Monday, February 22, 2010

Olympic Athlete Profile (12 of 25) Kim Yu-Na/women's figure skating/South Korea



The 'Princess Diana' of South Korea, as her Canadian coach Brian Orser calls her, Kim Yu-Na, 19, will be performing soon in Vancouver.

She is the gold medal favorite in women's skating, which could be a jinx since no favorite has won the event since Oksana Baul in 1994.

Kim trains in Toronto with Orser and she was won the last nine of 11 world competitions she's been in.

She began skating at the age of 11 and Kim won her first South Korean title at age 13 in 2003.

Kim has become quite a sensation in South Korea where she appears in commercials for products such as Samsung Electronics.

Orser told "The New York Times" that she is aware of how Koreans are watching how she performs with high anticipation:

"I think she realizes that she has made a difference in that country," Orser said. "She's changed the morale there during this global recession."

Kim told the media that she felt nervous about the Olympics, but that she was focused on the task at hand.

Her top rival is the Japanese skater Mao Asada, who is a silver medal favorite.

Kim will skate her long program to music from George Gershwin, but her short program, which features theme music from James Bond movies seems to get her more attention.

The South Korean skater added that there is more to life than what happens in Vancouver:

"Even if I don't win the gold medal, I would (pause) I would not be disappointed too much."

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