Beijing: South Korea's Olympic-bound figure skaters are set to have their final tuneup before the major competition this week in China, as they seek to build some positive momentum heading into the Winter Games in Italy. The National Indoor Stadium in Beijing will host the International Skating Union (ISU) Four Continents Figure Skating Championships starting Wednesday.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the annual competition is open to skaters from non-European nations, with those from Asia, North America, South America, Africa, and Oceania eligible to participate. South Korea will have three skaters each in the men's and women's singles, along with its lone ice dance team of Hannah Lim and Quan Ye. The South Korean contingent traveled to Beijing on Tuesday.
The men's team includes Cha Jun-hwan, who has qualified for his third consecutive Olympics, and Kim Hyun-gyeom, who is on the verge of his Olympic debut next month. Their short program is scheduled for Saturday, followed by the free skate on Sunday. Cha is the 2022 Four Continents champion and has also secured a bronze in 2024 and a silver in 2025.
In the women's singles, Shin Ji-a and Lee Hae-in will make their first Olympic appearances this year. Their competition will commence with the short program on Thursday, followed by the free skate the next day. Lee won the Four Continents gold in 2023, a year after claiming silver. Kim Chae-yeon, the defending women's singles champion from South Korea, withdrew due to a lower back injury and was replaced by Yun Ah-sun.
While some countries have opted not to send their Olympic athletes to Beijing, the South Korean team decided to use the Four Continents as part of their Olympic preparations. The United States, for example, will not have any of their six singles skaters who qualified for Italy competing this week.
Cha is expected to make changes to his programs at the Four Continents before the Olympics, having been limited most of the season due to an ankle injury caused by skate issues. Cha mentioned he had gone through multiple pairs of skates in the past three months to find the right fit. He had intended to perform two quadruple jumps in the short program and three in the free skate this season but reduced them to prevent injury. Cha stated earlier this month that his skate issues and ankle pains are mostly resolved, and he aims to deliver a strong performance in Milan.
Shin, in her first senior season at age 17, won the Olympic trials earlier this month and will test her skills in her Four Continents debut. South Korea has consistently produced at least one medalist in the women's singles at every Four Continents since 2020.