This stand-alone quote from Yuna Kim to the Associated Press after Pyeongchang
This stand-alone quote from Yuna Kim to the Associated Press after Pyeongchang won the 2018 Olympic Winter Games bid has our mind racing.
“I am lost for words about now. I can’t say anything right now. I’m really excited. It will be very good to compete in my own country.” – Yuna Kim, reigning Olympic figure skating champion and Pyeongchang 2018 bid ambassador.
Kim, who has only competed once since claiming Olympic gold in Vancouver, has not even fully committed to Sochi 2014, but this quote makes it seem like she is already thinking 2018.
We don’t want to get our hopes too high with about seven years until the Pyeongchang Olympics, but if Kim were to extend her career to 2018, it would be the kind of longevity the sport has been seeking since the days of ‘Queen Yuna’s’ idol Michelle Kwan.
It is not uncommon for female figure skaters to peak as teenagers and spend their 20s struggling to stay competitive – but this was not the case for Kwan. The two-time Olympic medalist and five-time world champion was at the top of the sport for more than 10 years and her name recognition alone did wonders for figure skating.
While Kwan did not quite make it to a third Olympics*, withdrawing from the 2006 Torino Games due to injury, her presence as one of the top names in figure skating has been missed in recent years. Casual fans are just beginning to fully feel the Yuna Kim effect and recognize the names of Japan’s stars like Mao Asada and Miki Ando.
You know that Mirai Nagasu will compete for the USA!
See interviews and practice with Kim Yu-Na and Michelle Kwan. Interview with Yu-Na is in Korean. Interview with Michelle is in English.