MILAN -- Chinese figure skaters Sui Wenjing and Han Cong expressed relief after finishing fifth in the pairs event at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics on Monday.

The reigning Olympic champions delivered a determined performance at the 2026 Winter Games despite ongoing physical challenges, particularly for Sui.

Sui revealed she has been battling constant pain leading up to the competition.

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"It's really hard for me every day. Even when I sleep, I still feel pain. Every day I feel pain somewhere," she said. "I take medicine to finish the competition. I take medicine to sleep. Also, when I am trying to get my muscles back, it hurts."

Her partner Han, who returned to competition after a three-year retirement, expressed satisfaction with their showing.

"I am satisfied with today's performance, and even though I had retired three years ago, my friends, my family and all my team supported me and pushed me to go to these Olympics," he said.

Despite finishing off the podium, the Chinese duo's perseverance in overcoming injuries and returning from retirement underscored their resilience on the Olympic stage.

Han also paid tribute to their long-standing partnership, which has spanned three Olympic cycles.

"I am lucky I have this great partner for three Olympics, and we both fought to be ready."

In preparation for the Games, Han said he had to undergo intensive physical work to regain competitive condition.

"I needed to lose weight and recover my energy. So I needed to do a lot of exercises," he noted.