Kim to sit out entire season

cooper · Oct 18, 2011

she said today at the airport. she won't compete at next year's world..though she insisted no retirement.

good luck to yuna! whatever path she will take!

Figure skater Kim Yu-na to sit out entire season http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/news/2011/10/18/0200000000AEN20111018009200315.HTML

Olympia · Oct 18, 2011

Wow! This is news.

I am sorry that we will miss out on her wonderful skating, but I think she's doing what's right for her. The stresses on her life must be unimaginable, and after all, she already has an Olympic gold, won in the most decisive way possible.

If this lady never skates competitively again, she will still have made a huge contribution to the sport. I do hope she continues skating as a pro, though, so we get to see her wonderful artistry for a while longer.

Does anyone know whether she has spent any time training at East-West lately, with Oppegard?

demarinis5 · Oct 18, 2011

Thanks for the link but I am not surprised by this announcement. Yuna is only 21 and just beginning her life journey, good luck to
her in all of her future endeavors.

icellist · Oct 18, 2011

Olympia said:
Does anyone know whether she has spent any time training at East-West lately, with Oppegard?

i believe there was a Korean article stating that Yuna's contract with Oppegard ending a month or two after Worlds. She is coachless right now but still works very closely with David Wilson, her main choreographer, for exhibitions and All the Skate.

Yuna has definitely deserved a break from skating. And I also wish her luck in her future endeavors. I'm slightly worried about who Korea will send to Worlds. Min jung Kwak seems to be injured and their two other best skaters are still age ineligible for senior Worlds

kwanatic · Oct 18, 2011

There's really no point to her competing right now unless she just wants to compete, though given how crazed some of her fans are and how venomous some of her haters are, I can see why she decided not to compete this year.

I hope she enjoys her time off though it won't be like she's sitting around at home doing nothing. She has a lot of responsibilities, duties, obligations, etc. Undoubtedly that was the determining factor for her when it came to making a decision about competing or not. She has too much on her plate and figure skating would take up too much time. I guess given those facts, this doesn't come as much of a shock to me. I wish her all the best. :biggrin:

Now it really feels like the new wave of skaters are coming in! :eek:

With Yu-Na, Miki and Joannie out (3 of the top 5 in the sport for the last few years) we'll definitely see a reshuffling of the standings. It's really anybody's time to step up...I can't wait!! :biggrin:

cooper · Oct 18, 2011

she said she will dedicate her time as the ambassador for youth olymipcs, special oly, etc...and she will be focusing her time attending college.

she said that skipping this season makes me her feel free and easy... and she doesn't know if she will return to la...

pics of yuna at the airport
http://cphoto.asiae.co.kr/listimglink/6/2011101817574255132_1.jpg
http://imgnews.naver.com/image/001/2011/10/18/PYH2011101810340001300_P2.jpg
http://xportsnews.hankyung.com/contents/images/upload/article/2011/1018/1318928137358.jpg
http://cphoto.asiae.co.kr/listimglink/6/2011101818034272524_1.jpg
http://imgnews.naver.com/image/001/2011/10/18/PYH2011101810540001300_P2.jpg
http://imgnews.naver.com/image/001/2011/10/18/PYH2011101810580001300_P2.jpg

clairecloutier · Oct 18, 2011

This seems like the right decision for Yu-Na. In a couple interviews lately, she's mentioned wanting a break from the pressure of medal expectations, etc. Why not take a year off? This will give her time to analyze what she really wants. If she decides to go for Sochi, then she can come back next season and still have plenty of time to prepare for the Olympics. Meanwhile she can enjoy this year off.

jatale · Oct 18, 2011

This was the decision I was expecting. Yuna doesn't seem that interested in skating competitively anymore, she has been accepting assignments from the ISU, the UN, adding new endoresment deals, TV-shows etc. Her plate is pretty full. She has also talked about spending a lot more time in Korea and going to university. So, good for her. She will be missed by the skating world, but she already has built a good competitive legacy. I sincerely doubt that she will ever return to competitive skating, but time will tell.

cooper · Oct 18, 2011

i also doubt she will be competing again... im curious about team korea next year.. can they still keep the 2 worlds championship spots? some of their juniors are still ineligible and min jung is not 100 percent...

CoyoteChris · Oct 18, 2011

I think she's being very intellegent. She's got 10-20 mil. bucks, and she cant go to a store without being mobbed....why not fade away till folks forget who you are and go to school, get a career in something you want to do, not something you have to do. Think about what your life would be like if you were mobbed everywhere? Hounded as it were. and dealing with the cultural pressure where you have to appologize for every fall even though you won....I will miss her but if she were my daughter, I would tell her to get out now while you are still yourself.

kwanatic · Oct 18, 2011

http://thenakedice.blogspot.com/2011/10/jgp-tallin-cup-yu-na-kim-news-and-more.html

Quick bit about Yu-Na not competing and also a bit about An Evening with Champions...

lavender · Oct 18, 2011

I didn’t really see her continuing to skate competitively unless she truly wanted to. She just has too much to do. She’s pretty set financially with all her fans in Korea and she’s continuing to be ambassador so why not let go of the pressures of skating competitively. Skating isn’t’ the same anyway imo.

demarinis5 · Oct 18, 2011

Since she is not trainig with Oppergard does that mean she has moved from LA and will be based in Korea now? It would make sense.
Thanks for the photos, she looks wonderful.

russell30 · Oct 18, 2011

YuNa probably the greatest the sport has seen in the Ladies discipline, it is very hard to come back after winning the top prize in sport, you cannot better it and only match it and that comes every 4 years when up and coming skaters come along. Best of luck to her for the future.

On a niggly note, I am not for skaters saying they will take a year off, because in hindsight your keeping yourself in the public eye (lets face it making money) when half the time skaters do not come back (majority of cases) but hey I don't want to take anything away from YuNa, hope she decides to come back if the hunger and determination is there, she will be the favourite for Sochi regardless.

PS I know this is another topic, but hope they make Team Asia for Japan Open (like we see for europe and North america) we should see the likes of YuNa skate there.

lcd · Oct 18, 2011

Seems completely understandable given all the commitments and opportunities she has. She is still very young and in wonderful shape, so have no concerns about whether she would be "up to the task" to return to the top ranks internationally should she choose to position herself for a return in the lead-up year and Olympic year. Just saw her over the weekend at Harvard's Evening with Champions. No jumps, but plenty of sass and dance-ability. She certainly put people in seats for an event that has not been as successful as in the past. Kudos to her for doing so for such a worthy cause. (Jimmy Fund, Children's Cancer research).

While doling out kudos, they also go out to Rachael Flatt for flying in from California during her busy school year start at Stanford, and to Maia and Alex Shibutani who have been very dedicated to this show and this cause. Maia donated a $1000 scholarship award from US Figure Skating to the Jimmy Fund.

Tonichelle · Oct 18, 2011

Good for her! She deserves to have a life, even one where she's still making appearances. At least it's on her terms and less pressure for her to be everything to everybody! :clap:

w2g YUNA!

gmyers · Oct 18, 2011

I don't think her performances at worlds in 2010 and 2011 was because of lack of drive because she won the Olympic Gold. Seems like she always has a drive to win but 2010 and 2011 were not much different from 2007 and 2008 if you look at the skates and not be like she lost because she won the Olympics and didn't care. 2009 worlds to 2010 Olympics was almost all great- except for 2009 skate america free skate-BOMB but she still won overall- but she does do so much well. Her jumps and all that are all there but I just didn't like here as much as others like Mao.

cooper · Oct 18, 2011

She said she wants to lead a normal life as a 20-something university student for the time being.

"It's comforting to know that I won't have to worry about competing," Kim said with a smile. "I've got a lot of things to do during my down time. I think time will fly by. I want to live like a normal college student whenever I can."

like what i said... good luck to her!!

Figga · Oct 19, 2011

'Twas good while it lasted. Hats off to ya Yuna.

Vash01 · Oct 19, 2011

I don't see this as the end of the road for Yu na. She could come back in a year or two. She is still young.

Kim to sit out entire season

cooper

Olympia

demarinis5

Gold for the Winter Prince!

icellist

kwanatic

Check out my YT channel, Bare Ice!

cooper

clairecloutier

jatale

cooper

CoyoteChris

kwanatic

Check out my YT channel, Bare Ice!

lavender

demarinis5

Gold for the Winter Prince!

russell30

lcd

Match Penalty

Tonichelle

Idita-Rock-n-Roll

gmyers

cooper

Figga

Vash01

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