For the first time in Korean figure skating history, the national figure skating team returned home after winning a medal in the team event. At the 2023 International Ice Skating Federation World Team Trophy held in Tokyo, Japan on the 13th and 16th, ‘Team Korea’ scored a total of 95 points, beating Japan (94 points), the host country, and ranking second after the United States (120 points).

When asked to explain ‘Team Korea’, ‘Captain Cha’ Jun-hwan Cha emphasized that they were the team that received the most attention in this tournament, saying, “Attention!” The players performed the ‘Attention’ choreography of Idol New Jeans every time they had a ceremony in this competition. Cha Jun-hwan explained, “As it was our first appearance and also the youngest team, it meant ‘keep your attention!’”토스카지노

In the men’s division, Cha Jun-hwan became the first Korean skater to cross the 100 mark in the short program and took second place with 101.33 points. In particular, Cha Jun-hwan was able to dramatically rise to second place, overtaking Japan while taking first place in the free.

Cha Jun-hwan said, “I said I would enjoy it, but personally, I know that everyone worked hard, so I hoped the results would be good.” When the final ranking was decided, he couldn’t hide his joy, saying, “It seems that my small greed came out in an instant.”

In the women’s division, Lee Hae-in took first place with 76.90 points in the short program, followed by 147.32 points in the free skating. She racked up 24 points, breaking personal bests in both the short and free. Lee Hae-in said, “Honestly, it wasn’t a game that wasn’t burdensome.”

Kim Ye-rim, who swallowed the disappointment of finishing 7th in the short program, also helped to win the silver medal by overcoming sluggishness in the free skating and taking 3rd place. Kim Ye-rim, who was sluggish at the world championships, said, “After that, she was shocked and upset, so even when preparing for her team trophy, her mind was not easily captured.” She also confessed her honest feelings. “It was a tough time for her, but as she performed the free skate, she proved herself that I could do it, and her tears came to my eyes,” she said.

The figure skating team medal is a record that even Kim Yu-na, the ‘Queen of Figure Skating’, could not achieve. For the ‘Team Trophy’, you must get ranking points for at least three out of four events, including men’s and women’s singles, ice dance, and pairs. This is because Korean figure skating has had no significant results in team events, and it was impossible for Kim Yu-na to raise the rankings by herself.

However, last season, Ice Dancer Lim Hae-na and Kwan-Ye won a silver medal at the Junior World Championships representing Korea, and a pair pair, Jo He-Jin and Steven Adcock, were also formed. After this tournament, all team players except for Atcock returned to Korea. Ice Dance’s Hae-na Lim said, “It was so nice to be able to participate in the competition as a member of the Korean team and cheer for her.”

Korea was the youngest among the six participating countries (Korea, USA, Italy, Japan, Canada and France) with an average age of 20. Also, although it was their first appearance, the cheering match, which is unique to the ‘Team Trophy’ competition, was held as well as other countries. The props that made use of the players’ individuality were prepared and each time they appeared, they showed a different kind of cheering and drew attention.

Lee Si-hyung, who played the role of the cheerleader, said, “I prepared it because I wanted to cheer more specially as it was my first appearance.” He said, “I usually support other players from behind, but this time I was able to cheer for them openly.” Lee Hae-in also revealed, “While waiting for the score announcement, I was able to cheer and have fun while dancing.”

Captain Cha Jun-hwan emphasized, “The support of ‘Team Korea’ is of course the number one,” and “I can confidently say that the passion our team showed is a ‘gold medal.