Milan: Former figure skater and current K-pop idol Sunghoon was transported back to his athletic past Saturday night in northern Italy, where he attended an Olympic figure skating event for the first time. Sunghoon, a member of the boy group Enhypen, watched the men's short program in the team event at Milano Ice Skating Arena, where South Korean Cha Jun-hwan took the ice.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Sunghoon, 23, grew up training alongside the 24-year-old Cha, and witnessing him compete in the Olympics evoked feelings of nervousness as if Sunghoon himself were on the ice. "I don't even know why I got nervous, but I did," Sunghoon shared during a media availability at the Main Press Centre in Milan. "There was also a part of me that missed figure skating. Feeling the vibes inside the arena took me back in time. It was great to see Jun-hwan skate, and I was really impressed."

Sunghoon had a successful figure skating career before transitioning to music. He secured consecutive silver medals in the junior men's singles at the Asian Open Figure Skating Trophy in 2016 and 2017 and competed at two International Skating Union Junior Figure Skating Grand Prix events. Despite Cha's struggles during his routine, including a botched double axel jump that resulted in an eighth-place finish with 83.53 points, Sunghoon appreciated the performance. "I am a dancer myself now, and I think he created such beautiful harmony with his skating and his choreography," Sunghoon remarked. "I think I learned so much from his performance."

Reflecting on his skating days, Sunghoon mentioned sneaking out for skating sessions at a local rink back home during his early days as a K-pop idol, enjoying his time on the ice. "Last night, I was down on the ice level for the countdown, and once I got a closer look at the ice, I felt like I wanted to be out there skating too," he said. "I pictured myself on the ice and tried to imagine what it'd be like to be there."