Olympic figure skating gala: Gold medallists, Bing Dwen Dwen and a memorable sendoff for skaters

It's fair to say that a first-time skater stole the show at the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 figure skating exhibition gala.

That novice would be Bing Dwen Dwen, one of the Beijing 2022 mascots who has been a hit with fans - and is apparently an apt skater, too.

Bing's appearance on ice capped an entertaining and impressive afternoon of performances from Olympic figure skaters inside Capital Indoor Stadium on Sunday (20 February), marking complete the sport's program for these Winter Games.

Newly-minted Olympic champions Nathan Chen (USA), Anna Shcherbakova (ROC), Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron (FRA) and China's Sui Wenjing and Han Cong - who won their title just last night - perfect for a limited crowd in attendance - and millions of fans watching on TV at home.

Bing Dwen Dwen may have a future in pair skating - with Hanyu Yuzuru. The two-time Olympic champion, who finished fourth in Beijing, took a special liking to the mascot as it joined the skaters on the ice during their final group number.

Soon, all the skaters were hugging and high-diving the mascot panda. A playful Sui even skated into Bing and knocked them to the ground - but then got back up again, too.

While all the medallists from the individual events performed, it was a special gala performance for American Vincent Zhou, who had been forced to miss the men's competition after testing positive for Covid-19. He skated first to "Sign of the Times" by Harry Styles.

His compatriots Chen, Alysa Liu, Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue as well as Madison Chock and Evan Bates all skated, Liu performing to an upbeat K-pop hit Loco, by Itzy.

The mood was celebratory and relaxed throughout the gala, which concluded with the aforementioned group number