Made the final top 10 at this year's Winter Olympics
"Not the result I wanted, but a success
Now considering what direction to take"
First senior Grand Prix medal is the goal
"You can keep competing even past 20
If the juniors can feel that, I have no regrets"

Lee Hae-in (21) tried a variety of fields as a child, including rhythmic gymnastics and art. But figure skating was different. She felt she would regret it if she quit, and in the end she tightened her skate laces again and stepped back onto the ice. Her parents also supported her choice on the condition, "As long as you do not have regrets."

That choice ultimately led to the Olympic stage. At the 2026 Milan-Cortina d'Ampezzo Winter Olympics held this past February, Lee finished eighth, breaking into the top 10. True to a generation that grew up dreaming while watching "figure queen" Yuna Kim's gold-medal performance at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, she spent years running toward the single goal of the Olympics.

After finishing her Olympic free skate, Lee smiled brightly and lay down on the ice. More than the result, she felt she had achieved the goal of ‘enjoying it while skating’. In a recent interview with the Kyunghyang Shinmun, she reflected, saying, "Wanting to do well does not always produce the result you want," and, "Still, I think I succeeded in believing in myself."

She added, "I think the Olympics are ultimately one experience. Now I am thinking more about which direction to take from here."

Right after the Olympics, she immediately began preparing for the next season. She recently traveled to New Jersey in the United States to receive the new season's short program choreography from figure coach and choreographer Benoit Richaud. Richaud is a world-renowned choreographer who handled programs for skaters from multiple countries at the last Olympics as well. Lee said, "I wanted a program that really brings out the distinctive color of Richaud," and explained, "I am satisfied because it includes many big movements and a lot of step sequences." She added, "I had good memories when I did the 20222023 season short program ‘Storm’, and I wanted to try a similar vibe again."

She also plans to newly compose her free-skating program soon. Her goals for the new season are clear, too. She said, "I have a World Championships medal, but I still do not have a senior Grand Prix medal," adding, "My goals are a Grand Prix medal and qualifying for the Final." She continued, "In the past, my desire to show everything I had prepared in the off-season all at once was so strong that my body often tightened up," and, "Having experienced a clean performance at the Olympics, I think my mindset will be different going forward."

There were also crises in her figure-skating life. Lee recalled, "There were many moments when I wanted to give up, but I felt I would regret it if I quit," and, "With the help of many people, I was able to get back up." Now, figure skating is not just a sport; it has become what she loves most, her profession, and a companion in life. She is leaving open the possibility of the next Olympics in four years.

Now in her twenties, she is also thinking about a path for her juniors. Lee said, "If younger skaters look at me and feel they can continue their careers even past 20, I will not have any regrets." Seeing junior Shin Ji-a, who had always seemed so young, already on the senior stage, she also feels the passage of her own time.

She is balancing training and school life. Enrolled in Korea University's Department of International Sports Studies, Lee is continuing her career while keeping up with classes and assignments. Her hobby is drawing. She said, "I think I have to be happy myself to give happiness to others," and, "I try to live with gratitude for even the little things." Time spent with her pet cat Jenny and the everyday act of watching her favorite dramas also give her great strength.

Lee once again looks to the ice. She smiled and said, "Until now, the Olympics were the biggest highlight, but now I am waiting for the next highlight."