Cha Junhwan finding a "different style" this season with help from Guillaume Cizeron

Every new figure skating season, skaters pay much attention to crafting their routines for the year, especially the competitive ones for the short program and free skate.

But also significant is the exhibition gala program, which allows athletes to perhaps reuse an old program they liked, or explore new themes and ideas. And, in Cha Junhwan's case, even work with a fellow skater he hadn't had the chance to before.

The Republic of Korea skater debuted a new gala routine this year, set to Loïc Nottet's Mr/Mme, in addition to replicating his Black Panther routine from last year.

Cha's new routine was choreographed by world and Olympic champion ice dancer Guillaume Cizeron, with the two having crossed paths doing ice shows.

Working with the Frenchman has left its mark on Cha, whose main competition programs remain choreographed by Shae-Lynn Bourne, with whom he has worked since 2018.

"Working with Guillaume is very different and I think a big challenge," Cha tells Olympics.com in English during a sit-down chat at Skate Canada International, where he finished third in his first Grand Prix of the season.

"(I've been) working with Shae-Lynn (Bourne) for a long time and for the exhibition program, I wanted to try, I think, a different style or a new thing that I can learn.

"My new exhibition program is Mr/Mme, it's a French song, and I never tried a French song (before)," he explains. "So that was very new for me and even (how) the program goes, the way it is, it's a very different style than I used to do it.

"So it was really fun and it was really helpful for even my training and I really love the program too."

How Cha began working with Cizeron

Lots of skaters cross paths in the off-season doing exhibition shows and tours around the world, and most don't end up in a new coaching or choreo partnership. So how did working together come about?

"I met Guillaume at the show and we just made small talk," Cha remembers. "He asked me if I needed any help or if there was something we could work on, and I said I would love to.

"Before starting this season, I just sent him a direct message on Instagram saying 'I really want to work with you, so if you have time, can we make the time?' And that was the start."

The two only had a short time together to craft Cha's Mr/Mme program – "it wasn't long, it was less than a week," the South Korean skater says – but it was time well spent.

"I think it was a really great time spending time and working with him," Cha reflects.

"I truly love how he moves and that I can learn from that. It was really amazing to (do so)."

Cha taking inspiration from iconic Uno Shoma program

Cha's exhibition program isn't the only place this season he has been inspired by other figure skating greats, however.

The 23-year-old's free skate routine this year is set to Astor Piazzolla's tango, Balada para un Loco (Ballad for a Madman), the same music which soundtracked Uno Shoma's free skate in a 2016/17 season in which the Japanese won World Championships silver.

"I know Shoma used Balada para un Loco also and his program is one of my favourites too," Cha says.

"Shoma used this program very iconically, but I think you have to keep using great music because I think that's figure skating and skaters can go very different ways making the program even if it's the same music."

Aside from it being 'great music', Cha says he was influenced by the new direction he is taking his programs in – and that Bourne was completely on board with the choice. "I think why I chose it is I really want to skate a totally different way than I did before," he explains.

"The first time I [heard] this music was I think a different version of this [song], I was searching a lot of different versions and then the Milva version really came to me and I asked Shae-Lynn, 'how about this song?' And I think she really loved it too."

Cha does have one minor regret about the choice of music though – that he didn't give Uno a heads-up beforehand that he was reprising music.

"I met Shoma during a show in the summer, but I didn't tell him that I used it! I don't know why I did that," he says, laughing.

How Cha is managing his injuries in a busy season

Still only 23, Cha is already in his third Olympic cycle, having skated on home ice at PyeongChang 2018 and then at Beijing 2022.

However, his body has taken his toll on him, with hip and ankle injuries in recent years – and he has seen his fair share of colleagues, including Uno, announce their retirement even as he keeps going.

"I think it's just… (I'm) truly into this sport, this sport gave me a lot of motivation, I get a lot of motivation from creating new programs every season, and even competitions are giving me energy," he offers after some consideration of why he's still in the sport.

"Because of the injuries sometimes it's hard and very tiring, but I still love figure skating."

Those injuries, Cha says, are slowly getting better. "For the ankle, last year at Skate Canada it was 100 per cent not great. But I think this year I'm almost 70, 80 per cent recovered, I still need to keep taking care of it, but I think I can manage that."

Cha's injury record might give many people pause. Especially since the Seoul native has a very busy season planned in addition to his two Grand Prix outings at the Skate Canada International and Finlandia Trophy.

"I had kind of a busy offseason, shows and training and going to the U.S. for new programs," he recounts when asked about his workload. "I have one more Grand Prix, in Finland, I have the Korean Nationals, and then (Winter World) University Games (in Turin in January) and Asian (Winter) Games (in Harbin in February) are coming up.

"I know it's a very tough schedule and I already have a very busy beginning of the season, but for now in my mind, I just keep going. From my side I really want to go for it."

All that with that one ultimate goal in mind: a third Olympic Games at Milano Cortina 2026.

"I'm very honoured to be challenging for going to my third Olympics," Cha expressed. "It really gives me a lot of motivation and passion about it. Just keep working hard and do my best."

As National Olympic Committees have the exclusive authority for the representation of their respective countries at the Olympic Winter Games, athletes' participation at Milano Cortina 2026 depends on their NOC selecting them to represent their delegation.