208 Facts About Yuna Kim

Yuna Kim, credited in eastern name order as Kim Yuna or Kim Yeon-a, is a South Korean figure skater.

Yuna Kim started skating at five years old and competed in women's singles from 2001 to 2014.

Yuna Kim is the 2010 Olympic champion, the 2014 Olympic silver medalist, a two-time World champion the 2009 Four Continents champion, a three-time Grand Prix Final champion, the 2006 World Junior champion, the 2005 Junior Grand Prix Final champion, and a six-time South Korean national champion.

Yuna Kim never finished off the podium in her competitive career, becoming the first South Korean figure skater to medal at the Olympic Games, World Championships, ISU Grand Prix, and ISU Junior Grand Prix.

Yuna Kim is noted for her rivalry with three-time World champion Mao Asada from Japan, with whom she headlined women's skating for two Olympic cycles until the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.

Yuna Kim had a successful professional skating career, producing and appearing in several ice shows such as All That Skate.

Yuna Kim was included in the Time magazine's annual list of the World's 100 Most Influential People in 2010 and in several Forbes lists.

Yuna Kim was born on September 5,1990, in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea, in the northern part of the country.

Yuna Kim was born to her father, Yuna Kim Hyeon-seok, who was a business owner, and her mother, Park Mi-hee.

Yuna Kim played English cassette tapes in the car to help Kim improve her English skills.

Yuna Kim's father chose to remain out of media attention, choosing to watch her skate on television along with her sister instead of accompanying Yuna Kim to international competitions.

Yuna Kim credited both of them with her success as a figure skater.

Yuna Kim named American figure skaters Michelle Kwan and Sasha Cohen as well as Brian Joubert, Stephane Lambiel, and Tomas Verner as her influences.

Yuna Kim began skating at the age of five at a local rink with her sister.

Yuna Kim later said that Ryu and Shin both helped her, from the start of her skating career, to become who she was both technically and spiritually.

Yuna Kim landed her first triple toe loop jump at the age of 10 and, except for the triple Axel, she was able to perform all types of triple jumps cleanly two years later.

In 2002, Yuna Kim competed internationally for the first time at the Triglav Trophy in Slovenia, where she completed five triple jumps and won the gold medal in the novice competition, the first international victory for a Korean woman.

Yuna Kim placed first at the 2003 Golden Bear of Zagreb, a novice competition.

Yuna Kim won three consecutive South Korean championships between 2003 and 2006.

Yuna Kim won a gold medal at the 2004 JGP Hungary, her first international competition, and became the first Korean skater to win a Junior Grand Prix event.

Yuna Kim placed first in both competition segments, the short program and the free skating program, scoring a combined total of 148.55 points.

At her second competition, the 2004 JGP China, Yuna Kim was in fourth place after making four errors in her short program, but rebounded in the free skate to take second place overall with 131.22 points.

Yuna Kim was ineligible to compete at the World Championships, because she because she did not meet the required age minimum of 15 years old.

Yuna Kim won the silver medal at the 2005 World Junior Championships with 158.93 points overall.

Yuna Kim lacked the corporate sponsorship to pay for her training and participation costs, so she experienced financial difficulties; the Korea Skating Union promised to underwrite her expenses so she could train out of the country.

Yuna Kim came in first place in the free skate, with 99.98 points, and won the gold medal, with 153.43 points overall.

Yuna Kim earned 116.61 points in the free skating program and won the gold medal with an overall score of 174.12 points.

At the 2006 South Korean Championships, Yuna Kim finished in first place with an overall score of 165.52 points.

Yuna Kim captivated the audience and won the free skate with 116.68 points, earning 177.54 points overall She was the only skater in the competition who surpassed 100 points in her free skate.

Yuna Kim made her senior international debut and Orser made his coaching debut at the 2006 Skate Canada International, where she became the first Korean skater to place at a senior Grand Prix event by winning a bronze medal, placing first in the short program and fourth in the free skate, with a total overall score of 168.48 points.

At the 2006 Trophee Eric Bompard, Yuna Kim became the first Korean skater to win a senior Grand Prix competition, placing first in both the short program and free skate, with a total of 184.54 points, her personal best up to that point.

Yuna Kim became the first Korean skater to both medal at and win a Grand Prix Final.

Yuna Kim placed third in the short program and first in the free skate, earning a total of 184.20 points and defeating silver medalist Mao Asada.

Yuna Kim withdrew from the 2007 South Korean Championships, because she was diagnosed in January 2007 with the early stages of lumbar disc herniation, involving the fourth and fifth lumbar vertebrae in her waist.

Yuna Kim said that two-to-four weeks of physical therapy would successfully treat it.

Yuna Kim began treatment, which focused on reinforcing her waist muscles and maintaining her body balance, in Seoul immediately after her diagnosis.

Yuna Kim was unable to train during and afterwards her treatment.

Yuna Kim was scheduled to compete at the 2007 Asian Winter Games, but had to withdraw.

Yuna Kim was selected to compete at the 2007 World Championships in Tokyo.

Rosaleen Kaye of Golden Skate stated that Yuna Kim performed her short program "with an intensity and maturity far above her years".

Yuna Kim told reporters that it was not one incident that exacerbated her back pain, although her short program put burden on her lower back.

Yuna Kim opened her short program with a triple flip-triple toe loop combination with enough speed to carry her out of both jumps.

Yuna Kim accomplished her triple flip-triple toe loop combination "with wonderful flow as well as with a big smile" and her straight line footwork sequence was "light and lyrical".

Yuna Kim fell on both of her triple Lutz jumps and she performed a triple Salchow-double toe loop combination which received no credit because the judges considered it as a fourth combination jump.

Yuna Kim finished fourth in the segment, with 114.19 points, and third overall, with a total of 186.14 points.

Yuna Kim said, after winning the gold medal at the 2009 World Championships, that even though she did her personal best in the short program in 2007, she did not do as well in the free skate.

Yuna Kim's team focused on her triple loop jump, which Orser called her "nemesis jump".

International Figure Skating reported that Yuna Kim had a positive influence and was a good role model for the younger skaters who trained with her in Toronto.

Yuna Kim reported that training in Toronto was an escape from the great fame and "media circus" she faced daily in Korea.

Yuna Kim began the season by becoming the first Korean skater to win the 2007 Cup of China, with a total score of 180.68 points.

Yuna Kim scored 122.36 points and was the only skater in the competition who received no deductions for the free skate.

Yuna Kim later admitted that she was not satisfied with her free skate and vowed to work on it before her next competition.

Yuna Kim became the first Korean skater to win a gold medal at the 2007 Cup of Russia.

Yuna Kim called the competition at Cup of Russia "very strong".

Yuna Kim won the short program, scoring 63.50 points, which was a new season best for her; reporter Anna Kondkova called it "a nearly flawless performance".

Yuna Kim successfully executed her triple flip-triple toe loop combination, but struggled landing her triple Lutz and singled her double Axel.

Yuna Kim won the free skate with 133.70 points, finishing first overall with 197.20 points, and set a world record for the free skate score under the ISU Judging System.

Yuna Kim later said that her jumps felt shaky and that she felt that she had elements she could improve and vowed to work on them.

Yuna Kim won the short program with 64.62 points, a season's best score.

Yuna Kim lost her balance during the first jump of her triple flip-triple toe loop combination, forcing her to touch both her hands on the ice and singling out her subsequent jumps in the combination.

Yuna Kim placed second in the free skate with 132.21 points; Asada came from behind from sixth place in the short program to first place in the free skate and won her second consecutive silver medal at the finals.

Yuna Kim fell early in her routine, but was able to successfully land six triple jumps.

Yuna Kim was not required to compete in the 2008 South Korean Championships, because she had already qualified for the World Championships and the Four Continents Championships, although a hip injury and chronic hip pain prevented her from competing at Four Continents.

Yuna Kim was placed fifth in the short program with 59.85 points, but rebounded in the free skate to win the program with 123.38.

Yuna Kim later told reporters that she planned on taking the next two months to rest and take care of her injury, and then return to training in Canada.

The week before competing at Skate America, Yuna Kim was accepted into Korea University.

Yuna Kim told reporters that her goal for the season was to remain healthy and that she had learned how to both recover from her injuries and prevent them from happening.

Yuna Kim placed first in the short program at Skate America with a score of 69.50, despite trouble with her double Axel.

Yuna Kim was the only competitor in the short program to skate a clean triple-triple combination jump and scored 10.70 points on her triple flip-triple toe combination jump, her first jump of the program; all eight of her elements, except her double Axel, earned her positive GOEs.

Yuna Kim captured the gold medal, winning the free skate with a score of 123.95, and earning 193.45 points overall.

Yuna Kim landed six triple jumps, including her opening triple flip-triple toe jump combination, the only triple-triple jump combination in the competition not downgraded by the judges.

Yuna Kim later expressed appreciation to the large Korean contingent in the audience.

Yuna Kim won the 2008 Cup of China, where she received a score of 63.64 in the short program and 128.11 in the free skate, placing first in both.

Yuna Kim made errors in her short program; she two-footed and under-rotated her triple Lutz, which was downgraded to a double jump.

Yuna Kim stepped out of her first triple Lutz, which she did not think affected her score, so she added a double toe jump to the end of her second triple Lutz.

Yuna Kim returned to Toronto to rest and to further improve her programs; she later admitted that she was "quite exhausted" after the Cup of China.

Yuna Kim arrived in Goyang feeling a great deal of pressure, but told reporters that she was looking forward to skating in her home country.

Yuna Kim placed first in the short program with 65.94 points, well below her personal best, and second in the free skate where she earned 120.41 points.

Yuna Kim landed a "beautiful" triple flip-triple toe loop combination jump at the start of her short program, flubbed her planned triple Lutz, and then successfully completed a double Axel.

Yuna Kim later admitted that the timing on her Lutz "wasn't so great", but she was satisfied with her other elements and said that since last season, she had learned to recover from her errors.

Yuna Kim opened her free skating program with a strong triple flip-triple toe loop combination, which she followed up with a double Axel-triple toe loop combination.

Yuna Kim flubbed her planned triple Lutz and fell on her triple Salchow, but was able to land her double Axel at the end of the program.

Yuna Kim later complained of suffering from a cold and although she enjoyed skating in Korea, she spoke of feeling the pressure of competing there.

Yuna Kim then competed at the 2009 Four Continents Championships in Vancouver, Canada.

Yuna Kim set a new world record of 72.24 points in the short program with a clean performance.

Opening with a "beautiful" triple flip-triple toe loop combination jump, Yuna Kim was the only one of the top six women in the competition to get credit for a triple-triple combination.

Yuna Kim scored 116.83 in the free skating program, keeping the lead with 189.07 points overall and winning the gold medal.

Kang Seung-woo from The Korea Times stated that Yuna Kim's success "brightened prospects for a first figure skating medal for the Far East nation in the Winter Games".

Yuna Kim was happy with her free skating performance, despite falling after her triple loop jump, a jump she had not been able to successfully accomplish all season.

Yuna Kim was able to land her triple Lutz-double toe loop-double loop combination jump, which was downgraded, and completed her double Axel-triple toe loop combination jump.

Orser, who later said that Yuna Kim was well-trained, stated about Yuna Kim's short program, "I think this was one of those moments people will always remember, especially those judges".

Yuna Kim began her program with her triple flip-triple toe loop combination jump, which Yoon Chul of The Korea Times called "undoubtedly perfect", and a triple Lutz, which was followed by "a superb" spiral sequence.

Chul reported that Yuna Kim skated with energy and confidence and that the audience gave her a standing ovation.

Yuna Kim later expressed her appreciation for her Korean fans in the audience during her short program.

Yuna Kim won the free skate, and set a new world record total score of 207.71, winning her first World Championship title, as well as becoming the first female skater to surpass 200 points under the ISU Judging System.

Yuna Kim's win established her as a contender for the 2010 Winter Olympics.

Yuna Kim successfully executed five triple jumps, three in combination, which included a triple flip-triple toe loop combination at the start of the program.

Yuna Kim chose to replace her triple loop with an Ina Bauer going into a double Axel because although triple loops were worth more points, errors that resulted in a loss of points were more common.

The Associated Press reported that Yuna Kim's footwork was "exquisite" and that she "skated with the elegance of a queen".

Yuna Kim later said that winning the World Championships was the fulfillment of a dream and that she wanted to win because it was the last World Championships before the Olympics.

Yuna Kim broke her own world records for both the free skate and the overall score.

At the 2009 Skate America, Yuna Kim placed first again after the short program with a score of 76.28, ahead of her closest competitor Rachael Flatt from the United States.

Yuna Kim set a new world record for the short program, marking the fourth straight competition in which she broke world records.

Yuna Kim later said that every competition was important to her and she considered them practice for the Olympics.

Yuna Kim placed second in the free skate with a score of 111.70 points, but won the event with 187.98 points.

Yuna Kim placed second in the short program with 65.64 points.

In February 2010, Yuna Kim competed in the women's event at the 2010 Winter Olympics, where she won Olympic gold.

In March 2010, Yuna Kim competed at the 2010 World Championships in Turin, Italy.

Yuna Kim said she had struggled with finding the motivation to compete at the World Championships after winning the gold medal at the Olympics.

Yuna Kim placed seventh in the short program with 60.30 points, the third-worst lowest score of her career and the first time she did not place into the top five.

Yuna Kim rebounded in the free skate to win the program with 130.49 points, and won the silver medal with a total of 190.79 points.

Yuna Kim later admitted that Worlds were mentally difficult for her and that she had seriously considered pulling out of the competition.

In February 2010, Yuna Kim competed in the women's event at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, held in Vancouver, Canada.

Yuna Kim entered the Games as a strong favourite to win the gold.

The New York Times reported on the great amount of pressure Yuna Kim felt going into the Olympics, but told the newspaper that she was "prepared for anything".

Yuna Kim chose to stay at an inexpensive hotel instead of at the Olympic Village; her mother, Orser, and David Wilson stayed in the same hotel.

Yuna Kim accomplished her best score in the short program, breaking her own world record by over two points.

Yuna Kim later told reporters that she felt no pressure going into the free skate.

Yuna Kim won the gold medal, becoming the first South Korean skater to medal in any discipline of figure skating at the Olympic Games.

Yuna Kim defeated silver medalist Mao Asada by 23.06 points, the greatest margin recorded in women's singles at the Olympics or World Championships since the introduction of the ISU Judging System.

Dorothy Hamill, the 1976 Olympic champion, said that Yuna Kim had "jaw-dropping magnificence", adding "The height of her jumps, the power, and the fluid beauty of her skating are like magic".

Jacques Rogge, then-president of the International Olympic Committee, stated that Yuna Kim's performance "touched me in a way that I haven't been touched since Torvill and Dean in Sarajevo".

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who met with and congratulated South Korean Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan the following day, praised Yuna Kim's performance, calling it "extraordinary".

Christopher Clarey from The New York Times reported that Yuna Kim considered retiring from competition at the end of the season.

The Toronto Star reported that later that same month, Orser leaked, without permission, the music Yuna Kim had planned to use for her free skating program during the upcoming season, something frowned upon in figure skating.

At first, Yuna Kim continued to train in Toronto without a coach and no plans to hire one.

Yuna Kim told CNN that her focus, instead of being on the results, was to enjoy and show a different side of herself.

Yuna Kim chose not to compete at the 2011 Four Continents Championships, because the previous Olympics had sapped her energy.

Yuna Kim stumbled out of her triple Lutz, so she was unable to include her planned triple-triple combination jump, but she added a double toe loop to her planned triple flip in order to fulfill the combination jump requirement.

Oppegard later told reporters that he thought that Yuna Kim was nervous because it was her first competition in a year.

Yuna Kim told reporters that getting back into training was difficult and that she often lacked the motivation to continue.

Yuna Kim came in second in the free skate with 128.59 points and won the silver medal, with a total score of 194.50 points.

Skating to Korean music, which she called "a love letter to my country", Yuna Kim landed her opening triple Lutz-triple toe loop combination jump and landed another triple Lutz and two triple Salchows, but she flubbed her flip jump.

Golden Skate reported that Yuna Kim "continued her impressive record" of earning a medal in every competition she had entered since the Junior Grand Prix in 2015.

Yuna Kim said she might miss the next Grand Prix series due to her work promoting South Korea's successful bid for the 2018 Winter Olympics.

Yuna Kim later said that she took the break due to the high expectations and pressure she felt going into the Vancouver Olympics.

Yuna Kim later told Nancy Armour of the Associated Press that she was "determined not to be suffocated by the pressure again".

Yuna Kim said that returning to competition after winning the Olympics and after a long break was difficult, but that she felt less pressure because she was not as desperate to win.

Yuna Kim told reporters that she had no regrets for taking so much time off from competitive skating and although she recognized she had her work cut out for her, she considered Sochi an opportunity to start over.

Yuna Kim told reporters that she found inspiration from younger Korean skaters while training at home during her break.

Yuna Kim left Oppegard and began training with her childhood coaches Shin Hea-sook and Ryu Jong-hyun.

Yuna Kim's coaches reported that Kim's technique was no problem, even after her long break, but that they were working on her stamina in training.

Yuna Kim chose music from the 1963 film The Kiss of the Vampire for her short program and selections from the musical Les Miserables for her free skate.

Yuna Kim used movie and musical soundtracks because she wanted to use something new.

Yuna Kim needed to earn 48 points in her technical element scores during her free skate in order to qualify for the 2013 World Championships, which she easily did.

Yuna Kim had applied to compete at the Golden Spin of Zagreb, in case she did not earn enough points, but withdrew her application after the NRW Trophy.

Yuna Kim later admitted that she felt nervous during the warm-up before her free skate, but she kept her nerves under control and considered skating at a minor competition a positive experience.

Yuna Kim stated that she concentrated on her elements, but intended to improve upon her free skate's choreography and emotional aspect and was looking towards the South Korean Championships and the 2014 Olympics.

Yuna Kim told reporters that she was enjoying her reunion with Shin and Ryu, and that she had missed training at home in Korea.

Yuna Kim was a strong favourite to win the South Korean Championships.

Yuna Kim skated a clean short program, placing first with a score of 64.97.

Yuna Kim won the free skate with a score of 145.80 points and 210.77 points overall.

Yuna Kim won her fifth national title and qualified to compete in the World Championships.

At the 2013 World Championships and looking to win her second World title, Yuna Kim placed first in the short program with a score of 69.97 points.

Yuna Kim completed a triple Lutz-triple toe loop combination jump, a triple flip, which was downgraded due to her take-off on the wrong edge of her skate, and a double Axel.

Yuna Kim later told reporters that she was disappointed with her score, but had no regrets about her short program.

Yuna Kim said that she enjoyed skating "in the middle of the pack" because skating later on made her more nervous.

Yuna Kim won the free skate after executing a clean program that earned her 148.34 points.

Yuna Kim, who told reporters that she felt less pressure, seemed "able to enjoy the moment".

Armour speculated that if Yuna Kim continued to skate like that in Sochi, she would be hard to beat at the Olympics.

Yuna Kim received a standing ovation for her free skate, which Philip Hersh of the Chicago Tribune called "an ethereal free skate of surpassing brilliance".

Yuna Kim said later that she felt happy with her free skate; she said that it was the first time she no longer focused on the results, but had been able to enjoy both skating and competing.

Up to that point, Yuna Kim had earned medals at all 30 of her international competitions, both at the junior and senior levels, and had won gold medals at 19 of them.

Yuna Kim competed in the 2013 Golden Spin of Zagreb, her first competition in nine months.

Yuna Kim placed first in the short program with a score of 73.37 points and won the free skate with 131.12 points.

Yuna Kim earned the highest short program component scores of her career and the highest short program score in the Grand Prix that season.

In early January, Yuna Kim competed in the 2014 South Korean Championships.

Yuna Kim finished first after the short program with 80.60 points, which was her personal best score, and won the free skate, which was called "flawless", with 147.26 points.

Yuna Kim won her sixth national title with a total score of 227.86 points, the second-highest score ever earned.

Yonhap News Agency stated that Yuna Kim's victory raised expectations for winning a second gold medal at the Olympics.

In February 2014, Yuna Kim competed at the 2014 Winter Olympic Games, seeking to become the first woman to win back-to-back Olympic gold medals since Katarina Witt and with the intention of retiring from competitive skating afterwards.

Yuna Kim narrowly came in first place after the short program with 74.92 points.

Yuna Kim skated earlier than the other favorite competitors, due to her lower international standing, although she later said that it lessened her pressure.

Yuna Kim later admitted that she was not as motivated as she was in Vancouver.

Yuna Kim declined to comment on the controversy at the press conference after the Olympics and told Philip Hersh in 2020 that her feelings about it had not changed.

Yuna Kim participated in the South Korean ice show, Superstars on Ice, in 2006, shortly before her senior debut, and in the Japanese show Dreams on Ice the following year.

Yuna Kim hosted a charity ice show, Angels on Ice, on December 25,2008, in Seoul, appearing alongside 2008 World bronze medallist Johnny Weir and ten young South Korean figure skaters.

Yuna Kim stated she wanted to show her gratitude to local fans for their support.

In June 2012, Yuna Kim took part in Artistry on Ice in China.

Yuna Kim added, "It's a breakthrough in Artistry on Ice, and even in China's figure skating history, although she only took part in the Shanghai stop".

Yuna Kim held farewell ice shows in Seoul following her retirement from competition in 2014.

Yuna Kim skated to the song "House of Woodcock" from the soundtrack of the film Phantom Thread, which she thought was not flashy or dramatic and suited her well.

Yuna Kim worked with David Wilson in Canada to develop the program, even though they had not spoken in four years.

Yuna Kim did not include any jumps in her show program, but wanted a program that was "pure and beautiful, not dramatic".

Yuna Kim "enthralled the crowd" with her signature Ina Bauer and Yuna camel, as well as a new twizzle spin.

In 2019, Yuna Kim performed again in All That Skate, using music from Variations from the Russian song "Dark Eyes" and the 2017 Julia Michaels song "Issues".

In 2010, Yuna Kim told Susannah Palk of CNN that the tickets to the shows she headlined sold out a few minutes after going on sale.

Yuna Kim said that her fellow performers wanted to return to her shows because of the audience's responses.

Yuna Kim was known for the "lighter-than-air grace in her movements on the ice", her jumps, her speed, and her grounding in the demands of the ISU judging system.

Yuna Kim was known for her execution of her triple Lutz-triple toe loop combination jump, and her "signature" layover spin, called the "Yuna Camel".

In 2020, Scott Hamilton stated that Yuna Kim was the best model of how to earn the most points under the IJS, especially her component scores and praised her speed, technique, and spiral sequences.

In 2010, Orser said that Yuna Kim was able to lead a more "normal life" in Toronto, without the great fame she experienced in South Korea.

Yuna Kim was highly praised for her skating and presentation skills.

Frank Carroll, who was Michelle Kwan's coach, said that Yuna Kim was able to combine athletics and creativity, despite it being "almost impossible" under the new judging system.

Yuna Kim called her "an absolute dream" to work with.

In 2009, when Yuna Kim won the Worlds Championships and Asada came in second place, the Associated Press called their rivalry "the best thing going in skating these days" and stated that it was the reason for their fame in their respective countries.

In 2005, Yuna Kim was appointed a public relations ambassador by the South Korea Olympic Committee's unsuccessful bid to host the 2014 Olympics.

Yuna Kim was later credited with helping Korea win the bid.

In October 2011, Yuna Kim was appointed a member of the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympic Winter Games Organising Committee and was named an official ambassador for the 2018 Olympics.

Yuna Kim appeared as the final torch bearer and lit the Olympic flame in the Opening Ceremony.

Yuna Kim was appointed a member of the Organising Committee.

Yuna Kim has been active in a variety of fields, including music, television, and fashion.

Yuna Kim has received many awards and honours during her career and afterwards in South Korea and from around the world.

Yuna Kim has been featured in various lists, including the Time 100 and several Forbes lists.

Yuna Kim went to Dojang Middle School, though she stopped attending classes after joining the national team, and later Suri High School in Gunpo.

Yuna Kim was initially attracted to KU because she wanted to attend a college that would understand and accommodate her needs as an athlete, which included taking a year off to compete in the Olympics, and because of their sports facilities, which included an ice rink.

Yuna Kim made charitable donations and volunteered at Catholic hospitals, universities, and organizations.

On July 25,2022, it was confirmed that Yuna Kim would marry singer Ko Woo-rim of Forestella, with whom she had been in a relationship for three years.