Beijing: South Korea's Olympic-bound figure skaters are preparing for their final tuneup before the Winter Games in Italy, as they compete in the International Skating Union (ISU) Four Continents Figure Skating Championships in Beijing this week.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the competition, which begins Wednesday at the National Indoor Stadium, is open to skaters from non-European nations, including those from Asia, North America, South America, Africa, and Oceania. South Korea is fielding three skaters each in the men's and women's singles categories, along with their sole ice dance team of Hannah Lim and Quan Ye. The South Korean athletes arrived in Beijing on Tuesday.

The men's team includes Cha Jun-hwan, who is making his third consecutive Olympic appearance, and Kim Hyun-gyeom, who is set for his Olympic debut next month. Their short program is scheduled for Saturday, followed by the free skate on Sunday. Cha, the 2022 Four Continents champion, also secured bronze in 2024 and silver in 2025.

In the women's singles, Shin Ji-a and Lee Hae-in are both gearing up for their first Olympic appearances. Their Four Continents competition starts with the short program on Thursday, with the free skate on the following day. Lee previously won the Four Continents gold in 2023, following a silver medal the previous year. Kim Chae-yeon, the defending women's singles champion from South Korea, has withdrawn from the event due to a lower back injury and has been replaced by Yun Ah-sun.

While some countries, such as the United States, have opted not to send their Olympic athletes to Beijing, South Korea has chosen to use the Four Continents as part of their Olympic preparations. Cha is expected to make adjustments to his programs at the event, having dealt with a nagging ankle injury caused by skate issues for most of the season.

Cha revealed that he has been through multiple pairs of skates recently to find the right fit and initially planned to attempt multiple quadruple jumps this season but reduced them to prevent injury. He expressed optimism about his condition, stating that skate issues and ankle pains are largely resolved. "Compared to what I've gone through over the past three months or so, things have been going really well in training," Cha said before heading to China. "Since this is my last international event before the Olympics, I want to leave it all on the ice and have no regrets at the end."

Shin, in her first senior season at age 17, won the Olympic trials earlier this month and is eager to make her Four Continents debut. "I will try to stay focused and check everything that I need to check before the Olympics," she said. "I will probably be nervous because this will be my first Four Continents, but if I can maintain my focus, I should be fine."

South Korea has consistently produced at least one medalist in the women's singles at every Four Continents since 2020, and the team is hopeful of continuing that streak this year.