Despite no spectators, Chinese figure skaters delivered strong performances at the ISU Grand Prix Cup of China, the second event of the GP series which has been scaled down for domestic athletes because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

With the Beijing Olympics scheduled for February, 2022, the Cup of China is an important test for the Chinese figure skating team to gauge the progress of the skaters.

"I think some of our skaters have made big progress," said Zhao Hongbo on Saturday, head coach of the Chinese figure skating team. "Our preparation for the Beijing 2022 Olympic Games is on pace. Although the pandemic forced us to change some training and competition plans, it didn't have much impact on our preparation."

Two time world bronze medalist Jin Boyang, wearing new skates, brought two new programs and won the Cup of China with 290.89 points. The short program "Trio in D" and "Mechanisms" by Kirill Richter is slow and quite modern, a variation from his old routines; while the long program "House of the Rising Sun" is a rock 'n roll classic. Jin showed his skill in quad jumps and improved his spins and footwork, which all scored level four.

"I got the program and new skating boots at the end of September. Two weeks ago I performed the two programs for the first time," Jin said.

Zhao was satisfied with Jin's performance. "Jin made a big improvement in his physical fitness. He trained hard in Sanya and now he jumped much higher and more steady. Jin used to be slow to get started in past seasons, but this time at the Cup of China, he has already found his rhythm."

"Jin earned his fame on his jumps, but now he improved his exhibition. The two programs are both wonderful even without his jumps," Zhao added.

Though Olympic runners-up Sui Wenjing/Han Cong were absent, veteran Peng Cheng/Jin Yang made the pairs competition a high quality affair. In their short program, despite a shaky start, Peng/Jin's triple loop throw and triple twist were solid, and their lift, spin and footwork all reached level four. Their free skate was flawless and together they won the GP title with 223.90.

"We spent a lot of time on our jumps," said Peng, who claimed second place with Jin in last season's Grand Prix Final and Four Continents Championships.

Peng, who took part in both the Sochi 2014 and Pyeongchang 2018 Olympic Games, said the lack of competition under the pandemic didn't much affect her preparation for Beijing 2022.

"I am so grateful that we still can have normal training, and I am so lucky that we can still have big competitions like the Cup of China," Peng said. "The pandemic affected most of the athletes in the world, and we are lucky, so I will try my best to prepare for the Beijing Olympic Games."

Zhao, a former Olympic champion in pairs with Shen Xue, said Peng/Jin put great effort into their jumps, and their exhibition rose to a higher level.

"Peng Cheng and Jin Yang executed their plan very well and improved their sliding skills," he added. "They learned the new programs quickly and showed good ability."

According to Zhao, pairs Wang Shiyue/Liu Xinyu and Chen Hong/Sun Zhuoming came back to China after training in Canada since March due to the pandemic and had to be trained online by their Canadian coaches. The two pairs took a 1-2 finish at the Cup of China.

"They have to get up early and stay up late due to the time difference," said Zhao. "It's obvious long distance training was not as good as face-to-face, but they kept their spirits high and trained very hard."

In the women's events, Chen Hongyi worked with Canadian choreographer Lori Nichol for the first time this year and said her coach helped her program more be complete and more like a "show," but Zhao said Chen still needs to be more focused, as the Olympic berth competition for the girls will be very fierce.

Nationalized skaters Ashley Lin and Zhu Yi, were training in America and Canada respectively, and couldn't take part in the Cup of China due to the pandemic.

According to the Chinese Figure Skating Association president Shen Xue, both the two girls are in good form. Lin claimed a sixth-placed finish in the Skate America last month.

"As the season has already opened, I think there will be more competitions in China and in the world," said Zhao. "The most important is the World Championships next year, which will decide the Olympic berths."