Junhwan Cha: “I’ve struggled with boots issues for months and couldn’t train as much as I wanted. So I’m treating this event as a step in my preparation rather than focusing on the result.”
Junhwan Cha on his performance at the NHK Trophy
original source: mfocus.kr dd. November 7th 2025 by Lee Min-jung / mfocus.kr dd. November 8th 2025 by Lee Min-jung
Junhwan Cha overcame equipment challenges to achieve a season-best at the NHK Trophy, reflecting on his performances and expressing determination to improve in the remainder of the Olympic season. Here’s a translation of his comments posted on MFocus.
After his performance in a short program, where he scored 91.60 points and placing third, Cha shared in the mixed zone, “I think I did my best given my current situation. My spins didn’t get the levels I wanted, and there were some deductions on my jumps, but this was my best under the circumstances. Still, I’m satisfied that I gave it my all until the end.”
For this competition, Cha reverted to last season’s jump layout. When asked about changing his jump configuration after the previous day’s run-through, he explained, “That’s right. After checking my jump feel during yesterday’s run-through, I prepared with a possible change in mind.” He added, “We discussed it yesterday and today and decided to make the change. I felt I hadn’t practiced enough due to ongoing boot changes, and trying a more challenging layout in my current condition seemed unrealistic. I made a practical decision, considering the risk of injury.”
After the Cup of China, Cha changed his boots again but reported ongoing difficulties. “I changed boots again after the Cup of China, but they’re still not fully stable. Over the past few weeks, my boots kept breaking down, so I had to wear new ones every week. It hasn’t been easy to find balance, but I’m working with the manufacturer to find a solution. It’s stressful, but I want to continue the season with a positive mindset,” he said.
Just two weeks after the Cup of China, Cha set a new season’s best at another Grand Prix event, gradually regaining his form. “Right now, finding balance is more important than perfection. The season is long, so I don’t want to rush – I want to rebuild step by step,” he reflected. On achieving a season-best score at this event, he said, “Given the situation, I think I should be satisfied. Of course, the layout was easier than before, so there’s some regret, but since I could hardly practice this configuration, I’m satisfied with today.”
After the free skate, Cha said, “There’s nothing I’m particularly disappointed about. I did my best despite not being able to practice much, though I regret the consecutive mistakes. Still, I’m satisfied that I didn’t give up and finished strong.”
He viewed this competition as “part of the process,” saying, “I’ve struggled with skate issues for months and couldn’t train as much as I wanted. So I’m treating this event as a step in my preparation rather than focusing on the result.” He added, “During the program, I tried to focus on each element, but none of them were easy. Still, I didn’t give up and tried to finish to the end.”
Cha was cautious from official practice in the morning and spoke candidly about his boot problems. “The boot issue isn’t resolved yet. I keep trying, but haven’t found the perfect fit. Yesterday, I managed to get by, but today I couldn’t. This affects not only my jumps but also my spins and steps. When I do elements like the flying camel spin, I feel off balance. It’s not just jumps – spins and footwork are affected, too. Right now, finding boots that are comfortable is more important than finding the perfect fit. It’s not something I can fix just by trying harder, so I’ll do my best with what I have,” he explained.
This NHK Trophy was Cha’s last Grand Prix event of the season. Looking back, he said, “There are a lot of regrets about this series. I entered the season with confidence after a good summer, but unexpected issues meant I couldn’t train as much as I wanted. But that’s in the past, and now I have to look ahead to the second half of the season.”
Cha is scheduled to compete at the National Figure Skating Ranking Competition in Mokdong, Seoul, in two weeks, followed by the 107th National Winter Sports Festival. “Right now, recovery is more important than disappointment. Managing my condition and finding comfortable boots is key. The season is still long. I want to show myself a better performance than today,” he said with determination.
Related topics: Junhwan Cha, NHK Trophy
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