Lee Hae-in moved beyond the ice to attract attention from cultural media.
Italian fashion magazine Vogue Italia selected the "Top 5 Olympic moments" in a special feature on the 2026 Milan-Cortina d'Ampezzo Winter Olympics on the 24th (Korea time). The list was based on stage direction and artistic completeness rather than competition results. Lee Hae-in was ranked high on that list, placing second.
On the 20th, at the ice skating arena in Milan, Italy, Lee Hae-in scored a technical elements score (TES) of 74.15, a program components score (PCS) of 66.34, for a total of 140.49 in the women's single free skate at the 2026 Milan-Cortina d'Ampezzo Winter Olympics.
With that, adding the 70.07 points she received in the earlier short program, Lee Hae-in recorded a combined total of 210.56, placing eighth among 24 competitors. Having also earned a season-best score in the short, where she rose to ninth, she recorded a season-best total as well and improved her ranking.
Although she did not make the podium, she achieved a satisfying result in her first Olympic appearance. The score was slightly short of Lee Hae-in's personal best free skate score of 148.57 and her personal best total score of 225.47, both recorded at the 2023 World Team Trophy. Nonetheless, there was no issue with entering the Olympic "top 10."
Lee Hae-in was a talent noticed since her junior days, but she also endured many difficult times before reaching her first Olympic stage. She placed 10th and 7th at the International Skating Union (ISU) World Championships in 2021 and 2022, respectively, recording back-to-back top-10 finishes and establishing herself as a world-class skater. In particular, her 10th-place finish at the 2021 championships contributed to increasing Korea's women's figure skating quota to two entries for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.
However, Lee Hae-in actually struggled with poor condition at the domestic selection competition and failed to qualify for the Olympics, losing the spot she had earned with her own hands. Nonetheless, at the 2023 World Championships, Lee Hae-in won the silver medal, becoming the first Korean female skater in 10 years since Kim Yuna to reach the championship podium.
But a greater ordeal awaited. In May 2024, during a national team training camp in Varese, Italy, Lee Hae-in was found to have been drinking at the accommodation and was referred to the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee (KSOC) Sports Justice Committee. Moreover, during the investigation it was confirmed that she had behaved in a way that could be seen as sexual harassment toward a junior skater, A.
After its own investigation, the skating federation imposed heavy penalties: a three-year suspension on Lee Hae-in for drinking and sexual assault allegations and a one-year suspension on Yeo Young, who was present at the scene. But Lee Hae-in vehemently denied the sexual assault allegation, saying she had been in a relationship with A, and the court sided with her. In November 2024, an injunction suspending the effect of the discipline was granted, and the skating federation also rescinded the punishment in May.
Returning to the ice, Lee Hae-in showed undiminished skill. In December last year, at the first national team selection competition of the 2025-2026 season and the national men's and women's figure skating president's cup ranking competition, she finished fifth overall, marking a successful comeback.
Later, Lee Hae-in also competed at the ISU World Championships held in the United States in March, finishing ninth overall. Following the Beijing Games four years ago, she again helped secure two Olympic spots for Korea.
Even so, Lee Hae-in's trip to Milan was not easy. In the selection competition held last month, she clinched her first Olympic ticket by dramatically overtaking Kim Chae-yeon (Gyeonggi-do Skating Federation), who had faltered with a back injury, finishing second overall.
Finally on the Olympic stage, Lee Hae-in delivered a confident performance, showing the readiness she had prepared. Without notable mistakes, she completed the short program and the free skate and succeeded in entering the top 10. After finishing her first Olympics, she lay on the ice and smiled brightly.
Vogue Italia mentioned costume concept, musical interpretation and choreography composition as key evaluation elements of Lee Hae-in's program. The outlet described it as a "stage that crosses the boundary between sport and performance art," introducing it as a case that left a cultural impression separate from simple competition results.
Lee Hae-in delivered steady performances in the women's singles figure skating at this Olympics and posted an upper-tier result. But Vogue Italia's focus was on stage production rather than the score sheet. Analysts say the program and costume presentation she showcased in the gala show drew the attention of local media.
Reactions to Lee Hae-in's performance continued on local Italian social media and fashion communities. Many praised her expressiveness and the completeness of her styling. It drew attention as an example of interpreting Olympic figure skating not as a sport but as cultural content.
It is rare for a fashion magazine to treat a particular athlete as a separate item during the Winter Olympics. Through this special feature, Vogue Italia presented "visual impact" inside and outside the arena as a key keyword. Lee Hae-in was included on that list. Her performance on the Milan stage remains on record, and the cultural magazine's evaluation added another form of achievement.
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