Korean figure skating is looking for a podium finish at the 2023 International Ice Skating Union (ISU) Figure Junior Grand Prix.
Rising figure skating talent Lim Joo-heon (Surigyo, South Korea) has set his sights on a medal after a surprise first place finish in his debut at an International Ice Skating Union (ISU) event.
Lim scored 75.38 points in the men’s single short program, combining a technical score of 39.82 and a performance score of 35.56 on Thursday in Osaka, Japan, at the fourth ISU Figure Junior Grand Prix 2023, to take first place out of 25 competitors.
He beat Japan’s Shunsuke Nakamura (74.04) by 1.34 points in second place.
Korean junior figure emerged as the next generation of women’s singles ace Shin Jia (Young Dong Joong) won her first title of the season at the second edition of the ISU Figure Junior Grand Prix on February 2, while Shin Min Kyu (Kyungshin Joong) became the first Korean man to win a figure junior grand prix title in seven years, joining Cha Jun Hwan (Korea University) as the next generation of men’s singles.
Earlier in the day, ‘twin’ junior national team member Kim Yoo-sung (14-Pyeongchon Middle School) finished second in the first competition with a total score of 189.92 points, just 0.73 points behind Nakai Ami (190.65-Japan).
Competing in the fourth edition of the ISU Figure Junior Grand Prix, Lim got off to a good start with a perfect rotation on her first performance task, a triple axel, earning a GOE of 1.83 points.
He then landed a triple flip-triple toe-loop combination jump that earned him a GOE of 0.15 despite an attitude (watch out for edges).
The change foot sit spin and flying sit spin earned a level 4, the highest level of difficulty.
In the first task of the second half, the triple lutz, which carries a 10% penalty, Lim had a wobbly landing and was deducted 1.26 points, but she handled the step sequence as a level 3.
His final task, a change foot combination spin, earned him the highest difficulty level of Level 4, adding 0.9 points to his GOE, and he finished his ISU debut on a high note.
His teammate Lee Jae-geun (Surigyo) finished seventh with a combined score of 65.76 points, including a TES of 33.72, a PCS of 33.04 and a deduction of 1.
Lee Jae-geun and Lim Joo-heon will compete in the men’s single freeskating event on the 15th, where they will be looking for a podium finish.
Meanwhile, earlier in the day, ice dance hopefuls Kim Ji-nee and In-moo (Gyeonggi-do Ice Sports Federation) finished ninth in the rhythmic dance to miss out on a spot in the Junior Grand Prix Final.안전놀이터
The pair earned a TES of 26.27, a PCS of 22.28, and a total of 48.55 points for ninth place.
Kim Ji-nee-Inamu’s score was nearly 10 points lower than her personal best in rhythmic dance (56.30) from the first round of the Junior Grand Prix in August.
After placing third in the first round, the pair had hoped to qualify for the Grand Prix Final in Beijing, China, in December, but their plans were thrown into doubt.
Kim Ji-Nee and Inamu will compete in the free dance on Saturday.