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Kim Yu-na and Fan Alliance donate KRW 185 million to treat Corona19

2020-03-07T21:29:00.000-08:00

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Kim Yeon Ah

Kim and fans made a donation to treat Corona19.

On the 26th, UNICEF International Goodwill Ambassador Kim Yu-na and Pan Union (Happy Skater Kim Yu-na Fan Cafe and DC Inside Kim Yu-na Gallery) handed over KRW 185 million to the UNICEF Korea Committee for the treatment of the Corona 19 virus.

This year, the happy skater Kim Yu-na Fan Cafe, which has more than 73,000 fans, held a donation event to celebrate Kim's 10th and 6th anniversary of the Olympic championship. Ambassador's fund was added to 100 million won.

In particular, Kim Yu-na and Ambassador Kim said, “I would like to be a small help in the prevention and treatment of infections that want to prevent the spread of corona 19.” As a result, the full amount of funds will be used to support medical activities through Kyungpook National University Hospital, Gyeongsangbuk-do.

Lee Ki-cheol, Secretary-General of the UNICEF Korea Committee, said, “The warmhearted friendship between Ambassador Kim Yu-na and her fans, who have always paid attention to the difficulties of the world and the global community, is one of the heartfelt gatherings for the Korean people suffering from Corona 19. Has I am deeply grateful to not only the goodwill ambassador Kim Yu-na, who has always been devoted to UNICEF activities, but also to the fans who have been sharing with the precious funds for 11 years. I want to be courageous. ”

On the other hand, fans of Ambassador Kim Yu-na have held various fund-raising events such as Kim Yu-na's birthday and Olympic anniversary since 2010, and the cumulative funds delivered to the UNICEF Korea Committee amounted to 270 million won. Goodwill Ambassador Kim has also donated 1 billion won to children around the world who are suffering from natural disasters and conflicts such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, 2012 Syrian child, 2013 Philippines typhoon and Nepal Nepal earthquake.

Kim Yeon-ah, donation of 100 million → cheering "medical staff, everyone cheer up"

2020-03-07T21:02:00.000-08:00

Reporter Chung Moon-young, MK Sports New Media Team,

'King of Figures' Kim Yu-na cheered on the people and medical staff struggling with 100 million corona 19.

Kim posted a photo and a post on her SNS account on the 4th.

Kim Yeon-ah encouraged, "Please cheer up the medical staff and people who are suffering from the field, including Daegu and Gyeongbuk."

figure skating figure skater Kim Yu-na Photo = Kim Yu-na SNS screenalso added the hashtag “#Return Corona 19 #Hand washing #Cough manners #Mask #Hand sterilization #Lifeification” and informed how to prevent corona spreading.

In the released photo, Kim stares at the camera with a piece of paper that says "I support you who are fighting the Corona Virus without losing hope."

On the other hand, Kim delivered a 18.5 million won fund to support the treatment of new coronavirus infections (Corona 19) to the UNICEF Korea Committee on April 26 with the fan association. mkculture@mkculture.com ▶ Idol B Cut Photo Collection ▶ Click Hot! News [ⓒ MK Sports, All Rights Reserved and Redistribution Prohibited]

Yuna auctions costumes for UNICEF

2011-05-13T21:40:00.000-07:00

So blogger had been weird lately, won't let me sign in so I couldnt make new posts :(

Anyways, back to Yuna news!

Yuna had decided to auction off her costumes from her latest skating show, All That Skate Spring. All the money will go to UNICEF. As you all know, Yuna is a UNICEF ambassador. In the past, she had donated to UNICEF relief for Haiti and Japan.

Below are the pics of Yuna's different costumes from the show.

which one would you bid for?

SEXY YUNA POST!!

2011-05-09T02:29:00.000-07:00

Yuna skating to Beyonce's "Fever" during her ice show this weekend @ South Korea. She looks like she's about to melt the ice any minute.

( go to 0:43 to skip the intro)

DONT MISS THE SLOW-MO RECAP @ 3:57 mark!

Here are some stills of Yuna's HOT HOT HOT performance. I will post more stills this week, so don't fret!

Yuna donates her entire PRIZE MONEY to Japan

2011-05-05T19:45:00.000-07:00

UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Yuna Kim donates prize money to Japan quake survivors

SEOUL, Republic of Korea, 4 May 2011 - UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Yuna Kim says she will donate her silver prize money of $27,000 from the World Figure Skating Championships to children affected by the Japanese earthquake.

“I was heartbroken at the news that still many children in Japan are suffering from the devastating earthquake. So I decided to donate my '2011 World Figure Skating Championships' prize money to UNICEF to support these children,” Ms. Kim said.

“I hope my donation will help Japan recover from the tragedy in a short period of time and affected children can have a better life. I wish many people will continue to support children in Japan, who are still waiting for our help and love.”

It is not the first time Yuna Kim has helped children in need. Even before becoming a Goodwill Ambassador, she donated over $83,000 to Haiti earthquake victims through UNICEF.

As a Goodwill Ambassador, she has made additional donations to the work of UNICEF and appeared in a special video marking the six month anniversary of the earthquake to thank donors and urge continued support for the children in Haiti.

she's truly an angel on earth!

Hopefully this will minimize all the hate she gets from Japan due to the intense rivalry between Yuna and Japanese figureskaters :(

source: UNICEF

2011 World Figure skating Champs (part 2)

2011-05-02T22:50:00.000-07:00

Here's a continuation of my previous post, this time featuring Yuna's performance for the long program category of the 2011 World Figure skating championships held at Moscow last week.

At the end you will see Yuna's final scores in which she ends up in 2nd place behind Miki Ando by only 1 point.While I wish Yuna had won Gold instead of Silver, I'm not too bummed that Miki won. I actually admire Miki, who really improved herself after a couple of seasons of falling behind in competitions; Miki definitely worked hard and stepped it up this year by becoming both Japanese Champion and World Champion. I think both Yuna and Miki deserve a lot of congratulations. As for the bronze medalist, Caroline Kostner of Italy...I personally think she got lucky to be in 3rd, kinda like how she got lucky to come in 2nd at the 2011 Euro Champs. Yuna and Miki's competition was so intense that there's barely a point between them....while Caroline trailed far behind at almost 11 points to separate her and Yuna. I really dont get Caroline's appeal, but maybe its just me. She makes the weirdest facial expressions, it just so awkward to watch.

Anyways, enough babbling from me, enjoy Yuna's performance below, entitled "Homage to Korea" which features traditional Korean music. I gotta say, I'm in love with her music, very original and unique. I've been getting tired of the same ol' classical music they play in skating competitions so Yuna's music is a breath of fresh air!

2011 World Figure skating Champs (part 1) + results

2011-04-30T09:21:00.000-07:00

FINALLY!! I have found a vid of Yuna's brand new skating program at the 2011 World Figureskating Championships at Moscow. It is to the music of "Giselle", a famous ballet. She kinda botched her first jump, but still managed to score as the best performance for the short program category. I'm still searching for a good quality vid of Yuna's long program performance, which is entitled "Homage to Korea" and would feature traditional Korean music. She ended up scoring 2nd in the long program category, finishing 2nd overall since the long program counts more than the short program.

FINAL RESULTS: Yuna won the SILVER medal at the 2011 World Figureskating Championships. She lost the Gold to Miki Ando of Japan BY ONLY 1 FREAKING POINT!!!!

Yuna's main rival and last year's World Champ, Mao Asada, only finished 6th.

You still did amazing, Yuna! You will always be my World Champ!

Yuna’s message on the UNICEF children's newsletter

2011-04-28T19:11:00.000-07:00

Yuna’s message on the UNICEF children's newsletter "We Are Beautiful" April Issue

translation:

Hello!

This issue of UNICEF’s ‘We are Beautiful’ is about the world we live in.
It takes us around the world, a world made more beautiful because we are all different,
and shows us how our fellow friends live.
Where do they live? What do they think are important? What are their favorite activities?What makes the children of the world happy? What makes them sad?
When I was seven years old, I met a world called ‘Figure Skating’.
When I put on my skates and went on the ice I found that I could glide forward with a little bit of force.
The refreshing cool wind that brushed against my face when I sped up…
I felt a joy that I had never felt before.I would play pretend Olympics and dreamt of winning the gold medal.
Now I am dreaming a new dream.That dream is ‘To make a world where all children are happy’.

To help children live a better life is much more difficult than becoming a world champion.There are too many children who live hard lives.
But together we can change the world.I’m confident that we can do it.
How about you?I want to tell children that they can overcome anything,
no matter how difficult the situation may be,
if you have a dream.
Sincerely,
UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador,
Figure Skater Yuna Kim

source

NEW Yuna Kim Samsung Hauzen AC Commercial

2011-04-26T19:33:00.000-07:00

Yuna's brand new commercial for Samsung Hauzen AirConditioner

2011-04-24T01:17:00.000-07:00

Teasers for Yuna's upcoming ice skating show, All That Skate Spring, which will be held in SouthKorea from May 6 to 8. If you'll be in Korea around that time, make sure to get your tickets asap!

teaser 1:

teaser 2:

Children's Book based on Yuna Kim

2011-04-22T00:37:00.000-07:00

Christine Dzdrums, an author for children book, in Southern California, is writing a non-fiction children's book "Yuna Kim: Ice Queen" about Yuna Kim, Olympic Champion figure skater, after writing "Joannie Rochette: Canadian Ice Princess."

She has recently updated her blog about the book, and how Yuna and her mom had reviewed it themselves.

Yuna Kim: Ice Queen. Well, I learned some really cool news last week. It is indeed Yuna and her mother who read the advance copy of the children’s biography I wrote on her. They have offered corrections/suggestions twice now. I am floored by their kindness and generosity. Never when I began writing the biography did I dream that they would provide feedback on it…and such valuable feedback at that! I’m so fortunate to have their input. Anyway, they came up with some wonderful suggestions and a few other corrections that I’m currently incorporating into the book. No worries, though. The book is still slated for a June release…if not sooner. I’ll post an exact date when I hear it myself. I should have a few advance copies for sale at LA Times Festival of Books later this month.

source

I'M BACK YALL! I HAZ INTERNETZ!!! SORRY FOR BEING INCOGNITO FOR A COUPLE DAYZ! ITS BEEN CWAZY BORING WITHOUT BEING ABLE TO ACCESS THE INTERWEBZ :(

Korea's Winter Olympic Bid, featuring Yuna Kim

2011-04-15T22:11:00.000-07:00

Yuna Kim, the official spokesperson for Korea's Olympic Bid for the 2018 Winter Olympics, sent this vid to the Olympic organization in support of PyeongChang, South Korea. In the vid, Yuna talks about how much she benefited from the government program "Drive the Dream" which helped fund to train and send Korean athletes to the Olympics. The video also talks about Korea's plans in building new infrastructures and high speed train which would make it easier to travel from the International Airport to PyeongChang.

Support Korea's 2018 Winter Olympic Bid! It's about time an Asian country hosts the winter Olympics. Btw, I'll be gone for a few days coz I'm going out of town to visit relatives. We'll see if I get internet access there.

Yuna: #4 in Florida Times top 10 Female Athletes

2011-04-13T01:58:00.000-07:00

Counting down the masters of women’s athletics

Is there a better time in the sports calendar to count down the top active female athletes in the world? This list does not factor in marketability, so see ya, Sharapova. Also, the list only includes women who are actually athletes. You may now sit down, Erin Andrews.

1. Serena Williams: Owner of 13 Grand Slam titles, the reigning Wimbledon champ is clearly the most dominant player on the WTA Tour when healthy.

2. Marta: Brazilian soccer star has won the FIFA World Player of the Year award for the last five years.

3. Dara Torres: The five-time Olympian and 12-time medalist is gearing up to add more records to her resume in the 2012 London games.

4. Kim Yu-na: The South Korean put up a world-record score in winning the women’s figure skating gold medal at the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games.

5. Lindsey Vonn: One of three women alpine skiers ever to win the World Cup and downhill championships in three consecutive years (2008-10) and won a gold medal at 2010 Olympics.

6. Lauren Jackson: The Seattle Storm center is the WNBA’s reigning MVP, an award she has won three times in her career.

7. Nastia Liukin: Being the reigning 2008 Olympic gymnastics individual all-around gold medalist has to place her on the list, even if she’s unsure if she’ll try to defend her title in 2012.

8. Danica Patrick: The first woman to ever win an IndyCar Series event is now also competing in NASCAR’s Nationwide Series.

9. Yani Tseng: Only 22, Tseng is a three-time major winner and the No. 1 ranked women’s golfer in the world.

10. Maya Moore: Turned in one of the most dominant collegiate careers of all time at Connecticut and is poised to become WNBA’s next star.

SOURCE

Yuna Kim campaigns for 2018 Winter Olympics in Korea

2011-04-09T22:51:00.000-07:00

Yuna Kim Delivers Video Message in Support of Korean Olympic Bid

‘Figure Queen’ Yuna Kim appealed for PyeongChang, South Korea to host the 2018 Winter Olympics through a video presentation.

Kim has put her schedule as an ambassador for PyeongChang on a hold to concentrate on the World Figure Skating Championships.

The PyeongChang 2018 Bid Committee delivered Kim’s video message on April 7 at the Sport Accord International Convention in London, Great Britain.

The video was 3 minutes and 45 seconds long and spoke about why PyeongChang should be selected for the 2018 Winter Oympics.

The Sport Accord International Convention is an important sports event in which a large number of sports federations and organizations gather.

It is owned by SportAccord (the former General Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF)), Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF), and Association of International Olympic Winter Sports Federations (AIOWF).

Many sports federations hold their annual meetings at the convention, including the International Olympic Committee (IOC). During the convention, each candidate city bidding for the 2018 Winter Olympics gave a 20 minute presentation. The official presentations were in the order of Munich(Germany), Annecy(France), and PyeongChang(Korea).

Kim was scheduled to attend the event but had to decline after the Tokyo World Figure Skating Championships, that were to be held on March 25, were rescheduled to Moscow, April 24 due to the Tohoku earthquake.

Even though Kim could not make it to the convention she delivered her message via video to the IOC and sports officials at the event.

“I was able to become an Olympic champion with the help of the Korean government’s winter sports athlete promotion program ‘Drive the Dream.’ If PyeongChang had not challenged itself for the Olympics, I may have not have had the chance to have challenged myself to become an Olympic champion. By holding the 2018 Winter Olympics games in PyeongChang it will fulfill the dreams of young Asian athlete’s dream of the Olympics and Paralympics,” said Kim in her video message.

The 3 minutes and 45 seconds presentation video was composed of Kim’s English speech that was 1minute 45 seconds long and the remaining 2 minutes were clips of Kim rising as the champion of the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.

Kim will attend the (IOC) technical briefing that will be held in Lausanne, Switzerland on May 18-19 to help PyeongChang bid for the 2018 Winter Olympics. The winning city will be decided by votes of the IOC officials at the 2011 IOC Session that will be held in Durban, South Africa on July 6.

The technical briefing in May is the final official event before the bidding election.

source: Yuna's awesome fansite, Feverskating

Yuna trivia: Yuna is Catholic

2011-04-08T00:48:00.000-07:00

Yuna trivia for today... did you know she's a religious Catholic?

Yuna had converted to Catholicism when she was about 17 years old, and some of you may have seen her doing the sign of the cross during the 2010 Winter Olympics in which she won Gold. Yuna's Catholic name is "Stella", which means "star" and is associated to the Virgin Mary who is referred to as the "Stella Matutina" or "morning star". Only Yuna and her mom had converted, while her dad and older sister remain unassociated with any religion. Before her conversion, Yuna was suffering severe back injuries which makes it painful for her to skate, but a Catholic nun at the hospital where Yuna was getting treatment gave her a Holy Nail (other reports say it's something else, it's never really sure what exactly the nun gave her), and after that Yuna won 3rd by a small margin at the World Championships. It was an incredible feat at such a young age while competing with an injury and against people with more experience.

Yuna will be skating to Beyonce's "Fever"

2011-04-05T02:50:00.000-07:00

“You give me fever” Yuna Kim’s new exhibition program is ‘Fever

‘Figure Queen’ Yuna Kim will show off a new exhibition program.
Kim is planning to debut her new exhibition program ‘Fever’ at the ‘KCC Switzen All That Skate Spring 2011’ which will be held at Jamsil Indoor Stadium in Seoul, May 6 – 8.
Kim’s management ‘All That Sports(ATS)’ reported that Kim will be performing a new exhibition program to global pop diva Beyonce Knowles’ ‘Fever’.
(Kim is currently training for Worlds at Taereung Training Center.)

ATS said it would be a feminine interpretation of the song.
Kim’s program was choreographed by David Wilson while he was in L.A., when he visited in February to go over her programs before the World Championships.

“I’m looking forward to it because it’s a new character for me. This program is filled with colorful choreography and I think there will be a lot of interesting moves to watch.
I hope that a lot of people will like it,” said Kim about her new program.
“I’m excited to see how the audience will react to Yuna’s ‘Fever’ program. The music is very sensual yet refined.
I think Yuna is the only current skater who can bring this music alive on the ice, “said choreographer David Wilson.
“The reactions of the people who watched Yuna’s practices in L.A. were tremendous.
I’m looking forward to seeing the reaction of the Korean audience who will see Yuna’s ‘Fever’ for the first time at ‘KCC Switzen All That Skate Spring 2011’,” added Wilson.
“Yuna's new exhibition is refined and seductive.
She has a way of being elegant and yet captivating at the same time.
You will be able to see a new side of Yuna through ‘Fever’,” said Peter Oppegard, Kim’s coach.

source: yuna's fansite FEVERSKATING.com

video for Beyonce's "FEVER"

woooottt Yuna would melt the ice when she skates to this song!

Past couple of days had been stressful coz I had a debate to do. Can't wait til I'm done with school lol.

Yuna's coach Peter Oppegard joins her in Korea

2011-04-01T22:25:00.000-07:00

Good news for Yuna Kim fans. The boss is in town.

By boss we mean coach Peter Oppegard, who is now in South Korea to help Kim prepare for the rescheduled World Figure Skating Championships.

We did not doubt that Kim was capable of preparing for Worlds on her own, but having her coach fly to South Korea truly shows she is "in it to win it."

The event was originally planned for March 23-27 in Tokyo, Japan, but due to the earthquake and tsunami, the competition was moved to Moscow, Russia from April 25-May 1.

Kim left her training base (and Oppegard) in Los Angeles in late March to fulfill commitments in her home country. Now, Oppegard is in town to help Kim get her training back on track for Worlds.

"There have been changes to the timetable, but I will just keep training the way I have all along," Kim toldThe Korea Herald. "In the U.S., I put myself in perfect shape for March in Tokyo. I will work hard over the next month to regain that form."

The Vancouver Olympic champion has not competed since winning the silver medal at 2010 Worlds - it will be more than a year away from the competitive stage when Kim skates in Moscow.

source

CAN'T WAIT FOR 2011 WORLD CHAMPS!

Android users...introducing the YunaTube App!

2011-03-30T23:17:00.000-07:00

Install it HERE!

DESCRIPTION: Youtube player for exploring everything about Yu-Na Kim!

YuNaTube is a fan-made Youtube player dedicated to Olympic Champion Yu-Na Kim's competitive skating, ice shows, interviews, commercials, etc. Movie clips are from Yu-Na Kim's official youtube channel. Now, explore the Olympic Champion's amazing world with YuNaTube!

NOTE: I am not being sponsored or paid to promote this. Since this is a Yuna fan site, I believe that Yuna fans would love to download this app for their androids :]

source

Yuna confirmed for 2011 World Championships at Moscow

2011-03-27T20:56:00.000-07:00

Yuna Kim confirmed for Moscow Worlds

We were wondering how the rescheduling of Worlds might affect the comeback of Olympic champion Yuna Kim. Aside from a little rearranging of schedules, the answer is not much.

Here is a statement from Kim's management about her plans:

SEOUL KOREA, MARCH 25, 2011 - AT Sports, Yuna Kim's management company, announced that Yuna Kim will be competing at the 2011 World Figure Skating Championships that has recently been rescheduled and relocated to Moscow, Russia after the devastating earthquake in Japan.

After the announcement by the ISU on March 24 confirming that Moscow will be hosting the World Championships from April 24 to May 1, Yuna Kim and her management company have been rearranging her schedule so that she can only focus on her training in preparation for the event.

"I've been busy with various engagements in Korea since my return. But I hope to regain my focus and amp up my training so that I can devote my full attention to the World Championships from now on" said Yuna Kim.

"I have great memories of Moscow as I had achieved a new World Record of 133.70 in the long program at the Grand Prix Cup of Russia in 2007. I remember the enthusiastic fans in Russia and I am glad I will be returning to the Megasport Arena." she further explains.

Kim returned to her native country of Republic of Korea on March 20 and has been training at the Taereung Training Center in Seoul, while working with the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics Bidding Committee in efforts to win the bid for the city.

source: universal sports

2011-03-25T15:26:00.000-07:00

The 2011 World Figure Skating Championships was originally scheduled to start last Monday but was postponed due to the earthquake and Tsunami in Japan, and so we did not get to see Yuna's brand new skating program. Yuna had skipped out on all the other major skating competitions since winning Gold at the Olympics over a year ago, so her fans are excited to see some new material from the queen of skating. Below is a teaser for what Yuna would have performed this week if the World Champs was not postponed. The program is called 'Giselle' based on the the ballet of the same name. However, in the video, the uploader used a background song of Yuna singing. I have to say, Yuna has definitely improved her skating, if that's even possible. She has always been known as one of the fastest figure skaters, but in the clip, her movements seemed to be even sharper and quicker, and her stretches are smoother. She is also known for her very expressive skating, and after watching clips of the European Championships, I've noticed that a lot of skaters are starting to copy Yuna's unique expressive style and arm movements lol.

Yuna Kim disappointed over postponement of World FigureSkating Championships

2011-03-23T23:24:00.000-07:00

‘Figure Queen’ Yuna Kim expressed her disappointment in Tokyo Figure Skating World Championships being postponed.

Kim returned to Korea on the afternoon of March 20, 8 months after she left to train abroad.

She waved to her fans and the press and then moved to the press conference room.

“It was mentally difficult because it was a post-Olympic season.

However, as each month passed my strength began to build up and my programs became more refined.

My preparations were going great, to the point that I thought it was possible to be at my Olympic condition,” said Kim.

If things had gone as planned, Kim would have arrived in Tokyo, Japan on the 20th for the 2011 World Figure Skating Championships.

However the earthquake and the tsunami that struck Japan caused the World Championships to be caught in limbo and Kim changed her destination to Korea.

During her stay, Kim will help with the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic bid. She is also planning to participate in a ice show that is currently scheduled for May at the Jamsil Indoor Stadium.

■ Following is the Q&A from Kim’s interview

- How does it feel to be back in Korea?

“I feel a bit nervous since it’s been 8 months. I was preparing for the World Championships, which were to be held in Japan, in L.A.

Unfortunately, due to the circumstances that happened two weeks ago I changed plans and came to Korea.

It is a bit disappointing that Worlds has been postponed, since I was confident that I could do well after all that training.

But at this point I hope that no more damage will happen (in Japan), and that is more important than a competition.”

- How did you prepare for the World Championships?

“There were changes since I moved may training grounds and started training with a new coach.

It was mentally difficult because it was a post-Olympic season.

However, as each month passed my strength began to build up and my programs became more refined.

My preparations were going great, to the point that I thought it was possible to be at my Olympic condition.“

- Will we be able to see you compete next season?

“The fate of this season’s World Championships still remains undecided. It seems a bit early to talk about next season.”

- When do you think is the best time for Worlds?

“Every skater prepared with March Tokyo Worlds in mind. If there is a change in time scheduling there will be some sort of effect.

Mentally it is sort of a letdown. Whether it (Worlds) is in May or October it will be difficult to remain in top form.”

- It will be difficult to prepare for Worlds while helping with the PyeongChang bid.

“We can’t do much until the ISU makes a decision. For now I’ll concentrate on my role as honorary ambassador of the PyeongChang 2018 Bid Committee.”

- Will you skate to your new short program ‘Giselle’ at the ice show as planned?

“I’m a bit disappointed that I could not debut it at Worlds.

But since the ice show is scheduled for next month it is difficult to change my plans and so we decided to reveal it.

■Note: You said that you will debut ‘Giselle’ at an ice show. Will it be different from the one the World Championships program version?
“There are a lot of environmental limitations in ice shows such as lighting and the size of the ice.
It will be difficult to do a triple combination so I will have to go for an alternate.”

- Are you planning to skate to your new exhibition program at the ice show?

“My new exhibition program was finished during January and February. I am planning to skate to it at the show.”

- Are you going to train without coach Peter Oppegard during your stay?

“I think I’ll be able to do it. Usually I train alone during my off-season stay in Korea.”

- What are your activities as an honorary ambassador of the PyeongChang 2018 Bid Committee?

“I’m planning to participate at the Sports Accord that will be held in Great Britain in April, and in May, the IOC technical briefing that will be held in Lausanne, Switzerland.

There is also the IOC session in South Africa in July.”

- I must have been difficult to train during a post-Olympic season.

“The post-Olympic season is mentally difficult to every Olympian. It was a difficult time for me as well.

I think that is the reason that many skaters had a hard time this season, since figure skating is such a mental sport.

But the skaters began to catch up to their usual paces as the season passed and they seemed to be in top form for the World Championships.”

- So does this mean that we will not be able to see your new free skating program?

“I can’t do the whole program but I may be able to skate to a shorter version in a show.”

■Note: Kim said that she might skate to ‘Homage to Korea’ in a ice show in August.
If so she says it will be a shorter exhibition version of the original long program.

■Note: If you reveal ‘Giselle’ and ‘Homage to Korea’ in the ice shows, will you prepare new programs for next season?
“I don’t know yet. I’ll have to discuss the matter.”

- A message for the Japanese fans who have been through so much.

“I was a bit nervous and at the same time looked forward to skating (at Worlds) and am disappointed that I could not show them what I prepared.

However Japan is currently in a difficult situation and I think it is inappropriate for me to think of Worlds over such a crisis.

I hope that the Japanese people will suffer no more damages.”

- A message to the Korean fans?

“It’s been quite a while since my last visit and I’m disappointed that I couldn’t show my skating to everyone.

But I’ll train twice as hard to show you a great performance in the ice show in May. I hope that a lot of people watch.”

source: Yuna's amazing fansite, Feverskating

Yuna comes home to Korea as Japan cancels Figureskating World Champs

2011-03-21T16:31:00.000-07:00

Yuna was originally scheduled to fly to Japan on March 20 to compete at the 2011 Figure skating World Championships at Tokyo, but due to the Tsunami and Earthquake, the World Champs has been postponed indefinitely. Instead, Yuna decided to go home to Korea after training for months in Artesia, California (a suburb of LA County).

Here are pics of Yuna's homecoming at the airport. South Korea definitely missed their biggest star.

move over, national treasure coming through!

Japan postpones World Figure Skating Championships

2011-03-19T00:50:00.000-07:00

World Figure Skating Championships in Tokyo postponed indefinitely after Japan earthquake, tsunami

The most prestigious event of the year in figure skating has been postponed indefinitely and faces its first cancellation in 50 years because of the crisis in Japan, international skating officials in Lausanne, Switzerland, announced on Monday.

The International Skating Union decided that it is "not possible" to open the six-day ISU World Figure Skating Championships next Monday in Tokyo.

ISU officials and Japanese authorities have been in discussions since a devastating earthquake and tsunami set off the crisis Friday morning.

"It's mixed emotions right now," Ryan Bradley, the men's U.S. figure skating champion, said by phone from Colorado Springs. "It's really frustrating for us. Obviously, we've been trying so hard to be ready. It's an exciting event, the highlight of our season.

"[But] I can't imagine going over there and pretending everything is okay. . . . It's almost irresponsible to go over there and skate in the midst of this."

A decision to postpone the championships was reached after "taking into account the continued critical developments in Japan, the ISU's primary concern for the safety of all participants, spectators and members of concerned entities as well as the travel advisories from many governments to avoid travel to Japan until the situation is settled," ISU President Ottavio Cinquanta and Director General Fredi Schmid said in a joint statement.

It is unclear whether the governing body is considering moving the event. The U.S. Figure Skating Association offered to provide an alternative site in the United States - Los Angeles held the championships in 2009 - but received no response from the ISU, according to a USFSA spokesperson. The ISU declined further comment.

Three male and two female singles skaters and three dance teams and two pairs teams from the United States had qualified for the event with top finishes at the recent U.S. championships. Bradley, Richard Dornbush, Ross Miner, Alissa Czisny and Rachael Flatt qualified in singles; Caitlin Yankowskas and John Coughlin and Amanda Evora and Mark Ladwig qualified in pairs; Meryl Davis and Charlie White, who were expected to contend for the gold medal, qualified in dance along with Maia Shibutani and Alex Shibutani and Madison Chock and Greg Zuerlein.

The world figure skating championships have not been canceled since 1961, when they were not held after the entire U.S. figure skating team and a number of coaches and officials were killed in a plane crash.

The ISU said it will make an announcement when it has decided whether a final cancellation is appropriate. Bradley said he just finished a week of hard training and was beginning his customary pre-event "taper," a lightening of his workload to ensure he would be in top form when the event got underway.

Now, he said Monday morning, he was at loss as to how to prepare.
"It's unreal," he said. "I have to go to the rink and I have no idea how I'm going to train, how I'm going to prepare, or what I'm going to do."

The event not only crowns the sports champions, but it also sets the allocation of spots for each country for the following year's major championship. The governing body also postponed a smaller event, the ISU World Team Trophy, which was scheduled to take place April 14-17 in Yokohama.

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Sorry for being incognito for 5 days, guys! It's been finals week so I tried to avoid going to the internetz or else I'll ending up staying online the whole time instead of studying >_<

What sucks even more was how sick I was this week. Worst time to get the flu!

Let's try to donate what we could for Japan...money, food, etc.!

source: washington post

Yuna's Maeil Pure Yogurt Commercial

2011-03-14T19:01:00.001-07:00

Yuna looks like a nature fairy!

Should Japan cancel Figure Skating World Champs next week?

2011-03-12T19:57:00.000-08:00

The 2011 Figure Skating World Championship will be held in Tokyo,Japan on the 20th, which is next week. The International Skating Union (ISU) which is in-charge of all the huge skating competitions in the world, insists that the show must go on, since event location was not really destroyed. Many, however, felt that it's too soon to hold a skating competition after such a devastating natural disaster. Philip Hersh of the Chicago Tribune believes that the World Champs should not be held in Japan in an article below:

The show must not go on: Too soon for figure skating worlds in ravaged Japan

It was only hours after the catastrophic earthquake and tsunami hit Japan that the International Skating Union issued a statement saying ``the local conditions will permit to regularly conduct'' the World Figure Skating Championships in Tokyo, an event scheduled to begin with official practices March 20, which is a week from tomorrow.

The ISU's assessment had me thinking of the way Shakespeare pilloried the amorality of such decisions.

``Thrift, thrift, Horatio!'' Hamlet says in Act I, Scene II of the eponymous play. ``The funeral bak'd meats did coldly furnish forth the wedding tables.''

Hamlet is referring to the haste with which his mother remarried after the death of her husband, Hamlet's father.

Has the heartless irony of saving money even in a time of grief also clouded skating officials' brains?

Because there is no way to ``regularly conduct'' a world championships while Japan will be burying its dead and likely still searching for its missing from the tragedy that struck the country Friday.

And it is time for skating officials to realize that.

The World Championships must be postponed, moved or simply cancelled.

Whatever that costs the ISU and the Japanese Skating Federation is insignificant compared to the horrifying numbers coming out of Japan.

Japanese media have estimated the death toll from the two-pronged disaster at between 1,300 and 1,700. Tens of thousands of people are missing or unaccounted for. Hundreds of thousands more have been evacuated from their homes.

There is a threat of radioactivity from accidents at Japanese nuclear reactors. And a threat of more damage from aftershocks so severe that they should properly be called earthquakes.

According to the web site of the Italian newspaper La Repubblica, ISU President Ottavio Cinquanta (pic on the left) told reporters Saturday at a speedskating event in Germany ``the danger of radioactivity near Tokyo means there is a new situation to evaluate. We need new information. . .But we will have it only next week after talking to the Japanese federation.''

Cinquanta also said there was no ``Plan B'' for the event, ``but we are thinking of (the idea).''

He should also think about the emotional impact on the Japanese skaters who would be among the favorites at the world meet -- reigning world champions Daisuke Takahashi and Mao Asada and 2007 world champion Miki Ando.

And how would spectators feel about attending such a lighthearted event with death and chaos still in the air?

Sporting events have taken place relatively soon after terrible catastrophes. The 2008 Beijing Olympics, for instance, began just 88 days after after an earthquake in its Sichuan Province killed nearly 70,000 people. The 1986 soccer World Cup took place nine months after a massive earthquake in Mexico killed an estimated 10,000.

One can say it was heartless to hold those events as planned, but at least some months had passed in each case.

That is not the case with the 2011 World Figure Skating Championships.

It would be cruel, immoral, unsafe and -- to put it in terms sports officials should grasp -- simply impractical to let this event take place as scheduled.

Hamlet said, ``The time is out of joint'' as he assessed setting right the situation he faced.

So it is now in Japan, even if the cause is not a single murder but a thousandfold deadly natural event.

It is the time for skating officials to do the right thing.

There can be no World Figure Skating Championships in Japan this month.

source

What do you guys think? Should ISU cancel the Figureskating World Champs for this year? Should they move it to a nearby country, such as South Korea? Should they postpone it to a different date?