Haein Lee: “Every day, I check my dress and say to myself, ‘I’ll wear it soon! I’ll wear it soon!’ as I get ready for my short program.”
Haein Lee reflects on her preparations for her first Olympics.
original source: yna.co.kr dd. 16th February 2026 by Lee Young-ho
South Korean figure skater Haein Lee reflects on her preparations for her first Olympic appearance in Milan, highlighting her mental and technical readiness, her admiration for teammate Junhwan Cha’s, and her efforts to overcome pressure ahead of her short program debut. Here’s a translation of her comments.
“Every day, I look at my dress and tell myself, ‘I’ll be wearing it soon,’ preparing my mind,” shared Haein Lee.
For Lee, who is making her Olympic debut, checking the condition of her skating dress has become one of the essential tasks in her routine. Since arriving in Milan on February 4, she has not yet had the opportunity to wear her dress, as she did not compete in the figure skating team event. Instead, she has made it a daily ritual to look at her dress as a way of boosting her confidence.
Lee especially emphasized her daily ritual of looking at her dress as part of her mental preparation. “Every day, I check my dress and say to myself, ‘I’ll wear it soon! I’ll wear it soon!’ as I get ready for my short program,” she said with a laugh.
At her first training session after arriving in Milan, Lee boldly practiced a triple axel, showing her ambition. Ahead of the short program, the skater has been meticulously refining the details of her routine.
On February 16, during practice at the Milan Ice Skating Arena, she focused on polishing her short program. Although she struggled with the triple lutz during training, Lee repeatedly practiced the jump to improve its execution. To enhance her program components score, she also worked hard on perfecting her step sequences.
After her training session, Lee spoke with the press about her preparations for her Olympic debut. “For other competitions, things often happen so quickly that there’s not enough time to mentally prepare,” she explained. “But for the Olympics, there’s enough time to get truly ready, which has been great. Although I’ve had to wait a long time to compete, I’m also enjoying the experience and what the Olympics represent.”
Lee, who attended the men’s free skate the previous day, spoke with admiration for fellow South Korean skater Junhwan Cha, who placed fourth despite errors in his jumps. “The way he has continued to improve as an athlete, competing in three consecutive Olympics while never giving up, is something I truly respect,” she said. “The audience yesterday was massive. Watching him overcome that pressure and perform until the end was truly inspiring.”
Acknowledging the pressure of competing on such a big stage, Lee shared her approach: “Of course, I’ll feel the pressure heading into the short program, but I came here to achieve my dream. I’ll try my best to enjoy the moment, and I think that will help ease the pressure,” she added with a smile.
Related topics: Haein Lee, Olympic Games
That’s nice. Poor Young You…