Junhwan Cha: “For about three months last year, I changed skates almost once a week. I tried more than 12 pairs, but none fit well. I’ve more or less adapted to the skates I’m using now.”
Junhwan Cha resolved his skate boot issues and is determined to give his all at his third Olympics in Milan
original source: Yonhap News dd. 4th January 2026
Junhwan Cha, who secured a spot at the Olympics, announced that he has resolved the skate issues that troubled him all season and is determined to give everything on the Milan stage. Here’s a translation of his comments.
On the Januray 4th, at the 80th National Figure Skating Championships and the second national team selection event held at Mokdong Ice Rink in Seoul, Junhwan Cha took first place with a total score of 277.84 points, and thus earned a spot for the 2026 Milano-Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics.
After the competition, Junhwan Cha said, “I struggled with skate issues for a long time, but I’m happy to be able to step onto the Olympic stage once again. At the Olympics, I will do everything I can, drawing on all the experience I’ve accumulated.”
This season, he suffered due to problems with his skate boots. For Cha, who has a chronic ankle injury, the fit of his skates is extremely important, but he had not been able to find the right pair.
He recalled, “For about three months last year, I changed skates almost once a week. I tried more than 12 pairs, but none fit well.”
As a result, at the first national team selection event held in November last year, he lowered the difficulty of his program and finished second. Even after the first selection, he continued searching for the right skates. After changing skates two more times, he finally found equipment that was satisfactory.
Cha said, “I’ve more or less adapted to the skates I’m using now. If possible, I plan to use these skates at the Olympics.”
With his skate issues resolved, Cha plans to perform the most difficult program at the Milan Olympics. He intends to attempt up to two quadruple jumps in the short program and up to three in the free skate.
Cha stated, “I’ve recovered most of my jumps. Now, what I need is stamina, so I’ll keep training and perfect my program to perform well.”
At this Olympics, he will compete not only in the individual event but also in the team event.
He said, “The team event is just as important as the individual event. Since the individual event follows right after the team event, I need to prepare well.”
The Milan Games will be Junhwan’s third Olympics. At the 2018 Pyeongchang Games, he achieved the highest-ever placement for a Korean male singles skater, finishing 15th, and at the 2022 Beijing Games, he surpassed his own record by finishing 5th.
He said, “I will prepare for this competition calmly, just like the previous ones. I will find meaning in my third Olympic appearance at the competition site.”
Related topics: Junhwan Cha
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