Montreal: Ice dancer Hannah Lim, who represented South Korea at this year's Winter Olympics, has switched allegiance to her native Canada. Lim and her new partner, Zachary Lagha, were introduced at Skate Canada's media day in Montreal on Thursday.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Lim parted ways with her former partner, Quan Ye, in April, two months after they finished 22nd at the Milan-Cortina Winter Games. Born in Toronto to Korean parents, Lim holds dual citizenship and began skating for South Korea at the junior level in 2021. Lim and Quan won the world junior silver medal in 2023 and also helped South Korea to silver at the World Team Trophy that same season.
Under the Olympic Charter, athletes who change their sporting allegiance and represent a new country at the Olympics must go through a three-year waiting period. Lim will be eligible to compete with Lagha for Canada at the 2030 Winter Games. At the media day, Lim, 21, said switching her allegiance was "a difficult decision," and thanked the Korea Skating Union and her South Korean fans for their support over the years. "In the end, skating with Zach and representing Canada felt like the best path forward," Lim added. "Our main goal this season is to deliver our best performance at the Canadian Championships. Since we won't compete internationally, we are treating Nationals with the same level of importance. Long term, we want to work our way toward the world championships and the Olympic Games."
Lagha, who competed at the 2022 and 2026 Winter Games with Marjorie Lajoie, said he reached out to Lim when he realized "it was time for a change." "After spending 15 years with my previous partner, starting over has been a completely different experience. Learning a new partner's habits, timing, and communication takes time, but it has also been rewarding," the 27-year-old said. "Looking back, my previous partnership reached a point where our artistic visions no longer aligned. After the Olympic cycle, it felt like the right time to begin a new chapter, both for my career and for my personal growth as a skater."