| (Yeongjong Island = Yonhap News) Shin Ji-ah, a rising star in figure skating, smiles broadly with a silver medal around her neck following returning home via Incheon International Airport on the 14th. 2022.12.14. |
The balance that collapses in the process of growth… overcome with positive thinking
Shin Ji-ah (14, Yeongdong Middle School), a ‘new star in figure skating’, revealed that she was “overcoming it with a positive attitude” regarding the recent rapid body change.
After returning to Korea through Incheon International Airport on the 14th, Shin Ji-ah said, “I’ve grown a lot recently, but (yet) it doesn’t seem to have a big impact on my skills.” And I will train hard in the future.”
Body changes are a common concern for female singles figure skaters around the world.
This is because if your height suddenly grows and your body shape changes, your balance will be shaken when performing spins and jumps.
In fact, many players go through a slump due to body change problems in their junior days. The change in body shape also affects the mentality of the players.
Shin Jia, who was born in 2008, is also changing her body shape recently.
He said, “I was 148 cm tall at the International Skating Union (ISU) World Junior Championships (held last April), but now I am 151 cm.” He has grown 3cm in the last 8 months.
However, Ji-ah Shin doesn’t feel very stressed regarding the changes in her body.
When asked, “Isn’t it difficult because you’re tall?”, he said, “It’s okay. Rather, I wish I was a little taller,” he laughed, saying, “I want to grow to at least 160 cm.”
As you can see from the answers, Jia Shin is a player with a positive attitude.
Shin Ji-ah’s mother said in an interview last April, “(Shin) Jia is a child who has no worries or stress.”
Just like her mother said, Shin Ji-ah naturally accepts the rapid change in her body and is walking her own path with courage.
When asked regarding the ISU Figure Skating Junior Grand Prix Final, which ended on the 10th, Shin Ji-ah said, “I ran with the mindset of unconditionally performing clean performances, and I was happy to achieve my goal.”
He won the silver medal with a final total score of 200.32. It is the first time in 17 years since Kim Yu-na (gold medal at the time) in 2005 that a Korean female short singles player won a medal in this event.
After winning the silver medal at the ISU World Junior Championships in April, he reached the podium in the finals, showing the best performance a junior athlete can achieve.
Shin Ji-ah has practically conquered the junior stage, but she has to stay in the junior stage for many years to come.
This is because the ISU raised the age of participation in senior competitions to 16 years old for the 2023-2024 season and 17 years old from the 2024-2025 season through a general meeting in June.
Initially, the minimum age for senior competition was 15 years old, but the rules were changed on the surface due to the doping incident of Kamila Balieva (16, Russian Olympic Committee), who participated in the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.
Zia Shin can debut on the senior stage at the 2026 Milan/Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics, when she turns 17.
He laughed, saying, “I don’t have any other thoughts, I’ll just enjoy exercising.”
