At Skate Canada International 2024 in Halifax, I had the privilege of speaking with Rino Matsuike just before her flight back to Japan. Rino, who earned a silver medal at this event, previously captured bronze in 2023. Rino’s journey is a testament to perseverance and excellence in figure skating, making her success all the more inspiring. During our brief 10-minute chat, I was captivated by her humility following such a thrilling night. I hope you enjoy the interview as much as I do!
Haein Lee is the 2023 World silver medalist, the 2023 Four Continents champion, and a six-time South Korean national senior medalist. Season 2022-2023 is definitely her era of glam and glory, but this season seems to be a rocky one for her. In Montreal, Haein earned her small bronze medal in the short program of 2024 Worlds with a score of 73.55. But the difficult free skate pushed her off the podium. We got the chance to catch up with Haein on gala day, hoping to know more about her mental games, skating career, identity, and have a glimpse of what her life outside of the rink is like.
Having medalled in both his Junior Grand Prix assignments, making it to the Junior Grand Prix Final, and even winning a gold at the Denis Ten Memorial Challenger; Juheon Lim has made a statement for himself on his international debut season. We had a chance to learn more about him ahead of him competing at the Four Continents Championships in Shanghai.
Having made their international junior debut two seasons ago, Jinny Kim and Namu Lee are making their strides. They earned their first international medal at JGP Bangkok this season and are about to compete at the 2024 Youth Olympics happening at home! We had a chance to talk and learn more about them!
In her fifth season competing in the Grand Prix series, Young You finished in 8th with a total score of 168.14 at her second Grand Prix assignment at Grand Prix Espoo. This season, She is working hard on building up her condition after recovering from injuries last season. we discussed her season thus far, a reflection on programs past (as well as future potential programs), and how much her fans mean to her.
Widely beloved for the sheer joy and quality of their skating, Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara have been having an incredible season. Undefeated this season, they became the first Japanese pair to win the Grand Prix Final earlier this season and this coming week they will challenge for their first world title at home in Japan. Following their recent victory at the 2023 Four Continents Championships, they shared with us their thoughts regarding their growth and strengths as a team, the current field, and future plans.
