The 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics figure skating competition concluded with gold medals awarded to Nathan Chen (USA) in Men’s Singles, Anna Shcherbakova (ROC) in Women’s Singles, Sui Wenjing and Han Cong (China) in Pairs, and Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron (France) in Ice Dance. Following the final resolution of legal proceedings in 2024, the Team Event gold medal was officially reallocated to the United States.
Men’s Singles: Nathan Chen’s Technical Masterclass
The Men’s Singles event at the 2022 Beijing Winter Games was defined by a historic "redemption arc" for American skater Nathan Chen. After a disappointing short program in 2018, Chen arrived in Beijing as a three-time World Champion with a singular focus on technical precision and psychological composure.
The Short Program: "La Bohème"
Chen set the tone early by breaking the world record for the short program. Performing to Charles Aznavour’s "La Bohème," he executed a quadruple flip and a quadruple Lutz-triple toe loop combination with surgical accuracy. His score of 113.97 was a testament to his mastery of the International Judging System (IJS), which rewards both high base value and high Grade of Execution (GOE). This performance effectively built a five-point lead over his closest rivals from Japan, Yuma Kagiyama and Shoma Uno.
The Free Skate: "Rocketman"
In the free skate, Chen performed his now-iconic "Rocketman" medley. The program featured five quadruple jumps, including a quad flip-triple toe loop and a quad Lutz. While many skaters struggle to maintain artistic performance while executing high-difficulty technical elements, Chen’s choreography—particularly his hip-hop-inspired choreographic sequence—electrified the Capital Indoor Stadium. He finished with a total score of 332.60, nearly 22 points ahead of silver medalist Yuma Kagiyama. This victory solidified Chen’s legacy as the "Quad King" and marked the first American men's Olympic gold in the sport since Evan Lysacek in 2010.
Women’s Singles: Anna Shcherbakova and the Quad Revolution
The Women’s Singles event was arguably the most scrutinized competition of the 2022 Games. Amidst significant external controversy regarding teammate eligibility, Anna Shcherbakova emerged as the gold medalist through a combination of technical resilience and consistent delivery under immense pressure.
Technical Prowess and Consistency
Shcherbakova, known for her ability to land quadruple jumps despite a slight frame, delivered a free skate that included two quadruple flips. While her teammate Alexandra Trusova made history by landing five quadruple jumps in a single program, Shcherbakova’s superior Program Component Scores (PCS) and the cleanliness of her landings allowed her to maintain the lead. Shcherbakova’s short program to "The Songs of Distant Earth" and her free skate to "Lacrimosa" demonstrated a level of musicality and competitive "clutch" performance that has defined her career.
The Scoring Gap
The final standings saw Shcherbakova take gold with a total of 255.95 points. The competition highlighted a significant shift in the sport: the necessity of multiple quadruple jumps or a triple Axel to reach the podium in the women’s discipline. Shcherbakova’s victory was characterized by her ability to balance the extreme physical demands of the "quad revolution" with the aesthetic requirements of the judging panel.
Ice Dance: Papadakis and Cizeron’s World Record Rhythm
In the Ice Dance discipline, the French duo Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron achieved what many experts consider the pinnacle of the sport. After narrowly missing gold in 2018 due to a wardrobe malfunction, their 2022 performance was a masterclass in synchronization, edge quality, and modern dance interpretation.
Breaking Records
Papadakis and Cizeron set new world records in the rhythm dance, the free dance, and the total score. Their rhythm dance, set to a John Legend medley, featured innovative "waacking" choreography that pushed the boundaries of traditional ice dance. In the free dance, performing to "Élégie" by Gabriel Fauré, they achieved a level of "oneness" where their movements appeared entirely seamless.
Technical Superiority
The judges awarded them nearly perfect marks for their twizzles and one-foot turns. Their total score of 226.98 remains a benchmark in the industry. Unlike other disciplines where jumps are the primary focus, ice dance highlights in 2022 centered on the deep edges, intricate holds, and the emotional storytelling that Papadakis and Cizeron have mastered over their decade-long partnership.
Pair Skating: A Home Victory for Sui Wenjing and Han Cong
The Pairs event was the final figure skating competition of the Beijing Games, and it provided a cinematic conclusion for the host nation. Sui Wenjing and Han Cong, the 2018 silver medalists, sought to bridge the 0.43-point gap that had kept them from gold four years prior.
The Quad Twist
In a sport where the quadruple twist had become increasingly rare due to the high risk of injury and the physical toll on the female skater, Sui and Han chose to include it in their free skate to "Bridge Over Troubled Water." The execution was successful, providing them with a high base value that was necessary to fend off the three Russian pairs trailing closely behind them.
Marginal Gains
The victory was decided by the narrowest of margins—just 0.63 points. Their total score of 239.88 allowed them to edge out Evgenia Tarasova and Vladimir Morozov. The highlight of their performance was not just the technical difficulty, but the palpable emotional connection between the pair, who had skated together for 15 years. Their win marked the second Olympic pairs gold for China, following Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo in 2010.
The Team Event: Medal Redistribution and Final Standings
The 2022 Team Event was initially concluded with the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) in first place. However, the subsequent disqualification of a key competitor due to anti-doping violations led to a multi-year legal process involving the International Skating Union (ISU) and the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
Official 2026 Status
As of 2026, the official records reflect the redistributed medals. The United States was elevated to the gold medal position, Japan to silver, and the ROC to bronze (following the deduction of points from the disqualified skater). This reallocation ensured that athletes like Nathan Chen, Vincent Zhou, Karen Chen, and the pairs/dance teams received their rightful recognition for their collective performance across all four disciplines.
The highlights of the Team Event included:
- Nathan Chen’s dominant short program.
- Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue’s rhythmic excellence.
- Madison Chock and Evan Bates’ avant-garde free dance.
- Japan’s consistent top-three finishes across the men’s and women’s segments.
2022 Olympic Figure Skating Gold Medal Summary Table
| Event | Gold Medalist(s) | Country | Total Score | Key Technical Highlight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Men's Singles | Nathan Chen | USA | 332.60 | Five quadruple jumps in free skate |
| Women's Singles | Anna Shcherbakova | ROC | 255.95 | Two clean quadruple flips |
| Ice Dance | G. Papadakis / G. Cizeron | France | 226.98 | World Record total score |
| Pairs | Sui Wenjing / Han Cong | China | 239.88 | Successful Quadruple Twist |
| Team Event | Team USA | USA | N/A | Highest aggregated points (post-ruling) |
Technical Trends and Judging Impacts at the 2022 Games
The 2022 highlights are best understood through the lens of the technical evolution of figure skating. The Beijing Games marked the highest "technical ceiling" ever seen in Olympic history.
The Quadruple Jump Evolution
In the men’s event, the podium was unattainable without at least three quadruple jumps in the free skate. Nathan Chen’s strategy involved maximizing the Base Value (BV) while ensuring his GOE remained high. Conversely, Yuzuru Hanyu’s attempt at the quadruple Axel—the first ever attempted in Olympic competition—highlighted the sport's push toward unchartered territory, even though he was unable to land it cleanly.
Component Scoring Shifts
The 2022 Games also saw a subtle shift in how Program Components were handled. Following these Games, the ISU revised the component categories from five to three (Composition, Presentation, and Skating Skills) to reduce overlap and improve judging objectivity. The performances in Beijing served as the final major data set under the old five-category system, showcasing how elite skaters like Papadakis/Cizeron could nearly "max out" the scoring system through sheer artistic quality.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the most gold medals in figure skating in 2022?
The gold medals were distributed across four different nations for the individual and pair events: the United States (Men's), ROC (Women's), France (Ice Dance), and China (Pairs). However, following the 2024 medal reallocation, the United States emerged as the only nation with two gold medals (Men's Singles and Team Event).
Did Nathan Chen break a world record in Beijing?
Yes, Nathan Chen set a new world record for the Men’s Short Program with a score of 113.97. This record surpassed the previous mark held by Yuzuru Hanyu. His total score and free skate score were also among the highest ever recorded under the IJS.
Why was the Team Event gold medal delayed?
The delay was due to a positive drug test involving Kamila Valieva, which surfaced during the Games. Because the athlete was a "protected person" (under the age of 16 at the time), the legal process was extensive. The final decision by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) led to the disqualification of her results and the subsequent elevation of the United States and Japan in the standings.
What made Sui Wenjing and Han Cong’s win significant?
Their win was significant because they became the first pair to win an Olympic gold on home ice since 2002. Additionally, they were the first pair to successfully utilize a quadruple twist in an Olympic winning program in many years, emphasizing their unique technical strength.
How many quadruple jumps were landed in the Women's Free Skate?
The Women's Free Skate was historic for its jump count. Alexandra Trusova landed five quadruple jumps (Lutz, Flip, Salchow, and two Toeloops), Anna Shcherbakova landed two (Flips), and Kamila Valieva landed two (though she suffered falls). This was the highest concentration of quadruple jumps ever seen in a women’s Olympic competition.
Practical Recommendation for Fans and Historians
For those looking to analyze these highlights in detail, it is recommended to view the official Olympic archival footage specifically focusing on the Technical Elements Score (TES) breakdown. Watching Nathan Chen’s "Rocketman" alongside Yuma Kagiyama’s free skate provides a clear comparison of how jump transitions and landing flow impact the final score.
Furthermore, the 2022 Games serve as a critical reference point for the current 2026 competition cycle. Understanding the technical benchmarks set in Beijing—particularly the world records in Ice Dance and Men's Singles—is essential for evaluating the progress of current top-tier skaters as they navigate the revised ISU judging regulations.
