GANGNEUNG, South Korea, Jan. 28 (Xinhua) -- South Korean figure skater Kim Hyung-yeom said he hoped for a better performance in future events at Gangwon 2024, after he finished third in the short program.
The figure skating discipline kicked off on Saturday at Gangneung Ice Arena on Saturday with Kim claiming 69.28 points, seven points behind first-placed Jacob Sanchez.
The 17-year-old admitted after his performance that the pressure did get to him.
"I used to get nervous when competing in front of home fans," he told Olympics.com. "I tried to skate as I usually do, but since it was the biggest competition of my life, I couldn't quite manage it."
Kim wasn't the only one to be rattled by the Games atmosphere. 15-year-old Rio Nakata of Japan, who beat Kim to the Junior Grand Prix Final title last month in Beijing, unraveled during his skate to place 13th and was left in tears.
Considering that, Kim at least held firm following his mistake, seeing out the rest of his program.
Kim said with the butterflies now out of his stomach, he expected to perform better in Monday's men's free skate.
"Now that I've experienced this competition, I believe I can skate with more confidence in the free skating event. I don't really focus on other skaters, I only focus on myself," he said. ■
