Cha Jun-hwan, who delivered a moving performance at the 2026 Milan-Cortina d'Ampezzo Winter Olympics, has belatedly revealed he competed while suffering severe pain in his right ankle.
After training at a practice rink near the Ice Skating Arena in Milan, Italy, on February 18 (Korea time), Cha told reporters he is contemplating whether to compete in the 2026 International Skating Union (ISU) World Figure Skating Championships scheduled for next month in Prague, Czech Republic.
When asked the reason for his hesitation, he paused before responding, "The truth is, my body is not in normal condition." He added, "Over the past month, I trained while changing skates multiple times due to fitting issues, and the pressure on my ankle caused severe pain." He continued, "There was fluid around the lateral malleolus of my right foot, and I prepared for this Olympics while repeatedly undergoing procedures to drain it. I approached this with the mindset of just holding on until the Olympics."
Cha had not disclosed his physical condition and maintained until just before the competition that he was "in the best condition." He explained, "I didn't want to show it for my psychological state. I competed believing I could overcome this level of pain." He added, "It feels like I have about four ankle bones. After receiving so many fluid drainage treatments, the swelling has hardened."
Four days after completing the free skating event, disappointment lingered. Cha reflected, "More than not winning a medal, I feel disappointed that I received lower scores than I deserved for a performance I delivered after overcoming such difficult moments. After finishing the competition, I expected good scores, and in that moment, I was resentful of myself." He added, "I believe the fact that I did my best doesn't change. Still, I think I wrapped up my third Olympics well, so I'm accepting the results."
He did not give a definitive answer about challenging the 2030 Alps Winter Olympics. Cha said, "Four years seems like a long time. Even after the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics ended, I couldn't immediately think about Milan. The Alps aren't visible right now, and I think I need some time to regroup." He continued, "It's difficult for figure skaters to take a rest period, but for now, I'll think about it calmly afterward."
Cha achieved his best results despite being in the worst physical condition. On February 11, he scored 92.72 points in the short program and 181.20 points in the free skating on February 14, placing fourth with a total score of 273.92 points. He improved by one place on his own record of fifth place, the highest ranking for a Korean male figure skater, set at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. He was only 0.98 points behind third-place finisher Shun Sato of Japan, who scored 274.90 points.
Cha is scheduled to perform in the gala show on February 22. He will conclude his Milan journey by telling his story to "Not A Dream," sung by musician Song So-hee.