The Pacific Coliseum as seen from the outside
All of the figure skating events at the 2010 Winter Olympics were held at the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver, British Columbia, in Canada.[1]

The pair 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 won the gold medals, Pang Qing and Tong Jian, also of China, won the silver, and Aljona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy of Germany won the bronze. Both Chinese pairs set new world record scores in addition to their gold and silver medals.

Background

The pair skating competition at the 2010 Winter Olympics was held from 14 to 15 February at the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver, British Columbia, in Canada.[2][1] 20 teams representing 12 nations entered the competition.

Qualification

Sixteen quota spots in the pairs' event were awarded based on the results at the 2009 World Figure Skating Championships.[3] Four additional quota spots were made available at the 2009 Nebelhorn Trophy.[4]

Qualifying nations in pairs[3][4]
Event Teams
per NOC		 Qualifying NOCs Total
teams
2009 World Championships 3  China
 Russia		 16
2  Canada
 Germany
 Ukraine
 United States
1  France
 Great Britain
2009 Nebelhorn Trophy 1  Estonia
 Italy
 Poland
 Switzerland		 4
Total 20

Required performance elements

Couples competing in pair skating performed their short programs on 14 February.[2] Lasting no more than 2 minutes 50 seconds,[5] it 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.[6]

All twenty couples after completion of the short program moved on to the free skating, which was performed on 15 February.[2] The free skate could last no more than 4 minutes 30 seconds,[7] and had to include the following: 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.[8]

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.[9] 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.[10] 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.[11] 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.[12]

Program component factoring[13]
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.[14] 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.[15]

Records

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

Record high scores
Date Skater Segment Score Ref.
14 February Short program 76.66 [16]
15 February Free skating 141.81 [17]
Total score 216.57

Results

Code key

Short program

The pairs' short program was held on 14 February.

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

Free skating

The pairs' free skate was held on 15 February.

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

Overall

Pairs' results[18]
Rank Team Nation Total SP FS
1st place, gold medalist(s)  China 216.57 1 76.66 2 139.91
2nd place, silver medalist(s)  China 213.31 4 71.50 1 141.81
3rd place, bronze medalist(s)  Germany 210.60 2 75.96 3 134.64
4  Russia 194.77 3 74.16 7 120.61
5  China 194.34 5 71.28 4 123.06
6  Canada 187.11 6 65.36 6 121.75
7  Russia 185.79 8 63.44 5 122.35
8  Ukraine 181.78 9 62.14 8 119.64
9  Canada 179.97 7 64.20 9 115.77
10  United States 171.92 10 57.86 10 114.06
11  Russia 163.50 12 56.54 11 106.96
12  Italy 161.60 11 56.82 13 104.78
13  United States 158.33 14 53.26 12 105.07
14  France 145.10 15 51.16 14 93.94
15  Switzerland 144.42 13 55.34 17 89.08
16  Great Britain 139.94 16 48.28 16 91.66
17  Germany 138.74 17 45.46 15 93.28
18  Poland 125.82 20 39.30 18 86.52
19  Estonia 124.90 18 42.18 19 82.72
20  Ukraine 120.98 19 39.54 20 81.44

References

  1. 1 2 "Pacific Coliseum". Vancouver2010. Archived from the original on 12 February 2010. Retrieved 12 February 2010.
  2. 1 2 3 "Olympics – Event Schedule". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 17 October 2021. Retrieved 9 June 2026.
  3. 1 2 "Communication No. 1568: Entries/Participation 2010 Olympic Winter Games (OWG) – Single & Pair Skating/Ice Dance" (PDF). International Skating Union. 25 May 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 August 2014. Retrieved 14 June 2014.
  4. 1 2 "Olympic Qualifying Competition – Oberstdorf (GER) – Review". International Skating Union. 27 September 2009. Archived from the original on 25 February 2012. Retrieved 25 February 2012.
  5. ↑ S&P/ID 2008, p. 85.
  6. ↑ S&P/ID 2008, pp. 93–94.
  7. ↑ S&P/ID 2008, p. 86.
  8. ↑ S&P/ID 2008, p. 104.
  9. ↑ S&P/ID 2008, pp. 109–112.
  10. ↑ "Communication No. 1494: Single and Pair Skating – Scale of Values, Guidelines for marking GOE and Levels for the season 2008–2009" (PDF). International Skating Union. Archived (PDF) from the original on 8 May 2024. Retrieved 9 June 2026.
  11. ↑ S&P/ID 2008, p. 20.
  12. ↑ S&P/ID 2008, pp. 21–22.
  13. ↑ S&P/ID 2008, p. 22.
  14. ↑ S&P/ID 2008, p. 23.
  15. ↑ S&P/ID 2008, p. 24.
  16. ↑ Armour, Nancy (15 February 2010). "Chinese pair notch skating world record". Honolulu Star-Advertiser. The Associated Press. pp. C2. Retrieved 10 June 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ↑ Hersh, Philip (16 February 2010). "Fourth time's the right time". The Los Angeles Times. p. V3. Retrieved 10 June 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ↑ "2010 Olympic Winter Games – Pairs Final Results". Skating Scores. Retrieved 16 June 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)

Works cited

source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Figure_skating_at_the_2010_Winter_Olympics_–_Pair_skating