Yuna Kim announces return to competition--retirement after Sochi

I suggest some folks review the forum guidelines (linked in my signature below) on how to deal with people they do not agree with or like. We welcome ALL opinions on the board so long as members respect each other. If you have more to say of a personal nature - and not on the actual subject of the thread - take the issues to Private Message or Email. Better yet, let bygones be bygones and move on. If the bickering continues moderators will issue warnings and infractions.

deedee1 said:

I was a bit worried about YuNa, because (it looked to me) she announced her intention to come back to competitions by plainly reading what's written on paper and not looking up at the media just once. Besides, she seldom showed her smiles during the press conference in the short news clips I saw on TV in Tokyo, which worried me even more...:no:

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Yuna was just a little nervous and serious due to being a press conference. (And Yuna is a shy person. )
But still you can see so many smiles through the press conference.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SrSMdohHP8

[1:10~5:10] Yuna's statement
translation by FSU's herehere : http://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/showpost.php?p=3610428&postcount=54

[6:00~11:10] Q&A
translation by YNKF's Nadia : http://yunaforum.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=3900&st=60&p=103870&#entry103870

I didn’t realize until today that a moderator has unlocked this thread today or yesterday, so, I am re-posting an edited version of my original post to follow the guidelines of staying on topic. I have no idea exactly who posted what after I posted my last two comments that got deleted along with others’, but hopefully, we won’t give the moderators any more reasons to delete our comments again when we differ on each of our views on this topic.

jaylee said:

Again, why was what Korean "onlookers" said about her lately any worse than what was said about her during controversies in the past (some which were way worse than anything that happened in the last year)? It wasn't. Therefore, why would Yu-Na care so much that it triggered a decision to commit herself to full-time training and competing for 2 years?

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Again, you really didn’t read what I wrote carefully enough from the very beginning ‘cause I really don’t know how you were able to come up with the retort that you did when I was referring to ONE specific comment that was commonly made by Koreans for a few months before Yuna announced her decision last Monday.

I didn't miss what you said about the decision being influenced by Korean onlookers and what they said about her and not the controversy itself, but that's a very minor distinction (what they said about her was triggered by the controversy, so it is impossible to separate the two). I also don't see much justification for why you believe she was "greatly influenced" by the Korean people. Yu-Na appreciates their support, and at times had expressed a need for distance from them, but I don't recall that she was ever greatly influenced by them in her major decision making or goal setting in the past. She made it clear in her pursuit of the OGM that she was skating for herself first--and some people actually took that quote out of context to assume she didn't care about her country.

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Exactly and I, for one, felt so relieved and happy to hear her say that at the time ‘cause that’s really the truth for all athletes and that’s how it should always be ‘cause sports are just sports. It’s not like athletes are soldiers who sacrifice their lives to fight for their countries in wars and it’s a pity that soldiers and police officers get not even one tenth of a recognition that athletes like Yuna get. World-class athletes became who they are first and foremost because they are good at and love what they do and we hear stories about how athletes change their citizenship for one reason or another just a few years before the Olympics all the time.

If female figure skating didn’t look so eye-catching with very slim physically fit young ladies wearing much skin-baring pretty costumes and all, I have a feeling, Yuna’s popularity in Korea would be at about the same level as that of female speed and short track skating Olympic champions. I say this because reporters and fans alike seem to focus so much on how her body looks. What other country reporters devote so much of their time writing article after article about the measurements and proportions of a female athlete’s body? LOL!

I don’t see much justification for why you believe she was “greatly influenced” by the Korean people.

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That’s perfectly fine, but apparently, I am definitely not the only person who believes that about her:

Finally, a clear-cut position is out. For many fans who have speculated a zillion times over whether they would see the graceful technician on ice once again on a competitive stage, the news was like long-awaited rain. Never mind that a recent spate of controversies over a beer commercial, and allegations over the sincerity of her teaching practice at a girls’ high school in May could have prompted her to take a firm position.

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http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/opinon/2012/07/164_114441.html

Her clear position came too late ― at least for my taste ― but then again, the fault here may well lie in the ignorant masses’ greed to know everything about a public figure and their unrealistic desire to put the public figures to the highest moral bar. Kim has admitted that after earning gold in Vancouver, she couldn’t find a bigger goal and that she experienced an emotional letdown. She said she found inspiration from younger skaters to return to competition.

This belated confession, however late, is appreciated. It allows us to understand why there was such dillydallying on her part in committing herself fully either to a competitive career or a professional one by performing in ice shows.

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And just because I quoted this writer’s opinions doesn’t mean I agree with everything she published here for I would’ve been fine if Yuna had not announced her decision this early in the summer.

http://blogs.wsj.com/scene/2012/07/03/south-korean-figure-skater-yu-na-targets-russia-olympic-gold/

“I skipped last season and had a lot on my mind about my career, even until last week. I had trouble finding my next goal after winning a gold medal at the Vancouver Olympics but the interest of the public and my fans in me got even bigger.”

She added, “I wanted to get away from the pressure, even for a single day.”

Last month, she hinted that she was near a decision on her future. “I’ve more or less set my career plan,” she told reporters before an ice show in Shanghai.

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And the controversy took place right before she went to Shanghai.

South Korea is not a communist country, so your point is...?

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If you missed the point that I thought was very obvious, I don't think expounding on it further will do any better.

Yu-Na faced unbearable pressure going into the 2010 Olympics for more than a year, but she never walked away from it, no matter what her struggles were. She had a goal and a plan and she stuck to it. She needed a break after the Olympics and she's had it. It's not unimaginable that with that long break, she's found some time to breathe and recuperate and prepare mentally, and feels she can face that pressure again.

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I already said I hope you are right about the reasons why Yuna decided to compete again in case you missed that, but like you, I have my own reasons for believing the things I do.

She doesn’t love the intense expectation that she win all the time.

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If I had heard Yuna say those exact words when she was giving interviews before her latest press conference, I would not have posted anything here at all. I believe she doesn’t enjoy competing as much as she has said she doesn’t because she has actually said them in her own words and when she asked her countrymen to just think of her as an athlete and not as a defending Olympic champion when she competes at Sochi at her latest press conference, I don’t think that necessarily means she hated feeling pressured by them at the last Olympics ‘cause like you said, Yuna made it clear that she was skating for herself first and I really don’t think she could’ve given such two perfect performances on the biggest stage for figure skaters if she let such pressure get to her. Like I said before, I believe the pressure to win comes from no other place, but from within an athlete’s self ‘cause what athletes don't want to win and gain the benefits of their victory?

Again, you're extrapolating and generalizing a bit too much. She doesn't love the intense expectation that she win all the time. That's not to say that she hates competing all the time, ever. As I said, she enjoys many other side benefits of competing. She always said her dream was to be a skater who will be remembered, who will touch your heart. She couldn't achieve that dream, or the dream of being an Olympic champion, without competing.

Michelle said she loved competing, but there were times when it certainly looked like she didn't. When she wept after coming off the ice for the 1998 Olympics FS? How about 2002 Olympics? Yes, she said she loved competing, but she took breaks as well, skipping the GP in 1998-1999 (and in later seasons). A skater who says she loves competing doesn't love every moment of it. A skater who says she dislikes the pressure of competition enjoys other aspects of competing.

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How am I “extrapolating and generalizing too much” when I was relaying what Yuna has actually said? I guess we just don’t think alike on these things ‘cause IMO, Michelle Kwan crying after her LP at her first Olympics was tears of joy and relief of knowing that she skated two programs perfectly free of mistakes and her tears after skating her 2002 Olympics exhibition program were the tears of disappointment that her dream of becoming an Olympic champion was shattered for the second time. Sure, Michelle didn’t enjoy the heartaches her Olympic results brought her, but that doesn’t necessarily mean she didn’t mean what she said when she told her interviewers time after time how she has no regrets and how much she enjoyed every minute of competing. Correct me if I’m wrong, but Michelle even said that she loves the pressure she feels during competitions, no? I think that is one of the major reasons why she chose to pursue a different career path instead of choosing to skate at ice shows like so many other skaters do. Pardon my extensive post, but I had to be as specific as possible to help you understand where my beliefs are coming from.

As stated before - some of these conversations are better for PM, not quibbles in a thread that is to do about an announcement to return to competition.

It's no one's job to make this board a fan board or non fan board. Folks can share ideas and opinions as long as they follow the guidelines - which honestly aren't nearly as hard as some boards out there - When one signs up for membership you are given a look see at the guidelines, several of the mods have the guidelines in their links, it's not like they're hidden and secret. When we suggest review of the guidelines, take the two minutes it takes to read through them and most of the issues will clear up.

Instead of retaliating, report a post you think violates the guidelines. And above all remember this is a figure skating discussion board, not a skater specific board, and not a "fan bashing" board. Fans are what makes this sport thrive. Be it of skaters or the sport itself.

I think this is good news for the sport. The more competitive it is the better.

mikiandorocks said:

I think this is good news for the sport. The more competitive it is the better.

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Agreed! And, thank you!

EricRohmer said:

Yuna was just a little nervous and serious due to being a press conference. (And Yuna is a shy person. )
But still you can see so many smiles through the press conference.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SrSMdohHP8

[1:10~5:10] Yuna's statement
translation by FSU's herehere : http://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/showpost.php?p=3610428&postcount=54

[6:00~11:10] Q&A
translation by YNKF's Nadia : http://yunaforum.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=3900&st=60&p=103870&#entry103870

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It's going to be very difficult physically and mentally. My body is stiff from not competing. The ice show condition and competition condition are different. I experienced the difference in Moscow (Yuna's last worlds). It's been so long since I competed, so it'll be hard to get that competition mindset back.

It's been almost 2 years since my last competition. I'll do my best to regain my former form. I'll go to each competition to do my best and perform well so I don't have any regrets, rather than pressuring myself with getting good result. I'll work to show new programs and characters. I'd love it if people can cheer for me, root for me. I'm sorry everyone had to wait so long.

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The fact that Yuna's fully aware of what she's putting herself through all over again gives me a little bit of comfort though. I really wish her the best.

My hat's off to YuNa. It sounds overwhelming! Considering the odds, whatever she achieves will be impressive. I guess this is off the order of what Plushenko did for the 2010 Olympics? He did pretty splendidly, so we can have high hopes for YuNa.

Plushy's comeback is even more breath-taking to digest. Against all odds, he's stood up for his fire and his country. Methinks Plushenko's role playing might have affected Yuna's heart and you know they did encounter in Shanghai just two weeks before her announcement/a week before she made up her mind!

As I said earlier, I think Yuna decided to return to competition for all the RIGHT reasons, and her re-entry will be good for the sport of figure skating. If at all possible, I hope Yuna can train in Korea, she seems to be very happy and comfortable there. If Korea can provide the proper training facilities, maybe Yuna could find a coach and trainer who would be willing to live there for awhile. I guess we'll find out soon enough. All that is really important, however, is that Yuna find an environment where she can keep a good frame of mind and find the appropriate training.

Tonichelle said:

As stated before - some of these conversations are better for PM, not quibbles in a thread that is to do about an announcement to return to competition.

It's no one's job to make this board a fan board or non fan board. Folks can share ideas and opinions as long as they follow the guidelines - which honestly aren't nearly as hard as some boards out there - When one signs up for membership you are given a look see at the guidelines, several of the mods have the guidelines in their links, it's not like they're hidden and secret. When we suggest review of the guidelines, take the two minutes it takes to read through them and most of the issues will clear up.

Instead of retaliating, report a post you think violates the guidelines. And above all remember this is a figure skating discussion board, not a skater specific board, and not a "fan bashing" board. Fans are what makes this sport thrive. Be it of skaters or the sport itself.

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Hi Tonichelle, I'm a long time reader and I have to say that users have been going off topic several times, but you mods did not delete every post who broke the rule in the past. I thought that "board moderation" meant "trying to calm people down and getting things in the right direction", not deleting entire posts as though people didn't even have the right to speak. I've always seen mods giving out warnings before taking drastic actions like that. I hope you see my point. Should I have said this to you privately? I don't think so. By the way, I guess mods here do their way without taking remarks in account, so there's no even use to complain in the end. Cheers.

^ Well, as a Tonichelle dhole (a new word I just learned ), I have to jump in here. Posts giving advice to the moderators about how the management of the forum can be improved belong in the Feedback folder, please.

In Toni's defense, she actually did give an alert for people to smooth themselves down. It got deleted with some of the other posts, I think.

Math, that's the first time I've seen the word dhole used in context. Congratulations! We'll see who gets the record for executing the first double dhole and the first triple dhole. Arf, arf!

Should I have said this to you privately? I don't think so. By the way, I guess mods here do their way without taking remarks in account, so there's no even use to complain in the end. Cheers.

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Nice first post.

These last two comments were unnecessary and an obvious stab at this forum and the moderators. You can thank Toni that your post remains and that you are still here. Consider yourself warned.

EricRohmer said:

Yuna was just a little nervous and serious due to being a press conference. (And Yuna is a shy person. )
But still you can see so many smiles through the press conference.

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Thank you so much, EricRohmer! Relieved to see her smiles.

Olympia said:

My hat's off to YuNa. It sounds overwhelming! Considering the odds, whatever she achieves will be impressive. I guess this is off the order of what Plushenko did for the 2010 Olympics? He did pretty splendidly, so we can have high hopes for YuNa.

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If Evgeni could do it at age 27, YuNa can do it at 23. :yes: And why not Daisuke at 27? sorry for the OT...:

My point is anybody can do it at any age: "Youth is not a time of life, but a state of mind." and "Where there's a will, there's a way", right?

Ask Fumie Suguri.

deedee1 said:

If Evgeni could do it at age 27, YuNa can do it at 23. :yes: And why not Daisuke at 27? sorry for the OT...:

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I second your OT, deedee1! Go, Daisuke!.

(Ahem. Sorry. Had to do it.)

I think YuNa is in a better position than Plushenko because she seems to have fewer wear-and-tear injuries. That could mean that she'll have fewer factors slowing her down as she practices. She'll have to match Plushenko in determination, and if she does, she'll do splendidly in Sochi, and even in this season's Worlds. Man, this is starting to get exciting.

I don't think Dai can "comeback" because he never left that makes a "comeback" kinda difficult

Olympia said:

In Toni's defense, she actually did give an alert for people to smooth themselves down. It got deleted with some of the other posts, I think.

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ITA. There have been some interventions and cooling signals given.

ImaginaryPogue said:

Ask Fumie Suguri.

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OMG Is she still competing?

l'etoile said:

OMG Is she still competing?

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I think IP is meaning that not all "older" skaters are successful and get passed up... however Fumie keeps plugging at it, and while she may not get the results she's looking for she should be cheered for not giving up IMO