Beijing: After completing his free skate in the men's singles at the Asian Winter Games in China on Thursday, South Korean figure skater Cha Jun-hwan watched the final skater, Yuma Kagiyama of Japan, on television with a throng of reporters in the mixed zone. Cha had just put up a massive score, topping the field with 187.60 points in the free skate and 281.69 points overall. He was already assured of at least the silver medal.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Kagiyama struggled with his jumps and finished with only 168.95 points in the free skate and 272.76 points overall, making Cha the new Asian Games champion. However, Cha's reaction was understated. "Honestly, I was happy with the way I performed, and I had absolutely zero regrets. It wouldn't have mattered where I finished," Cha said. "I am happy to have put on a satisfying performance in the free skate, even though I didn't break my personal best (of 296.03 points)."

A lot was riding for Cha in the free skate. Winning a gold medal would grant the 23-year-old an exemption from mandatory military service, allowing him to continue his career uninterrupted. Many South Korean male athletes have crumbled under the pressure of trying to earn their military service exemptions, often stumbling while trying to force the issue. Cha, on the other hand, remained composed.

If Kagiyama had landed all three of his quadruple jumps, he likely would have beaten Cha, who only has two quadruple jumps in his free program. The difference in their technical scores would have been substantial. Cha could have altered his program to include a third quadruple jump to topple Kagiyama. However, battling a nagging ankle injury for over a year, Cha decided not to push the envelope. He stuck to performing just two quadruple jumps and landed both cleanly.

"I thought that if I got too greedy in pursuit of some big outcome, then I would not be walking down the path of hard work," Cha said. "Once I recover from my injury, I will make my program more technically difficult and make sure I can still be steady."

Cha, the 2023 world silver medalist, will now set his sights on winning an Olympic medal next year in Italy. He placed fifth three years ago in Beijing and 15th in 2018 in PyeongChang. No South Korean man has won an Olympic figure skating medal.