Cha Junhwan Says He Is Satisfied After Leaving Everything in Short Program... "Step Sequence Resonated the Most"

Season-best 92.72 points in the short program
Triple Axel mistake leaves Kim Hyunkyum "very disappointed"

Cha Junhwan, the leading figure in Korean men's figure skating, expressed his satisfaction after finishing his short program at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, saying, "I feel like I left everything out there on the ice."

Cha scored 50.08 points in technical elements and 42.64 points in program components, for a total of 92.72 points, in the men's singles short program at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics held at the Milan Ice Skating Arena in Italy on the 11th (Korean time). The 92.72 points are his highest short-program score of this season. After the completion of Group 4 and with six skaters in Group 5 still to perform, Cha is currently sitting in second place in the interim standings.

Cha Junhwan is catching his breath after finishing the men's singles short program at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics at the Milan Ice Skating Arena in Milan, Italy on the 11th (Korea time). [Photo by Yonhap News Agency]

Cha said, "I really feel like I did my very best," adding, "I am a little bit disappointed with the score, but I am satisfied because I think I achieved the three things I engraved in my heart while thinking about these Olympics: doing my best, enjoying myself, and leaving everything on the ice."

He also delivered a flawless performance on the triple Axel, an element he had made a mistake on in the short program during the earlier team event, presenting an error-free skate overall.

Regarding the triple Axel mistake in the team event, Cha said, "I think it was simply a matter of condition." He continued, "It had not been very long since I resumed training, so I think it was just a simple condition issue. After the team event, I took some rest and then resumed practice, which helped me improve my condition, and that allowed me to perform more of the kind of skating I wanted to do today."

Cha was particularly pleased with his step sequence in the short program. "The step sequence resonated with me the most, and I think it was a moment the audience could really enjoy as well," he said.

By placing in the upper ranks, Cha secured a spot in the free program, which is open to skaters up to 24th place. The free program is scheduled to take place on the 14th.

"There are about two days left until the free skating, and I don't think whether I make mistakes or not is that important," Cha said, concluding the interview. "Even if there are mistakes, it's okay. I just want to give my all until the end and show everything I have prepared."

Kim Hyeongyeom is delivering an impressive performance in the men's singles short program at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics at the Ice Skating Arena in Milan, Italy on the 11th (Korea time). Photo by Yonhap News

Kim Hyunkyum, who skated before Cha, had a disappointing performance after a fall on his triple Axel.

"Maybe because it's the Olympics, I was much more nervous than I expected, and I think that nervousness showed directly in my performance, which is very disappointing," Kim said. He comfortably landed his first jump, a quadruple toe loop, but failed to overcome the challenge of his second jump, the triple Axel. "I think I executed the first toe loop in a way I could be satisfied with, but during the warm-up before the program, I kept making mistakes on the Axel, so I think I hesitated a bit," he said.

"The result itself is very disappointing, but I think I still enjoyed the competition," Kim added. "At the same time, I feel there are still many areas where I am lacking, and I think I will need to make a lot of improvements."