Wang/Liu secure Milan 2026 Winter Olympics ice dance berth for China

BEIJING - Ice dance veterans Wang Shiyue and Liu Xinyu have secured an Olympic berth for China after finishing fourth at the ISU Figure Skating Qualifier for the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games on Sunday.

The duo, who placed sixth in the rhythm dance with a score of 67.59 points on Friday, scored 101.24 points to rank fifth in Sunday's free dance. Their total score of 168.83 points was enough to secure the fourth position, narrowly edging out Sweden's Milla Ruud Reitan and Nikolaj Majorov, who finished fifth just 0.23 points behind.

In addition to the Chinese pair, three other pairs have also secured their places for the 2026 Winter Olympics: Lithuania's Allison Reed and Saulius Ambrulevicius, Australia's Holly Harris and Jason Chan, and Spain's Sofia Val and Asaf Kazimov.

This tournament marks Wang and Liu's return to the international stage after nearly two years. During this period, the pair had faced various challenges, including injuries.

"Since the start of the 2023 season, we've been dealing with many injuries. Last year, we focused on Liu's asthma treatment and recovery. We weren't sure if we would ever return to the competition until this year, when we realized we had a chance to fight for an Olympic berth. This opportunity to represent our country and earn an Olympic berth gave us the motivation to push forward," Wang said.

Wang and Liu previously made history by finishing 12th at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, a record best for Chinese ice dancers in Olympic history. Now, with both athletes in their 30s, whether they can achieve greater success remains an open question.

"Anything is possible," Liu said. "After my asthma issues last year, we thought we might never compete again. But through treatment and hard work, we're here today, securing our Olympic qualification."

Wang added, "It's not just us who's gone through such challenging period. Every ice dancer experiences lows. For us, it's about believing in ourselves and taking it one step at a time. We can't compare ourselves to our peak performance, but we believe we can widen our path and show everyone a new side of us through our more mature experience."