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S. Korean Lee Hae-in wins silver at figure skating worlds

March 24, 2023

Figure skater Lee Hae-in won the silver medal at the world championships Friday, becoming the first South Korean to bring a medal back home from the annual competition in 10 years.

Lee, 17, placed second in the women’s singles competition with 220.94 points in total at the International Skating Union (ISU) World Figure Skating Championships at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.

Lee, who had scored 73.62 points in her short program, came behind Japan’s Kaori Sakamoto with 224.61 points. The bronze went to Loena Hendrickx of Belgium, who scored 210.42 points.

The South Korean scored a new personal best, beating her previous record of 213.52 points at the 2022 ISU Four Continents Championships.

Her second-place finish marks the first time a South Korean has won a medal at the competition since South Korean figure skating legend Kim Yu-na won the gold in the women’s singles in 2013.

Meanwhile, Lee’s compatriot Kim Chae-yeon, 16, finished 6th place with 203.51 points, while Kim Ye-lim, 20, ranked 18th at 174.30 points.

In this Reuters photo, Lee Hae-in of South Korea performs during the women's singles skating program at the International Skating Union World Figure Skating Championships at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, on March 24, 2023. (Yonhap)
In this Reuters photo, Lee Hae-in of South Korea performs during the women’s singles skating program at the International Skating Union World Figure Skating Championships at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, on March 24, 2023. (Yonhap)