# Cha Young-hyun

Cha Young-hyun (Korean: 차영현; born September 24, 2003) is a South Korean figure skater and a tightrope dancer (eoreum-sani) of Namsadang. He is the 2017 South Korean national junior champion and the 2021 South Korean national bronze medalist.

## Personal life

Cha was born on September 24, 2003, in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. He is currently a student at Korea University.

## Career
### Early career

Cha started skating in 2007. He performed traditional Korean tightrope dancing in 2011 and holds the record as the youngest tightrope dancer (eoreum-sani) of Namsadang at eight years old.

### 2017–2018 season

Cha made his international debut at the ISU Junior Grand Prix circuit in Italy, where he finished in sixteenth place. Following a fifth-place finish at the 2018 South Korean Figure Skating Championships, Cha was selected to compete at the 2018 World Junior Figure Skating Championships, where he placed nineteenth.
Following the season, Cha made a coaching change from Lee Eun-hee to Hong Ye-Seul.

### 2018–2019 season

Cha began his season with eighth and seventh place finishes at 2018 JGP Austria and 2018 JGP Slovenia, respectively. Cha was once again selected to compete at the World Junior Championships after placing fourth at the 2019 South Korean Figure Skating Championships. He ultimately finished in twentieth at the Junior Worlds.

### 2019–2020 season

Cha started his season by finishing fifth at 2019 JGP Russia and eleventh at 2019 JGP Italy. He then went on to make his senior international debut at the 2019 CS Asian Open Figure Skating Trophy, where he placed seventh. Following Cha's second consecutive fourth-place finish at the 2020 South Korean Figure Skating Championships, he was selected to represent South Korea at the 2020 Winter Youth Olympics. Cha managed to finish fifth at that event after placing fifth both in both short and free program segments of the competition.

### 2020–2021 season

Cha only competed at the 2021 South Korean Figure Skating Championships during this season, where he won the bronze medal.
He switched coaches from Hong Ye-Seul to Choi Hyung-kyung following the season.

### 2021–2022 season

Cha started season by respectively finishing seventh and fourth at 2021 JGP Slovakia and 2021 JGP Slovenia. After finishing fourth at the 2022 South Korean Figure Skating Championships, Cha concluded his season by finishing nineteenth at the 2022 World Junior Championships.

### 2022–2023 season

Cha began the season with a silver medal at 2022 JGP France. He then went on to compete on the senior level at 2022 CS Nebelhorn Trophy, where he placed tenth. At the 2022 JGP Poland I, Cha's second Junior Grand Prix assignment, he finished fourth. One month later, Cha competed at the 2022 CS Ice Challenge, where he placed tenth. He would then place sixth at the 2023 South Korean Championships.
Due Cha having previously finished second at the 2022 Korean Universiade, he was selected to represent South Korea at the 2023 Winter World University Games in January, where he would finish seventh.

### 2023–2024 season

Cha started the season by winning the silver medal at the 2023 Asian Open Trophy before coming in seventh at the 2023 CS Finlandia Trophy. In January, he finished sixth at the 2024 South Korean Championships.
Selected to compete at the 2024 Four Continents in Shanghai, China, Cha finished fourteenth.

### 2024–2025 season

Cha began the season in October by competing at the 2024 Korean Universiade and Asian Games Qualifiers, where he finished fourth. With this result, Cha was selected to represent South Korea at the 2025 Winter World University Games. He then went on to finish seventh at the annual Korean Ranking Competition and at the 2025 South Korean Championships.
In mid-January, he placed twelfth at the 2025 Winter World University Games in Turin, Italy.

## Programs

| Season | Short program | Free skating | Exhibition |
| 2024–2025 | Reel Around The Sun (from Riverdance) by Bill Whelan choreo. by Shin Yea-ji | Dune Herald of the Change Armada Premonition by Hans Zimmer choreo. by Shin Yea-ji | |
| 2023–2024 | The Devil arranged by Kim Youngah performed by Seoul Classical Players choreo. by Shin Yea-ji Erlkönig, D.328 by Franz Schubert arranged by Kim Youngah performed by Seoul Classical Players choreo. by Shin Yea-ji | Dune Herald of the Change Armada Premonition by Hans Zimmer choreo. by Shin Yea-ji | |
| 2022–2023 | The Devil arranged by Kim Youngah performed by Seoul Classical Players choreo. by Shin Yea-ji | Dune Herald of the Change Armada Premonition by Hans Zimmer choreo. by Shin Yea-ji | Wandering (방황) composed by Kyung Sub Lee |
| 2021–2022 | The Godfather Suite by Nino Rota performed by Drew Tretick choreo. by Shin Yea-ji | The Phantom of the Opera by Andrew Lloyd Webber performed by Parague Cello Quartet choreo. by Shin Yea-ji | |
| 2020–2021 | The Godfather Suite by Nino Rota performed by Drew Tretick choreo. by Shin Yea-ji | The Phantom of the Opera by Andrew Lloyd Webber performed by Parague Cello Quartet choreo. by Shin Yea-ji |
| 2019–2020 | Boléro (Je Me Souviens De Nous) composed by Maxime Rodriguez choreo. by Nikita Mikhailov | Minnie The Moocher (The Blues Brothers soundtrack) choreo. by Karen Kwan | |
| 2018–2019 | The Grand Budapest Hotel soundtrack Billy Elliot the Musical soundtrack choreo. by Nikita Mikhailov | D'Artagnan composed by Maxime Rodriguez choreo. by Nikita Mikhailov | Wandering (방황) composed by Kyung Sub Lee |
| 2017–2018 | Boléro (Je Me Souviens De Nous) composed by Maxime Rodriguez choreo. by Nikita Mikhailov | D'Artagnan composed by Maxime Rodriguez choreo. by Nikita Mikhailov | |
| 2016–2017 | Don't Stop Me Now by Queen | Casablanca by Max Steiner | |
| 2015–2016 | Don't Stop Me Now by Queen | Wandering (방황) composed by Kyung Sub Lee | Wandering (방황) composed by Kyung Sub Lee |
| 2014–2015 | Kung Fu Panda by Hans Zimmer and John Powell | Modern Times by Charlie Chaplin | |
| 2013–2014 | Kung Fu Panda by Hans Zimmer and John Powell | Ninja Assassin composed by Andy Brown Modern Times by Charlie Chaplin | |
| 2012–2013 | | Arirang (아리랑) composed by Elec Cookie | |
| 2011–2012 | | Arirang (아리랑) composed by Elec Cookie | |

## Competitive highlights

CS: Challenger Series; JGP: Junior Grand Prix
International :
| Event | 16–17 | 17–18 | 18–19 | 19–20 | 20–21 | 21–22 | 22–23 | 23–24 | 24–25 |
| Four Continents | | | | | | | | 14th | |
| CS Asian Open | | | | 7th | | | | | |
| CS Ice Challenge | | | | | | | 10th | | |
| CS Finlandia Trophy | | | | | | | | 7th | |
| CS Nebelhorn Trophy | | | | | | | 10th | | |
| CS Trophée Métropole Nice | | | | | | | | | 14th |
| Asian Open | | | | | | | | 2nd | |
| Winter World University Games | | | | | | | 7th | | 12th |
| International: Junior ||||||||||
| Junior Worlds | | 19th | 20th | | | 19th | | | |
| Youth Olympics | | | | 5th | | | | | |
| JGP Austria | | | 8th | | | | | | |
| JGP Italy | | 16th | | 11th | | | | | |
| JGP France | | | | | | | 2nd | | |
| JGP Poland I | | | | | | | 4th | | |
| JGP Russia | | | | 5th | | | | | |
| JGP Slovakia | | | | | | 7th | | | |
| JGP Slovenia | | | 7th | | | 4th | | | |
| Children of Asia | | | 3rd | | | | | | |
| National ||||||||||
| South Korea Champ. | 1st J | 5th | 4th | 4th | 3rd | 4th | 6th | 6th | 7th |
| Team events ||||||||||
| Youth Olympics | | | | 4th T | | | | | |

## Detailed results

ISU personal best scores in the +5/-5 GOE System :
| Segment | Type | Score | Event |
| Total | TSS | 211.15 | 2023 CS Finlandia Trophy |
| Short program | TSS | 72.43 | 2024 Four Continents Championships |
| Short program | TES | 38.89 | 2024 Four Continents Championships |
| Short program | PCS | 35.07 | 2022 JGP France |
| Free skating | TSS | 142.38 | 2023 CS Finlandia Trophy |
| Free skating | TES | 70.31 | 2022 CS Ice Challenge |
| Free skating | PCS | 72.43 | 2023 CS Finlandia Trophy |

### Senior level

Results in the 2024–25 season :
| Date | Event | SP | SP | FS | FS | Total | Total |
| Date | Event | P | Score | P | Score | P | Score |
| Oct 16–20, 2024 | 2024 CS Trophée Métropole Nice Côte d'Azur | 15 | 64.71 | 16 | 120.27 | 14 | 184.98 |
| Jan 2–5, 2025 | 2025 South Korean Championships | 7 | 68.79 | 7 | 142.30 | 7 | 211.09 |
| Jan 16–18, 2025 | 2025 Winter World University Games | 11 | 69.24 | 11 | 132.10 | 12 | 201.34 |
2023–2024 season :
| Date | Event | SP | FS | Total |
| January 30–February 4, 2024 | 2024 Four Continents Championships | 12 72.43 | 16 131.71 | 14 204.14 |
| January 4–7, 2024 | 2024 South Korean Championships | 7 71.38 | 7 146.10 | 6 217.48 |
| October 4–8, 2023 | 2023 CS Finlandia Trophy | 9 68.77 | 6 142.38 | 7 211.15 |
| August 16–19, 2023 | 2023 Asian Open Trophy | 2 64.84 | 1 127.53 | 2 192.37 |

### Junior level

2022–2023 season :
| Date | Event | Level | SP | FS | Total |
| January 13–15, 2022 | 2023 Winter Universiade | Senior | 10 67.13 | 7 140.90 | 7 208.03 |
| November 9–13, 2022 | 2022 CS Ice Challenge | Senior | 14 59.27 | 6 136.74 | 10 196.01 |
| September 28–October 1, 2022 | 2022 JGP Poland I | Junior | 7 65.72 | 3 133.46 | 4 199.18 |
| September 21–24, 2022 | 2022 CS Nebelhorn Trophy | Senior | 14 53.94 | 6 129.15 | 10 183.09 |
| August 24–27, 2022 | 2022 JGP France | Junior | 2 70.25 | 2 125.90 | 2 196.15 |
| 2021–2022 season ||||||
| Date | Event | Level | SP | FS | Total |
| April 13–17, 2022 | 2022 World Junior Championships | Junior | 19 60.32 | 18 115.31 | 19 175.63 |
| January 7–9, 2022 | 2022 South Korean Championships | Senior | 3 69.47 | 4 138.98 | 4 208.45 |
| September 22–25, 2021 | 2021 JGP Slovenia | Junior | 2 67.33 | 6 124.00 | 4 191.33 |
| September 1–4, 2021 | 2021 JGP Slovakia | Junior | 9 58.84 | 5 123.45 | 7 182.29 |
| 2020–2021 season ||||||
| Date | Event | Level | SP | FS | Total |
| February 24–26, 2021 | 2021 South Korean Championships | Senior | 5 61.90 | 3 131.54 | 3 193.44 |
| 2019–2020 season ||||||
| Date | Event | Level | SP | FS | Total |
| January 10–15, 2020 | 2020 Winter Youth Olympics – Team | Junior | – | 3 133.13 | 4T/3P |
| January 10–15, 2020 | 2020 Winter Youth Olympics | Junior | 5 69.61 | 5 129.51 | 5 199.12 |
| October 30–November 3, 2019 | 2019 CS Asian Open Trophy | Senior | 7 64.64 | 7 116.31 | 7 180.95 |
| September 11–14, 2019 | 2019 JGP Russia | Junior | 8 61.05 | 4 122.56 | 5 183.61 |
| October 2–5, 2019 | 2019 JGP Italy | Junior | 12 60.85 | 9 125.16 | 11 186.01 |
| 2018–2019 season ||||||
| Date | Event | Level | SP | FS | Total |
| March 4–10, 2019 | 2019 World Junior Championships | Junior | 21 61.75 | 19 115.47 | 20 177.22 |
| February 13–15, 2019 | 2019 Children of Asia ISG | Junior | 4 64.39 | 3 128.99 | 3 193.38 |
| January 11–13, 2019 | 2019 South Korean Championships | Senior | 2 67.42 | 5 115.95 | 4 183.37 |
| October 3–6, 2018 | 2018 JGP Slovenia | Junior | 8 62.39 | 7 121.60 | 7 183.99 |
| Aug. 29 – Sept. 1, 2018 | 2018 JGP Austria | Junior | 11 56.08 | 7 117.74 | 8 173.82 |
| 2017–2018 season ||||||
| Date | Event | Level | SP | FS | Total |
| March 5–11, 2018 | 2018 World Junior Championships | Junior | 23 57.57 | 16 116.56 | 19 174.13 |
| January 5–7, 2018 | 2018 South Korean Championships | Senior | 7 61.23 | 5 134.19 | 5 195.42 |
| October 11–14, 2017 | 2017 JGP Italy | Junior | 15 50.35 | 15 101.01 | 16 151.36 |
| 2016–2017 season ||||||
| Date | Event | Level | SP | FS | Total |
| January 7–9, 2017 | 2017 South Korean Championships | Junior | 1 49.95 | 1 112.91 | 1 162.86 |