sports
Ice Dancer Hannah Lim Switches Allegiance from South Korea to Canada
Hannah Lim, who represented South Korea at the 2026 Winter Olympics, has changed her sporting allegiance to Canada. She and new partner Zachary Lagha were introduced at Skate Canada's media day in Montreal on July 9.
Jul 10, 1:08 AM·1m read2 sources
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Ice dancer Hannah Lim has switched her sporting allegiance from South Korea to Canada. Yonhap reported that Lim and her new partner, Zachary Lagha, were introduced at Skate Canada's media day in Montreal on July 9. Lim parted ways with her former partner, Quan Ye, in April, two months after the pair finished 22nd at the Milan-Cortina Winter Games.
Born in Toronto to Korean parents, Lim holds dual citizenship and began skating for South Korea at the junior level in 2021. She and Quan won the world junior silver medal in 2023 and helped South Korea earn silver at the World Team Trophy that season.
Under the Olympic Charter, athletes who change allegiance must observe a three-year waiting period before representing a new country at the Olympics.
Yonhap reported that Lim will be eligible to compete with Lagha for Canada at the 2030 Winter Games. At the media day, Lim, 21, said switching allegiance was "a difficult decision" and thanked the Korea Skating Union and South Korean fans. "In the end, skating with Zach and representing Canada felt like the best path forward," she added.
"After spending 15 years with my previous partner, starting over has been a completely different experience," he said.
