“CCTV, CCTV, good evening to our audience. Here is the Iceberg Skating Palace for the Sochi Winter Olympics, where the pair’s free skating final is taking place. Up next is our country’s pairs team, Roland and Meng Feng, who ranked seventh in the short program. Their free skate is set to ‘Four Centuries of Passion.’”

“Next is the Chinese pairs team, Huang Ying and Guan Lin, who achieved second place in the short program with ‘Love’s Romance.’ Their free skate is to ‘Sleepless in Seattle.’”

“Next, we have the Russian pairs star team, Vikanova and Vasilyev, who were first in the short program. Their free skate is to ‘Rock Mozart.’”

Before the men’s singles short program officially began, the pairs free skating took place first. Due to the larger number of participants in the individual events, the later groups of the men’s short program had to be postponed to the following day.

Zhang Jue was one of those postponed, so he came to the Iceberg Skating Palace not to compete but to support his teammates.

This time, the China not only sent men’s singles competitors but also three pairs teams to Sochi, which meant that Huang Ying and Guan Lin had won silver at last season’s World Championships, although their victory was quite precarious.

Currently, the three strongest pairs in the world ranked at the bottom due to their youth and the female partner’s instability in jumps.

The first-ranked pair belonged to Russia, boasting a stable quadruple twist but suffering from age-related injuries.

The second-ranked pair was Canada’s stars, with their highest single jump being a triple flip. However, their performance lacked expressiveness, and the male partner had a serious shoulder injury, resulting in his hospitalization last season and absence from the World Championships, giving Huang Ying and Guan Lin a chance at the silver.

While Huang Ying and Guan Lin attempted the highest difficulty of a triple flip throw, their highest single jump was only a triple Salchow. Huang Ying’s jumps were particularly unstable, and after her growth, she had lost the quadruple twist, which she still hadn’t managed to practice back.

Their juniors, Luo Mi and Jiang Xiuling, had a single jump difficulty of a loop but couldn’t compare to the Canadian pair, and at such a young age, Luo Mi hadn’t yet hit her growth spurt, complicating matters.

Huang Ying and Guan Lin were in a tough battle. Zhang Jue sat in his seat, waving a red flag, his heart almost jumping out of his throat.

This was different from his own competition. When he was on the ice, he knew how he would perform. Watching others was far more thrilling.

Zhang Jue could see that in terms of expressiveness, Huang Ying and Guan Lin, nicknamed the Crown Pair, were the best in the arena, with the highest level of synergy and synchronization. Their technical difficulty was on par with the Russian star pair, but they fell short due to their instability.

To clinch gold, Huang Ying and Guan Lin attempted the highest difficulty but made two mistakes, while the Russian stars decisively lowered their program difficulty after their mistakes, securing higher program component scores with their stability. In the end, they narrowly won by 0.8 points, leaving Huang Ying and Guan Lin with the silver.

Sun Qian shook his head in disapproval: “If they could have reduced one of those mistakes, they would have had the gold.”

Zhang Jue pondered for a moment: “Not necessarily. If they had made fewer mistakes, the Russian pair would also have attempted a quadruple twist. It’s still uncertain who would have come out on top.”

Coach Ma comforted the tearful Huang Ying in the kiss and cry area, while Guan Lin hugged her, offering support.

Both were still very young; Huang Ying was even the same age as Zhang Jue and had also completed her growth phase to compete in Sochi. They had long careers ahead of them, and as long as they maintained their health, improving their skills was only a matter of time.

Zhang Jue stated confidently: “The next Winter Olympics will belong to them.”

Francis Miller, sitting next to Zhang Jue with popcorn, murmured: “I’ve said it before. Although they have potential, Huang Ying is too young. It’s too early for her to perform a romantic program like ‘Sleepless in Seattle.’ They should have chosen something more energetic. But you didn’t listen.”

The deep emotional nuances were not something inexperienced youths could express well. Even Zhang Jue, who was recognized for his top expressiveness, had never performed a romantic theme because he understood it wasn’t suitable. Huang Ying and Guan Lin’s choice of theme was one reason for their failure.

Though this seemed like hindsight, as a choreographer trying to secure business, it was effective. Sun Qian was indeed swayed by his words.

The two exchanged contact information, and Zhang Jue reminded him: “You’ve gained some weight. Stop eating.”

“What? Have I gained weight?” Francis looked shocked, holding the popcorn, unsure whether to eat or throw it away. He ultimately tapped Shen Liu on the shoulder.

“Shen, do you want some popcorn?”

Zhang Junbao, who ate fitness meals daily, avoided greasy and sugary foods, so he couldn’t help finish the popcorn. He could only turn to Shen Liu.

Shen Liu touched his hard-won abs and smiled shyly under Zhang Junbao’s sidelong glance.

“Sorry, Francis, I’m also controlling my weight.”

The senior had a point; he wasn’t even thirty yet, and his hairline was already a concern. If he gained more weight, he’d be entering middle age early. There was no need to pay such a high price to become a coach like Zhang.

Francis: …You all are so self-aware.

Just then, Zhang Jue pushed Francis away dismissively: “Keep your distance. I wanted to say earlier, holding that popcorn and not eating it is really making me uncomfortable.”

Did he not know he had a tendency to gain weight? Hurry up and move away; don’t tempt him.

Francis: You just bully me because you’re my muse.

Though the pairs skating seemed tragic, it actually fulfilled another directive from above—leaders required athletes to bring home ten medals, and silver and bronze were medals too!

After the pairs free skating concluded, it was time for the first groups of the men’s singles short program. Dong Xiaolong and Jin Zixuan took the ice, and as a substitute, the sidelined Liu Yeye waved a small red flag in the candidate area to cheer them on. His mindset was good; he didn’t seem too disappointed.

Just like how Zhang Jue decided to use the Russian-style ballet Flames of Paris for his short program to raise the judges’ favor, Dong Xiaolong also chose an Russian-themed program for his short program.

The piece was called Pasluka, performed by a Russian group named BelSuono.

The smooth piano melody resonated continuously, striking at the heart like a gentle quiver of strings for life—fresh, beautiful, and vibrant—like walking down a street in autumn with a maple leaf falling from the sky, landing softly in the palm.

With the athletes’ warm and delicate performances, the program received rounds of applause. Perhaps Dong Xiaolong wasn’t the most technically proficient, but he did set a new personal best in his short program at the Olympics.

His choreographer was also the one who choreographed for Huang Ying and Guan Lin.

Francis remarked: “People always want to leave the best version of themselves before they go. That choreographer does have some talent.”

Though competitors often downplayed each other, he had to admit that being a national team choreographer showed the guy’s skill.

In contrast, Jin Zixuan’s expressiveness needed further improvement, though the young man’s body language was less stiff than last season’s, his emotional investment still fell short.

As long as he didn’t have a meltdown, Sun Qian asked for nothing more.

Everyone had little expectation for Jin Zixuan the pressure to compete for gold and silver fell solely on Zhang Jue. As long as Jin Zixuan didn’t completely flop, everyone would be okay. And if he really performed well, it would be a win for all.

On this day of competition, for many ice fans, it was just a warm-up; the real action was set for tomorrow.

The strongest competitors were all placed in the final group, with the top athletes from each country competing in the second-to-last group, totaling twelve participants.

This year’s men’s singles at the Winter Olympics was called a “shura field” because in the last two groups, everyone had completed at least one quadruple jump in official competitions. Compared to the previous Winter Olympics, Sochi had achieved a comprehensive advancement in technical skills.

Notably, nearly half of these quadruple jumpers were under 20 years old, with some being sent to the Olympics because the domestic top competitor was too weak. However, these young talents were not to be underestimated; the strongest newcomers made it into the final group.

At the end of the second-to-last group, David Casulay took the lead, with Canada’s Carson in second place, and the first competitor from the final group arrived in the waiting area.

He was a golden-haired, blue-eyed handsome young man, dressed like a medieval noble, with a cold expression and striking features.

“Next up is the host country’s athlete, Ilya Safchenko, who is 18 years old. His free skate program is ‘Twilight.’”

Using music from films for skating programs has always been common in figure skating—singles, pairs, and ice dance all followed this practice. While it might not score as well with traditional judges as classical music, the film’s storyline made it easier to interpret.

Ilya’s competition music was evidently a mix of several soundtracks from the movie, with the entire program structured in two segments.

Zhang Jue, who had a background in music, immediately sensed something was off.

“This music… I wouldn’t say it’s bad, but the transitions between the different segments are too abrupt, right?”

If it were him editing, he would have cut one segment and used simple piano sounds to connect the two parts. However, the music’s imperfections didn’t hinder Ilya from perfectly showcasing his technical skills.

He possessed the highest jump height in the world, reaching 72 centimeters on his quadruple jumps, and included a 4T, 3A, and 3Lz+3T at the start of his program. His flawless jumps drew cheers from the local audience.

The second competitor, Hayato Teraoka, performed a Japanese-themed program, with the shakuhachi echoing through the arena, deep and melodic, exuding a strong classical vibe.

Hayato Teraoka also executed a quadruple jump perfectly.

They were both very young, yet the quality of their performances was astonishing.

Zhao Ning generously praised: “Ilya and Teraoka’s performances were astounding; they could have won at the last Vancouver Winter Olympics. Their scores both exceeded 90, truly deserving of champion-level performances!”

“In past competitions, people always said that Vasily and Maquen were the only ones qualified to contend for the championship throne. However, after seeing these two young men’s performances, I can say they are ready to compete for the gold medal!”

At this moment, Zhang Jue was also puzzled, muttering while taking off his jacket: “What’s going on with this group? Everyone cleaned up their short programs today, did they all get a boost of energy?”

Then, this confused individual scored 99.33 points in his performance, once again breaking his world record.

Flames of Paris was undoubtedly a scoring weapon, every time Zhang Jue performed this program at the Olympics, he shattered records, leaving everyone in awe.

Francis watched enviously, knowing that starting from this program, Rossi Bayeva’s value would likely soar, making it impossible for anyone to dethrone her from the top choreographer position in the future.

For choreographers, a program that constantly breaks world records was a solid asset for a lifetime!

Boris took his apprentice’s jacket, calling out his nickname in a low voice.

“Vasenkah.”

Vasily responded: “I know, the King of Short Programs is not just a title, he truly has the skill.”

But his Song of Le Roux was no less impressive.

 

Support translation: