Figuring out the future

As is normal for the host, Team China has been granted a full quota of entries in all four disciplines at the Chongqing meet, which will serve as a key opportunity for more Chinese skaters to achieve the minimum scores required to qualify for the worlds, and, in turn, earn the chance to fight for an Olympic berth.

"Our goal is to make the most out of our advantage as host in the participation quotas in order to provide the relatively inexperienced squad with much-needed international drills," said Yao.

As their senior counterparts struggle to catch up with their international peers, China's junior skaters have heralded a bright, not-so-distant future by capping off an impressive 2024 season.

After competing at five of the seven junior Grand Prix events, China's youth team has won four golds, one silver and two bronze medals to secure three qualification berths in both singles and pairs at next year's junior world championships in Hungary.

China's No 1 junior pair, Zhang Jiaxuan and Huang Yihang, also became the world's only team this season to have won two titles on the junior circuit, raising long-term hopes for Team China to regain its competitive edge in the discipline.

"We have some quite promising young athletes in pairs skating as a strong reserve. They have a lot of potential for elite results at the senior level in the long term," said Guan Jinlin, the pairs coach for Team China.

sunxiaochen@chinadaily.com.cn