Junhwan Cha: “It’s not about missing a medal. I think the scores were a bit low considering how I performed. But I gave it my all, and that fact will never change. I feel like I’ve wrapped up my third Olympics well and am accepting the outcome.”
Despite battling severe ankle pain and illness, Junhwan Cha delivered remarkable performances at the Milan-Cortina Olympics, finishing 4th in men’s singles.
original source: yna.co.kr dd. 18th February 2026 by Kim Kyung-yoon
Despite battling severe ankle pain and illness, Junhwan cha delivered remarkable performances at the Milan-Cortina Olympics, finishing 4th in men’s singles figure skating and setting a new personal milestone. He reflected on his challenges and expressed gratitude to the daughter of renowned Italian singer Milva for acknowledging his use of her mother’s song in his free skate program. Here’s a translation of his comments.
Junhwan Cha revealed after his performances at the Milan Olympics that he competed while enduring severe pain in his right ankle. Speaking on February 18 after training near the Milan Ice Skating Arena, he shared with reporters that he is still uncertain about participating in the 2026 ISU Figure Skating World Championships scheduled to take place next month in Prague.
When asked about his hesitation, Cha admitted, “My physical condition is far from ideal right now. Over the past month, I’ve had to switch skates multiple times, which caused constant pressure on my ankle and worsened the pain. There’s fluid buildup around the bone, and I’ve been draining it repeatedly while preparing for the Olympics. My mindset was to push through until the Games were over.”
Despite his struggles, Cha kept his condition private before the competition. “For the sake of maintaining my psychological state, I didn’t want to show or talk about it. I believed I could handle this level of pain,” he explained. However, he did share, “It felt like I had four extra bones in my ankle from all the swelling. After the frequent treatments I received, the area became stiff.”
Cha also battled flu symptoms, which started before he arrived in Milan. He said, “I felt unwell right before coming here and took vitamin C before sleeping deeply on the flight. That helped slightly, but after the free skate, once the adrenaline wore off, my throat started to hurt more, and the flu really hit.”
Reflecting on his results, Cha admitted feeling some disappointment. “It’s not about missing a medal. I think the scores were a bit low considering how I performed, especially after overcoming such difficult moments. I expected to receive better scores and felt upset with myself in that moment,” he said. However, he remained positive, adding, “I gave it my all, and that fact will never change. I feel like I’ve wrapped up my third Olympics well and am accepting the outcome.”
Junhwan Cha is scheduled to participate in the Olympic gala on February 22. For this event, he will skate to the song Not A Dream performed by South Korean musician Song So-hee. He noted, “It’s been eight years since I’ve performed at a gala after the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics. The word that encapsulates my figure skating career is ‘freedom,’ and this song feels like it expresses that theme beautifully. I’m excited to showcase a piece that reflects Korea and myself.”
In addition, Cha received heartfelt recognition from Martina Corgnati, the daughter of the late Italian singer Milva. Corgnati visited the Korea House in Milan to thank Cha for skating to her mother’s iconic song Balada para un loco in his free skate program, which he returned to this season. Corgnati said, “I was deeply moved that Junhwan Cha chose my mother’s song for his program. The way he got back up after falling during his performance was noble. His skating was elegant, and he connected with the music beautifully.”
As a gesture of appreciation, Corgnati gifted Cha a CD album of Milva’s songs and a special stamp set issued in Italy four years ago to commemorate the legendary singer. Cha expressed his gratitude: “I was truly shocked to receive the album, stamps, and a video message. It was something I never imagined. I’m very grateful.” He added, “Listening to that song gave me so much strength. I’m glad I decided to bring back this program for the Olympics.”
As the Milan Olympics come to a close for Junhwan Cha, thoughts of the 2030 Winter Olympics remain uncertain. “Four years feels like a long time,” he admitted. @After Beijing, I didn’t immediately think about competing in Milan. Right now, I can’t picture the Alps yet, but I think I need time to reorganize myself and carefully consider what’s next.@
Cha also emphasized the need for rest, saying, “Figure skaters rarely get the chance to take a break, but I plan to take some time afterward to reflect and make decisions calmly.”
Related topics: Junhwan Cha, Olympic Games
Leave a Reply