Sochi Olympic Games figure skating bronze medalist Denis Ten of Kazakhstan won gold Feb. 15 in the men’s singles at the Four Continents Championship in South Korea.
Ten finished the competition with a score of 289.46, which was the third highest ever recorded at an International Skating Union (ISU) championship. After winning the Golden Spin competition earlier this year, the Four Continents Championship gold was his second international triumph in 2015.
Korean by descent but Kazakhstan-born, Ten says international fame and achievements have changed his views on his skating career.
“Since I have [achievements] now, I have a different approach to training and different reasons to skate. I skate for the people who support me. I look at the fans and skaters in Kazakhstan and I want to bring inspiration to them,” he told local South Korean media. He also noted that “it was an honour to do well in Seoul” in his historical homeland.
“I wanted to perform well and bring to the audience what they were looking for. [South Korea] is not a foreign place for me. It’s basically my second home country. I’d like to dedicate this victory to the people of Korea and Kazakhstan,” he added.
Joshua Farris of the United States earned a silver with 260.01 points, while 2012 World Junior Champion Han Yan of China scored 259.47 and settled for bronze.
