Figure skater Lee Hae-in wins gold medal at Junior Grand Prix

Lee Hae-in, an emerging star in women’s single figure skating competition, has won the gold medal at the ISU Junior Grand Prix Championship.

Lee came first to acquire the medal by receiving 197.63 points overall, including 66.93 in the short program, and 130.70 in free skating, in the women’s single in the third event of the 2019-2020 ISU Junior Grand Prix Championship, which ended in Riga, Latvia on Saturday. It is the first time in seven years that a Korean woman has won the gold in the Junior Grand Prix since Kim Hae-jin won the honor in 2012. Lee also broke the Korean record in women’s single competition in the Junior Grand Prix.

The 14-year-old secured bonus points in all of the seven jump elements including triple flip in free skating to display flawless performance. Lee cried tears of joy, standing atop the winners’ podium, and watching the Korean national flag Taegeukgi and hearing the national anthem.

Lee has become the third Korean gold medalist in the women’s single competition of the Junior Grand Prix Championship following Kim Yu-na and Kim Hae-jin. Kim Yu-na also won her first Junior Grand Prix gold medal at the age of 14. “Prior to the short program, I watched a video of Kim Yu-na’s performance,” Lee said. “I am so happy to follow her footsteps.”


Yun-Cheol Jeong trigger@donga.com