Lee Hae-in posts season-best 70.07 to sit ninth; shin ji-a slips to 14th after short program in Milan
On Feb. 17 (ET) at the Milano Ice Skating Arena, Lee Hae-in produced a season-best short program of 70. 07 to sit ninth in the Olympic women's singles competition, while shin ji-a suffered a fall on a key combo and placed 14th with 65. 66. The pair from South Korea showed contrasting fortunes after the opening segment, with Lee largely capitalizing on clean elements and shin ji-a recovering after a costly error.
Lee Hae-in: season-best under pressure and mental focus for the free skate
Lee opened her program to "Sirens" with a triple lutz–triple toe loop combination; judges ruled the triple toe loop as under-rotated on the landing but she otherwise produced a strong technical showing. She landed a clean double axel and triple flip, and earned maximum levels on all spins and the step sequence. Her technical element score (TES) was 37. 61 and her program component score (PCS) was 32. 46, combining for the 70. 07 season-best.
After the skate Lee, 20, said she was surprised by how high the mark was and described herself as still "locked in" immediately after the routine. She emphasized trust in her training and a desire to be mentally sharper for the free skate on Thursday, Feb. 19 (ET), when she will aim to convert the short-program momentum into a higher overall placement.
shin ji-a: fall on combo costs points but recovery shows resilience
Shin fell attempting the second jump of her triple lutz–triple toe loop combination, a mistake that dropped her score and placed her 14th with 65. 66 points — nearly nine points below her season best. She recovered to skate a mostly clean program after the fall and received Level 3 on her closing layback spin, one level below the maximum.
Shin's technical element score was 35. 79 and her program component score was 30. 87. The fall and the slightly lower spin level were the main differences between her skate and cleaner performances earlier in the season. She will need to regroup quickly ahead of the free skate to move up the order.
Leaderboard context and what comes next
The short program leaders set a high bar: the top three posted 78. 71, 77. 23 and 76. 59 respectively, leaving the field with a sizeable gap to close. While Lee and shin ji-a sit outside medal contention after the short program, both remain within striking distance if they deliver strong free skates; the free skate offers more scoring opportunity and can shuffle the standings significantly.
For Lee, the immediate objective is to channel the confidence from a season-best short program and sharpen elements where small margins were lost, such as the under-rotation call on the triple toe loop. For shin ji-a, the task is more straightforward: clean execution and stronger levels on spins and footwork in the free skate to regain ground. Both skaters have the chance to influence the final results on Thursday, Feb. 19 (ET), when the free skate will decide the podium positions.
