As some of you may know, Adam and I are die hard Bond fans. When we saw Yu-Na Kim's performance in Lake Placid NY being celebrated and talked about here in Korea, we knew it was time to write a blog on their beloved skater.I grew up watching ice skating in the Bryan Boitano, Elvis Stojko and Nancy Kerrigan days. My Mom and I would hog the TV on the weekends and watch the entertainers. I liked the calm romantic routines but always loved the more hiphop tones they sometimes performed too.
Here in Korea, I believe Yu-Na Kim is 3/4 of my students hero. They have traveled to Seoul to watch her skate and for every 5 essays my students turn in, they somehow work her into their writing. Yu-Na is a 19 year old skater that is now being trained in Canada by Brian Orser, who I remember watching skate with my mom. Yu-na is from Bucheon, South Korea and is I would say a national hero. Her face is similar to Dwight Howard's in Orlando...all over the sides of billboards and in commercials ranging from cell phones to refrigerators. She is the 2009 World Champion. She is the woman's record holder for both the short program and free skating. She is the first female skater to earn more than 200 points and also the first to receive +2.20 grade of execution for jumps. As of today, Yu-Na is ranted second in the world. Carolina Kostner from Italy leads by 51 points.
Yu-Na began skating when she was 7. Her coach encouraged her parents to continue her training because she was such a natural. She has her own signature move which her fans call the Yu-Na Spin.
Yu-Na is sponsored by Nike, Hyundai and Kookmin Bank. For those of you who have heard about the Visit Korea Year 2010-2012 (I know it is two years, thats Korea for ya) Yu-Na is an ambassador.
Below is her perfect 007 Bond Routine, Enjoy
2 comments:
I love Yu-Na! She's a great skater, I think the best in the world, as that 007 routine showed. She's got such strength AND grace... a flow which I think is hard to find in skating these days as the jumps get more difficult and the routines more and more demanding.
I agree, she is amazing!
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