“You really… if it doesn’t work, it’s your fault.”
It was different from the elegant appearance on the silver plate. She looks like a teenage girl with a sullen expression, asking Skate to listen carefully. She met Lee Hae-in (18, Sehwa Girls’ High School), a silver medalist at the World Figure Skating Championships, at the office of All That Sports, her agency. Lee Hae-in honestly told her stories about her dreams and struggles as a figure skater.
Lee Hae-in ranked second with a total score of 220.94 at the 2023 World Championship Women’s Singles held at Super Arena in Saitama, Japan last month. It is the first medal for a South Korean player in 10 years since Yuna Kim won her gold medal in 2013.
Lee Hae-in said she returned from the World Championships and that she “cleared her doubts about me”. Lee Hae-in said, “I don’t make mistakes, but my score didn’t increase steadily as I expected. I had doubts, ‘Can I get that kind of score?’ .
After she placed second in the short program, Lee Hae-in, who went to the free skate, gave a perfect performance after talking to herself. Lee Hae-in said, “She said, ‘Let’s do it like she did on the 4th continent,’ and her wish came true. She was good at the short, so I thought she could do well in the free, and she played happily.” she said. She continued, “Coach Ji Hyun-jung said, ‘I can do it’, so I replied, ‘Really?’ It helped,” he laughed.
Lee Hae-in first learned figure skating in the first grade of elementary school, and started his professional career in earnest the following year. Thanks to the support of his parents who caught a glimpse of his youngest daughter’s motor nerves, Lee Hae-in’s fate went smoothly. In his 5th grade of elementary school, he learned all 5 types of 3-rotation jumps (toe loop, loop, salchow, flip, lutz) except for the axel (which rotates half a turn) and was considered a promising player. In 2019 he won the ISU Junior Grand Prix and also placed 5th at the World Championships.
However, he experienced growing pains that all figure skaters experience. As he grew taller, he had trouble keeping his center of gravity. Lee Hae-in said, “There was a time when I regretted ‘Why did I become a figure skater?’ He said, ‘Let’s go to the rink’.” Lee Hae-in laughed, saying, “Her mother is 1m72cm tall. She’s worried that I’m taller too, but she should thank her dad.”
The thing that helped me when I was struggling was drawing. Lee Hae-in said, “I’ve loved drawing since I was little. I went to an art academy for about a year when I was in the third grade of elementary school. However, I changed training grounds and didn’t have enough time, so I couldn’t go anymore. But I could draw by myself, so I often drew.”
Even now, I often draw pictures and post them on social media. Lee Hae-in said, “People around me compliment me on how well I draw, so I give presents to the players. I also drew foreign players such as Shin and Ilya Malinin (above USA). Everyone liked it.” Cartoon characters such as Elsa from Frozen and Snow White from Disney are also portrayed at a high level.
I also enjoyed studying foreign languages. Lee Hae-in said, “I’m learning Japanese these days. The team trophy will be held in Japan soon, so I want to use it.” “I enjoy Studio Ghibli animations such as ‘Cat’s Gratitude’ and ‘Howl’s Moving Castle.’ saw,” he said. He speaks English well too. Lee Hae-in waved his hand, saying, “I didn’t learn systematically. I improved a little while talking to the players,” but conducted an interview with overseas media without an interpreter.
Lee Hae-in chose Brave Girls’ Rollin as the song for the gala program last season. And this season I chose Ive’s ‘After Like’. Overseas fans also showed enthusiastic reactions to the youthful appearance that matched the K-pop song. Lee Hae-in said, “After Like is a song I’ve listened to a lot lately when I’m having a hard time. I listened to Rollin to relax when I was nervous. I chose these songs because I’m grateful for them. Actually, when I was acting, I cringed, but it was fun.” I’m thinking about what it would be like to try a hype boy in ‘.
The daily routine of a figure skater is tight. In the off-season, I do skating training twice in the morning and afternoon, and after 4:00 I do ground training for an hour and a half. He next takes Pilates classes for core strengthening. Lee Hae-in said, “He also takes dance classes. During training, when he doesn’t want to exercise, he dances to burn calories.” Weight management is also thorough. Lee Hae-in said, “I like tteokbokki and chicken. I ate it even after I went to the world championships. I shouldn’t eat too much, so I eat a little and give it to my sister.”
Lee Hae-in’s ‘role model’ is Yuna Kim. When asked to name her favorite program, she said “all of them”, then pondered. The three that she chose after consideration were Les Misérables (pre-2012-13 season), Giselle (2011 short), and Bat Overture (2007-08 short). Lee Hae-in said, “Anyway, I remember seeing Les Misérables when I first went to Yeon-ah unnie’s ice show. I like the bat prelude because the blue outfit is pretty, and she sings lively songs well. I’ve only seen Giselle once, but I think she expressed the character’s emotions well. ” said 카지노
Even now, Lee Hae-in is receiving a lot of help from Yuna Kim, who is in her same agency. In particular, her fast and powerful steps are reminiscent of Yuna Kim. Lee Hae-in said, “If you are nervous during competitions, there are times when your speed decreases or your expression hardens. My sister shows it better during matches than during practice. It is the coolest thing to break through and do everything you need to do even under pressure.”