She is the 2009 World champion, the 2009 Four Continents champion, a three-time (2006–2007, 2007–2008, 2009–2010) Grand Prix Final champion, the 2006 World Junior champion, the 2005-2006 Junior Grand Prix Final champion and a four-time (2002–2005) South Korean national champion.
The Grand Prix final pits the six skaters with the best performance in the previous six rounds of the series. Kim is only the third skater to win the title twice in a row, after Irina Slutskaya of Russia and Tara Lipinski of the U.S.Kim is the first South Korean figure skater who has medaled and won at ISU Junior Grand Prix series, the ISU Junior Grand Prix Final, ISU Grand Prix series, the ISU Grand Prix Final, the ISU Four Continents Championships and the ISU World Championships. She is one of the most highly recognized athletes and media figures in South Korea. Kim Yu-na won the short program in the women's figure skating event Tuesday with a record high 78.50 points at the Vancouver Winter Games, coming a step closer to an Olympic gold. The reigning world champion took the lead, edging out archrival Mao Asada of Japan by 4.72 points at the Pacific Coliseum. She also broke her own personal best and world record of 76.28 set at Skate America in November last year. |
Skating to a James Bond medley, Kim opened her program with her trademark triple lutz-triple toe loop combination jump, executing the maneuver with high speed and perfect timing that earned her 12 points. Her flawless triple flip and double axel jumps, combined with gorgeous steps and spins, gave the young skater a new world record in the short program.
Thousands of fans in the Coliseum burst into applause and threw flowers on the ice following the close of her performance with her signature James Bond impersonation, clasping her hands into the shape of a gun and blowing on the barrel.
"I'm so happy that I finished the short program perfectly as I practiced," Kim said after her performance. Asada, the 2008 world champion, nailed her challenging triple axel at the start of her program, completing it without error to receive her season best of 73.38 and a second place finish. Canada's Joannie Rochette, whose mother died two days earlier, stood in third place with 71.36 points, breaking into tears after finishing the program.
Kim's fellow South Korean Kwak Min-jung ranked 16th with 53.16 points. The winner of the women's figure skating event will be decided following the free skating program slated for Thursday.
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