Four Continents Figure Skating Championships 2025 Preview: Can South Koreans shine at home in Seoul?

South Korean figure skating stars Cha Joon-hwan and Kim Chae-ran, who were hugely successful at the Asian Winter Games in Harbin, will challenge for the 2025 Four Continents Figure Skating Championships in Seoul this week (20-23 February). In addition, who are the other players to watch in this competition?

South Korean figure skating star Cha Jun-hwan

Just earlier this month, South Korean figure skater Cha Jun-hwan was joined byKim Chaeranrespectively inHarbin 2025 9th Asian Winter Gameson the laurels. They will be hoping to continue their fitness at the Four Continents Championships to better prepare for the World Championships in Boston in March.

However, with only a short gap of one week between the Asian Winter Games and the Four Continents Championships, it was certainly a test for the two world-class medallists. However, they don't have to face the Japanese greatKeyyama YumaandHanori Sakamoto, as the latter two have opted out of the Four Continents Championship in preparation for the upcoming World Championships.

Still, the competition is still very interesting. After all, the Four Continents Championship brings together many of the best players outside of Europe.

In the pairs event, current world champion Deanna Strato-Dudek is paired withMaxime Deschampswill lead the battle. Two-time ice dance world champions and current world champions Madison Jock and Evan Bates will continue to fight for glory.

In the men's singles, despite the absence of Yuma Kagiyama, the Japanese playerYoshio Miura(4 Continents Champion 2023),Kazuki TomonoAs well as Kazakhstan'sMikhail Shaydorovwill bring no small challenges.

The women's singles event is even more competitive: Kim Chae-ran will face three strong Japanese players -Higuchi Wakaba、Loose physiologyand the defending championsChiba Hyakin。 At the same time, American playersLiu MeixianandBrady TennellHe is also actively making a comeback and striving to achieve good results in this competition.

In addition, Kim Chaeran's teammatesLee Hae-inIt will also usher in the return of the international arena in this competition. She was suspended for disciplinary action and was unable to play in the previous tournament of the season. Lee Hae-in, who won silver at the 2023 World Championships and won the Four Continents Championships that year, is also worth looking forward to.

It is worth mentioning that since 2009 Canadian playersChen Weiqunwith the 2013 Japanese playerMao AsadaSince their respective victories on home soil, no single skater has won the Four Continents Championships on home soil. It will be interesting to see if the South Korean will be able to break that spell and shine in his hometown of Seoul this year.

Four Continents Figure Skating Championships 2025: Top athletes in each sport face a tough test

For any figure skater, the perfect presentation of both programs is always the ultimate goal.

However, on the stage of the top competitions, competitors must accurately complete difficult maneuvers such as quadruple jumps and triple jumps under great pressure, and every jump and landing is full of risks and uncertainties.

For 23-year-old South Korea's Cha Jun-hwan and 18-year-old Kim Chae-ran, who have just won the Asian Winter Games, fitness will be the key to their continued victory.

Cha won the Four Continents Championships in Tallinn, Estonia, and finished fifth at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics.

He with the Kazakh playerMikhail ShaydorovAll of them are continuous spins - the latter won the bronze medal in Harbin with a combination of difficult movements, and the physical problem became the biggest test.

America's Liu Meixian has made a strong comeback this season, and her form has been completely different from her teenage years. She won a silver medal at last month's National Championships; Japan's Wakaba Higuchi won bronze at the All Japan Championships at the end of December last year.

In the pairs event, Deanna Strato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps missed the Grand Prix Finals last December due to Maxim's illness. Therefore, this Four Continents Championship will be their main rival – the 2023 World ChampionMiura Ria/Ryuichi KiharaThe first head-to-head meeting of the combination.

Miura/Kihara are the 2023 Four Continents Championships pairs champions, while Strato-Dudek/Deschamps will compete as the defending champions. The two pairs are undoubtedly the top contenders for the pairs title in this competition, and their showdown at the top of the competition will be in the spotlight.

As for ice dance, Madison Jock and Evan Bates will challenge for their fourth Four Continents title (2019, 2020, 2023). However, their road to victory will not be easy, as the current champions of the four continents are championsPiper Gilles/Paul PollierWill also participate. The contest between these two pairs will surely become one of the highlights of this competition.

At the same time, the Korean ice dance groupLinhena/Quan YeIt is also in the spotlight. Quan Ye officially obtained South Korean citizenship in December last year, and the duo will be fighting on home soil, looking forward to surprising and moving the audience.