Seoul: She did not come close to winning a medal, but South Korean figure skater Lee Hae-in expressed gratitude for the opportunity to perform in front of home fans at an international event on Sunday. Lee scored 122.33 points in the free skate at the International Skating Union (ISU) Four Continents Figure Skating Championships at Mokdong Ice Rink in Seoul. Despite being in 10th place after Friday’s short program with 60.77 points, she finished with a total of 183.10 points, placing her in fourth place with four skaters remaining in the free skate.
According to Yonhap News Agency, this marked Lee’s first ISU competition of the season. The 19-year-old skater faced a three-year suspension by the Korea Skating Union (KSU) in June last year, following accusations of sexually harassing an underage male teammate during a national team training camp in Italy. Lee, who claimed she was dating the teammate at the time, argued that her actions did not constitute harassment. She successfully took the KSU to court, wher
e the Seoul Eastern District court granted her request to pause the ban, allowing participation in national team trials in December.
At these trials, Lee earned one of three spots for South Korea at the Four Continents, a competition open to non-European skaters. Although she captured the 2023 Four Continents title, she could not replicate her winning performance on Sunday, taking a hard fall on her opening triple lutz and appearing unsteady during her triple flip-triple toe loop combination.
Reflecting on her performance, Lee stated, “I made a mistake on the jump that I usually land in training, and so that was a bit of a letdown. But I’d like to give myself a pat on the back for sticking with it until the end.” Despite her score, Lee remained happy to have skated before supportive South Korean fans, even getting emotional upon seeing fans wave the Taegeukgi, the South Korean national flag, in the stands.
“I’ve always been the type of person who takes nothing in life for granted. I was extremely happy and
grateful just to have participated in this event,” Lee said, acknowledging her nervousness competing at a familiar rink. Looking ahead, Lee is set to compete in the world championships next month in Boston. Having won a silver medal at the 2023 worlds, she faces a challenging path to the podium this year.
The performances of Lee, Kim Chae-yeon, and Yun Ah-sun will impact South Korea’s quota for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy. If the top two placements among these skaters are 13 or fewer, South Korea can send three skaters to Italy. However, if the placements are between 14 and 28, only two skaters will qualify.
Lee remains determined, stating, “I know what I need to work on going forward, and I will keep working hard. Nerves tend to get the better of me at times in competitions. Knowing the importance of this year’s world championships, I will try to be sharper there and hopefully, I will be able to bring more joy to fans.”