BEIJING– Trying to ratchet up the intensity of his preparation for Beijing 2022, South Korean figure skater Cha Jun-hwan tripped himself up and fell during his training session on Sunday.
Fortunately, it wasn’t anything serious. His knee bumped into the fence at the practice rink next to Capital Indoor Stadium in Beijing and he took a small cut to the right side of his lower back.
Otherwise, Cha was none the worse for the wear.
“I was trying to go full speed today, and I may have been in a bit of a rush. My feet got tangled up,” Cha said, looking embarrassed while trying to laugh off the mishap. “Everything is fine. I think the ice quality here is a bit different than that at the main rink (at Capital Indoor Stadium).”
This was Cha’s third training session. The men’s singles short program is scheduled for Tuesday. He will have another practice Monday at the practice venue.
Cha practiced all of his jumps, including the quadruple salchow and quadruple toe loop. He then performed his short program, set to “Fate of the Clockmaker” by Eternal Eclipse and Flynn Hase Spence and “Cloak and Dagger” by Bianca Ban, in its entirety.
Cha had announced Saturday he will stick to his normal programs for the current season and will attempt three quadruple jumps: the quadruple salchow in the short program, and then the quad salchow and the quad toe loop in the free skate.
“Rather than change my programs at this point, I will try to do what I’ve been doing all season and execute them cleanly,” Cha explained. “It’s hard to predict how well I am going to perform those jumps. But I’ve been landing them consistently in practices. If I can maintain my focus in competition, I should be fine.”
Cha has repeatedly sidestepped questions about his medal prospects in Beijing, saying his focus is on the process and not the result. He finished in 15th place in his Olympic debut four years ago while battling hip injury and flu. It was the best Olympic performance by a South Korean male figure skater.
Cha picked up his first title at the International Skating Union (ISU) Four Continents Figure Skating Championships on Jan. 23. His coach, Brian Orser, said the skating world is noticing Cha more and he could potentially contend for a medal here.
Cha said he appreciates people’s support and he wants to give back to his fans with a memorable performance.
“I know people back home are struggling with the COVID-19 pandemic, and I want to give them something to cheer about,” Cha said. “Hopefully, my skating can inspire people.”
Source: Yonhap News Agency