Milan: Before taking the ice Friday afternoon for her Winter Games debut here in northern Italy, South Korean teen figure skater Shin Ji-a was worried she would be a nervous wreck. But under the bright lights, the 17-year-old delivered a solid performance without succumbing to pressure. Shin earned 68.80 points in the short program of the team event at Milano Ice Skating Arena in Milan, putting herself in fourth place.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Shin expressed that she was "really honored" to be part of the team event and felt fortunate to get a feel for the ice at the arena before her individual competition next week. She noted that the Olympics didn't feel significantly different from other international events she had participated in previously. Despite initial concerns about being jittery, Shin was pleasantly surprised by her composure once she took to the ice.
Unlike her South Korean counterparts, Shin had never participated in a team setting before Friday. She was encouraged by Cha Jun-hwan, the male skater set to compete on Saturday, and the ice dance team of Hannah Lim and Quan Ye, who had performed earlier. Shin mentioned that her teammates' enthusiastic cheers during the warmup made the experience enjoyable.
Shin's score on Friday was about six points short of her season-best of 74.47. While she did not make any major errors, her performance did not impress the judges significantly, as she received fewer points in the grade of execution for the quality of technical elements. Shin acknowledged that her jumps felt slightly shaky but was satisfied with the execution of her step sequences and spins.
In the team event, points are awarded based on the placements of pairs, ice dance teams, and individual skaters. Shin contributed seven points for South Korea, while Lim and Quan added four points for their seventh-place finish. Currently, South Korea is in seventh place, and only the top five teams will advance to the free skate rounds. It is uncertain whether South Korea will advance, but Shin was content with having completed her first Olympic program.
Shin is optimistic about her individual event next week, believing that her experience in the team event will be beneficial. She appreciated the ice conditions and hoped to maintain her form for the upcoming competition.