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Figure skater Cha Joon-hwan paves way towards champion

Posted February. 16, 2017 07:05,   

Updated February. 16, 2017 07:11

한국어
Canadian figure skating coach Brian Orser is also famous for his “Midas touch on ice,” training Olympic figure skating gold medalists including Kim Yuna and Japanese Yuzuru Hanyu. This time, Orser is all out to foster another world star; the “rising star” Cha Joon-hwan (Huimoon Middle School) in the Korean male figure stage.

“Cha is already on his way to become the champion,” said Orser after Hanyu finished his training at Ice Arena located in Gangneung, Gangwon Province on Wednesday. Since Orser started to train Cha in 2015, the coach always thought providing the best training environment was the key to produce another champion. “Cha has been training with the world’s top players including Hanyu (1st) and the Spanish Javier Fernandez (2nd) at the Cricket Skating and Curling Club in Toronto, Canada where he can closely examine how these top-tier figure skaters succeed the most difficult jumps and make mistakes at the same time. Cha is making tireless efforts to avoid the same mistakes while absorbing all their skills.”

Orser is taking great pleasure in watching him develop quickly with his unrivaled talent and passion. “Another advantage which Cha can enjoy while talking and training with these world-class skaters is that he can learn how to build ‘strong nerves’ as a player who will perform on global stages such as Olympics,” said Orser.

It is also a strong mental power, which Orser emphasizes to Cha right before each program. Orser empowers Cha that “you are fully prepared, so trust your latest records from training sessions and believe in the power in you.” With his gentle smiles, people tend to think Orser is always a warm-hearted coach. Nevertheless, he shakes his head and commented that they are mistaking him. “I tend to be a strict father, rather than a kind mother when I’m coaching. The goal for me is to train brave skaters,” said Orser.

As a coach who trained two players into Olympic gold medalists, Orser himself never made it to the top but won two silver medals during his professional career as a skater. When asked, Orser laughed and replied “if I grabbed a gold medal, I wouldn’t have coached now. Watching my students succeed gives me the feeling that I am destined to become a coach.” On questions about his thoughts on his first student Kim Yuna who accompanied him on the path to his second professional success," Orser said “Kim Yuna still stands as the best figure skater on earth.”



Yun-Cheol Jeong trigger@donga.com