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Cha Jun-hwan wins gold, makes history for Korean figure skating at Asian Winter Games

Published: 13 Feb. 2025, 21:22 Updated: 13 Feb. 2025, 21:41

PAIK JI-HWAN
[email protected]

Korean figure skater Cha Jun-hwan competes in the men's free skating event at the Asian Winter Games at HIC Multifunctional Hall in Harbin, China on Feb. 13. [NEWS1]

Cha Jun-hwan made history for Korea’s figure skating on Thursday, becoming the first Korean male figure skater to medal at the Asian Winter Games with a gold medal at HIC Multifunctional Hall in Harbin, China.

Cha, who scored 94.09 points in short program on Tuesday, added 187.6 points in free skating on Thursday, ending the men’s contest with a combined score of 281.69 to surpass silver medalist Kagiyama Yuma of Japan with 272.76 and bronze medalist Shaidorov Mikhail of Kazakhstan with 246.01.

The coveted gold medal comes in Cha’s first Asiad appearance, which follows a bronze medal at Torino 2025 FISU World University Games Winter in Italy last month and success elsewhere on the international stage.

The 23-year rose to prominence as he became the first Korean male to medal at the World Figure Skating Championships by winning a silver in Japan in March 2023.

He went on to win another silver at the World Team Trophy later that year and took bronze at the Four Continents Championships in 2024.

Cha also represented Korea at the 2018 and 2022 Winter Olympics but has yet to medal at the Games. A medal at the 2026 Olympics in Italy would fill his medal cabinet with honors from every major competition.

The men’s free skating contest was the last event in figure skating at this year’s Asiad that will conclude on Friday.

BY PAIK JI-HWAN [[email protected]]