Pairs Figure Skating Results 2022: China Sets Record in Short Program; USA in Top 3
February 4, 2022
Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier helped the United States figure skating team maintain a lead in the team competition at the 2022 Olympics with a third-place finish in the pairs short program.
China's duo of Wenjing Sui and Cong Han took the top spot with a world-record score of 82.83. Anastasia Mishina and Aleksandr Galiamov of the Russian Olympic Committee were a close second (82.64).
Team USA currently has 28 points overall through three of eight segments. Knierim and Brandon Frazier placed third with a score of 75.00.
Final Scores
1. Wenjing Sui and Cong Han (China) - 82.83
2. Anastasia Mishina and Aleksandr Galiamov (Russian Olympic Committee) - 82.64
3. Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier (United States) - 75.00
4. Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara (Japan) - 74.45
5. Kirsten Moore-Towers and Michael Marinaro (Canada) - 67.34
6. Karina Safina and Luka Berulava (Georgia) - 64.79
7. Nicole Della Monica and Matteo Guarise (Italy) - 60.30
8. Elizaveta Zukova and Martin Bidar (Czech Republic) - 56.70
9. Sofia Holichenko and Artem Darenskyi (Ukraine) - 53.65
Team Standings (After 3 of 8 Segments)
1. United States - 28
2. Russian Olympic Committee - 26
3. China - 21
4. Japan - 20
5. Italy - 18
6. Canada - 16
7. Georgia - 15
8. Czech Republic - 12
9. Ukraine - 4
10. Germany - 3
Standings via NBCOlympics.com
Mishina and Galiamov had the highest technical score of any pair in the competition (45.22), but they finished .44 points behind Sui and Han in the component score (37.86 to 37.42) to finish in second place overall.
NBC Olympics @NBCOlympicsPairs' figure skating is something else. 💯<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WinterOlympics?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WinterOlympics</a> | 📺 NBC and <a href="https://twitter.com/peacockTV?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@peacockTV</a> <a href="https://t.co/GA6Gw5GIw6">pic.twitter.com/GA6Gw5GIw6</a>
Knierim and Frazier were competing for the first time in nearly three months. They had to sit out the U.S. Championships in January when Frazier announced he tested positive for COVID-19.
Despite not being able to take part in that event, Knierim and Frazier were named to the U.S. Olympic team. They didn't show any rust in their routine set to "The House of the Rising Sun."
NBC Olympics @NBCOlympicsIn their Olympic debut as a pair, <a href="https://twitter.com/alexa_knierim?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@alexa_knierim</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/Brandon_F1992?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Brandon_F1992</a> put on a SHOW. 🎬<a href="https://twitter.com/TeamUSA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TeamUSA</a> x <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WinterOlympics?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WinterOlympics</a> <a href="https://t.co/t3CJhmjsfx">pic.twitter.com/t3CJhmjsfx</a>
The score of 75.00 was a personal best for the Knierim-Frazier tandem since they paired up in April 2020. Knierim placed fourth in the pairs competition four years ago with a score of 69.75 when she was partnered with Chris Knierim.
Sui and Han are taking part in the team competition for the first time. They won silver in the individual pairs event in 2018 and posted the high score in the short program. They have put together a fantastic routine over the past six months, winning the Asian Open and Grand Prix at the Skate Canada International.
Based on the early returns, Sui and Han are still in peak form as they look to win their first Olympic gold medals.