Korean skaters shine at Milan gala

As the melody of “Not a Dream,” performed by traditional Korean musician Song So-hee, filled the arena, “Figure Prince” Cha Jun-hwan, 25, glided onto the ice. Dressed in a white top and black pants, he entered the rink with a faint smile, embodying a sense of freedom through a polished program that combined triple jumps, intricate step sequences and controlled spins.

The performance took place Sunday at the ice arena in Milan, Italy, during the gala exhibition of the 2026 Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics. Skating fourth in the second half of the program, Cha held the audience’s attention with a routine that was both delicate and lyrical. Appearing in an Olympic gala for the first time in eight years since the 2018 PyeongChang Games, he said he rediscovered the sense of freedom that first drew him to skating and hoped to share that feeling with the crowd.

Cha finished fourth in the men’s singles with a total of 273.92 points, missing the podium by 0.98 points behind Japan’s Shun Sato, 22, the bronze medalist. Still, after placing fifth at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, he matched the best Olympic result ever achieved by a South Korean man in figure skating.

Echoing the lyrics, “Beyond the clouded cape, it’s not a dream, my day has come,” Cha said he wove his personal journey into the program. “I have no regrets because I never gave up,” he said. “I gave everything I had and was able to conclude my third Olympics on a joyful note.”

In the women’s singles, Lee Hae-in, 21, took on the persona of a K-pop idol from the Netflix animated series “K-pop Demon Hunters,” portraying a member of the fictional group Lion Boys. Skating fifth in the third segment, Lee appeared in a black gat and durumagi, carrying a fan as she fully embraced a grim reaper concept. Her energetic routine, driven by sharp choreography, highlighted the dynamism of K-pop.

Competing in her first Olympics, Lee posted a season-best total of 210.56 points to finish eighth in the women’s event. “It was fun and unforgettable,” she said. “I’m happy I was able to bring joy to so many people.”

Ilia Malinin, 22, of the United States entered the Games as a leading contender for gold in the men’s singles but finished off the podium after committing multiple jump errors. At the gala, however, he earned loud applause by landing a quadruple toe loop and delivering his trademark backflip.


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