Yuna Kim

Thanks to all for providing the links. I throughly enjoyed watching!

Thanks for the link! Beautiful lyrics.

I have to wonder if Yu-na is waiting for that announcement to decide if she will keep skating. If Korea does not win the bod for 2018, i can't see her continue skating.

Tinymavy15 said:

I have to wonder if Yu-na is waiting for that announcement to decide if she will keep skating. If Korea does not win the bod for 2018, i can't see her continue skating.

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I agree with you, though I hope to see her continue

Again, the same time of the week returned with another episode of Yuna's skating show:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eYDtHQS81c

Yuna is now off to Togo, Africa for her presentation before the ANOCA assembly. She will then fly to Europe to attend the wedding of Prince Albert II of Monaco, then go to Dubai and finally Durban, South Africa for the final IOC vote/selection.

Let's hope the IOC selects PyeongChang for the 2018 winter games. That would go a long way towards supporting the massive increase in figure skating fans and aspiring athletes, and maintaining the public interest and funding/sponsorship of all things figure skating in Korea.

In other news, Yuna's TV show Kiss&Cry is improving in the ratings.

Krislite said:

Yuna is now off to Togo, Africa for her presentation before the ANOCA assembly. She will then fly to Europe to attend the wedding of Prince Albert II of Monaco, then go to Dubai and finally Durban, South Africa for the final IOC vote/selection.

Let's hope the IOC selects PyeongChang for the 2018 winter games. That would go a long way towards supporting the massive increase in figure skating fans and aspiring athletes, and maintaining the public interest and funding/sponsorship of all things figure skating in Korea.

In other news, Yuna's TV show Kiss&Cry is improving in the ratings.

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yup! it reached 10.4%!!! the highest ratings so far for the show. :thumbsup:

pics of yuna leaving to togo from the airport!
http://imgnews.naver.com/image/003/2011/06/27/NISI20110627_0004738394_web.jpg
http://imgnews.naver.com/image/003/2011/06/27/NISI20110627_0004738517_web.jpg
http://imgnews.naver.com/image/003/2011/06/27/NISI20110627_0004738518_web.jpg
http://imgnews.naver.com/image/001/2011/06/27/PYH2011062700790000700_P2.jpg
http://imgnews.naver.com/image/001/2011/06/27/PYH2011062700780000700_P2.jpg
http://imgnews.naver.com/image/001/2011/06/27/PYH2011062700740000700_P2.jpg
http://imgnews.naver.com/image/001/2011/06/27/PYH2011062700750000700_P2.jpg

parma said:

Again, the same time of the week returned with another episode of Yuna's skating show:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eYDtHQS81c

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A question for those of you who are more knowledgeable about pairs/ice dancing than I am (which means just about everyone ):

In the most recent episode, one of the pairs skates was done by a very young duo who I like to call the Mouseketeers (the celebrity girl is about 13 I think, and the "expert skater" boy is about 11. And as would be expected, the girl towers over the boy). Having become an aficionado of the show, I predicted that we would never see a lift from this pair. But lo and behold, I was wrong: the GIRL lifted the BOY. Very cute solution to the problem.

My question: Would I be correct in assuming that in pairs/ice dancing, it is theoretically possible for the woman in the duo to lift the man (and the reason we don't see this is purely a matter of physical practicality)? What would happen if there were a pair in which the woman was built like Laila Ali (not only is she a ravishing beauty, but has an amazon's physique; probably about six feet and 160-170 pounds of muscle and sinew. And judging by Dancing with the Stars, she's an incredibly gifted dancer in the bargain), and the man was, say, 40 pounds lighter? Could they simply "switch roles", as it were? Also, I do wonder how such an arrangement would be perceived/received in terms of PCS...

In ice dance, Anissina & Peizerat, Faiella and Scali, and the Kerrs, and I think the Hubbells did lifts where the woman lifts the man. These days, you only see this sort of lift as one of the choreographic, non-counting lifts, because even those girls who can lift their partner can't do a Level 4 type lift.

I don't remember any pairs where the girl lifted the guy, but if any teams might have done it, I would suspect Selezneva & Makarova or Tai & Randy (their pull Arabians showed off Tai's power)
or Dawn & Troy Goldstein might have been able to do it. It's a long time since pair teams where the partners were close in size have existed at the elite level or even Sr Nationals level in the US.

dorispulaski said:

In ice dance, Anissina & Peizerat, Faiella and Scali, and the Kerrs, and I think the Hubbells did lifts where the woman lifts the man. These days, you only see this sort of lift as one of the choreographic, non-counting lifts, because even those girls who can lift their partner can't do a Level 4 type lift.

I don't remember any pairs where the girl lifted the guy, but if any teams might have done it, I would suspect Selezneva & Makarova or Tai & Randy (their pull Arabians showed off Tai's power)
or Dawn & Troy Goldstein might have been able to do it. It's a long time since pair teams where the partners were close in size have existed at the elite level or even Sr Nationals level in the US.

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Thanks for the reply, Doris. I take it then, that it's possible, just not often done because in the vast majority of cases the man is physically larger than most female pairs skaters, and the woman skater doesn't have the strength of the male pairs skater, both of which create difficulties.

Just to push the concept a little, though, what do you think would happen if the woman in the pair was significantly larger and stronger (e.g. an athlete type like Laila Ali, paired with a man who might be jockey size, say 100-110 pounds)? How do you think a routine in which the lifts were done by the woman, with the man on the other hand acting as the focal point of presentation, if you know what I mean, be perceived by judges? Would there be any difference in the way they are judged vs. a pairing that utilized the traditional roles (assuming that meeting the criteria for level 4 lifts is technically possible for such a pair)?

One issue that occurs to me, for instance: would such a pair be more constrained in finding the right music and interpretive concept, as a lot of music (particularly "romantic" music), particularly when they tell a story, is conventionally interpreted as representing a certain type of male-female relationship (eg most ballets such as a Sleeping Beauty, or most operas such as a Madame Butterfly, etc.). Which then begs the question: even if they could find the right music and concept, does this type of role division so go against the cultural grain that it would create issues with both judging (underscoring) and audience reception?

Which begs another question: why are pairs/ice dance pairs necessarily male and female? The usual justification for specifying gender requirements for eligibility in sports is that it recognizes a disparity in the physical capabilities. But theoretically, why should this disqualify a same-sex pair (either male/male or female/female), if the members of the duo are sufficiently physically differentiated such that the technical requirements for lifts can be met? Have there ever been any legal challenges on such grounds?

Please forgive me if the questions are ignorant (mainly because I am, as far as pairs type skating is concerned ). I admit a fondness for hypotheticals that form the border between the philosophical and the impractical.

^ I think it would require a systematic rewriting of the rules and scoring guidelines. Not only do the rules specify that a pair comprises "one Lady and one Man," but in addition there are all kinds of references to the lady's position in the lift, how many turns a man can do during a lift, how many inches above the ice a lady's head should be in a death spiral, etc.

As for same-sex pairs, maybe they fear that a two-man team would be able to do more strength-and-athleticism tricks than other teams. Like the ice acrobat team of Besedin and Polishchuk (now Cording and Polishchuk). Only Will Ferrell and Jon Heder could do an Iron Lotus, 15.8 CoP points.

Same sex romance? I don't believe the ISU is ready. In ice dance no matter what the theme, style, or choice of music, you cannot prevent sex from raising its ever-interesting head. Even with some sort of hip-hop jumping up and down, you still have to do certain segments in hold (preferably while gazing enraptured into each other's eyes). This somewhat handicaps even brother-and-sister teams.

Similarly the amazon romancing the jockey would face great challenges not to come off as merely comical.

I don't think figure skating has ever faced (yet) the situation of a person who has undergone a sex change operation, or one with congenital anomalies.

Robeye said:

Just to push the concept a little, though, what do you think would happen if the woman in the pair was significantly larger and stronger (e.g. an athlete type like Laila Ali, paired with a man who might be jockey size, say 100-110 pounds)? How do you think a routine in which the lifts were done by the woman, with the man on the other hand acting as the focal point of presentation, if you know what I mean, be perceived by judges? Would there be any difference in the way they are judged vs. a pairing that utilized the traditional roles (assuming that meeting the criteria for level 4 lifts is technically possible for such a pair)?

One issue that occurs to me, for instance: would such a pair be more constrained in finding the right music and interpretive concept, as a lot of music (particularly "romantic" music), particularly when they tell a story, is conventionally interpreted as representing a certain type of male-female relationship (eg most ballets such as a Sleeping Beauty, or most operas such as a Madame Butterfly, etc.). Which then begs the question: even if they could find the right music and concept, does this type of role division so go against the cultural grain that it would create issues with both judging (underscoring) and audience reception?

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You mean like this? (No judges though.)

BTW. there are figure skating competitions in Gay Games. And males skaters often do lift and throw each other for fun and show. I have no time to bring them now but there are many such videos.

yuna and katarina witt at Togo, Africa for Winter Oympics presentation

http://i623.photobucket.com/albums/tt315/ttyy0403/r7bup.jpg

cooper said:

yuna and katarina witt at Togo, Africa for Winter Oympics presentation

http://i623.photobucket.com/albums/tt315/ttyy0403/r7bup.jpg

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Not the most flattering shot of Katarina, but good to see them both there.

Yu-Na in Durban, RSA

At a press conference, looking ahead the July 6 Annual IOC Conference.

Yu-Na in Durban
(20+ pics)

Kim Yu-Na greeted in Durban by Pyeongchang Dream Programme graduate

The two South African girls in the pics, Tamarah and Chelsie(?) Jacobs, are figure skating sisters. In 2005 when she was 13 Tamarah participated in PyeongChang’s “Dream Program,” which has been running winter sports programs for young athletes from the countries with no winter snowfall. In the past 8 years PyeongChang has invited 935 young people from 57 countries to the program, and among them 12 athletes from 8 countries went on to make national team in their respective winter sports discipline.

Oh, brave new world--holding a skating presentation in Togo. This is the very definition of the global village!

This was an article published yesterday in a S.Africa Newspaper, presenting views from the representative athletes rallying support for the honour of hosting the games (I guess Yuna got the centerfold )

http://i623.photobucket.com/albums/tt315/ttyy0403/2011070501000366500026801.jpg

Opening Asia to the world

Yuna Kim
PyeongChang 2018 Bid Ambassador, Vancouver 2010 Figure Skating Gold Medallist


I have never been to South Africa before. I remember finding it on a spinning globe many years ago when I was a child. But last year, I discovered this amazing nation.

I watched the movie Invictus, based on the story of the 1995 Rugby World Cup in South Africa, and it moved my heart. It tells a story of how sport inspires hope for the future and helps a nation fulfill the dream.

Here again in South Africa, I, too, wish to see a dream come true.- PyeongChang's dream.

I wish to see PyeongChang win the right to host the 2018 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games, connect winter sports with a young, dynamic and growing population, and help extend the reach of the Olympic ideal to millions.

Ten years ago, when PyeongChang's dream for the winter games was just beginning, I was a little girl skating at an ice rink in Seoul in pursuit of my own Olympic dream. Watching the winter games as a child enlightened my spirit and gave me the motivation to work hard every day.

Michelle Kwan's silver medal performance at the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics was electrifying. It was like nothing I'd ever seen before. From that day on, I practiced relentlessly, watching her videos and mimicking her moves until I could memorize her every step.

In 2003, after six years of dedicated practice, I was chosen to represent my country. I was the youngest figure skater ever to be selected. I had fallen a thousand times on to the cold ice to perfect jumps that lasted a few seconds.

But the hard work and intense training paid off. I achieved the "grandslam"-becoming the champion of all four major figure skating events: the Grand Prix Final, the Four Continents Championships, the World Championships and the 2010 Winter Olympics.

Now, I have a different Olympic dream- the dream to see the Winter Olympics held in my home country, Korea.

The world has celebrated the Winter Olympics 21 times, but only twice in Asia - and both times in Japan.

I wish for the 2018 Winter Olympics to come to PyeongChang because we believe we can help promote the Olympic values and winter sport to a new generation in a region of the world historically under developed in winter sport.

We can create a new market for winter sports in Asia, home to 60 percent of the world's population, which will drive greater winter sports participation and offer incredible opportunities for winter sports to grow and thrive.

About 1.5 million people from overseas countries came to Korea last year to enjoy our winter sports facilities and spectacular scenery. A Winter Olympics in Korea will inspire young people, and act as a catalyst for further growth and improvement in the region. We aim to offer the Olympic movement and the world of winter sports a legacy of growth and potential like never before.

PyeonChang's bid is also a national priority and we have amazing public support 92 percent of Korean want to see the Winter Olympics in PyeongChang.

Through the international Dream Programme, PyeongChang has kept its promise to the IOC to help expend interest and participation in winter sports among young people across the world.

Since 2004, this programme has provided 935 children from 57 countries the opportunity to experience winter sports for the first time. At least 200 of those children came from the African nations, and it made me so proud to see one of those participants become an Olympic athlete at the Vancouver Winter Olympics last year.

Now, the host city decision for the 2018 games is only a few days away. I wish in earnest that PyeongChang's dream of hosting the Winter Olympics may be ------- in Durnan, South Africa the land of dreams and miracles.

What a beautiful statement. I think PyeongChang's got it!

A very well written pitch. I think there is a bit of highlighting the new and the young, drawing a contrast between the two icons, Yuna and Katarina.

I hope Korea gets it.

Where and how is the German pitch?