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From child actor to figure skating master, Cha Jun-hwan came to the Olympics to put on a spectacle

Published: 14 Feb. 2026, 09:04 Updated: 14 Feb. 2026, 09:07

LEE SOO-JUNG
[email protected]

Cha Jun-hwan performs his free skate program in the figure skating competitions at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games, in Milan, Italy, on Feb. 13. [EPA/YONHAP]

For Cha Jun-hwan, his Olympic figure skating aspirations are more than a pivot from his past life as a child actor — they're a triple axel leap toward melting hearts on ice with a showcase of artistry that still shines bright.

"How can I say that there is no regret when it comes to final rankings,” the three-time Olympian said Friday after concluding what might be his last Olympic performance. “When it comes to preparation, I truly did my very best. On the ice, I poured out all my energy.”

Cha finished fourth, scoring 273.92 in total. That put him just 0.98 points behind bronze medalist Sato Shun and a spot on the podium.

But despite missing a medal, his standing is the a new record for Korean male skaters. Cha had a fifth-place finish at the 2022 Beijing Olympics.

Figure skating was not originally the 24-year-old's lifelong pursuit. He first graced television screens as an actor. Skating was nothing more than an additional effort to improve his expressiveness.

Cha Jun-hwan, then a 6-year-old actor, appears in a TV commercial promoting a chocolate snack in 2007. [JOONGANG ILBO]

Figure skating was one of several extracurricular activities that he learned to become a multitalented actor. He also learned swimming, piano and violin. It was reported that he started skating in 2009.

However, the then-8-year-old’s thrilling encounter with ice altered his life trajectory.

“An intense feeling of freedom struck me when I started skating,” Cha said in an interview with the International Olympic Committee last year. “The impression led me to continue skating and eventually become an athlete.”

Cha Jun-hwan, left, and Jin Jee-hee, actress, are interviewed in an SBS figure skating survival show in 2011. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

In 2011, he made another television debut — this time, as a full-fledged figure skater at 10 years old.

Cha was paired with child actress Jin Ji-hee in an SBS figure skating survival show hosted by Kim Yuna, the legendary gold medalist of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics. He was the youngest contestant. The pair fell behind older contestants and was eliminated in the early rounds.

The loss did not dishearten the young skater. Instead, Cha aimed high.

“I want to be the male Kim Yuna,” Cha said in his final interview on the show.

Key contenders in men's figure skating [CHUN YU-JIN]

Step by step, he got closer to his dream. Cha soon emerged as a pioneer of Korean men’s figure skating as he set national records.

At the age of 14, barely old enough to qualify for the World Junior Figure Skating Championships, he set a domestic record and clinched the gold over older senior skaters at the 2015 national championship.

In the 2016-17 season, he became Korea’s first skater to land a quadruple jump at an international event. He topped the podium at two consecutive Junior Grand Prix events.

That winning streak, though, was derailed by injury.

Cha’s first senior season began with gluteal and ankle injuries. He finished his first senior Grand Prix in ninth place.

Despite the pain, he strapped on his skates and slogged his way throughout the season, which culminated in an Olympic berth won in dramatic fashion with a come-from-behind victory in the national qualifiers.

Cha Jun-hwan, center, checks his score after finishing his short program at Gangneung Ice Arena at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Gangwon on Feb. 16, 2018. [YONHAP]

His first senior season ended with an Olympic debut on home turf. Cha broke personal records and finished 15th — Korea’s highest achievement in figure skating at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Games.

“I am pleased to finish a performance I have always dreamed of […] at the Olympics held in Korea,” he wrote on his Instagram. “I will continuously try my best to become an athlete who moves forward.”

Cha Jun-hwan performs his short program at Mokdong Ice Rink in western Seoul during the Four Continents figure skating championships in February 2025. [NEWS1]

Cha has evolved over the years, becoming more mature and refining his technique.

He has made a name for himself with his take on the Ina Bauer element, which always coincides with the climax of his program. While performing the move, he demonstrates his flexibility by bending backward deeply while gliding across half the rink at speed on two parallel blades.

He has also mastered two types of quadruple jumps. His buttery-smooth landings seamlessly transition to Mohawk turns and complicated torso movements in sync with music.

Cha Jun-hwan performs the Ina Bauer element during his free skate program at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing on Feb. 10, 2022. [YONHAP]

At the 2022 Beijing Olympics, Cha landed in fifth, raising his ranking by 10 places, a best for Korean men in the sport.

Now a seasoned skater, he has risen to unprecedented heights for Korean men's figure skating.

In 2023, Cha secured a silver medal at the World Figure Skating Championships, marking the first time a male Korean skater podiumed. His clean performances in the short and free programs to a medley of Michael Jackson and the James Bond series earned him a standing ovation.

“It feels like I showed everything while enjoying my skating today,” Cha said after the world championship.

His triumph continued. In February of last year, Cha topped the podium at the Asian Winter Games in China’s Harbin. The gold medal exempted him from mandatory military conscription and cleared his path to the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympic Games.

Cha Jun-hwan bites his gold medal during the victory ceremony for the men's single free skating at the 9th Asian Winter Games in Harbin, China, on Feb. 13, 2025. [AP/YONHAP]

The reigning Asian champion has taken gambles to present mesmerizing performances to global spectators.

He switched his skates more than 10 times in search of a pair of boots that fit perfectly. He also made a change in his free skate program a mere month before the Olympics, replacing a medley from the soundtrack of the 2001 film “Moulin Rouge” with “Balada para un loco” (1969), a program that he had excelled with a year ago at Harbin.

"I have contemplated what I would like to deliver in such a dream-like moment," Cha said. "I thought [Balada para un loco] is more apt to depict the person I am now."

Cha Jun-hwan speaks during a ceremony to mark his joining the Seoul figure skating team at Seoul City Hall in central Seoul on May 14, 2025. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

BY LEE SOO-JUNG [[email protected]]