Kim Ye-lim tops short program at ISU 4 Continents Championships

Korean figure skater Kim Ye-lim took first place in the Women's Short Program at the ongoing International Skating Union (ISU) Four Continents Figure Skating Championships.

The 20-year-old figure skater received her new season's best score of 72.84 points with a technical score of 39.35 and a program component score of 33.49 during the short program at Broadmoor World Arena in Colorado, the United States, on Thursday.

Skaters from four continents—Asia, America, Oceania, and Africa—participate in the Four Continents Figure Skating Championships (4CC). Kim, the 20-year-old figure skater, earned a bronze medal in the same tournament last year. The Women’s Free Skating event is scheduled for noon on Saturday, and she will aim for the gold medal for the first time in 14 years since Kim Yuna won one in 2009.

Kim Ye-lim expressed her excitement after her performance, saying, "I am very happy to have received my season's best score. I have been focusing on physical fitness during my training, as the stadium is at a high altitude." She added, "I hope to perform well in the free skating and stand on the podium." Kim Chae-yeon placed third in the short program with 71.39 points, while Lee Hae-in, last year's silver medalist, came in sixth with 69.13 points.

Korea's reigning champion, Cha Jun-hwan, placed fifth with 83.77 points. He received a technical score of 41.95 and a program component score of 42.82, with a 1-point deduction.


Dong-Wook Kim creating@donga.com