Korea Prepares Figure Skating Hopefuls for Pyeongchang Olympics [arirang News]

Most middle and high school students are usually worried about their next exam or their next date. But two promising young figure skaters here in Korea have THEIR sights set on something else: Olympic medals. Paul Yi reports. They make look like your typical teenage couple, but on their shoulders rests Korea's Olympic hopes at the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Games. Park So-youn and Lee June-hyoung have already proven themselves to be highly promising figure skaters with numerous national and global titles. Both will be training six days a week for the next five years to master their form and style under the guidance of professional coaches. Park is a three-time national silver medalist, and despite only being 15 years old, she's mature enough to understand the importance of hard work. "I'm doing lots of practice jumps and training to reduce mistakes, so that at the Pyeongchang Olympics I'll be able to perform without any regrets." Meanwhile, Lee made waves earlier this month by ranking first in the men's singles division at the Korean National Figure Skating Championships. Lee expects to perform at the World Championships in March but knows he will have to further hone his skills in order stay on top. "I think my biggest weakness is the technical side. Compared to other athletes, I'm feel like I'm falling behind. " Coaches and trainers will be working alongside the budding athletes as they attempt to unlock their limitless potential. "Lee Jun-hyung is focusing on technical skating, while Park So-youn is putting efforts towards the artistic side. I think if she puts her mind to it, she'll have a good performance." The path is clear for Park and Lee to reach the Olypmics, however the long road ahead is sure to be filled with heavy responsibility and sacrifice. Paul Yi, Arirang News