Lee Hae-in (18, Sehwa Girls’ High School), who won the women’s singles at the International Skating Union (ISU) Figure Skating Four Continents Championships, returned home in gold.
Lee Hae-in returned home via Incheon International Airport on the afternoon of the 14th. On the 11th (Korean time), he won her gold medal in the women’s singles at the 2023 ISU Figure Skating Four Continents Championships held in Colorado Springs, USA, with her season’s highest score of 210.84 points.
She became the first Korean player to win the women’s singles at the Four Continents Championships in 14 years since Yuna Kim (33, retired) in 2009. Lee Hae-in, who won her silver medal at this event last year, is challenging her second consecutive medal. In the short program, she only placed 6th, but in the free skating, she performed perfectly in all elements and achieved her thrilling come-from-behind victory.
Lee Hae-in, who finished in the final third in the qualifying round for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, regrettably missed out on a two-card ticket. However, she took her silver medal at the Open Championships of the Four Continents to shake off her regrets. She failed to finish on the podium in both of her Grands Prix events this season, finishing fourth. After regaining stability in her final technical set-up of the season, she achieved the feat of reaching the top of the Four Continents Championships.
Q& A at Incheon International Airport
– The Four Continents Championships is the event I want to attend the most this season, so I prepared harder. I was happy just riding on the ice rink. I fell a little short in the short, but in the free, (Lee) Si-hyung and (Kyung) Jae-seok oppa cheered me on a lot, so I tried not to be nervous. So it showed good results.
I didn’t expect to win first place, but I was very happy when I got there. I thought this was real or it wasn’t a dream, it was fortunate (laughs)
Q After the Grand Prix, I changed my jump composition and came out and the results were good. How do you feel about cleaning the free program?
Easily changing the jump configuration helped me a lot. The triple axel is important, but 3+3 is also important, and I thought it was good to put in the triple axel when there were not many mistakes. The change in attitude toward the competition also had a positive effect.
In the Q short, I only placed 6th. Did you think medals were difficult? How was your mindset when you were in free skating?
It would be nice if I won a medal, but if I didn’t win, I couldn’t help it, so I had a strong thought that I should do everything I prepared.
Q: After the free skating, your expression was very bright.
The place of the competition (Colorado Springs, USA) was in an alpine area and many players had a hard time. I was happy and happy to finish the game without any mistakes.
Q Since the tournament was held in Colorado, a high mountain area, many of the contestants were struggling physically. Did you do a lot of physical training? Or, I wonder if he did any special training ahead of this tournament.
Before participating in this competition, I had special training in the alpine zone with my older sisters and brothers. I tried every day to get better at distributing my stamina. I was happy just by participating in the competition, so I didn’t feel it was too difficult.
Q In the gala show, you played Brave Girls’ ‘Rolin’ in the past, but this time you chose Ive’s song (After like). The reason is?
Rollin was also my favorite song and it did a good job of relaxing me. Ive’s song (After like) is a song I listened to every day during this season. I also wanted to try acting with a Korean song abroad.
He came from behind to win in 6th place in the Q short. Also, you failed to participate in the Olympics last year, but you seemed to have a very good mentality. What do you think about yourself?
It seems that no one has a good mentality from the beginning. I have been able to come this far because there are many people who have helped me. I was able to prepare well for the next Four Continents Championships because I had not set the end (player career).
It’s an honor to participate in the Olympics, but that’s not all, the Grand Prix, Four Continents, and World Championships remain, so I tried to get good results in these events. 먹튀검증
Q I heard that Kim Yuna watched the choreography before the Four Continents Competition. What specifically did she help with?
I heard that I was full of energy from start to finish. (Kim Yu-na) She told me that if she could control the dynamics, the program would be better, and she also advised me that her gaze was not correct.
Q Looking back this season, winning the Four Continents Championships is the number one moment in your figure skating career
. It was difficult at the beginning of this season, but I am glad that I did not give up and worked hard.
Q In the senior major competitions, there are still medals only in the Four Continents Championships. Medals in other competitions have also become a new goal. What is your specific goal for the World Championships?
I have to do everything I can to have a chance of winning a medal. I hope that the World Championships will be a place where I can show everything I can and wait for a medal by preparing harder than this time.