 6.30 5.95 6.35 6.20 6.15 0.00 11 56.82 31.90 24.92 6.40 6.10 6.15 6.40 6.10 0.00 12 56.54 31.74 24.80 6.25 5.90 6.30 6.35 6.20 0.00 13 55.34 32.70 22.64 5.85 5.40 5.80 5.75 5.50 0.00 14 53.26 29.86 23.40 6.00 5.60 5.95 5.95 5.75 0.00 15 51.16 28.56 22.60 5.75 5.40 5.65 5.80 5.65 0.00 16 48.28 27.72 20.56 5.25 4.90 5.25 5.15 5.15 0.00 17 45.46 23.54 21.92 5.60 5.25 5.35 5.55 5.65 0.00 18 42.18 23.70 19.48 5.15 4.60 4.85 5.00 4.75 1.00 19 39.54 21.74 18.80 4.85 4.50 4.65 4.85 4.65 1.00 20 39.30 23.26 18.04 4.75 4.25 4.40 4.55 4.60 2.00

Free skating The pairs' free skate was held on 15 February. Although Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo finished second in the free skate, their total score of 216.57 was enough to secure the gold medals that had lured them out of retirement a year earlier. They finished more than three points ahead of Pang Qing and Tong Jian, who won the silver. Aljona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy had a flawed free skate and finished in third place. Yuko Kavaguti and Alexander Smirnov finished in fourth place after a performance that Philip Hersh of The Los Angeles Times described as "messy from start to finish". This was the first time since 1960 that a Soviet or Russian team did not win the pairs' event at the Winter Olympics, and marked the first Olympic gold medal for China in figure skating.

Shen and Zhao's performance to Adagio in G minor by Tomaso Albinoni featured what Nancy Armour described as mesmerizing choreography and flawless throw jumps. Armour described their throw triple Salchow as "so massive, [Shen] ought to get frequent flier points". They finished their routine with a carry lift that circled half the ice, bringing the audience to a standing ovation before the music even concluded. However, their free skate still scored below that of Pang Qing and Tong Jian. Pang and Tong's routine, set to "The Impossible Dream" from Man of La Mancha, set a new world record in the free skate with 141.81.

Amanda Evora and Mark Ladwig of the United States finished in tenth place, while Caydee Denney and Jeremy Barrett, also of the United States, finished in thirteenth place. Evora and Ladwig's total score of 171.92 was the worst highest performance by an American pairs team in Olympic history, as was the aggregate finish of the two American pairs teams.

+Pairs' free skate results Skater Nation 1 141.81 70.53 71.28 8.90 8.70 9.00 8.90 9.05 0.00 2 139.91 67.51 72.40 8.95 8.85 9.10 9.10 9.25 0.00 3 134.64 65.08 70.56 8.85 8.60 8.85 8.85 8.95 1.00 4 123.06 65.42 58.64 7.50 7.15 7.35 7.40 7.25 1.00 5 122.35 61.27 62.08 7.80 7.55 7.80 7.85 7.80 1.00 6 121.75 60.99 61.76 7.70 7.60 7.70 7.85 7.75 1.00 7 120.61 57.13 64.48 8.05 7.85 8.05 8.10 8.25 1.00 8 119.64 64.64 56.00 7.15 6.75 7.05 7.05 7.00 1.00 9 115.77 60.45 56.32 7.10 6.80 7.05 7.10 7.15 1.00 10 114.06 62.06 52.00 6.45 6.45 6.65 6.45 6.50 0.00 11 106.96 57.72 50.24 6.40 6.10 6.20 6.40 6.30 1.00 12 105.07 56.27 48.80 6.20 5.85 6.25 6.15 6.05 0.00 13 104.78 54.34 51.44 6.65 6.30 6.35 6.55 6.30 1.00 14 93.94 48.34 45.60 5.90 5.45 5.75 5.75 5.65 0.00 15 93.28 51.08 43.20 5.50 5.20 5.60 5.35 5.35 1.00 16 91.66 49.90 41.76 5.25 5.10 5.30 5.30 5.15 0.00 17 89.08 48.44 42.64 5.40 5.25 5.15 5.45 5.40 2.00 18 86.52 49.44 38.08 4.90 4.40 4.75 4.90 4.85 1.00 19 82.72 43.92 38.80 5.05 4.65 4.90 4.95 4.70 0.00 20 81.44 45.52 35.92 4.65 4.20 4.65 4.50 4.45 0.00

Overall +Pairs' results Rank Team Nation Total SP FS 216.57 1 76.66 2 139.91 213.31 4 71.50 1 141.81 210.60 2 75.96 3 134.64 4 194.77 3 74.16 7 120.61 5 194.34 5 71.28 4 123.06 6 187.11 6 65.36 6 121.75 7 185.79 8 63.44 5 122.35 8 181.78 9 62.14 8 119.64 9 179.97 7 64.20 9 15.77 10 171.92 10 57.86 10 114.06 11 163.50 12 56.54 11 106.96 12 161.60 11 56.82 13 104.78 13 158.33 14 53.26 12 105.07 14 145.10 15 51.16 14 93.94 15 144.42 13 55.34 17 89.08 16 139.94 16 48.28 16 91.66 17 138.74 17 45.46 15 93.28 18 125.82 20 39.30 18 86.52 19 124.90 18 42.18 19 82.72 20 120.98 19 39.54 20 81.44

Records

The following new record high scores were set during this competition.

+ Date Skater Segment Score 14 February Short program 76.66 15 February Free skating 141.81 Total score 216.57

References

Works cited