Figure skater Lee Yu-hsiang qualifies for 2026 Winter Olympics

Taipei, Sept. 21 (CNA) Taiwan's Lee Yu-hsiang (李宇翔) secured a berth at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics by placing fifth with a total score of 216.98 points at the final figure skating Olympic qualifying event in Beijing on Sunday.

The men's singles figure skating competition at the qualifier saw 26 skaters vying for five Olympic spots.

Lee, 18, posted 70.31 points in his short program on Saturday, finishing eighth and trailing fifth-placed Davide Lewton Brain from Monaco by 3.25 points.

Competing again on Sunday, Lee delivered an almost flawless free skate, earning 146.67 points.

A mistake by France's Francois Pitot, who had been in third place after the short program, allowed Lee to move into fifth place and clinch the Olympic slot with his combined score of 216.98 points.

As a result, Lee has become the first Taiwanese figure skater to qualify for the Olympics since David Liu (劉中達) in 1998.