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Figure skater Lee Hae-in secures spot in national squad

Published: 02 Dec. 2024, 15:04

PAIK JI-HWAN
[email protected]

Figure skater Lee Hae-in competes during the national squad selection contest at Uijeongbu Indoor Ice Rink in Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi on Sunday. [NEWS1]

Figure skater Lee Hae-in secured a place in the Korean national squad for the Four Continents Figure Skating Championships in Korea in February of next year after finishing the squad selection contest in fifth place with 190.64 points on Sunday, regaining her spot after an injunction was granted to pause a three-year ban issued by the Korea Skating Union over sexual harassment charges.

Those with the top three scores in each discipline from the selection contest that took place over the weekend at Uijeongbu Indoor Ice Rink in Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi, were to be eligible to compete in the championship, but No. 5 Lee still secured a spot in the national squad as No. 2, Shin Ji-a, and No. 3, Kim Yu-seong, are unable to compete in the tournament due to their young age.

The International Skating Union rules stipulate that those under 17 cannot compete in the Four Continents Figure Skating Championships. In the event that those aged under 17 rank high enough in a selection contest, contenders 17 or older ranked below them take the spots instead.

Shin is 16 and Kim is 15, while Lee is 19, making her eligible to participate in the competition.

Lee will be competing after being granted an injunction to pause the three-year ban over sexual harassment charges.

Lee was handed the suspension by the Korea Skating Union in June after the Korean Sports & Olympic Committee confirmed the allegations that she sexually harassed an underage male teammate during national team training in Italy in May.

Lee sought an injunction at the Seoul Eastern District Court, which ruled last month that her actions with the male teammate were not sexual harassment, making her eligible to compete in tournaments again.

“I will be a more mature and responsible player through this opportunity,” Lee said Sunday. “I want to be a player who can bear the responsibility as a national team member, especially because I earned this precious spot. This is a sincere apology to those fans who have always believed me.”

Lee won a silver medal at the World Figure Skating Championships in May 2023 and became the second Korean to medal at the tournament after skating legend Kim Yuna.

BY PAIK JI-HWAN [[email protected]]