He wins the gold for looks. Cha Jun-hwan (25, Seoul Metropolitan Government) added another "first place" to his name.
South Korea's men's singles figure skater Cha Jun-hwan was selected as the "handsomest male athlete" among the men competing at the 2026 Milan-Cortina d'Ampezzo Winter Olympics.
Fashion magazine Vogue Hong Kong highlighted athletes who combine visuals and skill in an article titled "13 most handsome male athletes at the 2026 Milan Winter Olympics," placing Cha Jun-hwan at the top.
Vogue Hong Kong described Cha Jun-hwan as "a skater worthy of the nickname 'Korea's prince of ice,'" saying "he has a clean, cool impression with sharp lines as if filtered and a restrained aura." It added that "the moment he steps onto the ice he transforms into a completely different person."
The outlet also drew attention to his background as a former child actor. The media said, "Having accumulated modeling work and experience in front of the camera as a child, his acting creates consistently polished performances every time. He is a skater who detonates technique and emotion simultaneously," and mentioned expectations for his clean quadruple jumps and bolder step sequences.
Cha Jun-hwan first appeared on the Olympic stage at the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, where he finished 15th in men's singles. At the 2022 Beijing Games he rose to fifth, and at this Milan-Cortina d'Ampezzo Olympics he is moving toward the specific goal of a medal.
The list chosen by Vogue Hong Kong included, besides Cha Jun-hwan, Johannes Høsflot Klæbo of Norway in cross-country skiing; Ayumu Hirano of Japan in snowboarding; Shaoang Liu, a Hungary-born short track skater who naturalized to China; Guillaume Cizeron of France in ice dance; Daniel Grassl of Italy in men's singles figure skating; and Ilya Malinin of the United States in men's singles figure skating.
Amid a journey focused on results on the ice, Cha Jun-hwan has already become the most prominent name on another stage.
[OSEN]