Olympic-bound figure skater posts season-best short program score at final tuneup
Lee Hae-in performs during the women’s singles free skating title at the 80th National Figure Skating Championships and the second national team selection trial in Seoul, Jan. 4. Yonhap
Figure skater Lee Hae-in posted her best short program score of the season in China on Thursday at her final event before her Olympic debut.
Lee earned 67.06 points in the short program at the International Skating Union (ISU) Four Continents Figure Skating Championships at the National Indoor Stadium in Beijing.
Three Japanese skaters occupied the top three spots, with Ami Nakai leading the way at 73.83 points, followed by Yuna Aoki with 71.41 points and Mone Chiba with 68.07 points.
The Four Continents championships are for non-European skaters, with those from Asia, North America, South America, Africa and Oceania eligible.
This is the final international competition for Lee before she takes the ice at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics next month. Lee won the Four Continents title in 2023 and won silver in 2022.
Lee finished second in the national Olympic trials earlier this month, behind Shin Ji-a. In Thursday's event, Lee was docked points for underrotating her landing of a triple toe loop and later a triple flip.
Shin only managed her season-worst 53.97 points Thursday, as she fell twice — first on an opening triple ltuz and later on a triple flip. She is in 14th place in her Four Continents debut.
Yun Ah-sun, the third Korean in action, ranked 15th with 51.71 points.
The women's free skate is scheduled for Friday.
The men's singles competition will begin Saturday with the short program, followed by the free skate Sunday.