South Korea’s Kim Yu-Na tops figure skating world
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AFP
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Mart 30, 2009 00:00
LOS ANGELES / SEOUL - South Korea's Kim Yu-Na captured the gold medal at the World Figure Skating Championships Saturday, becoming the first South Korean champion in event's 99-year history.
Kim dominated the field Saturday, posting a stunning record score of 207.71 -- the best ever by a woman and the first time a female had surpassed the 200 point barrier.
"This is the last competition of the season and the last World Championships before the Olympic Games so I really wanted this title," said Kim, who earned $45,000 in prize money.
Kim finished 16.42 points ahead of Canada's Joannie Rochette who won the silver medal while Miki Ando of Japan got the bronze in front of a near sellout crowd at Staples Center arena. Defending champion Mao Asada, of Japan, finished a disappointing fourth, a whopping 19.62 points behind Kim.
The World Championship victory establishes the 18-year-old Kim as the gold medal favorite for the Winter Olympics at Vancouver in 11 months.
"Next year is the most important year with the Olympics," Kim said.
Skating brilliantly to Rimski-Korsakov's Sheherazade, Kim now has a gold to go with the two bronze medals she won in 2007 and 2008."To perform this well at the World Championships was my dream," said Kim. "I did it here and it is just amazing." "I just wanted to do my best and I did very good. I really wanted to get this title."
Complex program
Kim's complex program featured six triple jumps, including a triple Lutz-double toe loop/double loop combination sandwiched between two double Axels. The only blemish was a triple salchow she bailed on and turned into a single. Rochette also skated a superb routine, attempting six triple jumps to become the first Canadian female to win a medal in women's event in 21 years. Elizabeth Manley also won a silver in Budapest back in 1988.
She failed to land a triple loop and had slight wobble on her triple Lutz but her overall performance was superb.
"It was my goal to medal here from the beginning of the season," Rochette said. "I wanted to be on the podium. I believed in myself that I could do it."
Heading into the Worlds, Japan's Asada was considered Kim's main rival. Kim won the Four Continents Championship last month in Vancouver and Asada won the ISU Grand Prix in South Korea in December.
They had been going head-to-head over the past year but Asada faded in Los Angeles and never really posed a threat to Kim, who just keeps setting the bar higher each time out.
Kim won Friday's short program with another record score. Asada held the previous overall record of 199.52 set at the 2006 NHK Trophy event. "Even with my mistake I was able to get the 200 points," Kim said. "I didn't really want to think about the scores because it gives me pressure." South Korea yesterday cheered 18-year-old Kim Yu-Na's historic victory at the World Figure Skating Championships.
People were glued to their television sets at home, in bus terminals or at train stops to see Kim's effortless performance, broadcast live from Los Angeles early yesterday, Seoul time.
"This is the last competition of the season and the last World Championships before the Olympic Games so I really wanted this title," said Kim, who earned $45,000 in prize money.
Kim finished 16.42 points ahead of Canada's Joannie Rochette who won the silver medal while Miki Ando of Japan got the bronze in front of a near sellout crowd at Staples Center arena. Defending champion Mao Asada, of Japan, finished a disappointing fourth, a whopping 19.62 points behind Kim.
The World Championship victory establishes the 18-year-old Kim as the gold medal favorite for the Winter Olympics at Vancouver in 11 months.
"Next year is the most important year with the Olympics," Kim said.
Skating brilliantly to Rimski-Korsakov's Sheherazade, Kim now has a gold to go with the two bronze medals she won in 2007 and 2008."To perform this well at the World Championships was my dream," said Kim. "I did it here and it is just amazing." "I just wanted to do my best and I did very good. I really wanted to get this title."
Complex program
Kim's complex program featured six triple jumps, including a triple Lutz-double toe loop/double loop combination sandwiched between two double Axels. The only blemish was a triple salchow she bailed on and turned into a single. Rochette also skated a superb routine, attempting six triple jumps to become the first Canadian female to win a medal in women's event in 21 years. Elizabeth Manley also won a silver in Budapest back in 1988.
She failed to land a triple loop and had slight wobble on her triple Lutz but her overall performance was superb.
"It was my goal to medal here from the beginning of the season," Rochette said. "I wanted to be on the podium. I believed in myself that I could do it."
Heading into the Worlds, Japan's Asada was considered Kim's main rival. Kim won the Four Continents Championship last month in Vancouver and Asada won the ISU Grand Prix in South Korea in December.
They had been going head-to-head over the past year but Asada faded in Los Angeles and never really posed a threat to Kim, who just keeps setting the bar higher each time out.
Kim won Friday's short program with another record score. Asada held the previous overall record of 199.52 set at the 2006 NHK Trophy event. "Even with my mistake I was able to get the 200 points," Kim said. "I didn't really want to think about the scores because it gives me pressure." South Korea yesterday cheered 18-year-old Kim Yu-Na's historic victory at the World Figure Skating Championships.
People were glued to their television sets at home, in bus terminals or at train stops to see Kim's effortless performance, broadcast live from Los Angeles early yesterday, Seoul time.