Seo Min-kyu becomes first Korean men's figure skater to win ISU Junior Grand Prix 작성일 12-07 33 목록 <div class="ab_photo photo_center "> <div class="image"> <span class="end_photo_org"><img src="https://imgnews.pstatic.net/image/640/2025/12/07/0000081281_001_20251207140615915.jpg" alt="" /><em class="img_desc">Seo Min-kyu competes in the Junior Men Free Skating event at the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final in Nagoya, Japan on Dec. 5. [AFP/YONHAP]</em></span> <span class="mask"></span> </div> </div> <br> Seo Min-kyu, 17, made history as the first Korean men's figure skater to win the ISU Junior Grand Prix Final in Nagoya, Japan on Friday. <br> <br> Seo scored 91.64 in technical elements and 79.45 in program components for 171.09 in free skating. He added that to his short program score of 84.82 for a total of 255.91, finishing ahead of Japan’s Nakata Rio, who scored 249.70. <br><br>Born in 2008, Seo set a new personal best with the win. Before his victory, the best result by Korea in the men's division had been second place, achieved by Seo last year and by Kim Hyun-gyeom in 2023. Including women’s singles, Seo's finish marked Korea’s first Junior Grand Prix Final title since Korean figure skating legend Kim Yuna won back in November 2005. <br> <br> The final features the top six skaters who recorded the highest rankings during the seven Junior Grand Prix events held earlier in the season. <br> <br> Seo not only was the first Korean to win the men's ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships in March, but now also has the Junior Grand Prix Final title under his belt. He also became the first Korean skater, regardless of gender, to win both events since Kim Yuna. <br> <br> Seo began skating under the influence of his mother, coach Kim Eun-joo, who skated competitively herself. <br> <br> He trained intensively with his parents in his hometown Daegu. He did not land a triple Axel — the three-and-a-half rotation jump — at international competitions before the 2023—24 season, but he has now developed a quad jump. <br> <br> His technical strength accompanies a polished artistic style. As a child, he watched his favorite films repeatedly and copied the actors’ movements to improve his expressions on the ice. <br> <br> Seo has emerged as the successor to Cha Jun-hwan, who has led Korean men’s skating in recent years. <br> <br> Seo beat Cha at the first national team selection event in November to take the first place overall. He cannot compete at the 2026 Winter Olympics due to age restrictions, but he can enter senior competition in the 2026—27 season. <br> <br> Over in women’s singles, Kim Yu-seong 75.49 in technical elements and 59.11 in program components for 134.60 in free skating. Combined with her 64.06 from the short program, she totaled 198.66 to win a silver medal, finishing behind Japan’s Shimada Mao, who scored 218.13. <br><br><i>This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.</i> 관련자료 이전 한국탁구, 혼성단체 월드컵 준결승서 중국에 져 3위 결정전으로 12-07 다음 '양민혁 선발' 포츠머스 경기, 응급 상황으로 취소…관중 사망 12-07 댓글 0 등록된 댓글이 없습니다. 로그인한 회원만 댓글 등록이 가능합니다.
