By Chien-Chu SUN, AUSF Student Media Contributor
6 April 2026
Taipei, TPE – While most college students are still sound asleep, Yu-Hsiang LI’s day has already begun. At 4:15 a.m. sharp every morning, his alarm goes off before he makes the 40-minute commute from Taoyuan to the Taipei Arena Ice Land for high-intensity figure skating training. After practice, he hurries back to Taoyuan for classes at Taiwan Sport University. As the first figure skater from Chinese Taipei to reach the Winter Olympics in nearly 30 years since 1998, LI has made history on the ice. Yet, when he takes off his skates, he is a “student-athlete” with a deep thirst for knowledge, determined not to neglect his academic pursuits.
Growing up in a subtropical region, LI faced relatively challenging training conditions. In the past, he often had to share the rink with recreational skaters, which not only affected the quality of his training but also kept him on constant alert against collisions and injuries. However, these physical constraints did not limit his development as a college student.
From early morning ice sessions to rushing back to school for lectures, his daily routine is exhausting—especially in the winter. Still, Taiwan Sport University freshman embraces the challenge without complaint. ‘For an athlete, neglecting academics just isn’t an option; it truly matters,’ LI emphasized.
His college life is not just about earning credits. As a student in the Department of Recreation and Leisure Industry Management, he loves trying new things and refuses to limit himself to a single field. Therefore, he frequently audits courses in other disciplines, such as the Department of Sports Medicine and Health Promotion and the Department of Sports Promotion. His drive to explore has even extended to acquiring professional certifications. He has already obtained a kinesiology taping certification and plans to pursue referee and coaching licenses in the future. “What I am exposed to is not just my major,” he said with a smile. He noted that in every moment of uncertainty, he tries to flexibly apply what he observes in class and in life to his skating competitions.
The starting point of this incredible skating journey was a “beautiful accident.” Figure skaters usually begin professional training at the age of five or six, but it wasn’t until LI was eight that his grandmother took him to ‘play’ at an ice rink in downtown Taipei. Upon returning home, he asked, “That was so fun! Can we go again tomorrow?”—a simple question that officially launched his skating career.
Raised by his grandma, LI has felt her dedication in every step of his journey. Not only does she wake up with him at 3 or 4 AM every day to help prepare his skates, but she is also his all-around backbone. “She wears many hats—she is a referee, a coach, a psychological counselor, and a recovery specialist. You can’t define her with just one specific role,” LI expressed with gratitude. Once a child with severe allergies, LI has now transformed into a robust extreme sports athlete under his grandmother’s strict nutritional care for his three meals. Facing an extreme sport that is highly costly and full of variables, his grandma’s unwavering support through thick and thin allows LI to pursue what he loves without any worries.
After years of rigorous training under resource constraints, LI showed maturity beyond his years when he finally stepped onto the stage of the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics. He jokingly described life in the Olympic Village as remarkably laid-back, which allowed him to approach this world-class event with a composed and relaxed mindset.
In the Short Program, he opted for a conservative strategy that strictly prioritized execution quality, clinching the final qualifying spot for the free skate in 24th place. Entering the final, he completely let go of any pressure regarding rankings and took a bold leap of faith, successfully landing a high-difficulty “quad jump” he hadn’t practiced in a long time, ultimately finishing 23rd overall. “Actually, the process is what matters; the results or scores aren’t that important to me,” LI said. To be able to overcome numerous obstacles to reach the Olympics, and to fully experience and explore the competitive arena, is already a supreme honor for him.
Looking ahead, this vibrant college freshman has mapped out a clear blueprint. In the short term, he is focusing on the upcoming CTUSF Championships and pushing for a spot in next year’s FISU Winter World University Games. His longer-term aspiration is to continue skating happily and injury-free, with his sights set firmly on the 2030 Olympic stage.
Embodying both the resilience of a top-tier athlete and the intellectual curiosity of a student, Yu-Hsiang LI proves that being a “student-athlete” is not a compromise, but rather a mutually reinforcing journey of growth. In the future, this ice star from the subtropics will continue to carry his curiosity about the world, shining brightly on the dual tracks of academics and figure skating.
