Two more pairs have split up...
Posted: Thu Sep 13, 2018 9:28 am
Fewer and fewer pairs are competing these days, as you may have noticed. Two more pairs who have been competing for several years together at the international level have now called it quits.
There is news out of China that Xiaoyu Yu (aged 22) & Hao Zhang (aged at least 34) are no longer partners and that she is currently skating as a single while awaiting another partner. You might remember that she was previously partnered with Yang Jin until the Chinese coaches/federation did a "switch-up", partnering Cheng Peng, Hao Zhang's previous partner, with Yang Jin. Hao Zhang's earlier partner was Dan Zhang with whom he won silver at the 2006 Olympics.
Meanwhile, in Italy, Valentina Marchei and Ondrej Hotarek, who were 6th at the 2018 Olympics and who had previously said that they would not compete this season, have now announced the dissolution of their partnership. She hopes to continue competing to 2022 (when she will be 36). Ondrej is married to ice dancer Anna Cappellini and is 34 years old.
There is news out of China that Xiaoyu Yu (aged 22) & Hao Zhang (aged at least 34) are no longer partners and that she is currently skating as a single while awaiting another partner. You might remember that she was previously partnered with Yang Jin until the Chinese coaches/federation did a "switch-up", partnering Cheng Peng, Hao Zhang's previous partner, with Yang Jin. Hao Zhang's earlier partner was Dan Zhang with whom he won silver at the 2006 Olympics.
Meanwhile, in Italy, Valentina Marchei and Ondrej Hotarek, who were 6th at the 2018 Olympics and who had previously said that they would not compete this season, have now announced the dissolution of their partnership. She hopes to continue competing to 2022 (when she will be 36). Ondrej is married to ice dancer Anna Cappellini and is 34 years old.