Korean skaters look to continue Four Continents success at World Championships

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Korean skaters look to continue Four Continents success at World Championships

Published: 19 Mar. 2023, 16:30 Updated: 03 Jan. 2024, 17:45

Lee Hae-in skates during the women's singles event at the 2023 Korean Figure Skating Championships at Uijeongbu Indoor Ice Rink in Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi on Jan. 8. [NEWS1]

Lee Hae-in and Kim Ye-lim are looking to continue their success this season at the 2023 World Figure Skating Championships, which starts on Monday in Saitama, Japan.

The championship is the second-most prominent figure skating competition after the Winter Olympics. Neither Korean skater have medaled at the competition before.

Korean figure skating legend Kim Yuna is the only Korean skater to have medaled at the World Championships, earning two bronze medals in 2007 and 2008, two silvers in 2010 and 2011 and two golds in 2009 and 2013.

Since Kim Yuna’s last gold medal in 2013, Japan and Russia have dominated the women’s singles, winning seven out of a possible eight gold medals.

The highest a Korean skater has reached since Kim Yuna is a fifth-place finish by You Young last year.

You cannot take part in this year’s because she finished in ninth place in the national squad selection contest in January, with only the top eight skaters earning spots in the squad.

Both Lee and Kim Ye-lim have seen significant improvement in their performance over the past few years.

Lee first made her senior international stage debut at the 2021 World Figure Skating Champions, where she finished 10th.

The 17-year-old skater continued to participate in international competitions and shone at the Four Continents in 2022, where she won silver.

She improved on that performance at the Four Continents in February this year, becoming the first Korean skater since Kim Yuna to win gold at the event.

Countrywoman Kim Ye-lim finished in eight place in her first senior international debut at the Four Continents in 2019. The 20-year-old also represented Korea at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, where she finished ninth.

Kim Ye-lim skates during the women's singles at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, China on Feb. 17, 2022. [JOONGANG ILBO]

She improved at the following events, and shared the podium with Lee at the Four Continents last year by winning bronze, then followed Lee up the ladder with a silver medal win in February this year.

Neither Lee or Kim Ye-lim have come close to medaling at the World Championships. Kim Ye-lim missed last year’s tournament after testing positive for Covid-19, while Lee finished seventh.

This year’s event will be especially competitive as reigning world champion Kaori Sakamoto of Japan is taking part, as is countrywoman Mai Mihara, who took gold at the 2022-23 Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final.

Meanwhile, Korean skater Kim Chae-yeon, 16, who finished in fourth place at this year’s Four Continents, is also competing at the World Championships.

The Korean skaters flew to Japan on Sunday and will be competing in the women’s singles event on Wednesday.

BY PAIK JI-HWAN [paik.jihwan@joongang.co.kr]