[People人] Gold at 4 Continents Championship... Building Momentum to Make New History at the Olympics

The Future of Korean Figure Skating Cha Jun-hwan... Improved Success Rate of Quadruple Jumps
Post-Kim Yuna Yu Yeong Also a Medal Contender... Kim Ye-rim on the Rise

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Attention is focused on South Korean men's figure skating at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. Cha Jun-hwan (Korea University), who has been making history since his junior days, has grown into a world-class athlete. On the 23rd (Korean time), at the International Skating Union (ISU) Four Continents Championships held at Tondiraba Ice Hall in Tallinn, Estonia, he scored 174.26 points in the free skate, 98.96 points in the short program, totaling 273.22 points. He claimed the gold medal, surpassing Japan's Kazuki Tomono (268.99 points) and Kao Miura (251.07 points).

This is the first time a South Korean male singles skater has won this competition, which has been held since 1999. The total score of 273.22 points is 7.79 points higher than Cha Jun-hwan's 265.43 points (5th place) at this event in 2020. He achieved successful results by steadily improving his performance without settling for his highest score. However, it cannot yet be said that he is close to the Olympic medal zone. This Four Continents Championship was held just before the Olympics, and many top-ranked skaters did not participate. Representative examples include Yuzuru Hanyu (Japan), who is aiming for a third consecutive Olympic gold, and Nathan Chen (USA), known as a 'jump genius.' Tomono and Miura, who won medals alongside Cha Jun-hwan, did not even qualify for the Olympics.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Cha Jun-hwan participated as a final check due to a lack of international competition experience caused by the spread of COVID-19. Since his senior debut in 2017, he has confirmed his potential with his best performance. In particular, his success rate for quadruple jumps has improved. The jump distance has increased significantly, and the rotation speed has also become faster. This achievement was made through solo practice in Korea. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he could not go to Canada, where coach Brian Orser is based. Even training centers in the metropolitan area were frequently closed, forcing him to move between Gangneung, Pohang, and other locations. Despite difficult conditions, Cha Jun-hwan remains positive in everything. Since experiencing the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, he is not afraid of failure. He focused on increasing airtime in jumps and refined the quadruple Salchow cleanly. The triple Lutz, loop, and triple Axel (3.5 rotations in the air) are also flawlessly smooth.

Now, attention is on whether he can become the first South Korean male skater to enter the Olympic top 10. The key is the quadruple jumps. He must increase the success rate to compete with top-level skaters. Chen performs all quadruple jumps: toe loop, Lutz, Salchow, loop, and flip. Hanyu is even training a new weapon, the quadruple Axel. In the free skate at this Four Continents Championship, Cha Jun-hwan fell while attempting a quadruple toe loop and was judged under-rotated (under rotated: when the jump rotation is short by 90 to 180 degrees), resulting in a deduction of 3.80 points in Grade of Execution (GOE). This season, he cleanly performed quadruple toe loop and Salchow only in the free skate of the second Olympic representative selection competition. Since he will attempt at least three times at the Olympics, he must reduce mistakes.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Yu Yeong (Gyeonggi Gunpo Surigo), who is attracting attention as the 'post Kim Yuna' female figure skater, also faces similar challenges. She was considered a strong favorite to win at this Four Continents Championship but finished 6th (198.56 points). She fell while attempting triple Axels in both the short program and free skate. She also fell during the double Axel and triple toe loop combination, failing to surpass 200 points in total.

Although she ended the Olympic preliminary competition disappointingly, Yu Yeong is still a skater expected to enter the medal zone. At the age of eleven in 2016, she won the national championships (183.75 points) and has consistently shown exceptional competitiveness on the international stage. In October 2019, at her ISU senior Grand Prix debut, she won the bronze medal, beating PyeongChang Winter Olympics silver medalist Evgenia Medvedeva (Russia), and she won the silver medal at the 2020 Four Continents Championships. It was the first time in 11 years since Kim Yuna that a Korean skater won a medal at the Four Continents Championships.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The secret is her technical skills, which domestic skaters cannot match. She is the only female singles skater in Korea who performs the triple Axel. She plans to attempt it at least twice in this Olympics as well. A high success rate is essential to enter the medal zone. Competitors such as Alexandra Trusova and Kamila Valieva (both from Russia) perform quadruple jumps beyond the triple Axel. Yu Yeong, though frustrated, focuses on training with the mindset of competing against herself. She is making changes to jump timing and movement paths to increase the success rate of the triple Axel. She is also considering adding another triple Axel.

Kim Ye-rim (Surigo), who will join Yu Yeong on the Olympic stage, has already overcome crises with exceptional fighting spirit. Just before the second Olympic representative selection competition, she injured her back and skated on the ice after receiving painkillers at the hospital. Demonstrating amazing concentration, she never fell and maintained 2nd place. At the Four Continents Championships, she earned a personal best of 209.91 points and won the bronze medal. She is preparing for a new leap forward with strong confidence. "I'm very nervous and excited since it's my first time competing. I think I can do well if you cheer for me."