[Olympics] Cha Junhwan Challenges All-Time Best Record, Aiming for Top 10 Entry

Three Quadruple Attempts
If All Succeed, Score Could Reach 280s, Medal Contention Possible

Cha Jun-hwan of South Korea is training on the afternoon of the 7th at the figure skating training rink near the Capital Indoor Stadium in Beijing, China. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heeyoon] Cha Junhwan (21, Korea University), the leading male singles figure skater in Korea who participated in the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, will challenge a new history on the 8th. He aims not only to enter the Olympic ‘Top 10’ for the first time in the history of Korean men's figure skating but also to challenge the ‘dream territory’ of winning a medal. The history of Korean figure skating, represented by Yuna Kim, has been led by women so far. Cha Junhwan’s challenge is a process of showing the potential of male figure skating to the world.

On the 8th, starting at 10:15 AM at the Beijing Capital Indoor Stadium, Cha Junhwan will perform 5th in the 4th group out of 5 groups in the men's singles short program, and 23rd out of 30 skaters overall. The men's singles ranking is determined by the combined scores of the short and free programs, but only the short program will be held on this day.

In the 4th group where Cha Junhwan belongs, Japan’s Hanyu Yuzuru, who is aiming for his third consecutive Olympic gold, is assigned.

Cha Junhwan, who is participating in his second consecutive Winter Olympics, will challenge to break the highest record for Korean male singles in this competition.

On the 23rd of last month, Cha Junhwan raised expectations for the Olympics by winning the 2022 International Skating Union (ISU) Four Continents Championships with a personal best score of 273.22 points. In particular, Cha Junhwan plans to take a gamble with the ‘quadruple Salchow’ jump. The quadruple Salchow has a base value of 9.70 points, and the quadruple toe loop is 9.50 points. Due to the high difficulty, if performed without mistakes, it can secure more than twice the points compared to a triple jump.

Hanyu Yuzuru, a strong gold medal contender, will attempt the only quadruple Axel (4.5 rotations) jump in figure skating history. American figure star Nathan Chen has announced 2 quadruple jumps in the short program and 5 quadruple jumps in the free program.

Male figure skaters usually perform 1 to 2 quadruple jumps per competition, and it is rare for a skater to have a success rate above 60%. If Cha Junhwan perfectly executes three quadruple jumps, he can not only enter the Olympic Top 10 but also aim for a medal position.