What are Yuna Kim's strongest points as a skater? | Page 2 | Golden Skate

What are Yuna Kim's strongest points as a skater?

mateusp1

On the Ice
Joined
Mar 11, 2012
Please, correct me if I am wrong... I saw in a figure skating forum that a flip can also be called "toe-salchow", since they are kinda similar.
 

drivingmissdaisy

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 17, 2010
She is fast and her jumps are spectacular, and she is good enough at everything else. I don't find that her programs move me, but that is true of every program under COP. I much preferred the ladies event when they did spirals, flew across the ice on their footwork sequences, and were expected to show all 5 triples. I wish Carolina and Mao were more consistent so there was a real rivalry at the top.
 

mateusp1

On the Ice
Joined
Mar 11, 2012
Also, I have already seen that salchow can have different take off's(like the flip). Bending the knees is one type of take off.
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
Please, correct me if I am wrong... I saw in a figure skating forum that a flip can also be called "toe-salchow", since they are kinda similar.

I am far from an expert, but just from watching -- even though they both take off from the same edge, the toe-pick assist in the flip makes the mechanics of the jump completely different because the picking foot gets in the way of the body's natural rotation. You have to cross it over somehow, whereas a Salchow the rotation from an open position is completely natural. Something like that (?) :)
 

MiRé

Match Penalty
Joined
Nov 12, 2012
Because no other skater went through hard training like she did. She borrowed an ice rink which was meant for "amusement park" after the closing hours because there were no skating rinks dedicated to figure skaters( still none :mad:) She then left to train in Canada, leaving her friends (if any since she was so focused on her goals), entering to a whole different world. Language problems. Her rival does 3A, but Yuna couldn't, so she then trained to land 3A when only thing in return was back injury. Her problems with IB and Brian Orser, pressure from her country even though Olympic was her main goal. Korean Professor mocking Kim because she does too much endorsements( funny because at least she has earned so many titles, unlike SomeONe in IB Sports who hasn't won any international titles, but this professor decides to only attack Kim) Deciding to come back only because she wants to give newbie skaters a chance to skate at the Olympics ( which she successfully did). South Korea rejecting Skating Rink ONCE AGAIN. New anti fans (hired anti-fans from SOME COMPANY) constantly comparing with SomeONe.

To me, whenever Kim skates, I don't only see her skating skills, I also see her hardships that she went through in her entire life. Maybe that's why she's not nervous, or skates clean under immense pressure. She's gone through much worse that getting nervous on competition is the 2nd thing she worries.

Which other skater had similar situation like hers? let me know if there's any.
 

cheerio2

On the Ice
Joined
Jan 27, 2013
Yuna has certainly gone through a lot of hardship, but I would say that is the case for all elite figure skaters, and they have all gone through hard training to succeed. Being from a smaller country can have disadvantages that you mentioned such as all the pressure, etc. but the flip side of that is that there are so many endorsement opportunities. Those same opportunities are not available in the US even to very successful figure skaters such as Michelle Kwan because the US simply has too many other famous athletes competing for attention and people don't really care about figure skating here. Leaving to train in another country is something quite a few skaters have done, like Arakawa and Yagudin. Dealing with injuries and adversity is something almost all athletes have had to do as well. Elena Bereznhaya had an almost fatal skull fracture and an abusive partner. Irina Slutskaya had a sick mother, she herself had heart problems and vasculitis for three years. Mao Asada had to deal with her mom dying. Joannie Rochette had to deal with that too, right before her Olympics competition. And of course no skater is immune from haters.

drivingmissdaisy said:
I much preferred the ladies event when they did spirals, flew across the ice on their footwork sequences, and were expected to show all 5 triples

Yes!! You took the words right out of my mouth. I miss all of that. I remember in Kwan's old programs like East of Eden, her footwork was so light, fast, and flowing. It wasn't start, stop, start, stop like the footwork of the CoP era. It was fast and blended seamlessly with the rest of the program.
 

chloepoco

Medalist
Joined
Nov 1, 2009
Yuna has certainly gone through a lot of hardship, but I would say that is the case for all elite figure skaters, and they have all gone through hard training to succeed. Being from a smaller country can have disadvantages that you mentioned such as all the pressure, etc. but the flip side of that is that there are so many endorsement opportunities. Those same opportunities are not available in the US even to very successful figure skaters such as Michelle Kwan because the US simply has too many other famous athletes competing for attention and people don't really care about figure skating here. Leaving to train in another country is something quite a few skaters have done, like Arakawa and Yagudin. Dealing with injuries and adversity is something almost all athletes have had to do as well. Elena Bereznhaya had an almost fatal skull fracture and an abusive partner. Irina Slutskaya had a sick mother, she herself had heart problems and vasculitis for three years. Mao Asada had to deal with her mom dying. Joannie Rochette had to deal with that too, right before her Olympics competition. And of course no skater is immune from haters.

Very well said! I don't think anyone is disputing the fact that Yuna went through some tough times; however, as Cheerio2 said, so have numerous other skaters. It's really not necessary to make this a competition on who has the biggest sob story.
 

Moment

Final Flight
Joined
Jan 18, 2013
I'm still on my phone but whatever. :)

Please, correct me if I am wrong... I saw in a figure skating forum that a flip can also be called "toe-salchow", since they are kinda similar.

The similarities between two jumps are they both take off on an backwards inside edge. However before the toe pick hits the ice Carolina "pushes" the edge and it goes to a pretty deep inside, making a deep curve. By that she gains some rotational force just like a Salchow jump. In short, her flip not completely toe-assisted.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=NqYLMnyl8VA (starts at 7:40)

Yuna Kim moves her body's center of mass to her free leg. The toe pick of her right foot hits almost right behind the skating leg, after an almost straight line trace after a 3-turn. That is a perfect flip jump.
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
At the risk of being a troll, I think there is something in coolboogie's original post. :slink:

When you are going for the championship, look like a champion, conduct yourself like a champion, take the ice with a champion's attitude. Do not skate to lightweight music in a silly costume. You own the ice, you are the one the audience has been waiting all evening for.

Then when you are done, give a modest little smile and put your hand over your mouth as if to say, "I know, right? Sometimes I can't believe it myself!"

http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcR1fH7rKTzUitebPyfRQWXIu0PboMCNsfOkzzXlVTh2Z2nehdzN
 

let`s talk

Match Penalty
Joined
Sep 10, 2009
Yuna is grossly overscored in GOE and especially in PCS. Like Chan. But unlike the Canadian she actually deserved her wins, all of them. Just not with that score.
 

vera01

Final Flight
Joined
Jan 6, 2013
Yuna is grossly overscored in GOE and especially in PCS. Like Chan. But unlike the Canadian she actually deserved her wins, all of them. Just not with that score.

Then, who else isn't overscored? She may get high GOEs and PCS, but then, technical panels were very strict to her. She was given an edge call for her flip at this Worlds, but Caro's 3T didn't receive an UR call and Mao was given a +GOE for an 3A with a two-footed landing.
 

sky_fly20

Match Penalty
Joined
Nov 20, 2011
I wouldn't call Yuna a great artist, her expressions consist of sad faces and making frown eyebrows
Carolina is a great artist but Yuna is the better athlete

Yuna
- high consistency
-big jumps
-charisma
-beauty

Carolina
- not very consistent
-big jumps
-amazing skating skills
-beauty
 

Ven

Match Penalty
Joined
Mar 17, 2013
1. Yuna's grace and elegance are unparalleled. She acts like a queen without being pretentious or stuck up. Her personality, to the extent we can see, is very endearing.

2. She is more confident and consistent than any other skater. This gives her an aura and presence that others cannot match.

3. Yuna is by far the fastest skater of the ladies. The speed into her jumps is amazing.

4. She is the best jumper of all the ladies and many would say the best toe jumper of all time.

5. Her other elements are all world class too. Her spins are beautiful. Some of her laybacks have been out of this world.

6.. Yuna IS an artist, the way she feels the music makes me feel the music with her.

7. Her music and choreography choices, her dress choices, everything she does to put on the SHOW ... it's amazing.

8. She has the perfect instrument for figure skating. Her body is perfectly proportioned and beautiful to watch dance on the ice in a very classy and elegant way.

9. Yuna just happens to be the most beautiful woman on the ice.

10. She nearly always wins and kicks butt when she does it!
 

yuki

Final Flight
Joined
Mar 2, 2012
At the risk of being a troll, I think there is something in coolboogie's original post. :slink:

Is there, though? There is merit to discussing about what makes Yuna one of the all-time greats, but the way in which coolboogie approached this subject amounts to nothing more than blind Yuna-worship. This sort of gushing belongs, at most, in the Fan fest threads and I don't believe for a minute that the initial post was actually meant to incite serious discussion.

When you are going for the championship, look like a champion, conduct yourself like a champion, take the ice with a champion's attitude.

I happen to think that Carolina looks plenty like a champion, but that didn't really help her when she splatted on her ending 3S in the Worlds FS. So maybe there is more to winning that "looking like a champion"? This, after all, is supposed to be a sport, not a beauty pageant.

Do not skate to lightweight music in a silly costume. You own the ice, you are the one the audience has been waiting all evening for.

Or you could simply skate to music that suits you and plays to your particular strenghts instead of trying to fit into other people's narrow notions of what a champion/"lady" skater is. Yuna's Olympic programs (especially her SP) were skated to what could be considered "lightweight" music, but that didn't seem to hurt her or make her look like less of an Olympic champion.

(As a sidenote, figure skating costumes often are silly and/or campy -Yuna's "blood collar" thing, Carolina's "bloody hands on white dress" from Europeans, Mao's very literal Swan Lake costume etc. -, but I've always considered that half the fun of watching figure skating and it's part of the reason why I enjoy the sport so much. Maybe that's just me.)
 

Ven

Match Penalty
Joined
Mar 17, 2013
Darn I was only going to do 10 but there's one thing I overlooked ... all of her connecting movements. She never wastes a moment or movement on the ice. So important!
 

venlac

On the Ice
Joined
Dec 22, 2012
Yuna is grossly overscored in GOE and especially in PCS. Like Chan. But unlike the Canadian she actually deserved her wins, all of them. Just not with that score.

I admit that she was a bit overscored in FS in 2013 Worlds. (Not SP) but I think others' did, too. Caro and Mao's FS score was their personal best score.

first of all, she has never won by PCS like Chan, while patrick chan has many winnings with weak skates but by pcs, and some top skaters win by that way.
when she win major titles, she always has clean or close to clean skating. she has been always less mistakes than competitors.

And as you said, She didn't won unfair medal(while other top skaters won several times). Also If she had been grossly overscored because she is judges' favorite, isn't this fact strange?
Also, what i think interesting is that when she skated superior(clean or close to clean programs), and her winning is confirmed, then judges had judgement generously.
But when she have similar mistakes with her competitors like 2008 WC, 2011 WC, She was defeated by very small margin(1~2 point). IMO judges were a bit harsh to her - This is why I think she must always looks like strongest, perfect - if judges wanted her winning, then they can do that easily by gave PCS a bit(1~2) more to her. I know my words will Sounds strange, I also wonder why...
 

skatel80

On the Ice
Joined
Nov 12, 2012
Can explain me, please, what is salchow-like technique? I do not know what this means. Sorry for the inconvenience.
As a skater of many years and a coach I can tell you that there is absolutely nothing wrong with Carolinas flip, her triple flip is perfect, TBH I don't see how one could have a salchow like flip the weight has to be over the right side on a flip take off or the toe will slip for it to be like a salchow the weight would have to be over the opposite side. hope that clears it up :)
 
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