⛸️ This Week's Hot Figure Skating News Roundup! - 2026.05.10 | Figure Skating

Hello, figure skating fans! ⛸️ It's your editor 'Figure Lover', back with a handful of hot news from the ice! On this warm spring day in May, we have so many diverse and surprising updates pouring into our figure skating world. The lingering emotions from the 2026 Milano-Cortina Olympics held last February haven't completely faded, yet we're already hearing stories of skaters preparing for what's next or walking new paths. Well then, shall we lace up our skates tight and get going? Swoosh~ 💨

🌸 Kaori Sakamoto's Retirement Announcement

The first news I have to share is a bit sad. Kaori Sakamoto, the leading figure of Japanese women's figure skating who claimed her fourth career victory at the World Championships last March, has announced her retirement from competitive skating ^[1]. She plans to hold an official press conference on the upcoming May 13th to personally share her thoughts with her fans ^[1]. It's so unfortunate that we won't be able to see her powerful skating gliding coolly across the ice in competitions anymore, but let's cheer on her second chapter of life with all our hearts! 👏

🥇 The Emotion of the Olympics Continues!

Do you all remember the touching moments from the 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics held earlier this year? In the Pair event, Japan's Riku Miura & Ryuichi Kihara overcame the disappointment of placing 5th in the short program to set a personal best (PB) in the free skate, securing Japan's first-ever Olympic Pair gold medal ^[7]! Seeing the two skaters not give up and push through to the end really brought tears to my eyes 🥺.

Also, an adorable behind-the-scenes video was released showing Yuma Kagiyama dancing with joy after checking his personal best score in the Kiss & Cry zone ^[9]. The comment saying we'll miss him next season somehow makes my heart ache. Furthermore, don't miss the heartwarming moment of Ice Dance duo Sofia Val & Asaf Kazimov being overwhelmed with emotion after securing their Olympic qualification this season ^[10]! ✨

✨ Cha Jun-hwan's Hard Work! Shining Off the Ice Too

The recent updates on Cha Jun-hwan, the pride of Korean men's figure skating, are also very hot! He recently signed an exclusive contract with Fantagio and revealed new profile pictures with a much more mature vibe, signaling his earnest steps as a 'sportainer' ^[3]. From a casual look full of boyish charm to a charismatic black knit, the way he pulls it off perfectly is just like a fashion editorial 😍.

Moreover, he made history as the first figure skater to appear on Lee Young-ji's popular YouTube variety show 'My Alcohol Diary' ^[8]. There was a heartwarming anecdote where Lee Young-ji performed a quadruple salchow move in front of him, and Jun-hwan recognized it immediately and was touched ^[6]. If there are any fans who haven't seen the delightful banter between these two, bonded by their shared INFP personality, go check it out right away! 😆

🔥 Hot Issues On and Off the Ice & The Return of a Legend

There was a report from US media that the skater who became a 3-time consecutive champion with a total score of 329.40 at the 2026 World Championships in Prague confessed the psychological burden of excessive media attention ^[2]. In particular, it is said he felt too many eyes on him due to dating rumors sparked by visiting a cat cafe with Korea's Haein Lee ^[2]. I really hope skaters can focus solely on their skating without stress outside of the competition 😢.

Meanwhile, Alysa Liu, a leading star of US figure skating, has been selected as Louis Vuitton's new ambassador, rapidly rising as a Gen Z icon ^[5]. With the 2026 competitions ahead, I'm looking forward to her journey as she conquers the fashion world too!

Lastly, the news that our eternal 'Figure Queen' Kim Yuna has transformed with a striking short haircut! 💇‍♀️ She's showing off her unwavering influence to the point where Japanese media are rushing to report it as "fatal beauty" ^[4]. It's been well over 10 years since her Vancouver Olympic gold medal, but her every move still makes the hearts of figure skating fans around the world flutter 💖.

That's all the news I've prepared for today! From the emotion of the Olympics to the skaters' new challenges and welcome updates, we've really run without taking a breath. Let's continue to cheer together to see what amazing things our skaters will show us in the future! I'll be back with more fun and fruitful news in the next newsletter. Bye~ 👋