Korean Figure Skating Team Holds Secret Training at External Rink Ahead of Milan-Cortina 2026

The Korean figure skating team has secured a special training facility and begun secret practice sessions in final preparation for their first Olympic medal in 12 years.

Korean national figure skating athletes have been conducting individual training at a rented ice rink in Milan, Italy, the host city of the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, since January 6 (Korea time).

The team, aiming for their first Olympic podium finish since Kim Yu-na's silver medal at the 2014 Sochi Games, is fine-tuning their condition at an external rink with support from the Korea Skating Union.

Athletes competing at the Olympics can only train at designated times at the Olympic venue and official practice rinks as assigned by the organizing committee. This arrangement requires skaters to share ice time with other athletes in groups, reducing opportunities to focus solely on their own training.

To provide athletes with a more flexible training environment, the Korea Skating Union rented an external rink. According to the union, Korea Skating Union President Lee Su-kyung and officials visited the site last June to scout external rinks and prepared the rental in time for the Olympics. This arrangement allows athletes to assess ice conditions at the official competition venue while freely practicing their individual programs at the external rink.

"Figure skating is an individual sport where each athlete has different routines and may struggle to adjust their condition depending on training times," a skating official said. "With an environment now established where they can train without external interference, athletes will be able to effectively elevate their performance."

The Korean figure skating team will compete in the Team Event from January 6-9, a competition combining all four figure skating disciplines: men's singles, women's singles, ice dance, and pairs. Individual events will follow from January 10-14. The Team Event lineup includes Cha Jun-hwan (Seoul City Hall) in men's singles, Shin Ji-a (Sehwa Girls' High School) in women's singles, and the ice dance pair of Lim Hae-na and Kwon Ye (Gyeonggi Provincial Team). For individual events, Kim Hyun-gyeom (Korea University) in men's singles and Lee Hae-in (Korea University) in women's singles will join the Team Event members.