In this screenshot from SBS, Choi Ha-bin, center, and his coaches celebrate after his personal best score in a free program is announced. Courtesy of SBS

Kudos to Choi Ha-bin!

The 16-year-old figure skater achieved a stunning upset victory in the ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating in Riga, Latvia, last week. He finished fifth in the short program after making a mistake on his second jump combination. However, his spellbinding performance in the free program propelled him to a come-from-behind victory. He earned a personal-best score of 170.20 points, nearly eight points shy of the score earned by last year’s World Championship winner, Rio Nakata.

Videos showcasing his performances have since gone viral.

His victory has also brought encouraging news. Overseas experts have begun comparing Choi to reigning world champion Ilia Malinin. Known among Korean figure skating fans as the “Quad God” for his mastery of highly difficult jumps, Malinin, a 2026 Olympic Games team event gold medalist and three-time world champion, is a living legend in figure skating.

Ted Barton, a commentator featured on the ISU’s Skating YouTube channel, praised Choi for his marvelous free skate.

“Sometimes it’s difficult to find the words in any language to describe what you have just seen. Remarkable, extraordinary, unbelievable. Whatever you want to call it,” he said. “That was something we have not seen on the junior circuit technically for quite a........

© The Korea Times