Lee Hae-in's Triple Axel Challenge: "For Tears of Joy!"

[Anchor]

South Korean figure skating star Lee Hae-in will compete in her first Grand Prix event of the season this week. She is also set to showcase a new high-difficulty jump, the triple axel.

Reporter Ha Seong-ryong has more.

[Reporter]

Last September, at a second-tier Challenger series event, Lee Hae-in cannot hide her astonishment after landing a triple axel.

Though not perfect, it was her first successful landing in an official competition.

[Lee Hae-in / National Figure Skater : I tried to enjoy this moment, which is truly precious to me. I am so happy to have successfully landed the triple axel.]

The reason Lee is reattempting the triple axel after five years stems from her experience at her first Winter Olympics last February.

[Lee Hae-in / National Figure Skater : It still feels unbelievable that I went to the Olympics, and it feels like I've gained another motivation to move forward. (After the Olympics), I felt I needed to show a changed image.]

After falling into a long slump following 2023—during which she finished as the World Championship runner-up and won the Four Continents Championships—Lee overcame grueling training through hobbies like dance, art, and recently, reading and writing, becoming stronger both physically and mentally.

[Lee Hae-in / National Figure Skater : I think it's better to live while feeling as much "gratitude" as possible and trying to achieve what I want to achieve. I hope to live smiling.]

Lee is ready to soar brilliantly at the Grand Prix 3rd stop held in China this week.

[Lee Hae-in / National Figure Skater : Just as I made many people shed "tears of happiness," I hope to shed "tears of joy" myself this time. I love you, and let's see each other for a very long time.]

(Video by Yang Doo-won | Video Editing by Ha Seong-won | Graphics by Park Tae-young)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.