South Korea failed to advance in the figure skating team event at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, finishing seventh, but secured its first win in mixed doubles curling. Cha Jun-hwan placed eighth in the men's short program, adding three points to the team's total of 14, hampered by the absence of a pairs team.
On February 7, the day after the opening ceremony at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, South Korea's figure skating team finished seventh with 14 points in the first round of short programs and rhythm dance, missing the free skate and free dance final. Only the top five of 10 teams advanced.
Shin Ji-a scored seven points in women's singles, while the ice dance pair Hannah Lim and Quan Ye added four. With no pairs team, they earned zero in that discipline. Cha Jun-hwan, in the men's short program at Milano Ice Skating Arena, scored 83.53 for eighth place and three points. This left the team eight points shy of his season-best 91.60. Reports noted a missed double axel as a key error, though one account mentioned a triple axel—sources vary slightly on the jump details.
"I wanted to give my teammates energy but I wasn't able to do it because of this little mistake I made," Cha said. "I will try to make up for it in my individual competition." He described his nerves as positive and attributed the error to timing, not anxiety. "I don't usually miss my double axels in training," he added, vowing adjustments before his individual events on Tuesday (short) and Friday (free).
In curling at Cortina d'Ampezzo's Olympic Stadium, Kim Seon-yeong and Jeong Yeong-seok beat the U.S. team of Cory Thiesse and Korey Dropkin 6-5 in an extra end for their first Olympic win. They had lost 9-4 to the Czech Republic earlier, extending a five-match skid. South Korea led 5-2 before an eighth-end comeback, sealed by Kim's shot.
The day's first golds went to Switzerland's Franjo von Allmen in men's alpine downhill and Italy's Francesca Lollobrigida in women's 3,000m speed skating, setting an Olympic record of 3:54.28. Cha, a three-time Olympian and opening ceremony flag bearer, is enjoying village life with athletes from other sports.
