[ROAD TO BEIJING] Figure skating

Korea will send four figure skaters to the Beijing Games, marking the first time Korea has ever qualified for two spots in the men's competition.

Cha Jun-hwan performs an Ina Bauer in his free skate program at the ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships in Tallinn, Estonia on Sunday. [XINHUA/YONHAP]

Korea will send four figure skaters to the Beijing Games, marking the first time Korea has ever qualified for two spots in the men’s competition.

Cha Jun-hwan and Lee Si-hyeong will compete in the men’s event in Beijing, with You Young and Kim Ye-lim competing in the women’s event. Cha is the only of the four with experience on the big stage, having finished 15th at the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics. That appearance also made him the youngest skater ever to compete in the men’s events at the Games.

Cha jets off to Beijing in great form, having just won Korea’s first-ever men’s gold medal at the ISU Four Continents Championships 2022 in Tallinn, Estonia last week. Kim Ye-lim won her first women’s singles bronze medal in the women’s tournament at the same event.

Although You didn’t medal in Estonia, she finished top at the Korean figure skating qualifiers in January, with Kim finishing second. Lee earned his spot after finishing second in the men’s event, well behind Cha in first place.

BY YUN SO-HYANG AND JIM BULLEY [yun.sohyang@joongang.co.kr]