After silver medal at Worlds, a season of change for Cha Junhwan
The two-time Olympian and reigning world silver medallist is no longer working with longtime coach Brian Orser – and has moved his training base back to his native Republic of Korea.
Figure Skating
Five years ago, Korean figure skater Cha Junhwan was just 17 years old when he landed on the podium at the Grand Prix Final in Vancouver.
Now 22, the reigning world silver medallist returns to the Canadian coastal city for this weekend’s Skate Canada International Grand Prix not only as an established top threat in international men’s figure skating, but also amidst a period of change.
In the off-season, Cha split with longtime coach Brian Orser, the 1988 Olympic silver medallist, and moved his training base back home to the Republic of Korea, having previously divided his time with Orser’s Toronto Cricket Club.
With three seasons to go until the coming Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, it marks a new chapter in Cha’s career. And what will it bring? That is anyone’s guess.
“His speed, his power is incredible,” Orser told Olympics.com. “And his commitment to the choreography and to the movement and the flow across the ice is pretty outstanding.”
“I wish him all the best.”
Cha Junhwan: The next chapter
Part of the reason for Cha’s full-time return to Korea is his ongoing studies at university, which he initiated when he returned home during the pandemic in 2020.
Seoul is now his full-time training base, with Chi Hyun Jung as his coach, the same mentor for both Lee Haein and Kim Chae-yeon.
He’s maintained his choreographic relationship with Shae-Lynn Bourne, who he has worked with since the 2018-19 season. She has done both of Cha’s programs – the short and the free – since 2021, with this season featuring “Masquerade Waltz” and The Batman.
He struggled in his season opener at the Nepela Trophy Challenger Series event, dropping from second to sixth after fumbling through his free skate, but bounced back for a second-place finish the next week at Shanghai Trophy.
He was favoured at both those events – much like he’ll be this coming weekend at Skate Canada.
Orser on Cha: ‘He’s amazing to see live’
“It’s always disappointing” to end a coach-athlete relationship, Orser said.
“It’s a long time [that] we spent together,” he added, “so I’d like to think our team had something to do” with his success.
It was Orser who at the Beijing 2022 Olympics said he thought Cha could be a top five contender in the world. Junhwan would finish fifth there, and 13 months later he was runner-up to Uno Shoma at Worlds.
He is the first Korean man to win a medal at Worlds, his success shared by the aforementioned Lee, who also walked away from Saitama with a world silver.
“Last year’s programs were sensational, especially the Michael Jackson” short program, Orser said. “He has great spins. He’s going to have to keep working at them, but they can be the best. He’s pretty amazing to see live, and is pretty good peaking at the right time.”
Will the two work together again down the road?
“You know, I’ll say ‘never say never,’” Orser said with a smile.