CHINA DAILY | HONG KONG EDITION Wednesday, March 31, 2021 | 19 SPORTS Marshon’s misery WINTER OLYMPICS Figure skaters’ flop delivers wakeup call China’s solitary silver the highlight of sole representative in the ladies’ event, finished 21st, while the duo otherwise poor performance at worlds of Wang Shiyue and Liu Xinyu took 13th spot in the ice dance, each earning a qualification berth in By SUN XIAOCHEN gold in Beijing. their respective disciplines for next
[email protected] “This is a good start for us,” Han year’s Olympics. told the Olympic Channel after Along with Han and Sui, Peng Despite the strong return of its Thursday’s free skate. “Our plan Cheng and Jin Yang also secured an ace couple in the pairs event, Team this year was to recover. We wanted Olympic pairs berth, thanks to a China’s slim pickings across the to stay healthy... so we can compete fourthplace finish. China is now other disciplines at the World Fig in the Winter Olympic Games.” aiming to secure a third pairs entry ure Skating Championships has “We did what we can do right at the next qualifying event — the sent alarm bells ringing at home now,” Sui added. “We only prac Nebelhorn Trophy in Germany in ahead of Beijing 2022. ticed on the ice for two months aft late September. With China a traditional power er the recovery (from Han’s According to International Skat house in the sport, a solitary silver surgery).” ing Union rules, each country or medal and just five Olympic quali “We’re glad that we can compete region can qualify a maximum of fication spots at last week’s worlds at a pretty good level.