Cha Jun-hwan has captivated the figure skating world at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics with a season-best short program that landed him sixth, setting the stage for a dramatic final. The 24-year-old South Korean phenom delivered a 92.72-point performance—highlighted by a quad Salchow and a triple Lutz-triple loop combination—positioning him as Korea’s best hope for a historic men’s podium finish. Here are 10 essential facts about the skater who is redefining Korean figure skating on the global stage.

1. Season-Best Short Program Ignites Olympic Hopes

Cha Jun-hwan opened his third Olympics with a personal season-best 92.72 in the short program at Milano’s Ice Skating Arena on Feb. 11, securing sixth place. His technical score of 50.08 and program components of 42.64 showcased precision under pressure. Despite ongoing boot and ankle challenges, Cha nailed a quad Salchow, a triple Lutz-triple loop combination, and a triple Axel.

The performance silenced doubters after a team event stumble and positioned Cha as Korea’s lone men’s medal threat. Skating to “Rain, In Your Black Eyes,” he exuded a maturity that earned high praise for musicality. A strong free skate could make him the first South Korean male figure skater to stand on an Olympic podium.

2. Three Straight Olympics: From PyeongChang to Milano

Milano Cortina marks Cha’s third Olympic appearance, representing a decade of growth. At the 2018 PyeongChang Games, a 16-year-old Cha placed 15th, gaining experience on home ice. Beijing 2022 saw him finish 5th overall—the best result ever for a South Korean man. Now in 2026, he returns as a veteran leader, carrying the expectations of a nation.

3. Historic Worlds Silver: A Milestone for Korean Men

Cha etched his name in the record books by winning Silver at the 2023 World Championships in Saitama. This was the first-ever medal for a Korean man at the event. That same year, he led South Korea to a historic Silver medal at the World Team Trophy, proving that Korean skating had become a global powerhouse in more than just the women’s discipline.

4. Technical Evolution: The Quad Threat

Cha revolutionized Korean skating as the first to land a clean quad in international competition. His technical arsenal features the quad Salchow and quad Toe Loop, complemented by Level 4 spins and footwork. While his 2026 Olympic strategy focused on stability due to injury, his ability to rack up high Grades of Execution (GOE) keeps him competitive with the world’s best “Quad Kings.”

5. Boot and Ankle Struggles: The “Ice Warrior”

The 2025–26 season has been a battle of resilience. Cha has struggled with persistent boot fit issues and chronic ankle pain, which forced him to simplify his jump layout for the Olympics. After a difficult team event where he struggled with his triple Axel, Cha took a brief rest to recover, declaring his condition “good” just before his individual short program triumph.

6. A Decade of Dominance: 10 Straight National Titles

Cha is the undisputed king of domestic skating, having secured his 10th consecutive South Korean National title in January 2026. He finished the competition with a total of 277.84 points, proving he remains miles ahead of his domestic rivals. This dominance allows him to use national events as a testing ground for the high-pressure international circuit.

7. Medals Across Every Major ISU Stage

Cha achieved a rare feat by medaling at almost every major international event before age 25. His trophy cabinet includes Four Continents Gold (2022), World Silver (2023), and Grand Prix Final Bronze (2018). He also holds a Junior Grand Prix Final bronze, marking him as the most consistent Korean male skater in history.

8. Record-Breaking Personal Bests

Cha’s benchmarks reflect a steady ascent. His short program personal best of 101.33 (set at the 2023 World Team Trophy) made him the first Korean man to break the 100-point barrier. His total score peak of over 280 points puts him in elite territory, allowing him to challenge for the podium even when he isn’t attempting the maximum number of quadruple jumps.

9. Military Service Exemption: The Harbin Victory

Unlike many South Korean athletes who face career interruptions, Cha Jun-hwan is exempt from mandatory military service. He earned this exemption by winning the Gold medal at the 2025 Asian Winter Games in Harbin, where he defeated top Japanese rivals. This victory ensured he could focus entirely on his preparation for the Milano Cortina 2026 Games.

10. The Free Skate: Chasing the Dream

Entering the free skate in 6th place, Cha faced a 10-point gap to the medal zone. With a clean performance to his free skate music, “Balada para un Loco,” he aimed to eclipse his 5th-place finish from Beijing. Regardless of the final result, his presence in the final group of the world’s best skaters cements his legacy as the “Ice Prince” of South Korea.

Cha Jun-hwan Career Highlights

Tottenham Hotspur have reached a verbal agreement with former Juventus manager Igor Tudor to take over as interim head coach until the end of the season, turning to the hard-edged Croatian in a bid to arrest a dire run of form and avoid a relegation fight in the Premier League.

The 47-year-old ex-Croatia international defender, who has previously managed Juventus, Marseille and Lazio, will succeed Thomas Frank, who was dismissed on Wednesday following Spurs’ 2–1 home defeat to Newcastle United, their latest setback in a season that has spiraled alarmingly. Tottenham sit 16th in the table, five points above the drop zone, with just two wins in their last 17 league matches.

According to Sky Sports and multiple British outlets, Tudor has agreed a short-term deal running until June 2026, with no automatic option to extend, as the club plans a broader search for a permanent manager in the summer. He is expected to take training early next week, ahead of a high-stakes north London derby against league leaders Arsenal at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium next Sunday.

Frank out, Tudor in: Spurs gamble on a firefighter

Frank’s dismissal came less than 24 hours after the loss to Newcastle, a result that intensified concern at board level over the trajectory of the season. Hired last year to bring stability and a clear identity, the former Brentford boss struggled to translate his methods to a bigger, more impatient club, with injuries, defensive lapses and blunt attacking displays compounding the slide.

Club executives Vinai Venkatesham, the new chief executive, and sporting director Johan Lange led the process to appoint an interim successor — their first major football decision since long-serving chairman Daniel Levy and co-sporting director Fabio Paratici departed, leaving Spurs without two of their most influential power brokers. After considering several candidates for a temporary role, including former Borussia Dortmund coaches Edin Terzic and Marco Rose, Tottenham moved decisively for Tudor on Thursday night.

Sources close to the talks stressed that the agreement with Tudor is strictly interim. The club intends to appoint a long-term head coach in the summer, with a number of high-profile names expected to enter the frame after this year’s World Cup, including a possible return for former Spurs manager and current U.S. men’s national team coach Mauricio Pochettino.

Who is Igor Tudor? Ex-Juventus defender with a reputation for quick impact

Tudor enjoyed a distinguished playing career as a rugged central defender at Juventus, where he made over 100 appearances and won multiple Serie A titles and domestic cups. As a coach, he has built a reputation as an intense, tactically flexible manager willing to make bold structural changes to jolt underperforming teams.

His most high-profile recent spell came at Juventus, where he took over from Thiago Motta and guided the club to a fourth-place finish in Serie A and Champions League qualification before being dismissed in October after a poor early-season run. Prior to that, he had impressed at Olympique de Marseille with a high-energy, aggressive style that improved transitions and pressing, though he left at the end of the 2022–23 season citing fatigue and tensions around the club.

Analysts who have studied his teams describe Tudor as primarily defensive in structure but aggressive in mentality: he favors compact blocks, intense pressing triggers and a willingness to tweak formations game-to-game to exploit opponents’ weaknesses. A Total Football Analysis profile cited by Spurs blogs characterized him as “unafraid to implement bold tactical changes, often rejuvenating teams requiring new energy” and praised his ability to “improve balance between defense and offense” while motivating players.​

Those traits — defensive organization, immediate impact and emotional edge — align with Tottenham’s urgent needs. A once free-flowing attack has become stagnant, and the team has struggled to control matches or protect leads, leaving them exposed in transition and vulnerable at set pieces.

Relegation fears sharpen ahead of north London derby

Spurs’ current predicament is stark. With 12 league matches remaining, they have amassed just two wins in 17 and sit five points clear of the relegation zone, having slipped into a congested bottom half where a short bad run can prove fatal. If West Ham defeat Bournemouth this weekend, the gap could shrink to two points before Tottenham host Arsenal, raising the stakes even further.

Tudor’s immediate task will be to steady the defense and instill a structure that makes Spurs harder to beat. Internally, officials have suggested that survival is the primary objective, with informal benchmarks of roughly 11–12 points from the final 12 matches viewed as a successful return. Any push beyond safety — toward mid-table respectability or an unlikely European place — would be considered a bonus.

The north London derby offers both a brutal introduction and an opportunity. Arsenal arrive as league leaders and title contenders, eager to compound Spurs’ misery. A spirited performance, even in defeat, could buy Tudor goodwill among a fan base bruised by months of disappointment; a win or draw, particularly at home, would be a transformational early result.

No guarantee beyond June — but a chance to stake a claim

Reports indicate Tudor’s agreement does not include a built-in option for a permanent role, reflecting Spurs’ desire to conduct a full-scale managerial search this summer. However, club insiders have hinted that a strong run of results — especially an escape from the relegation scrap and a recognizable tactical identity — could put the Croatian in the conversation for the long-term job.

Journalist David Ornstein and others have reported that while Tudor is viewed as a short-term stabilizer, he is not entirely discounted as a future candidate. Much will depend on how players respond to his methods, how he navigates the pressures of the Premier League and whether he can coax improved performances from a squad that has underachieved relative to its wage bill and expectations.

New hierarchy under pressure after Levy exit

For Venkatesham and Lange, Tudor’s appointment is a first major test. With Daniel Levy’s decades-long tenure as executive chairman over and Fabio Paratici also gone, Spurs have lost some of the football-world connections that previously shaped their hiring and recruitment strategies. The new structure is under scrutiny from supporters and pundits already frustrated by years of managerial churn since Mauricio Pochettino’s departure in 2019.​

Since Pochettino’s Champions League final run, Tottenham have cycled through multiple head coaches — including Jose Mourinho, Nuno Espírito Santo, Antonio Conte, Ange Postecoglou and now Thomas Frank — with no lasting stability or silverware. The choice of Tudor, a less glamorous but experienced firefighter, suggests a pragmatic reset focused on survival before any grander rebuild.

Tactics, squad and dressing room dynamics

Tudor inherits a squad lacking confidence and consistency. Tottenham’s attack has sputtered this season despite talent in forward positions, while defensive lapses and midfield imbalance have been recurring complaints among fans and analysts.

At previous clubs, Tudor has favored back-three systems (3-4-2-1 or 3-5-2) that emphasize wide overloads, aggressive wing-back play and compact central zones. Such setups could appeal at Spurs, who possess defenders and full-backs capable of adapting, but they may require rapid adjustments from players accustomed to different shapes under Frank and his predecessors.​

His reputation as a demanding trainer and straight-talking motivator may jolt some underperformers, but man-management will be critical in a dressing room that has experienced repeated regime changes and mixed messages.

Fans’ mixed reaction: Cautious hope, lingering skepticism

Early reaction from Spurs supporters has been mixed. Some fans, weary of high-profile appointments that fizzled, welcome Tudor’s reputation for immediate impact and defensive tightening. Others worry that another short-term solution postpones the structural overhaul they believe the club needs, particularly in recruitment and youth integration.

Spurs fan sites and podcasts have noted that if Tudor can make the team “hard to beat,” build a coherent defensive block and rediscover basic competitiveness, he will earn goodwill quickly. In a season where expectations have shrunk from top-four ambitions to simple survival, the bar for satisfaction has been reset.

Looking ahead: Survival first, then the summer reset

For now, Tottenham’s horizon is short. Tudor will fly back to Croatia to finalize arrangements, then return to London to take charge of training early next week. His first days will involve assessing fitness, clarifying roles and installing a simplified game plan ahead of Arsenal’s visit.​

Beyond that, the club’s leadership will continue work on a long-term strategy. The summer promises a crowded managerial market after the World Cup, with Spurs expected to sound out multiple candidates, including Pochettino and several leading European coaches. Recruitment plans, budget allocations and youth pathways will all factor into those discussions.

In the meantime, Tottenham have made their move: a seasoned, combative interim manager with a track record of short-term stabilization and bold tactical tweaks. Whether Igor Tudor can deliver the calm and points Spurs crave — and perhaps write a new chapter in his own career in north London — will become clear in the fraught weeks ahead.

SpaceX and NASA launched a new crew Friday to the International Space Station, nearly one month after prior crew members were evacuated following a medical emergency in orbit. 

NASA said the SpaceX Crew-12 mission lifted off at 5:15 a.m. from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.  

“The spacecraft will take  about 34 hours to autonomously dock with the space station’s Harmony module at 3:15 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 14, while traveling 17,000 mph in Earth orbit,” the agency said. 

NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev are onboard SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft. 

NASA MAKES ‘UNPRECEDENTED’ CALL TO BRING ASTRONAUTS HOME AFTER ILLNESS, EXPERT SAYS 

“What an absolutely wonderful start to the day,” NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said following the launch. “This mission has shown in many ways what it means to be mission-focused at NASA.” 

“In the last couple of weeks, we brought Crew-11 home early, we pulled forward Crew-12 to the launch date today, all while simultaneously making preparations for the Artemis 2 mission, which its next window will open up in early March,” he added. 

“The flight is the 12th crew rotation with SpaceX to the orbiting laboratory as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. Crew-12 will conduct scientific investigations and technology demonstrations to help prepare humans for future exploration missions to the Moon and Mars, as well as benefit people on Earth,” according to NASA. 

US PLANS TO BUILD NUCLEAR REACTOR ON THE MOON BY 2030, NASA SAYS 

In January, NASA made an “unprecedented” decision to bring a crew home early from the International Space Station after a medical emergency in orbit, marking the first time in the station’s 25-year history that a mission has been cut short for health reasons. 

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said at the time that a single crew member experienced a medical situation aboard the station on Jan. 7 and is now stable. After consultations with medical and agency leadership, he ordered the early return of the crew. 

“For over 60 years, NASA has set the standard for safety and security in crewed space flight,” Isaacman said. “The health and the well-being of our astronauts is always and will be our highest priority.” 

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ON FOX BUSINESS        

That crew returned to earth on Jan. 15. 

Fox News’ Sarah Rumpf-Whitten contributed to this report. 

Premier Industrial Corporation, Virupaksha Organics, Hexagon Nutrition, Om Power Transmission and Duroflex have secured approval from the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) to proceed with their initial public offerings (IPOs). All five companies received Sebi’s observation during the week.

In IPO parlance, Sebi’s ‘observation’ refers to the formal comments or clearance issued by the regulator on a company’s draft IPO documents.

Premier Industrial Corporation IPO

Premier Industrial Corporation’s IPO will be a mix of fresh issue and an offer for sale (OFS). The company received Sebi’s observation letter on February 10.

Under the issue, 2.79 crore equity shares will be offloaded by the company. In this, the fresh issue will be up to 2.25 crore while the OFS will be up to 54 lakh equity shares.

The selling shareholders are Arvind Chhotalal Morzaria, Dilip Chhotalal Morzaria, Subhash Chhotalal Morzaria, Lalit Navinchandra Morzaria and Nirmala Navinchandra Morzaria.

The company plans to utilise its net proceeds towards financing the capital expenditure requirements for setting up a new wire manufacturing facility in Raigad, Maharashtra, and for financing the capital expenditure required for the expansion of the existing manufacturing facility at the Wada Unit in Palghar, Maharashtra. A part of the proceeds will be be utilised for funding the working capital requirements of the company and for general corporate purposes.
Unistone Capital Private Limited is the sole Book Running Lead Manager (BRLM) to the issue.

Duroflex IPO

Duroflex IPO will be a mix of fresh issue and an offer for sale (OFS). The company received Sebi’s observation letter on February 12. The IPO consists of a fresh issue of equity shares aggregating up to Rs 184 and an offer for sale (OFS) of up to 2.25 crore equity shares by promoters and existing investors.
Duroflex Limited is a leading sleep and comfort solutions provider and is among the top three mattress companies in India by market share. It operates across mattresses, foam, furniture, pillows, accessories, and other bedding products under brands such as Duroflex, Sleepyhead, and Perfect Rest. As of June 30, 2025, Duroflex has established a broad network with 73 Company Owned Company Operated (COCO) stores, over 5,576 general trade stores, and a strong digital presence, serving a pan-India customer base.

Virupaksha Organics IPO

Virupaksha Organics IPO will entirely be a fresh issue worth Rs 740 crore according to the Draft Red Herring Prospectus (DRHP) filed by the company. The research-driven Indian pharmaceutical company received Sebi’s nod on Thursday, February 12.

The company is promoted by Chandra Mouliswar Reddy Gangavaram, Balasubba Reddy, Mamilla, Chandrasekhar Reddy Gangavaram, Vedavathi Gangavaram, Kondapalli Sandeep Reddy, Kotla SUuraj Redy, Mamilla Nagarjun Reddy, Gangavaram Sri Lakshmi and G Sri Vidya.

The BRLMs are Axis Capital Limited and SBI Capital Markets Limited while the registrar to the issue is Kfin Technologies Limited.

Hexagon Nutrition IPO

The public issue of Hexagon Nutrition will entirely be an OFS. The company received Sebi’s clearance on February 10. Under the OFS, promoters Arun Purushottam Kelkar, Subhash Purushottam Kelkar, Nutan Subhash Kelkar and Aditya Kelkar will together offload up to 30,859,704 equity shares.

The research-driven nutrition company is engaged in developing and manufacturing products across micronutrient premixes, branded wellness and clinical nutrition, therapeutic formulations, and ready-to-use foods.

The lead managers to the issue are Cumulative Capital Private Limited and Catalyst Capital Partners Private Limited while the registrar is Kfin Technologies.

Om Power Transmission IPO

The IPO will be a mix of fresh issue and an OFS. The company received the observation on today. Incorporated in 2011, Om Power Transmission is a power transmission infrastructure engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) company with over 14 years of experience. The company’s expertise lies in the execution of high-voltage (HV) and extra-high voltage (EHV) transmission lines, substations and underground cabling projects delivered on a turnkey basis.

(Disclaimer: The recommendations, suggestions, views, and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of The Economic Times.)

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