Junhwan Cha: “I’ve managed to resolve most of the equipment and ankle issues. At this Olympics, I’m determined to deliver a performance that will move many people.”
Junhwan Cha, preparing for his third consecutive Olympics, shared his recovery from injuries and equipment issues, his program plans for Milan 2026, and his determination to deliver his best performance.
original source: Yonhap News dd. 11th January 2026
On the January 8th, at Taereung Ice Rink in Seoul, Cha met with Yonhap News and discussed his recent struggles with skate boots and ankle injuries, as well as his plans for his Olympic program, including his signature quadruple jumps. Here’s a translation of his comments.
“I’ve managed to resolve most of the equipment and ankle issues. At this Olympics, I’m determined to deliver a performance that will move many people,” Cha said.
Junhwan Cha, who placed 5th at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, 2nd at the 2023 ISU World Championships, and won the 2025 Harbin Winter Asian Games, faced difficulties in the 2025–2026 season.
His performance suffered as he struggled to find the right skates during replacements, and his chronic right ankle nerve pain worsened.
Cha explained, “For about three months last year, I changed skates almost every week, trying more than 12 pairs to find the right fit.”
After the first national team selection in November, he changed skates two more times and finally found suitable equipment. Despite the setbacks, he won the second national team selection and secured his Olympic spot.
Now that he has found the right skates, Cha plans to adjust the difficulty of his Olympic program.
Originally, he planned to include two quadruple jumps in the short program and three in the free skate, but due to injuries and equipment issues, he reduced them to one and two, respectively.
Cha plans to use the Four Continents Championships in Beijing (January 22–25) as a rehearsal for the Olympics and to make final adjustments.
“I plan to finalize my Olympic layout at Four Continents,” he said. “I’ll treat it as my last real test and raise my performance level as much as possible.”
He added, “I’m still considering how many quads to include. With the Olympics approaching, I’ll decide based on what will maximize my program’s quality.”
His ankle pain is now under control. “I’m managing it with regular hospital visits and care. I’ll do my best to maintain peak condition for the Olympics,” Cha said.
This Olympics may be Cha’s last, making it especially meaningful. He will be 28 at the 2030 Alps Winter Olympics, so his participation then is uncertain. Cha is focusing solely on the upcoming Olympics, not thinking about the future.
Having competed at the Olympics since Pyeongchang 2018, when asked about a possible fourth appearance, he replied, “No one knows what will happen, but for now, I’m only looking at Milan.”
He added, “I’ll think about what comes next after the Olympics. Since I’ve been running nonstop, I want to take a break and regroup after Milan.”
Cha has prepared extensively for what may be his final Olympic stage. He recently changed his short program costume and plans to wear the old and new outfits for the team and individual events, respectively. “I want to show various sides of myself at this Olympics,” he said.
He is also focusing on maximizing his expressiveness for his free skate to the Moulin Rouge original soundtrack.
“Before the Olympic season, I watched the movie with my choreographer, Shae-Lynn Bourne, and discussed the program in depth. Since this is my Milan Olympic program, I want to show my best acting, so I keep rewatching the film to draw out the emotional elements,” he explained.
“I want to show a performance that is truly my own at this Olympics and demonstrate how much I’ve grown since Beijing four years ago.”
Cha also expressed gratitude to those who supported his Olympic journey.
“After Beijing, my career had many ups and downs, and those around me worked very hard. Especially Coach Chi Hyun-jung, who encouraged me like family. I’ll do my best at the Olympics so that all these efforts are not in vain.”
Related topics: Junhwan Cha, Olympic Games
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