In an emotional finale to their storied careers, China's legendary figure skating pair Han Cong and Sui Wenjing saved their best for last, completing their third Olympic journey with a season-best free-skate program promoting Chinese culture.

The reigning Olympic champions from Beijing 2022 capped off a fairytale comeback from an indefinite retirement after their home Games with an admirable effort by scoring 135.98 points in the free skate, their highest this season, on Monday, to eventually finish with 208.64 points in total, securing a higher-than-expected fifth place at the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics.

Following the end of their program skating to A Tapestry of a Legendary Land, a Chinese dance drama, Sui and Han acknowledged the crowd, their coaches and finally each other, with a fist-and-palm salute, a common gesture featured in Chinese kung fu movies, bidding an emotional farewell to the Olympic stage in a uniquely Chinese way.

Competing on the first day of the Chinese New Year, Sui and Han made the most of the symbolic occasion to honor not only their own careers but also the Chinese culture and spirit of Chinese athletes.

"I am very pleased with our performance today, without leaving any regrets," said 30-year-old Sui, who had only over half a year to prepare for the Olympics with Han.

"It's my first time performing on the Olympic stage as both an athlete and a choreographer, and I've enjoyed every bit of the journey, particularly being able to present Chinese culture through our program."

Han, who has become a teacher at Beijing's Tsinghua University, said they expected to set an example for the younger generation by pulling off an almost impossible comeback within a short period of time.

"It's our last dance together after having skated side by side for about 20 years. Of course, this time, we'd like to thank each other first, after always showing our gratitude to the crowd," said Han, 33, who overcame a huge physical challenge and lost over 20 kilograms to return to competitive form.

"By flying the Chinese flag again and almost burning ourselves out, we'd like to illuminate the way for younger athletes in the future.

"I hope our last dance will be remembered as an inspiration to youngsters and as a promotion of Chinese culture in the world of figure skating."

Japan's reigning world and Grand Prix Final champions Miura Riku and Kihara Ryuichi won the gold medal with a total of 231.24 points, after earning a field-leading 158.13 points in the free skate on Monday, followed by runner-ups Anasatasiia Metelkina and Luka Berulava of Georgia. Germany's Minerva Fabienne Hase and Nikita Volodin claimed bronze with 219.09 points.