I want to be Yu-Na Kim

I've always loved ice skating, but I've never geeked out like this before about a figure skater. Or any athlete, to be brutally honest. I can't stop watching this girl- and she's not even American! She's Korean! When the Olympics roll around, I'm going to be a horrible American and root for Yu-Na Kim to win gold. It's unavoidable.

The ISU World Figure Skating Championships begin March 22nd, and I am already arranging my Friday schedule so that I can watch the ladies short programs live on March 27th. Saturday the 28th, same thing with free skating.

My fascination with Yu-Na is in part due to her intense rivalry with Japanese skater Mao Asada. These two girls are the best in the world. No contest. In terms of repertoire, the technical difficulty of their jumps, the beauty of presentation, these two girls blow everyone else out of the water. Ever since they emerged on the worlds stage, they've been neck in neck, edging ahead of each other in one competition or the other. They each have set records- Asada is the only woman to have landed two triple axels in a competition, and she holds the world record for best combined score in a competition. Both young women are held up as examples of Korea's and Japan's best female athletes and the two are national celebrities. Yu-Na Kim, in particular is a media figure of great national interest due to South Korea's limited supply of world-class athletes. Yu-Na is known as the "little sister of the nation" and "Queen Yu-Na"; Asada is spoken of as "Our Mao" and "Queen Asada."

The real question is, who will be the queen in Vancouver in 2010? I don't know! I can't wait to find out!

I have embedded examples of the beauty and glory that is Yu-Na Kim. Her most recent programs are towards the bottom, but all of these are fantastic. She's currently the world record holder for short program and free skate. She is a BAMF. Long story short.

Did I mention that they're both 18, and 5'5? Yeah, my height, practically my age, world champions. * Sigh *

Yu-Na Kim skating in the 2007 World Championships- Short Program "El Tango de Roxanne"
(This is the short program that held the world record for highest score under the ISU judging system until she beat it in 2009)


Yu-Na Kim skating in the 2008 Worlds Championships Gala- Exhibition "Only Hope"
(I. Love. This. Song. )


Yu-Na Kim skating in the 2009 Four Continents Figure Skating Championships- Short Program "Danse Macabre"
(This program currently holds the world record for highest scoring short program. She beat her own record.)


Yu-Na Kim skating in the 2009 Four Continents Figure Skating Championships- Exhibition "Gold"


AND- FOR COMPARISON-

Mao Asada skating in the 2008 Grand Prix Figure Skating Final- Long Program "Masquerade" (This is the one where she lands the two triple axels!)


Who do you like better?

~THEG