Figure skating's final medal event of the 2022 Winter Olympics ended with yet another record-setting performance, stunning jumps and a heart-stopping finish. But if you missed watching it live, you'll have another chance.
The pairs skating competition began with its short program early Friday morning, bringing back Illinois figure skater Alexa Knierim as she and partner Brandon Frazier look for an individual medal in the event.
The pair already helped Team USA to a silver in the team events earlier in the Games, but were they able to score the U.S. one of the final medals in Beijing?
Here's when and how you can re-watch the captivating performances.
When and where can you watch pairs figure skating?
The pairs figure skating free skate began at 5 a.m. CT Saturday, featuring the top 16 duos.
For those who missed watching Saturday morning's final live, you'll have another chance to watch it during primetime on NBC, which starts at 7 p.m.
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If you don't want to wait, you can watch some highlights below and also stream the entire event here:
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Who should you watch for in the pairs program?
Two American pairs qualified for the final skate -- Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier placed sixth, Ashley Cain-Gribble and Timothy LeDuc placed seventh. Both have an outside shot at earning a medal.
The top five spots ahead of the Americans were occupied by just two nations -- China and the Russian Olympic Committee. China's Sui Wenjing and Han Cong topped the pairs short program with a 84.41 score, followed closely behind by three ROC pairs. Another Chinese team rounded out the top five.
The pairs free skate is set to begin at 6 a.m. ET on Saturday, airing live on NBCOlympics.com and USA Network.
Re-watch some of the biggest performances
WARNING: Spoiler alerts below
It was a perfect ending for China's Sui Wenjing and Han Cong.
The duo won gold in the free skate, avenging their half-point loss during the 2018 Games and capping off a wire-to-wire figure skating showcase in front of their home fans at the 2022 Winter Olympics,
Needing near perfection to be victorious, Sui and Han received a free skate score of 155.47, which combined with their record-breaking short program score of 84.41 for a combined total of 239.88. That gave them a 0.63-point victory over Evgeniya Tarasova and Vladimir Morozov of the Russian Olympic Committee, who received a 155.00 in the free skate for a total of 239.25.
The ROC also took bronze with Anastasia Mishina and Aleksandr Galiamov scoring a 237.71 to finish comfortably ahead of their teammates Aleksandra Boykova and Dmitriy Kozlovskiy (220.50).
The United States was denied its first top-five finish in the event in 20 years by just 2.16 points.
Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier took a lead with five pairs remaining after producing personal-best scores of 138.45 in the free skate and a total score of 212.68. They ultimately fell to sixth, just behind Japan's Cheng Peng and Yang Jin, who scored a 214.84.
The U.S. pair of Ashley Cain-Gribble and Timothy LeDuc finished eighth with a score of 198.05.
When can you watch figure skating next?
The exhibition gala on the final weekend of the Winter Olympics is a perennial fan-favorite event. Typically, medal winners and some of the top (or most memorable) skaters are invited to perform in a special exhibition event that allows them to let loose and have some fun.
Below is the full event and streaming information for each day of competition for figure skating.
|
Date/Time (ET) |
Event |
TV/Streaming |
|---|---|---|
|
Thurs | Feb 3 | 8.55 p.m. |
Team Event - Men's & Pairs SP, Rhythm Dance |
NBC | Peacock, NBCOlympics.com |
|
Sat | Feb 5 | 8:30 p.m. |
🏅 Team Event - Women's SP, Pairs FS |
NBC | Peacock, NBCOlympics.com |
|
Sun | Feb 6 | 8:15 p.m. |
🏅 Team Event - M/W FS, Free Dance |
NBC | Peacock, NBCOlympics.com |
|
Mon | Feb 7 | 8:15 p.m. |
Men's Singles Short Program |
NBC, USA | Peacock, NBCOlympics.com |
|
Wed | Feb 9 | 8:30 p.m. |
🏅 Men's Singles Free Skate |
NBC, USA | Peacock, NBCOlympics.com |
|
Sat | Feb 12 | 6:00 a.m. |
Ice Dance Rhythm Dance |
USA | Peacock, NBCOlympics.com |
|
Sun | Feb 13 | 8:15 p.m. |
🏅 Ice Dance Free Dance |
USA | Peacock, NBCOlympics.com |
|
Tue | Feb 15 | 5:00 a.m. |
Women's Singles Short Program |
USA | Peacock, NBCOlympics.com |
|
Thurs | Feb 17 | 5:00 a.m. |
🏅 Women’s Singles Free Skate |
USA | Peacock, NBCOlympics.com |
|
Fri | Feb 18 | 5:30 a.m. |
Pairs Short Program |
USA | Peacock, NBCOlympics.com |
|
Sat | Feb 19 | 6:00 a.m. |
🏅 Pairs Free Skate |
NBC | Peacock, NBCOlympics.com |
|
Sat | Feb 19 | 11:00 p.m. |
Exhibition Gala |
NBC | Peacock, NBCOlympics.com |
How is pairs skating different from ice dancing?
Athletes in the pairs discipline compete in the same two events as individual skaters: short and free programs. They perform the moves that aren't allowed in ice dancing. The main elements include difficult moves like the twist lift, in which the male athlete lifts his partner over his head, tosses her in the air as she rotates and he catches her.
Throw jumps are also extremely common. It's the maneuver in which the male skater throws his partner in the air, and she lands unassisted on a backward outside edge.
