Korean Figure Skaters Choi Ha-bin and Lee Jae-geun Win Gold and Silver at Junior Grand Prix

South Korean figure skating prodigies Choi Ha-bin and Lee Jae-geun have achieved a significant milestone, clinching gold and silver medals at the 2026-2027 International Skating Union (ISU) Junior Grand Prix second event held in Riga, Latvia.

Choi Ha-bin delivered a stellar performance in the men's singles free skate, earning a technical score (TES) of 98.70 and an artistic score (PCS) of 71.50, for a total of 170.20 points. This remarkable free skate, combined with his previous short program score, resulted in an overall total of 246.41 points, securing him the gold medal. Both his free skate and overall scores marked personal bests.

Ha-bin's victory was powered by his successful execution of two quadruple Lutz jumps and a quadruple toe loop, demonstrating exceptional technical skill. He cleanly landed a quadruple Lutz-triple toe loop combination, earning a high Grade of Execution (GOE) of 1.97, and followed it with a clean solo quadruple Lutz and a stable quadruple toe loop. His spins also achieved the highest Level 4, contributing to his dominant performance.

Lee Jae-geun, who had initially placed first after the short program with a personal best of 83.20 points, secured the silver medal. In his free skate, he scored 75.11 in TES and 71.46 in PCS, totaling 146.57 points. His final overall score of 229.77 points also represented a personal best, marking his second podium finish in the Junior Grand Prix series.

While Jae-geun faced a slight deduction on his first jump, a quadruple toe loop, which was called as a quarter landing, he completed the remainder of his routine without major errors, ultimately clinching the silver medal.