‘More mature’ Kim Chae-yeon makes quiet progression on world stage
The 17-year-old has become a steady force in a competitive landscape among the Korean women. She earned silver at Four Continents in Shanghai ahead of Worlds next month.
Figure Skating
While Cha Jun-hwan and Lee Hae-in made history for the Republic of Korea at the World Figure Skating Championships in 2023 by claiming respective silver medals, their 16-year-old compatriot in her Worlds debut was turning heads, too.
Kim Chae-yeon, who was competing in just her second major international event as a senior, dazzled in the free skate to place third that segment and finish sixth overall.
Three months prior, she had won bronze at the Junior Grand Prix Final, but the transition was clear: Kim was going to be a force in seniors, too, finishing behind only Lee and world champion Sakamoto Kaori in the free skate.
"I want to show a more mature appearance," she told Olympics.com in October in Korean. "I'm a bit more relaxed now, and I want people to remember me as a hard-working skater.
"The goal this season is to skate well. I want take it one event at a time."
That she has. October saw her Grand Prix debut, where she finished second to Sakamoto at Skate Canada. Last weekend, she won another silver on the international stage: Runner-up at Four Continents.
A breakout 12 months is part of the long-term plan for the teen, who would like to see herself competing at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026.
“Especially my goal is the Olympics,” she said, smiling. “I feel like I'm working harder and trying to achieve better results [for it].”
Kim Chae-yeon: Driven to keep improving
Having only began skating at age 10, Kim has achieved great amounts in such a short competitive career. Early on in her skating, she faced multiple injuries and constant soreness, prompting her mother to encourage her to step away from the sport, she said in an interview. (Read the translated version here.)
But there a sort of dogged determination about Kim that comes across in her limitless skating: She jumps with both power and control; and has a connection to the music that is sometimes hard to find in such a young skater.
Having worked since 2018 with well-known Korean choreographer Shin Yea-ji, Kim collaborated this season with Benoit Richaud on her Le Bal des folles free skate, which is highlighted by her steady spin work and a commitment to character.
At Four Continents, Kim skated the program with distinction, moving around the ice with a command that has helped her climb the world rankings. She’d fall on her final triple attempt, a Salchow, but still earn the biggest medal of her career with the effort.
Understated off the ice, Kim could only offer half a smile as her scores came through, with coaches Choi Hyungkyung and Kim Nahyun shaking her shoulders and patting her back with encouragement.
It’s that commitment to perfection which has driven her this far, and one that runs in the family: Her mother Lee Jung-ah designs all of Chae-yeon’s costumes, which the skater said are “creative and beautiful.”
Kim further strengthens Korean skating
Last year, videos on social media showed Kim attempting quad toe-loops and triple Axels using a harness, a training technique often practised by skaters when they are looking to attain a new jump.
She confirmed to Olympics.com in October that the hope still remains for those bigger jumps to be added to her repertoire, a shift that could make her even a bigger force headed toward the 2026 Olympics.
“I want to do the triple Axel,” she said. “We’re working on getting more air [on it]; jumping higher. I’m also working hard to take care of my points around my spins and step sequence.”
On the global stage, Republic of Korea and Japan have gone from strength-to-strength when it comes to women’s singles skating. But aside from the dominant force of Sakamoto, none of the other top skaters have been able to put out consistent results.
Is Kim a change to that trend?
Lee Hae-in placed second at Korean nationals in December, but sunk to 11th in her attempted title defense at Four Continents while also missing the podium at her two Grand Prix assignments (she was fourth at both).
Olympians You Young and Kim Yelim have struggled since Beijing 2022, as well.
It is Lee, You and Kim Chae-yeon who will make up the Korean team for Worlds next month in March.
While Kim was just three years old when Yuna Kim won the Olympic title at Vancouver 2010, she had just started skating when Korea hosted the Games for PyeongChang 2018.
What happens next in Korean skating is partly up to her and how she continues down the road she’s on.
“It seems like the Korean approach is doing very well these days,” said Kim of their international success. “I am happy and proud to be able to compete as an athlete from Korea.”