Kim Yu-na Ranked Most Marketable Korean Athlete | Page 2 | Golden Skate

Kim Yu-na Ranked Most Marketable Korean Athlete

aftertherain

Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 15, 2010
Slightly OT: 165cm (5ft 5in) and 37kg (a shade under 82 lbs)? That can't be right...can it? :unsure:

I would hope not. OGM Yevgeniya Kanayeva is 5 ft. 7.5 in. and she's about 110 lbs. I'm thinking maybe the site hasn't been updated?
 

sky_fly20

Match Penalty
Joined
Nov 20, 2011
I wouldn't say Son is popular in Korea. She is more like a star made by marketing in a dream to make 2nd YuNa. I don't think rhythmic gymnastics will ever be popular in Korea.

Yeon Jae actually was the most popular ranked Korean athlete last year beating Kim Yuna and Park Korean swimmer something, its also worth noting she is managed by the old agency of Yuna IB sports, though seems most Yuna fans in Korea don't like Son.

while she may not have the medal records of Kanaeva who is like the Kim Yuna of RG how ironic but
she is getting medals internationally so she is a star already, the media hype she is getting at home at least
 

Moment

Final Flight
Joined
Jan 18, 2013
:laugh: It can hardly be taken seriously. Her constant media exposure isn't helping her garner more public interest or establish a devoted group of fans. Yeonjae is basically a cute pretty innocent girl whose own achievement as an athlete is merely an added bonus.

Her media attention has been driven by Yuna and still owes a whole lot to Yuna's existence. That's why many Yuna fans don't like her.
 

cooper

Medalist
Joined
Mar 23, 2010
Yeon Jae actually was the most popular ranked Korean athlete last year beating Kim Yuna and Park Korean swimmer something, its also worth noting she is managed by the old agency of Yuna IB sports, though seems most Yuna fans in Korea don't like Son.

while she may not have the medal records of Kanaeva who is like the Kim Yuna of RG how ironic but
she is getting medals internationally so she is a star already, the media hype she is getting at home at least

you mean the IB generated hype machine? :p IB is known for that.. hyping their athletes and actually it's not like yuna fans don't like son but IB in general.

if she wins a major title then let's start talking.
 

sky_fly20

Match Penalty
Joined
Nov 20, 2011
Her media attention has been driven by Yuna and still owes a whole lot to Yuna's existence. That's why many Yuna fans don't like her.

true its more like IB sports desperate for another star
or maybe they want to have her popular to humiliate Yuna as say to her face we can make another star as good or even better than Yuna, so I understand why most Yuna fans don't like her.
 

aftertherain

Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 15, 2010
while she may not have the medal records of Kanaeva who is like the Kim Yuna of RG how ironic but
she is getting medals internationally so she is a star already, the media hype she is getting at home at least

Not to offend anyone here; it's more like Yuna is like the E. Kanayeva of figure skating, but both are dazzling in their respective fields. (Kanayeva didn't take any time off after her first OGM win either--but yes, Yuna is the first in her skating lineage.) :p

Anyway, that's irrelevant. Yeon Jae isn't "merely" a cute girl with an added bonus of an athlete. She's an athlete with an added bonus of of being cute. While Son Yeon Jae hasn't won any international titles, her sixth place finish in the AA Finals of RG shouldn't be diminished or scoffed at. I highly doubt she's riding on Yuna's coattails in terms of working hard at what she does. Like Yuna, she's got a job to do and she's doing it.

And if I'm not mistaken, she's got a lot of admiration for Yuna as well, so why the bitter twinges I see from some of you guys? Though, I do agree on holding off the hype and exposure until she actually wins or medals at a major event.

ETA: I forgot IB and Yuna had a business thing in the past. Hm.
 

Moment

Final Flight
Joined
Jan 18, 2013
I don't dislike Yeonjae. I am actually sorry that she gets so much hate (not only by Yuna fans) lately because of excessive hype.

I didn't mean she didn't work hard or anything. It's just that people don't care that much until she starts winning something. She was able to attract media because she was pretty and considered by some as a more affordable "CF star athlete" replacing Yuna who received (still does) a huge chunk of money for her endorsements.
 

venlac

On the Ice
Joined
Dec 22, 2012
Not to offend anyone here; it's more like Yuna is like the E. Kanayeva of figure skating, but both are dazzling in their respective fields. (Kanayeva didn't take any time off after her first OGM win either--but yes, Yuna is the first in her skating lineage.) :p

Anyway, that's irrelevant. Yeon Jae isn't "merely" a cute girl with an added bonus of an athlete. She's an athlete with an added bonus of of being cute. While Son Yeon Jae hasn't won any international titles, her sixth place finish in the AA Finals of RG shouldn't be diminished or scoffed at. I highly doubt she's riding on Yuna's coattails in terms of working hard at what she does. Like Yuna, she's got a job to do and she's doing it.

And if I'm not mistaken, she's got a lot of admiration for Yuna as well, so why the bitter twinges I see from some of you guys? Though, I do agree on holding off the hype and exposure until she actually wins or medals at a major event.

ETA: I forgot IB and Yuna had a business thing in the past. Hm.

In korea, there is controversial about Sports Star's Beauty marketing. Like this article... 'Sponsor of the sports star is depend on the beauty?' http://www.etoday.co.kr/news/section/newsview.php?idxno=724915
And she is at the middle of the controversy. she has been had maketing 'sell a pretty face', rather than gain respect as an athlete.

Since when she finished 33rd in 2010 worlds, She gained a lot of popularity with cute and pretty face, she was spotlighted by media, she became a sport star. Large companies became a sponsor for her.

In korea, to be a sports star, they need "success story" to earn the respect as a sportsman and should be world-class in their sports, of course they should have also star power. Many of sports stars are started-up in difficult environment, and made history in korean sport.
Yes, She has star power. but she didn't had success story that inspire people and get respect as athlete. when she was even not ranked in top 30, she have got a lot of popularity and sponsers with her pretty .
she was so different with other usual korean sports stars..

By the way, I didn't think i'd argue about Son or korean athletes in figure skating forum...:rolleye:
 

Nadia01

Final Flight
Joined
Nov 10, 2009
I see that looks are important but so does on other countries, you will get way more endorsement when you have looks to capitalize on your sporting career, she is overhyped but on this wiki she has won some World Cup medals this year though not gold: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2013_Rhythmic_Gymnastics_World_Cup_Series

so is it true she is now the most sought after female athlete in Korea surpassing Kim Yuna ?

No. Yuna become untouchable after she won WC w/ 2 clean performances back-to-back.
 

cooper

Medalist
Joined
Mar 23, 2010

cooper

Medalist
Joined
Mar 23, 2010
not its not me who thinks its from an article :rolleye:
and I like Yuna btw

what article are you talking about?

btw, i have no problem if korea will crown son as the next yuna or even surpass her. but it's silly at this point to push her ON THIS THREAD especially she hasn't done any major to earn it. good for her winning some medals, good for her appearing in ads/commercials but until she won a major title then let's start talking. there are other female athletes in korea who are good in their sports, who won major tournaments, but because IB is desperately trying to push son as the next big thing or even surpass yuna's popularity or influence is laughable. i think IB contributed to the pressure and hype that yuna received back then and they got lucky that yuna backed that up by winning.
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
Does anyone remember tennis player Anna Kournikova? She was hailed as the most beautiful tennis player in the world and through endorsements became the highest paid female athlete in the sport (maybe in any sport?) even though she never won even one tournament. She still tops the lists as "the hottest female tennis player of all time" (the men, of course, are much hotter). :)

http://desktop.freewallpaper4.me/preview/5406-anna-kournikova.jpg

Factoid: Anna made People Magazine's list of the 50 most beautiful people in the world in 1998 (age 16). Michelle Kwan was on the list in 2000. :)
 

Robeye

Final Flight
Joined
Feb 16, 2010
Other sources say she is 157 cm (5'2").
I was assuming that the listed weight was way off; but the real answer is that she's kinda runty! :p (joke, so don't anyone get their panties in a bunch. I feel my misjudgment is understandable, though. Just looking at her proportions in the photo, I'm probably not the only person who thought she was taller than 157cm (5ft 2in)).
 
Top