How Hong Kong figure skater Kahlen Cheung has been training for the junior world championships amid city’s Covid-19 rink closures
- The 18-year-old travelled to Estonia weeks ahead of event after being forced to train on concrete since January
- ‘My goal is to enjoy and cherish this moment because I’m not going to have this opportunity ever again,’ says Cheung
Kahlen Cheung Cheuk-ka calls her upcoming World Junior Figure Skating Championships a “full circle” moment after a Covid-19-tormented couple of seasons.
But there is one major difference in the lead-up this time around: virtually all of her training has been off-the-ice, given the city’s strict precautions on rinks.
“It’s sort of a redemption story for me because I didn’t do very well the last time I competed here,” said Cheung, who travelled three weeks early to ensure sufficient ice-time. She finished 34th in 2020.
“To be able to come back at the exact competition and location is like, ‘OK, I can get it together and do better this time’. I want to do my best and have fun out there because I haven’t competed in a long time.”
Cheung was forced to train on rooftops, gardens and harbours since the government shut down its rinks in the first week of January. It had been reopening and re-closing for much of the previous year.
