Korea's new figure skating sensation
Kudos to Choi Ha-bin! The 16-year-old figure skater achieved a stunning upset victory in the ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating in Riga, Latvia, last week. He finished fifth in the short program after making a mistake on his second jump combination. However, his spellbinding performance in the free program propelled him to a come-from-behind victory. He earned a personal-best score of 170.20…
Choi Ha-bin, a 16-year-old figure skater, made waves at the ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating in Riga, Latvia. Despite a mistake during his short program, the young skater triumphed in the free program, securing a personal-best score of 170.20 points. This victory comes nearly eight points short of the score achieved by last year’s World Championship winner, Rio Nakata.
Choi's remarkable performance has since become a viral sensation on video platforms. His win has also generated excitement, with overseas experts drawing comparisons to reigning world champion Ilia Malinin. Malinin, known as the "Quad God" for his expertise in complex jumps, is a three-time world champion and a gold medalist in the 2026 Olympic Games team event.
Ted Barton, a commentator for the ISU’s Skating YouTube channel, lauded Choi's free skate, noting that finding the right words to describe his performance can be challenging.
Written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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- Korea's new figure skating sensation koreatimes.co.kr
