Entering the free skate session as favorites for their perfect short-program routine, the pressure of winning their home audience a golden Spring Festival gift on the eve of Chinese Lunar New Year caught the Chinese pair by surprise.

Skating off their routine to the classic opera Turandot, Han under-rotated a double toeloop in a planned combination before Sui stumbled in her landing of a side-by-side triple jump.

Sui and Han, who competed at the Olympics for the first time in Pyeongchang, said they enjoyed the whole experience — including the disappointing results — as a learning curve for a stronger comeback at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.

"It's really disappointing not being able to snatch the gold with such a small margin behind the winner," Sui, 23, told media in the mixed zone after the final.

"However, we consider it motivation because this is our first Olympic Games, so we feel like we are already satisfied with our performance.