Living the PyeongChang Dream: Korean skaters strive toward 2018

[Spun Silver]

She'll be too young for PyeongChang, but here's a 4-minute feature on Young YOU (part of the Olympic Channel's "Heroes of the Future" series on YT, uploaded on November 5, 2016): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zXZdJZNvw8

ETA: You will be 13 in May and old enough for the JGP/ISU Junior events in 2017-18.

Ten hours of training every day for an 11-year-old (at the time the video was made, if it was correct)??? Sheesh. Is that even remotely healthy? Is there *anyone* in the US who trains that hard?

 

[Sylvia]

Jun Hwan CHA won his first senior national title at the age of 15 (he will be age-eligible for the big events next season) - article: http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/news/2017/01/08/8/0200000000AEN20170108001600315F.html
CHA scored 156.24 [81.38 TES / 75.86 PCS -1] in his FS - jumps: 3Lz+3T, 4S, 3A<, 3A+2T / 3F, 2A, 3F-half loop-3S<< fall, 3Lo.

Top 5 Senior Men:
Jun Hwan CHA 238.07 1 1
Jin Seo Kim 216.16 2 2
Si Hyeong LEE 189.91 5 3
Se Jong BYUN 182.81 4 4
June Hyoung LEE 178.56 3 5

BIG thanks to @spiral9509 who posted the following in the Korean Nationals thread in the Kiss & Cry section:

2017 South Korean Nationals
Sr. Ladies top 6 result

name, total score, FS jumps
------------------------------------------
Eun Soo LIM 191.98, 3Lz+3T, 2A+3T
Ye Lim KIM 183.27, 3Lz+3T, 2A+3T (fall)
Na Hyun KIM 181.78, 3Lo+3Lo
Dabin CHOI 181.48, 3Lz+3T, 2A+3T
Young YOU 180.88, 3Lz+3T, 2A+3T (last year's champion)
Yun Kyung KAM 170.81, 3F+3T, 2A+3T

* Eun Soo LIM's first senior national title.
She becomes the second Korean female skater getting scores over 190 at Nationals.

Team Korea at 2017 Sr/Jr World Championships

Ladies
Sr. World: Na Hyun KIM
Jr. World: Eun Soo LIM, Ye Lim KIM

Men
Sr. World: Jin Seo KIM
Jr. World: Jun Hwan CHA, Si Hyeong LEE

Pairs
Sr. World: Minji JI & Themistocles LEFTHERIS
* South Korean Sr. pair team will compete at Sr. Worlds for the first time since Jung-Yoon CHOI & Yong-Min LEE competed at 1992 Worlds.
Jr. World: Su Yeon KIM & Hyungtae KIM
* South Korean jr. pair team's first ever appearance at Jr. Worlds.

Ice Dance
Sr. World: Yura MIN & Alexander GAMELIN

---

Ages of the top 5 Sr. ladies and their FS scores:
Eun Soo Lim (127.45 1st) - 13 going on 14 in February
Ye Lim Kim (119.29 4th) - 13 going on 14 later this month
Nahyun Kim (118.91 5th) - age 17
Dabin Choi (121.29 3rd) - will be 17 later this month
Young You (122.17 2nd) - will turn 13 in May

Top 5 Korean ladies from GP / Challenger / JGP (ISU SB total scores so far this season):
#25) 185.19 Soyoun PARK KOR ISU GP Trophee de France 2016 12.11.2016 (will she be recovered in time for 4CC?)
177.27 Nahyun KIM KOR ISU CS Lombardia Trophy 2016 10.09.2016
173.21 Eunsoo LIM KOR ISU JGP Pokal d. Blauen Schwerter 2016 08.10.2016
165.89 Ye Lim KIM KOR ISU JGP Yokohama 2016 11.09.2016
165.78 Dabin CHOI KOR ISU GP Skate Canada International 2016 29.10.2016 - I assume she is going to 4CC?

ETA:

Team Korea for 4CC was already decided based upon the result of 2016 Ranking Competition in October. ...
Ladies: Na Hyun KIM, So Youn PARK (wishing her a speedy recovery), Dabin CHOI
Men: Jin Seo KIM, June Hyoung LEE, Si Hyeong LEE
Ice Dance: Yura MIN & Alexander GAMELIN, Ho Jung LEE & Richard Kang In KAM
Pairs: Minji JI & Themistocles LEFTHERIS, Kyu Eun KIM & Alex Kang Chan KAM, Su Yeon KIM & Hyungtae KIM

 

[Sylvia]

Like the Senior men's champion Jun Hwan Cha, Eun Soo LIM will be too young for the PyeongChang Olympics - thanks to @spiral9509 for posting her winning Nationals senior program links in the Kiss & Cry: SP fan cam video & FS fan cam video

ETA: I was thinking about 2017 Worlds, oops! Thanks for correcting me below, @Dobre!

 

[Dobre]

Like the Senior men's champion Jun Hwan Cha, Eun Soo LIM will be too young for the PyeongChang Olympics

I think this is a typo?

As you said in the post above, I believe Jun Hwan Cha will be old enough for PyeongChang.

Eun Soo will be too young. She and Ye Lim are in their first junior season. Wishing all three the best at Junior Worlds this year!

 

[Marco]

She'll be too young for PyeongChang, but here's a 4-minute feature on Young YOU (part of the Olympic Channel's "Heroes of the Future" series on YT, uploaded on November 5, 2016): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zXZdJZNvw8

ETA: You will be 13 in May and old enough for the JGP/ISU Junior events in 2017-18.

So she will only be age eligible for senior international championships in the 2022 Olympic season?! She would have no Worlds experience going into that season then.

 

[Marco]

Jun Hwan CHA won his first senior national title at the age of 15 (he will be age-eligible for the big events next season)

He is just fantastic. Such a revelation when he debuted at the JGPs. So glad he is old enough for the Olympics.

As an aside, how did the Korean crowd view Brian Orser? (unhappy split with Yuna and all...)

 

[seabm7]

As an aside, how did the Korean crowd view Brian Orser? (unhappy split with Yuna and all...)

Hard to say. He is no longer Yuna Kim's coach. Now he is just A coach. People usually do not talk about a coach.

 

[all_empty]

Like Japan (and Russia), being an Olympics host and having star athletes has really spurred Korea's skating programs.

The junior ladies who debuted this season are particularly exciting to watch -- too bad they'll be just shy of being age-eligible.

Good for Na Hyun, who has been steadily improving all season -- the 3Lo+3Lo is a beauty and pretty consistent. Not sure if she'll crack top 10 at Worlds for two berths, but it's not impossible.

 

[Bellanca]

Like Japan (and Russia), being an Olympics host and having star athletes has really spurred Korea's skating programs.

Very happy about this!

 

[Seerek]

He is just fantastic. Such a revelation when he debuted at the JGPs.

In retrospect, the decision of the Korean Federation to not assign Jun Hwan Cha any Junior Grand Prix's for the previous (2015-16) season because he didn't place high enough at the summer selection competition (Cha was ill) may have been a blessing in disguise given he was starting his growth spurt that fall in Toronto.

 

[Sylvia]

Team Korea's results at 4CC:

Ladies:
5 Dabin CHOI KOR 182.41 6 4 - 3 new ISU PBs here (61.62 SP, 120.79 FS)
19 Suh Hyun SON KOR 122.35 22 16
WD Nahyun KIM KOR 17 (45.95)

Men:
16 Sihyeong LEE KOR 195.72 17 17 - 3 new ISU PBs here (65.40 SP, 130.32 FS)
17 Jinseo KIM KOR 195.05 18 15
18 June Hyoung LEE KOR 187.58 16 18

Pairs:
12 Su Yeon KIM / Hyungtae KIM KOR 140.68 13 12 - 3 new ISU PBs here
14 Minji JI / Themistocles LEFTHERIS KOR 129.19 14 13
15 Kyueun KIM / Alex Kang Chan KAM KOR 118.91 15 15

Dance:
8 Yura MIN / Alexander GAMELIN KOR 144.69 8 8
13 Hojung LEE / Richard Kang In KAM KOR 112.42 13 13

Korean news articles in English:

Three Korean men: http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/culturesports/2017/02/19/0702000000AEN20170219002100315.html

Dabin Choi: http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/culturesports/2017/02/18/0702000000AEN20170218004500315.html

Three Korean pairs: http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/culturesports/2017/02/18/0702000000AEN20170218003600315.html

Min/Gamelin: http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/culturesports/2017/02/17/0702000000AEN20170217010900315.html

Kim Na-hyun (she WD before FS): http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/culturesports/2017/02/18/0702000000AEN20170218002400315.html
This article says that she "been suffering from a lingering injury on her right ankle ... [and after the SP] inflammation on her left ankle muscle and ligament [and] pain in her thigh."
She is Korea's selection for Worlds. This article was after her SP and before her WD: http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/culturesports/2017/02/16/0702000000AEN20170216011000315.html

Two American figure skaters [Alexander Gamelin and Themi Leftheris] feel 'honored' to compete for S. Korea:
http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/culturesports/2017/02/16/0702000000AEN20170216009800315.html

So Youn Park had to withdraw from the Asian Winter Games in Sapporo:
http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/culturesports/2017/02/17/0702000000AEN20170217004500315.html

Gangneung, South Korea, Feb. 17 (Yonhap) -- Former national figure skating champion Park So-youn pulled out of this month's Asian Winter Games Friday with an ankle injury. ...
Kim broke her left ankle in a fall during training in Seoul on Dec. 13 last year. She sat out ensuing competitions, including the ongoing International Skating Union (ISU) Four Continents Figure Skating Championships here in Gangneung, with hopes of being ready for Sapporo.

 

[Dobre]

Team Korea's results at 4CC:
Kim Na-hyun (she WD before FS): http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/culturesports/2017/02/18/0702000000AEN20170218002400315.html
This article says that she "been suffering from a lingering injury on her right ankle ... [and after the SP] inflammation on her left ankle muscle and ligament [and] pain in her thigh."
She is Korea's selection for Worlds. This article was after her SP and before her WD: http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/culturesports/2017/02/16/0702000000AEN20170216011000315.html

Na-hyun was injured at the time of Nationals as well. She skated well there, though better in the SP than the FD.

Dabin Choi's score at 4CCs is a new Personal Best.

 

[all_empty]

Dabin just won Winter Asian Games with a personal best of 187.54.

Nahyun is definitely injured, attempting nothing harder than a 3Lo and missing many, many jumps in the FS. She also took a whopping freak fall in the SP and appeared to injure her head.

I have to think that the Korean Skating Federation will change their entry. Dabin just keeps getting stronger and stronger and Nahyun needs to rehabilitate.

 

[Spun Silver]

Yay, Dabin! That girl is a competitor.

 

[s_parks]

Dabin just won Winter Asian Games with a personal best of 187.54.

Nahyun is definitely injured, attempting nothing harder than a 3Lo and missing many, many jumps in the FS. She also took a whopping freak fall in the SP and appeared to injure her head.

I have to think that the Korean Skating Federation will change their entry. Dabin just keeps getting stronger and stronger and Nahyun needs to rehabilitate.

She already posted on ig before the free that she was withdrawing from worlds. Poor girl, she shouldn't have competed at nationals in that condition.

 

[Sylvia]

She already posted on ig before the free that she was withdrawing from worlds.

Article in Korean: http://m.sports.naver.com/general/news/read.nhn?oid=001&aid=0009060735

Poor girl, she shouldn't have competed at nationals in that condition.

Nahyun Kim still won the bronze there, which is quite an accomplishment! I wish her well in her recovery (as well as So Youn Park).

ETA: Google translation of the Korean article says Nahyun injured her ankle after Nationals and has been on analgesic painkillers since then.

 

[Sylvia]

(Winter Asiad) Figure skater Dabin Choi modest after historic victory: http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/culturesports/2017/02/25/0702000000AEN20170225003800315.html

And the teenager didn't make much of the fact that she became the first South Korean champion in Winter Asiad figure skating.
"Some of the top skaters didn't come here because they were preparing for the world championships (next month)," she said. "I am just thankful and happy that I won."
...
Choi will look to ride that momentum into the world championships starting March 29 in Finland. She'll be the only South Korean representative, after another injured skater, Kim Na-hyun, conceded her spot, and Choi will skate with spots at the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea's PyeongChang at stake.

Choi's FS at the Asian Winter Games (Dr. Zhivago soundtrack): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGn1g9c1KF4

(Her scores at AWG won't count as ISU SB or PB scores: 126.24 in FS, 187.54 total.)

Team Korea for Junior Worlds:

Men:
Jun Hwan CHA S1 (JGPF 3rd)
Sihyeong LEE S3 (4CC 16th)
( Subs: Geon Hyeong AN, Se Jong BYUN )

Ladies:
Eunsoo LIM S1 (JGP GER bronze medalist)
Ye Lim KIM S2
( Subs: So Hyun AN, Hanul KIM )

Pair:
Su Yeon KIM / Hyungtae KIM S2 (4CC 12th, AWG 4th)

 

[Marco]

Has Dabin been named to Worlds?

 

[Jeschke]

Such a shame for Nahyun Kim; she earened her spot and I hate it when skaters have to withdraw due to injury; but regarding her current state, it might be for the best; with Choi skating like she did (the last 2 competitions) at worlds, and some others failing, there might be the little little chance of 2 spots!

#teampark

 

[seabm7]

Team Korea for Junior Worlds:

Ladies:
Eunsoo LIM S1 (JGP GER bronze medalist)
Ye Lim KIM S2
( Subs: So Hyun AN, Hanul KIM )

Ye Lim KIM is replaced by So Hyun AN at the official page. There is a rumor of an injury.

 

[Sylvia]

Ye Lim KIM is replaced by So Hyun AN at the official page. There is a rumor of an injury.

Thanks for letting us know. AN placed 7th in Senior at Nationals.

Young YOU 5th at Nationals & Yun Kyung KAM 6th (2016 Korean junior champion) are both too young:

Top 8 at Sr. Nationals:
1 Lim Eun-soo 191.98 1 64.53 1 127.45 (Jr. Worlds)
2 Kim Ye-lim 183.27 2 63.98 4 119.29 (Jr. Worlds, now WD)
3 Kim Na-hyun 181.78 3 62.87 5 118.91 (Worlds original selection, now injured)
4 Choi Da-bin 181.48 4 60.19 3 121.29 (Worlds alternate, now going)
5 You Young 180.88 6 58.71 2 122.17 (2016 Sr. champ, too young - will be 13 in May)
6 Kam Yun-kyung 170.81 5 59.37 7 111.44 (2016 Jr. champ, too young - how old is she?)
7 An So-hyun 168.68 7 58.23 8 110.45 (Jr. Worlds 1st alternate, now going)
8 Kim Ha-nul 167.56 14 50.31 6 117.25 (Jr. Worlds 2nd alternate)

 

[Seerek]

Dabin Choi comfortably winning over Zijun and Elizabet in back-to-back weeks does give some hope for top 10 at Worlds (though it appears she'll have to settle for low 7s in component scores unless something miraculous happens in a month).

 

[Dobre]

Ye Lim KIM is replaced by So Hyun AN at the official page. There is a rumor of an injury.

Ahh! Drat. I do like So Hyun An's skating, but I was rooting for Ye Lim at Junior Worlds.

 

[spiral9509]

Team Korea's video at 4CC:

Ladies:
5 Dabin CHOI 182.41 6 4 SP 61.62 NoCommentary Fancam FS 120.79
19 Suh Hyun SON 122.35 22 16 SP 38.61 NoCommentary FS 83.74
WD Nahyun KIM KOR 17 (SP 45.95 NoCommentary )

Men:
16 Sihyeong LEE KOR 195.72 17 17 SP 65.40 SP FS 130.32
17 Jinseo KIM KOR 195.05 18 15 SP 64.26 SP FS 130.79
18 June Hyoung LEE KOR 187.58 16 18 SP 67.55 SP FS 120.03

Pairs:
12 Su Yeon KIM / Hyungtae KIM KOR 140.68 13 12 - 3 new ISU PBs here SP 49.88 NBCSN NoCommentary Fancam FS 90.80 NoCommentary
14 Minji JI / Themistocles LEFTHERIS KOR 129.19 14 13 SP 45.81 NBCSN NoCommentary Fancam FS 83.38 NoCommentary
15 Kyueun KIM / Alex Kang Chan KAM KOR 118.91 15 15 SP 41.06 NBCSN NoCommentary Fancam FS 77.85 NoCommentary
*NBCSN commentary by John Coughlin

Dance:
SD Warm up (Charlie White's commentary about Korean Ice Dance)
8 Yura MIN / Alexander GAMELIN KOR 144.69 8 8 SD 59.01 NBCSN NoCommentary FD 85.68 NoCommentary
13 Hojung LEE / Richard Kang In KAM KOR 112.42 13 13 SD 44.57 NBCSN NoCommentary FD 67.85 NoCommentary
*NBCSN commentary by Charlie White

Gala:
OPENING
Dabin CHOI
Sihyeong LEE
Su Yeon KIM / Hyungtae KIM
Yura MIN / Alexander GAMELIN
Eunsoo LIM
FINALE
Kim Yuna - Gala Speech

 

[Josh78]

6 Kam Yun-kyung 170.81 5 59.37 7 111.44 (2016 Jr. champ, too young - how old is she?)

According to the very little info I was able to find online at this link (https://www.facebook.com/figureskatinglife/videos/762617203892651/), she was 11 during the time of the 2017 South Korean Figure Skating Championships in early January -- so she's either still 11 now or barely 12, depending on her birthday...

 

[spiral9509]

6 Kam Yun-kyung 170.81 5 59.37 7 111.44 (2016 Jr. champ, too young - how old is she?)

According to the very little info I was able to find online at this link (https://www.facebook.com/figureskatinglife/videos/762617203892651/), she was 11 during the time of the 2017 South Korean Figure Skating Championships in early January -- so she's either still 11 now or barely 12, depending on her birthday...

According to 2017 Korean Nationals entries, Yun-Kyung KAM was born in April 2004.
She will be age-eligilble for international Junior events in 17/18 season along with Young YOU (born in May 2004).

 

[Marco]

I believe the Korean team for 2017 Worlds has been announced:

Republic of Korea
Men : Jinseo KIM
Ladies : Dabin CHOI
Pairs : Minji JI / Themistocles LEFTHERIS
Dance : Yura MIN / Alexander GAMELIN

(source: goldenskate forum)

 

[DDNatalia]

As host nation for the upcoming Olympics, will Korea earn a place in the Team event regardless of 'qualifying points'/simply because they are host nation?

 

[kwanfan1818]

According to the ISU announcement,

HOST COUNTRY PLACES
 The host country places will only be implemented if there are remaining places from the ten (10)
Team event “Additional Athletes Quotas”.
 If the Republic of Korea qualifies in all individual events (Ladies Single Skating, Men Single Skating,
Pair Skating, Ice Dance), the host country places will not be applied.
 In the case where the host country, the Republic of Korea, went through the normal qualification
procedure and did not qualify for any or only for some of the individual events (Ladies Single
Skating, Men Single Skating, Pair Skating, Ice Dance), the Republic of Korea will be allocated one
host country place for the individual event(s). This means that the host country places would apply, if
applicable, for one (1) skater in Ladies Single Skating and/or one (1) skater in Men Single Skating
and/or one (1) Pair Skating couple and/or one (1) Ice Dance couple for a total maximum host country
places of six (6) skaters. As mentioned above, such host country places will only be implemented if
there are remaining places from the ten (10) Team event “Additional Athletes Quotas”.
 The nominated skaters using the host country places will compete as number 31 in the Men Single
Skating /Ladies Single Skating events, pair number 21 in the Pair Skating event or as couple number
25 in the Ice Dance event.
 The nominated skaters using the host country places must have the minimum eligibility standard set
as for all other skaters at the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018, in particular but not
limited to having achieved in due time the Minimum Total Elements Scores determined and
published by the ISU.
 These “host country place” skaters will only compete in the individual events. It is important to note
that these host country places do not automatically constitute a team for the host country in the
Team event unless the host country qualifies for the Team event through the normal qualification
process as described in D.3.

D.3. requires that a team qualify in at least three individual events, with the option to compete in three events or appoint a fourth from the Additional Athlete Quota.

By the published qualification rules, Korea does not get a team entry automatically or by using Additional There's Quota for more than one discipline.

 

[Dobre]

According to the ISU announcement,

D.3. requires that a team qualify in at least three individual events, with the option to compete in three events or appoint a fourth from the Additional Athlete Quota.

If only eight (or seven) teams qualified in three individual events, would there then only be that many teams?

I think Korea--and for that matter, Japan--has the ability to qualify the three spots, but it may be a close thing. (Their top dance teams are currently 20th & 21st of the worlds-eligible teams on the SB list. This does not include Coomes & Buckland, a Spanish dance team, or the possibility of a third Russian dance team). Japan can make it in pairs, but again, it may be a close thing. I also think there's a good chance one or both dance teams could finish a number of spots better than 20th & 21st at Worlds. But not counting on it with Worlds in Europe.