Meet The First-Ever Malaysian Figure Skater To Qualify For The Winter Olympics
Julian Yee, the "hottest" man on ice!
By Sadho Ram — 30 Sep 2017, 12:04 PM
Earlier today, 30 September, 20-year-old Julian Yee became the first-ever Malaysian to qualify for the Winter Olympics after placing sixth at the 49th CS Nebelhorn Trophy in Germany
The first Malaysian to participate at the World Figure Skating Championships, and the first man to win SEA Games figure skating gold, Julian, a charismatic figure skater, has sealed what is arguably his most prestigious first: Olympic qualification.
The gold medallist at the Southeast Asian Games in Kuala Lumpur last month, while speaking to Asian Correspondent, had said that:
"It would definitely mean everything to me to be able to qualify and be the first Malaysian to compete at the Winter Olympics. I think it would be a great achievement, not only for me but also for the nation as we would be progressing our way in winter sports.
"Knowing that Malaysia is a tropical country and that we are able to excel in winter sports, really shows that anything is possible and that Malaysia is on the right path to a bright future in this forte."
The five-times Malaysian senior champion, who finished fourth at the Nebelhorn Trophy last year, recorded his personal best total score of 220.67 points, breaking his previous best of 220 points
While Julian came in sixth in his short programme with a score of 71.93 points, it was his free skate routine that garnered him the much-needed points (148.74) to place him in the top seven to qualify for the Pyeongchang Games.
According to Asian Correspondent, Julian has been preparing for the competition in Canada. He has been training on the ice for up to five hours a day on weekdays and up to two hours on Saturdays.
He spends 8am to 4pm most days at the rink and also takes part in at least one hour of training each day away from the ice – a combination of cardio, strengthening, stretching, ballet and dance.
Prior to the Nevelhorn Trophy outing, Julian had said that his ultimate goal was to qualify for the Winter Olympics.
