Zhang Hao (; ; born July 6, 1984) is a Chinese retired pair skater. With current partner Yu Xiaoyu, he is the 2016–17 Grand Prix Final silver medalist, 2017 Asian Winter Games champion and 2018 Chinese national champion. With former partner Peng Cheng, he is the 2015 Four Continents silver medalist. With former partner Zhang Dan, he is the 2006 Olympic silver medalist, a four-time (2005 bronze, 2006, 2008, 2009 silver) World medalist, and a two-time (2005, 2010) Four Continents champion.

Personal life Zhang married his girlfriend, Ju Chi, in May 2014. On May 8, 2015, the couple welcomed their first child, a son.

Career Early in his career, Zhang Hao competed with Zhang Liyun.

Partnership with Zhang Dan Zhang teamed up with Zhang Dan, to whom he is not related, in 1997. In 1998–99 Junior Grand Prix (JGP), the pair competed in one event and won the gold medal. They continued the season with a bronze medal at the 1999 Chinese National Championships. The following season, they competed in two 1999–2000 JGP events, medaling in both. They qualified for the final, where they finished fifth. That year, they were second at nationals and finished fourth at Junior Worlds.

The following three seasons, they were very successful at the junior level. They won all their Junior Grand Prix events, including the 2000–01 JGP Final and the 2001–02 JGP Final. They also competed in the 2001 Junior Worlds and the 2003 Junior Worlds, winning gold both times. At the Chinese National Championships, they placed third in both 2001 and 2002, before winning their first national title in 2003.

Their first senior international was the 2002 Four Continents Championships, where they won the bronze medal. The same season they competed in the 2002 Olympics, placing 11th, and the 2002 Worlds, placing 9th. The following season they competed in their first two senior Grand Prix events, placing fourth at both events. They repeated with a bronze medal at the 2003 Four Continents Championships and improved their placement at the 2003 Worlds, finishing sixth. In the 2003–04 and 2004–05 seasons, they consistently medaled at their Grand Prix events. They won gold at the 2005 Four Continents Championships and bronze at the 2005 Worlds.

Zhang and Zhang went into the 2006 Olympics as medal contenders. During their free skate, Zhang Dan had a bad fall on their attempted throw quadruple salchow, a jump that was not consistent. Zhang Dan suffered a bad injury, but chose to finish the program. Although the delay between the fall and the continuation of the program was longer than the ISU-proscribed 2 minutes, they were not automatically withdrawn because the referee waited before stopping the music and beginning the official 2 minute wait. Zhang regrouped and was able to finish the program. They won the silver medal, placing ahead of defending Olympic medalists Shen Xue and Hongbo Zhao.

At the 2006 World Championships they won the silver, behind Pang Qing and Tong Jian.

In the 2006–07 season, Zhang and Zhang placed first at Skate Canada, second at the NHK Trophy, and would go on to win the bronze medal at the Grand Prix Final. They placed 5th at the 2007 World Championships later that season.

In the 2007–08 and the 2008–09 seasons, they won silver medals at both the Grand Prix Final and the World Championships. At the 2010 Winter Olympics, the Zhangs placed 5th. They also finished fifth at 2010 World Championships.

Before the 2010–11 season began, Zhang Hao broke his finger, forcing the team to pull out of their two Grand Prix assignments. He also dealt with some shoulder and cervical vertebra problems. The Zhangs returned to competition during the 2011–12 season, winning silver medals at the 2011 Skate America and the 2011 Cup of China. They finished 4th at the 2011–12 Grand Prix Final. Zhang Dan eventually became the tallest competing female pair skater. Her height proved to be a challenge for the pair, and in May 2012, it was announced that their partnership had ended and she was retiring from competition.

Partnership with Peng Cheng In May 2012, Zhang Hao confirmed he had formed a new partnership with Peng Cheng. The pair made their international debut at the 2012 Cup of China. They placed 11th at their first World Championships.

In the 2013–14 season, Peng/Zhang won their first Grand Prix medals, bronze at the 2013 Cup of China and silver at the 2013 NHK Trophy, and qualified for the Grand Prix Final, where they came in fourth. They were selected for the 2014 Winter Olympics and finished eighth in Sochi. Ending their season, they placed fifth at the 2014 World Championships in Saitama.

For the 2014–15 Grand Prix season, Peng/Zhang were assigned to Skate America and Cup of China, where they placed 3rd and 1st, respectively, qualifying for the 2015 Grand Prix Final. They finished 4th at that competition after placing 5th in the short program and 3rd in the free skate. They won the silver medal at the 2015 Four Continents Figure Skating Championships. At the 2015 World Figure Skating Championships, they earned personal best scores in the free skate and combined total to finish in 4th place overall.

Partnership with Yu Xiaoyu On April 14, 2016, International Figure Skating magazine broke the news of Zhang's new partnership with Yu Xiaoyu. The Chinese Skating Association decided to switch partners between the two pairs of Peng/Zhang and Yu/Jin. They took the silver medal at the 2016 Skate Canada and won gold at the 2016 Cup of China. At the 2016–17 Grand Prix Final in Marseille they won the silver medal behind Evgenia Tarasova / Vladimir Morozov.

Yu/Zhang began their season at the 2017 Cup of Nice where they placed first. In their first Grand Prix event of the season, Yu/Zhang placed second at the 2017 Cup of China after ranking second in both the short program and free skate. In their second Grand Prix event at 2017 Skate America, Yu/Zhang again placed second after ranking second in both programs. Their scores in both Grand Prix events have qualified Yu/Zhang for the 2017-18 Grand Prix Final, where they placed sixth. They won the Chinese National Championship and were named to the Chinese Olympic and World teams. They placed eighth at the Olympics, and seventh at Worlds.

Due to injury, they withdrew from both of their 2018-19 Grand Prix events and did not compete at Nationals. They did not compete again until the 2019-20 Nationals, where they placed fourth.

In September 2020, it was reported that Yu and Zhang had split.

Age controversy

On February 14, 2011, the Zhangs' ages became the subject of controversy. Although his International Skating Union bio lists Zhang Hao as born on July 6, 1984, a Chinese skating association website suggested he was born on February 6, 1982. This would mean he was too old to compete in junior events during the 2002–03 season, such as the 2003 World Junior Championships where they won gold. His partner's age also came under scrutiny. Her ISU bio states that she was born on October 4, 1985, but the Chinese website suggested she was born on that day in 1987, meaning she was 14 and too young to compete in senior events during the 2001–02 season, such as the Four Continents where they won bronze, as well as the Olympics and World Championships. The dates disappeared from the website by February 15. On February 17, the ISU said there were no discrepancies for the Zhangs in terms of the birthdates listed on their passports, ISU registration forms and the Chinese Olympic Committee's website.

Programs With Yu Xiaoyu Season Short program Free skating Exhibition 2019–20 "Leave a Light On" November 2018–19 Did not compete this season 2017–18 Swan Lake Jyn Erso and Hope Suite Princess Leia's Theme Endless Love 2016–17 Eternal Flame Fearless Cavatina Larghetto Amoroso Leon

With Peng Cheng Season Short program Free skating Exhibition 2015–2016 Come Together by The Beatles performed by Göran Söllscher choreo. by Lori Nichol Je Crois Entendre Encore (from The Pearl Fishers) by Georges Bizet choreo. by Lori Nichol Bei Jia Er Hu Pan by Li Jian 2014–2015 Arabian Dance (from The Nutcracker) by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky choreo. by Lori Nichol Piano Trio No.2 in E Minor op. 67 by Dmitri Shostakovich choreo. by Lori Nichol Notre Dame de Paris by Riccardo Cocciante : La Fête Des Fous performed by Bruno Pelletier Danse Mon Esmeralda performed by Garou 2013–2014 The Eternal Vow (from Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) by Tan Dun performed by Yo-Yo Ma choreo. by Lori Nichol Yellow River Piano Concerto by Xian Xinghai choreo. by Lori Nichol La Coronacion by Globus 2012–2013 Live and Let Die by Paul McCartney performed by David Garrett Poeta En La Mar by Vicente Amigo

With Zhang Dan Season Short program Free skating Exhibition 2011–2012 A Transylvanian Lullaby by John Morris Adagio Sostenuto from Piano Concerto No. 2 in A Major "Totentanz" by Franz Liszt 2010–2011 Adagio of Spartacus and Phrygia by Aram Khachaturian Here I Am by 4MenSpanish Caravan,Hello I Love You by The Doors 2009–2010 Piano Fantasy by Maksim Mrvica Selections from Fosse (musical) including Sing, Sing, Sing Scheherazade by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov Auf Flügeln des Gesanges by Felix Mendelssohn 2008–2009 Auf Flügeln des Gesanges ("On Wings of Song") by Felix Mendelssohn Changjiang River Piano Concerto by Hao Weiya 2007–2008 Piano Fantasy by Maksim Mrvica The Myth (soundtrack) Butterfly Lovers' Violin Concerto by Chen Gang and He Zhanhao 2006–2007 Spanish Caravan & I Love You by The Doors The Offspring of Dragons by Hou Dejian 2005–2006 Kashmir by Led Zeppelin Colonel Hathi's March (from The Jungle Book) by Sherman Brothers Moves Like an Ape, Looks Like a Man (from Tarzan) by Mark Mancina 2004–2005 All Alone by Joe Satriani In the Hall of the Mountain King (from Peer Gynt by Edvard Grieg 2003–2004 Heia in the Mountains (from Die Csárdásfürstin) by Emmerich Kálmán performed by André Rieu Stenka Razin performed by André Rieu Komm, Zigány (from Countess Maritza) by Emmerich Kálmán performed by André Rieu Speak Softly, Love (from The Godfather) by Nino Rota 2002–2003 Victory by Tonči Huljić performed by Bond 2001–2002 Coppélia by Léo Delibés 2000–2001 Unter Donner und Blitz by Johann Strauss II

Competitive highlights

With Yu Xiaoyu International Event 2016–17 2017–182018–19 2019-20 Olympics 8th Worlds 4th 7th Four Continents 4th Final 2nd 6th Cup of China 1st 2nd Skate Canada 2nd Skate America 2nd WD France WD Asian Games 1st Cup of Nice 1st NationalChinese Champ. 1st 4th Team events Olympics 6th T 5th P

Pair skating with Peng Cheng

With Zhang Dan International Event98–99 99–00 00–01 01–02 02–03 03–04 04–05 05–06 06–07 07–08 08–09 09–10 10–11 11–12 Olympics 11th 2nd 5th Worlds 9th 6th 5th 3rd 2nd 5th 2nd 2nd 5th Four Continents 3rd 3rd 2nd 1st 2nd 3rd 1st Grand Prix Final 6th 5th 2nd 3rd 2nd 2nd 6th 4th GP Bompard 4th 1st 1st GP Cup of China 2nd 1st 2nd 2nd GP Cup of Russia 3rd 1st 1st 1st GP NHK Trophy 1st 2nd GP Skate America 4th 3rd 1st 1st 3rd 2nd GP Skate Canada 1st Universiade 1st 1st 1st International: Junior Junior Worlds 4th 1st 1st JGP Final 5th 1st 1st JGP Canada 2nd JGP China 1st 1st 1st JGP Italy 1st JGP Japan 1st JGP Norway 1st JGP Sweden 1st National Chinese Champ. 3rd 2nd 3rd 3rd 1st 2nd 1st 1st Team events World TeamTrophy 6th T(1st P) WD = Withdrew T = Team result; P = Personal result; Medals awarded for team result only.

Detailed results

Pair skating with Peng Cheng

References

External links