Legacy, Comebacks, and Emerging Contenders Challenge Tradition: 2025 Four Continents Figure Skating Championships

By Bailey Li

[Seoul, February 2025]

The 2025 ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships wrapped up in Seoul with

powerful narratives on and off the ice: a historic gold honoring a national legend, a celebrated

comeback after controversy, and the rise of new contenders challenging long-standing

powerhouses in singles skating.

Men’s Singles: Shaidorov Carries Forward Dennis Ten’s Legacy

Twenty-year-old Mikhail Shaidorov captured Kazakhstan’s first Four Continents men’s singles

title since the late Dennis Ten, scoring 285.10 points with a technically demanding free skate

featuring cleanly executed quads.

The medal ceremony became an emotional highlight when Mikhail draped himself in a

Kazakhstani flag signed years ago by Dennis Ten, symbolizing the enduring spirit and passing of

the torch in Kazakhstani figure skating.

Korean star Junhwan Cha claimed silver with 265.02 points, maintaining Asia’s competitive

strength in men’s skating, while veteran American Jimmy Ma secured a milestone bronze his

first Four Continents podium.

Women’s Singles: Chaeyeon Kim Shines at Home as Haein Lee Returns to the

Spotlight

Korean teenager Chaeyeon Kim delighted the home crowd with a balanced performance of

technical precision and graceful artistry, winning gold with 222.38 points.

The event also marked the highly anticipated international return of Haein Lee, the 2023 World

silver medalist, who had been suspended by the Korea Skating Union (KSU) in 2024 over

alleged disciplinary violations during an overseas training camp allegations she denied. A

court-granted provisional injunction allowed her to compete, and in early 2025 the KSU

rescinded the suspension after a settlement.

Though still regaining peak form, Haein delivered a clean short program and placed in the upper

ranks, showcasing resilience and adding depth to Korea’s women’s field.

For the first time since 2012, U.S. skaters occupied two spots on the women’s podium, with

Bradie Tennell taking silver and rising star Sarah Everhardt earning bronze.

Pairs: Japan–Canada Rivalry Tightens

Japan’s reigning world champions Riku Miura / Ryuichi Kihara defended their title with

217.32 points, while Canada’s Stellato-Dudek / Deschamps closed the gap to 210.92 points,

signaling a fierce race for the upcoming World Championships.

Ice Dance: Elite Battle Grows Closer

Canada’s Piper Gilles / Paul Poirier edged out U.S. Olympic champions Madison Chock / Evan

Bates by less than one point (218.46 vs. 217.93), while the third-place team also surpassed the

200-point barrier, underscoring the rising technical and artistic standards in the discipline.

Beyond the Scores

This year’s championships were defined not only by technical scores and podium results but also

by compelling stories that resonated beyond the rink. Shaidorov’s tribute to the late Dennis Ten

transformed his victory into a symbolic moment of continuity and national pride for Kazakhstan.

Meanwhile, Lee Hae-in’s comeback after a contested suspension added human drama and

highlighted the resilience that defines elite athletes.

Equally significant was the shifting landscape of singles skating. For years, the Four Continents

Championships had been dominated by Japanese and American skaters, but this season saw a

breakthrough by contenders outside these traditional powerhouses: Kazakhstan’s Shaidorov

claimed the men’s title, while Korea’s Kim Chae-yeon captured women’s gold. Their victories

signaled growing momentum for non-Japanese, non-U.S. athletes, hinting at a more diverse and

less predictable competitive future.

At the same time, the championships reaffirmed the depth of the U.S. program: a double

women’s podium finish, continued dominance in ice dance, and Jimmy Ma’s breakthrough in

men’s singles demonstrated that established skating powers remain formidable.

Technically, the increasing use of quad jumps in men’s skating reflected a shift toward higher￾risk, higher-reward strategies, yet judges placed renewed emphasis on execution quality and

cohesive program construction, rewarding athletes who balanced difficulty with stability and

artistry. Finally, the electric atmosphere inside Seoul’s Mokdong Ice Rink — with enthusiastic

home-crowd support for Korean skaters highlighted not just the competitive strength of new

contenders but also the expanding global reach and commercial appeal of figure skating.