Jin Boyang successfully defended his Cup of China title in a competition reminiscent of a Chinese figure skating national championships.
In a field of six men, the two-time world figure skating medalist earned 103.94 points in his short program Friday and 186.95 in his free skate Saturday for a 290.89 total. Yan Han, the inaugural Youth Olympic champion in 2012, was 26.08 points back in second (264.81) for his fourth Cup of China medal, followed by 16-year-old Chen Yudong (226.21).
After the ISU decided in August that each event of 2020-2021 Grand Prix series would only allow skaters who represent or train in that country or region, Cup of China consisted solely of Chinse entries competing Nov. 6-7 in Chongqing.
Jin, 23, was one of only two men in the field whose programs included a quadruple jump; he landed a quad Lutz and a quad toe, in combination, in his short program, and three quads in his free skate. His biggest mistake was falling on the triple Lutz-triple toe in his free skate.
Chen Hongyi, the pairs team of Peng Cheng and Jin Yang, and ice dancers Wang Shiyue and Liu Xinyu also earned wins as they gear up for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics to be held in their home country in 15 months.
Eighteen-year-old Chen won her first Grand Prix medal in her second season on the circuit with a 186.53 total. Li Angel (148.33) and Jin Minzhi (135.43) rounded out the women’s podium.
With the absence of two-time world champions Sui Wenjing and Han Cong in pairs, Peng and Jin won their second Grand Prix title after their Skate America victory last season. Peng fell on the team’s opening side-by-side triple toe loop in the short program and doubled a planned triple toe loop in the free.
The pairs field featured only three teams. Peng and Jin scored 223.90 for their total, 48.5 points higher than Wang Yuchen and Huang Yihang (175.40). Zhu Daizifei and Liu Yuhang (140.37) completed the podium.
Wang and Liu won their first Grand Prix medal in seven seasons with their 206.84 total. Ice dance was the closest field with Chen Hong and Sun Zhuoming 14.58 points back with 192.26, followed by Ning Wangqi and Wang Chao’s 171.90.
The Grand Prix season continues with Rostelecom Cup Nov. 20-21 in Moscow. A stacked field of Russian women is slated to include 2019 Grand Prix Final champion Alena Kostornaia, 2018 Olympic silver medalist Evgenia Medvedeva, 2019 European champion Sofia Samodurova, 2019 Grand Prix Final silver medalist Anna Shcherbakova, 2019 Grand Prix Final bronze medalist Alexandra Trusova and 2015 world champion Elizaveta Tuktamysheva.
