The pair skating competition of the 2010 Winter Olympics was held at the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The short program was held on February 14, 2010 and the free skating was held on February 15, 2010.

Yuko Kavaguti is a retired pair skater who has represented Japan and Russia in international competition. In 2006, she began competing with Alexander Smirnov for Russia. They are two-time European champions, two-time World bronze medalists, two-time ISU Grand Prix Final bronze medalists, and three-time Russian national champions (2008–2010). In 2015, they became the first pair in history to complete two quadruple throw jumps in one program and the first to land a quadruple throw loop.