Figure skater says she is pain-free ahead of PyeongChang Olympics

INCHEON, Jan. 28 (Yonhap) -- South Korean figure skater Choi Da-bin declared herself pain-free on Sunday, with the PyeongChang Winter Olympics just days away.

Choi returned home from Taiwan, where she posted a new season-best score of 190.23 points to finish fourth at the International Skating Union (ISU) Four Continents Figure Skating Championships.

The encouraging showing came on the heels of some subpar performances, as Choi has been battling ankle problems caused by a pair of loose skate boots.

"I have been struggling all season, and I am satisfied with the way I was able to execute everything I'd practiced," Choi told reporters at Incheon International Airport. "My ankle pains are all gone, and I'll try to maintain my form until the PyeongChang Olympics."

Choi began wearing a different boot for each foot at the third and the final leg of Olympic trials earlier this month, after failing to find a pair that fit just right. Thanks to her newfound comfort, Choi scored 190.12 points, at the time the best score of the season, to win one of two Olympic berths at stake. She hadn't broken 180 points in her three previous events.

And Choi outdid herself at the Four Continents, excelling especially in Friday's free skate.

"I went back to boots from a couple of years ago, and I think I've made pretty good adjustments," she added. "I will concentrate on polishing my programs until the Olympics."

Choi, 18, said she started dreaming of skating in the Olympics after watching South Korean star Kim Yu-na win gold at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.

"It's an honor to reach the stage of my dreams," Choi said. "There is going to be a lot of pressure and nerves because the Olympics will be at home, but I'll try to enjoy the experience as much as I can."

jeeho@yna.co.kr
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