South Korean figure skater Cha Jun-hwan has qualified for his third straight Winter Olympics by winning the national championships in Seoul. The 24-year-old overcame skate troubles to top the men's singles event.
The 80th National Figure Skating Championships, held on January 4 at Mokdong Ice Rink in Seoul, served as the second leg of the trials for the 2026 Milan Winter Olympics. The Korea Skating Union (KSU) selected two athletes each in men's and women's singles, plus one ice dance team, based on combined results from the November KSU President's Cup and this event.
Cha Jun-hwan won the men's singles with 97.5 points in the short program and 180.34 in the free skate, totaling 277.84 points. His overall score of 533.56 points across both events makes him the second South Korean male skater, after Jung Sung-il, to qualify for three consecutive Olympics. Cha placed 15th at the 2018 PyeongChang Games and improved to fifth in Beijing 2022. The 24-year-old endured an up-and-down season due to ankle issues and boot adjustments, trying over a dozen pairs in three months last year. "I went through one pair a week during that time, but nothing really fit," he said. "But I am kind of used to the pair I wore today. If possible, I will stick with this at the Olympics. I am happy to be returning to the Olympics after all the skate problems I've had." Previously attempting up to two quad jumps in the short and three in the free, Cha limited himself to one each in trials. "What I need now is more strength," he added. "I will continue to put in the work and build programs that I can execute well."
Joining Cha is 19-year-old Kim Hyun-gyeom, who scored 235.74 at nationals and 467.25 overall. The 2024 Winter Youth Olympics champion said, "Even though it will be my first Olympics, I've had a lot of international experience over the years. So I will try to stay relaxed and put on a good performance. My primary goal is to qualify for the free skate." Seo Min-kyu, who turned 17 in October, finished second overall with 532.15 points but is ineligible as the Olympics require skaters to be at least 17 by July 1, 2025.
In women's singles, Shin Ji-a won nationals with 219.89 points (74.43 short, 145.46 free) and led with 436.09 overall, earning her Olympic debut at 17. "I've been working so hard to get to the Olympics, and I am really honored to have that opportunity," she said. Shin idolized 2010 Olympic champion Kim Yu-na. "I've often thought about how I also wanted to skate on that stage. I want to touch people with my performance. I am also looking forward to seeing athletes in different sports at the Olympics."
The 20-year-old Lee Hae-in, 2023 world silver medalist, took second Olympic spot with 196.00 at nationals and 391.80 overall, edging Kim Chae-yeon (384.37) by 7.43 points despite Kim's back injury. Lee faced a 2024 three-year KSU ban over harassment allegations during Italy training but secured a court injunction and reinstatement in May. Tearfully, she reflected, "Nothing lasts forever, whether it's misfortune or happiness. I've learned to accept happy moments with gratitude and to believe that I can always make it out of any difficult situation." "The most important thing for me is to regain some confidence," she added. "I still can't believe I will be going to the Olympics. I will try to show the best version of myself in Milan."
Hannah Lim and Quan Ye, the sole ice dance team, scored 188.29 points to qualify. Toronto-born Lim, 21, holds dual citizenship, while Iceland-born Quan, raised in Canada, naturalized in December 2024. "I am happy to have realized my childhood dream," Lim said. "We will work on some technical elements before the Olympics so that we can have our best performance. Since this will be our first Olympics, we want to enjoy the experience rather than worry about results."
