Cha Jun-hwan-Lee Hae-in, world championship silver… After Yuna Kim, the ‘Spring of Korean figure skating’ has come |

[스포츠한국 이정철 기자] Following Lee Hae-in (17, Sehwa Girls’ High School), Cha Jun-hwan (21, Korea University) also won silver medals at the world championships. Korean figure skating faces its peak again after Kim Yuna.

Cha Jun-hwan received a total of 196.39 points with a technical score (TES) of 105.65 and an artistic score (PCS) of 90.74 at the 2023 International Skating Union (ISU) World Figure Skating Championships held at the Super Arena in Saitama, Japan on the 25th.

Cha Jun-hwan, who recorded his personal best score of 99.64 points in the short program held on the 23rd, also renewed his top score in free skating, winning the silver medal in the final with a total score of 296.03, in followed by Shoma Uno (Japan, 301.04 points). Cha Jun-hwan is the first Korean player to win a medal in men’s singles at the World Championships.

Before Cha Jun-hwan, Lee Hae-in won the silver medal in women’s singles. In the women’s free single skating at the 2023 International Skating Union (ISU) World Figure Skating Championships held at the Super Arena in Saitama, Japan on the 24th, Lee Hae-in received a technical score (TES) of 75.53 points and artistic score (PCS) of 71.79 points, a total of 147.32 points. .

Lee Hae-in, who received 73.62 points in the short program held on the 22nd, won the silver medal with a final total of 220.94 points, following Kaori Sakamoto (Japan, 224.61 points). This is the first medal in Korean figure skating in 10 years since Yuna Kim won the gold medal in women’s singles at the 2013 World Championships. Cha Jun-hwan and Lee Hae-in wrote new history by winning silver medals in the men’s and women.

Of course, luck also played a part in Cha Jun-hwan and Lee Hae-in’s good performance. The Russian Olympic Committee’s world-class athletes have not been able to participate in international competitions organized by the ISU since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February last year. When the strongest competitors for medals are not there, you record good results.

However, there are many world-class athletes apart from the Russian Olympic Committee athletes. Competing with world-class players, Cha Jun-hwan and Lee Hae-in gradually improved their skills and won the silver medal at the World Championships. In particular, Cha Jun-hwan broke his own highs in the free and short categories. It is a record that cannot be ignored.

Above all, it was hard to even imagine winning the silver medal at the World Championships for men and women at the same time. Just as Kim Yu-na stunned the figure skating world with her overwhelming skills, Cha Jun-hwan and Lee Hae-in are stunning the world.

Yuna Kim retired from active duty after winning a silver medal at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics. Korean figure skating has since been pushed back to the fringes of world figure skating. However, Cha Jun-hwan and Lee Hae-in once again stood in the middle, winning silver medals at the World Championships at the same time. The spring of Korean figure skating has come after a long time.