HONG KONG, Feb 8 — South Korean figure skater Cha Jun-hwan has been named the most handsome male athlete competing at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, according to a feature by Vogue Hong Kong.
The magazine published its list of the “13 Most Handsome Male Athletes of the Milano 2026 Winter Olympics” on Friday, placing the 22-year-old at the top for his blend of athletic skill and on-camera poise.
Vogue Hong Kong described Cha as the “Prince of Korean Ice,” highlighting his “restrained yet captivating presence” and a “clear, composed aura with sharp physical lines.”
It noted that once he steps onto the rink, he undergoes an “ultimate transformation,” with “every movement reconstructing him into a different person.”
The piece also pointed to Cha’s early years as an actor and model, saying those experiences helped shape his polished performance style and contributed to the artistic quality he brings to competition.
Fans, the magazine noted, are looking forward to his clean quadruple jumps and increasingly ambitious step sequences this Olympic season.
Milan marks Cha’s third appearance at the Games, following his debut at the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics and a fifth-place finish at Beijing 2022.
Vogue Hong Kong said he enters the 2026 season with stronger technical ability and growing creative expression as he aims for the podium.
Other athletes featured in the list include Norway’s cross-country skier Johannes Høsflot Klæbo, Japanese snowboarder Ayumu Hirano, Chinese short track skater Shaoang Liu, France’s ice dancer Guillaume Cizeron, Italy’s men’s singles skater Daniel Grassl, and US figure skater Ilia Malinin.
Cha made his first appearance at Milan Cortina in the men’s short programme for the team event last night — South Korea’s first team-event participation in eight years.
While a top finish is unlikely due to the absence of a pair entry, the outing offered valuable time to adjust to the venue ahead of the men’s singles short programme at 2:30am Malaysia time on Wednesday.
