Wi Seo-yeong (Korean위서영; born March 15, 2005) is a South Korean figure skater. She is the 2022 CS Nebelhorn Trophy silver medalist.

Wi Seo-yeong
Native name위서영
Other namesWee Seo-young
Born (2005-03-15) March 15, 2005 (age 19)
Seoul, South Korea
HometownHwaseong, Gyeonggi, South Korea
Height1.66 m (5 ft 5+12 in)
Figure skating career
Country South Korea
CoachChoi Hyung-kyung
Kim Na-hyun
Began skating2010

On the junior level, she is the 2019 JGP France silver medalist and the 2018 South Korean junior national champion. She placed in the top six at two World Junior Championships (2020, 2022).

Personal life

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Wi Seo-yeong was born on March 15, 2005, in Seoul, South Korea.[2]

Career

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Early career

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Wi began figure skating in 2010 at the age of six. She moved to Gwacheon at the age of twelve to train under Choi Hyung-kyung.[3][2] She is considered part of the second generation of "Yuna Kids," South Korean ladies who began skating after being inspired by 2010 Olympic Champion Yuna Kim.[4]

Wi won the gold medal at the 2018 South Korean Junior Championships.[2]

2018–2019 season

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Wi made her junior international debut at the 2018 Asian Open Trophy in August, where she won the bronze medal behind teammate Lee Hae-in and American Gabriella Izzo. She then received her first Junior Grand Prix assignments, placing fourth at both 2018 JGP Czech Republic and 2018 JGP Armenia. Competing as a senior domestically for the first time, Wi placed sixth at the 2019 South Korean Championships and was not selected for the 2019 World Junior Championships team.[2]

2019–2020 season

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Wi opened the season by winning her first Junior Grand Prix medal, silver, at 2019 JGP France behind Kamila Valieva and ahead of Maiia Khromykh, both of Russia. Although Wi had to wear tape around her skates due her her skate boots had collapsing prior to the competition, she managed to become the fifth Korean lady to score above 190 points internationally at the event.[5] Wi's medal set off a series of consecutive medal wins by Korean ladies on the 2019–20 Junior Grand Prix.[4][3]

At her second event, 2019 JGP Poland, she finished fourth behind Alysa Liu, Viktoria Vasilieva, and Anastasia Tarakanova.[6] She then competed at the 2019 Asian Open Trophy in November, winning gold by over 30 points ahead of teammate Ji Seo-yeon and Hong Kong's Hiu Yau Chow.[2]

Wi finished fourth in the senior division at the 2020 South Korean Championships, behind You Young, Lee Hae-in, and Kim Ye-lim. As a result, she was named to the 2020 World Junior Championships team alongside Lee. At the 2020 World Junior Championships, Wi placed sixth in the short program after her flying sit spin was invalidated. She said: "It's my first Junior Worlds, so I was very nervous today. I did no big mistakes, so I'm very satisfied."[7] Wi improved to fifth in the free skate to finish sixth overall. Her placement, combined with Lee's, earned South Korea three spots for the next season.[8]

2020–2021 season

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With the COVID-19 pandemic greatly curtailing competitive opportunities for South Korean skaters, Wi competed first at the 2021 South Korean Championships, finishing fifth.[9]

2021–2022 season

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With the resumption of the regular international season, Wi was assigned to make her Grand Prix debut at the 2021 NHK Trophy, where she finished in ninth place.[10]

Due to her national result, Wi was named to South Korea's team for the 2022 World Junior Championships, but events would soon complicate the situation. Shortly after the conclusion of the 2022 Winter Olympics, Russia invaded Ukraine. As a result, the International Skating Union banned all Russian athletes from competing at ISU championships.[11] As Russian women had dominated international figure skating in recent years, this had a significant impact on the field.[12] Due to both the invasion and the Omicron variant, the World Junior Championships could not be held as scheduled in Sofia in early March and were rescheduled for mid-April in Tallinn.[13] Wi placed fifth in the short program.[14] She was sixth in the free skate after falling on her final double Axel attempt but remained in fifth place overall.[15]

2022–2023 season

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Wi began the season with her Challenger series debut at the 2022 CS Nebelhorn Trophy. Although she had come down with the flu during the competition, she managed to win the silver medal after placing third in the short program and winning the free skate.

Given one Grand Prix assignment, Wi was assigned to compete at the 2022 NHK Trophy. Prior to the event, Wi contracted COVID-19, but was cleared on time for the competition. She would ultimately finish eighth.

She then closed her season with a ninth-place finish at the 2023 Korean Championships.[2][3]

2023–2024 season

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Wi came thirteenth at the 2023 CS Finlandia Trophy, her first competition of the season. On the Grand Prix, she was twelfth of twelve skaters at the 2023 Skate America and tenth at the 2023 NHK Trophy.[2][16]

At the annual national ranking competition, Wi won the bronze medal and was selected to represent South Korea at the 2024 Four Continents Championships.[17] She went on to compete at the 2024 South Korean Championships, where she finished in twelfth place.[2]

At the Four Continents Championships in Shanghai, Wi came sixth in the short program. She was fifth in the free skate, her only mistake being a slight underrotation on a double toe loop, rising to fifth overall. Wi remarked "I wanted to do my best and I think I did."[18]

2024–2025 season

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Wi began the season by finishing thirteenth at the 2024 CS Nebelhorn Trophy.[2] She subsequently went on to compete at the 2024 Korean Universiade and Asian Games Qualifiers, where she finished fifth. With this result, Wi was selected to represent South Korea at the 2025 Winter World University Games.[19][20] Going on to compete on the 2024–25 Grand Prix series, Wi finished eleventh at 2024 Skate Canada International and seventh at the 2024 NHK Trophy.[2]

In late November, Wi competed at the South Korean Ranking Competition, where she finished in seventh place.[21]

Programs

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Season Short program Free skating Exhibition
2024–2025
[22]
2023–2024
[23][3]
2022–2023
[24]
Moulin Rouge:
2021–2022
[25]
2020–2021
[26]
2019–2020
[27]
2018–2019
[28]

Competitive highlights

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GP: Grand Prix; CS: Challenger Series; JGP: Junior Grand Prix

International[2]
Event 17–18 18–19 19–20 20–21 21–22 22–23 23–24 24–25
Four Continents 5th
GP NHK Trophy 9th 8th 10th 7th
GP Skate America 12th
GP Skate Canada 11th
CS Asian Open WD
CS Finlandia 13th
CS Nebelhorn 2nd 13th
Universiade TBD
International: Junior[2]
Junior Worlds 6th 5th
JGP Armenia 4th
JGP France 2nd
JGP Czech Rep. 4th
JGP Poland 4th
Asian Open 3rd 1st
National[2]
South Korean 1st J 6th 4th 5th 5th 9th 12th
Ranking Comp. 8th 6th 7th 7th 3rd 7th
TBD = Assigned; WD = Withdrew
Levels: J = Junior

Detailed results

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ISU personal best scores in the +5/-5 GOE System [21]
Segment Type Score Event
Total TSS 193.57 2024 Four Continents Figure Skating Championships
Short program TSS 66.48 2018 JGP Czech Republic
TES 40.17 2018 JGP Czech Republic
PCS 28.83 2020 Junior Worlds
Free skating TSS 131.94 2022 CS Nebelhorn Trophy
TES 72.53 2022 CS Nebelhorn Trophy
PCS 59.41 2022 CS Nebelhorn Trophy

Senior level

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Current personal best scores are highlighted in bold.

2024–25 season
Date Event SP FS Total
November 8–10, 2024 2024 NHK Trophy 7
61.43
9
112.34
7
173.77
October 25–27, 2024 2024 Skate Canada International 11
47.86
11
92.99
11
140.85
Septemeber 19-21, 2024 2024 CS Nebelhorn Trophy 14
46.99
12
98.95
13
145.13
2023–24 season
Date Event SP FS Total
February 1–2, 2024 2024 Four Continents Championships 6
64.44
5
129.13
5
193.57
January 4–7, 2024 2024 South Korean Championships 8
64.82
15
110.47
12
175.29
November 24–26, 2023 2023 NHK Trophy 6
60.63
10
97.52
10
158.15
October 20–22, 2023 2023 Skate America 10
58.55
12
97.47
12
156.02
October 6–8, 2023 2023 CS Finlandia Trophy 15
47.42
11
98.01
13
145.43
2022–23 season
Date Event SP FS Total
January 5–8, 2023 2023 South Korean Championships 6
66.28
9
123.32
9
189.60
November 18–20, 2022 2022 NHK Trophy 7
61.06
10
115.68
8
176.74
September 21–24, 2022 2022 CS Nebelhorn Trophy 3
61.31
1
131.94
2
193.25
2021–22 season
Date Event SP FS Total
January 7–9, 2022 2022 South Korean Championships 5
67.45
6
130.47
5
197.92
November 12–14, 2021 2021 NHK Trophy 9
58.23
9
112.31
9
170.54
2020–21 season
Date Event SP FS Total
February 24–26, 2021 2021 South Korean Championships 6
65.86
3
126.98
5
192.84
2019–20 season
Date Event SP FS Total
January 3–5, 2020 2020 South Korean Championships 6
63.32
5
124.22
4
187.54
2018–19 season
Date Event SP FS Total
January 11–13, 2019 2019 South Korean Championships 9
56.15
4
115.47
6
171.62

Junior level

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2021–22 season
Date Event SP FS Total
April 13–17, 2022 2022 World Junior Championships 5
66.09
6
120.63
5
186.72
2019–20 season
Date Event SP FS Total
March 2–8, 2020 2020 World Junior Championships 6
65.45
5
127.85
6
193.30
Oct. 30 – Nov. 1, 2019 2019 Asian Open Trophy 1
65.21
1
129.26
1
194.47
September 18–21, 2019 2019 JGP Poland 5
63.81
4
116.87
4
180.68
August 21–24, 2019 2019 JGP France 2
65.75
2
125.32
2
191.07
2018–19 season
Date Event SP FS Total
October 10–13, 2018 2018 JGP Armenia 4
60.36
4
107.21
4
167.57
September 26–29, 2018 2018 JGP Czech Republic 4
66.48
6
110.02
4
176.50
August 1–3, 2018 2018 Asian Open Trophy 4
53.21
2
111.09
3
164.30

References

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  1. ^ "ISU World Standings for Single & Pair Skating and Ice Dance : Ladies". International Skating Union. March 7, 2020.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "Seoyeong WI: Competition Results". International Skating Union.
  3. ^ a b c d 박, 지민. "[인터뷰] 세상에서 가장 따뜻한 얼음, 피겨스케이팅 위서영". MFocus. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
  4. ^ a b Park, So-young (September 9, 2019). "위서영·박연정·이해인...'연아 키즈' 2세대의 비상" [Wi Seo-yeong, Park Yeon-jeong, Lee Hae-in... Second Generation of 'Yuna Kids'] (in Korean). JoongAng Ilbo.
  5. ^ Kim, Kyung-yoon (August 24, 2019). "피겨 위서영, 주니어그랑프리 총점 191.07점...은메달 쾌거" [Figure skater Wi Seo-yeong, Junior Grand Prix total score of 191.07...Silver medal] (in Korean). Yonhap News.
  6. ^ Kim, Kyung-yoon (September 21, 2019). "피겨 위서영 주니어그랑프리 4위...총점 180.68점" [Wi Seo-yeong, Junior Grand Prix fourth place in figure skating...180.68 points] (in Korean). Yonhap News.
  7. ^ Slater, Paula (March 6, 2020). "Kamila Valieva front runner at Junior Worlds". Golden Skate.
  8. ^ Slater, Paula (March 7, 2020). "Kamila Valieva captures Junior World gold in season debut". Golden Skate.
  9. ^ Goh, ZK (26 February 2021). "Cha Jun-hwan and Kim Ye-lim win South Korean figure skating nationals". Olympic Channel.
  10. ^ Slater, Paula (November 13, 2021). "Japan's Sakamoto delivers at 2021 NHK Trophy". Golden Skate.
  11. ^ "ISU Statement on the Ukrainian crisis – Participation in international competitions of Skaters and Officials from Russia and Belarus". International Skating Union. March 1, 2022.
  12. ^ "2022 World Junior Championships". International Figure Skating.
  13. ^ "ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships 2022 allotted to Tallinn (EST)". International Skating Union. March 4, 2022.
  14. ^ Slater, Paula (April 16, 2022). "USA's Isabeau Levito leads Women at Junior Worlds". Golden Skate.
  15. ^ Slater, Paula (April 17, 2022). "USA's Isabeau Levito skates to gold in Tallinn". Golden Skate.
  16. ^ Slater, Paula (November 25, 2023). "Ava Marie Ziegler takes surprising win at NHK Trophy". Golden Skate. Retrieved November 29, 2023.
  17. ^ Skating Korea [@skatingkor] (December 3, 2023). "Ranking Competition - Senior Women Results" (Tweet). Archived from the original on February 10, 2024 – via Twitter.
  18. ^ Slater, Paula (February 2, 2024). "Mone Chiba commands Women at 2024 Four Continents". Golden Skate. Retrieved February 10, 2024.
  19. ^ "피겨스케이팅: 차준환·김채연 등 포함한 2025 동계아시안게임 피겨 대표팀 선발". Olympics.com. Olympics.com. Retrieved 12 October 2024.
  20. ^ "Distribution of assignments based on the results of the Winter University Games and Asian Winter Games Qualifiers 2024:". X. Skating Korea. Retrieved 12 October 2024.
  21. ^ a b "KOR-Seoyeong WI". SkatingScores.
  22. ^ "Seoyeong WI: 2024/2025 season". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on August 29, 2024.
  23. ^ "Seoyeong WI: 2023/2024 season". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on April 6, 2024.
  24. ^ "Seoyeong WI: 2022/2023 season". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on March 14, 2023.
  25. ^ "Seoyeong WI: 2021/2022 season". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on October 31, 2021.
  26. ^ Shin, Yeaji (November 8, 2020). "내가 지은 너의 이번시즌 닉네임 "위졸데" 💓" [This season, your nickname is Wi-solde] (Instagram) (in Korean).
  27. ^ "Seoyeong WI: 2019/2020 season". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on March 7, 2020.
  28. ^ "Seoyeong WI: 2018/2019 season". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on April 1, 2019.
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