Is there a scenario where Yuna might change her mind for 2018?

[cooper]

i doubt she will change her mind.. if yuna said sochi will be her last.. then that will be her last competition.. she has a good track record of making promises etc.. and if KSU or pyeongchang committee will force/pressure her to compete i still doubt she will say yes.. the only way i think it will change her mind about competing in 2018 is if her own mom/ATS say otherwise.. meaning will pressure her to compete..

 

[Krislite]

She doesn't strike me as the kind of person who would want to come back just to beat a whole bunch of younger skaters just for the sake of saying "ha ha, I'm still the best." Yu-Na doesn't seem to have a that kind of ego. Her reasons for coming back this time are largely selfless. Yes she still wants to compete, but at the same time she made it very clear that part of the reason she was doing this was for the younger skaters in Korea to have an opportunity to participate in Sochi.

Sports is an inherently selfish pursuit. You can't achieve those heights of excellence without a drive to be the best and do your best. I would say Yuna's reasons in Worlds 2010 and 2011 were "selfless", and you can tell her "self" wasn't in it. But this comeback strikes me as very different. Outwardly she says she's doing it to win spots for Korea, but I also think there's a fire in her that says "I'm not done yet", which is easily overlooked because she's very reserved, humble and not at all boastful. To me, actions always speak louder than words. Can you really watch her Worlds LP and say to yourself, she did that only out of charity?

 

[Jammers]

People are going to find it really hard to accept that she isn't coming back. It's a gradual process of letting go but eventually they'll get there...

Well it's not like Yuna has been a big part of skating the last 3 years. Let's face it she's been mostly in retirement since the Olympics and everyone has managed to move on.

 

[lcd]

She does seem the kind of gifted athlete that is able to pull herself together in relative isolation and show up at events ready to deliver. Perhaps a return in 2018 would be more akin to Katarina Witt's appearance in 1994, where expectations for a gold might be more muted but she would still be adored and celebrated by her home country for her presence, as an Olympic champion (twice by then? possibly).

 

[kwanatic]

Well it's not like Yuna has been a big part of skating the last 3 years. Let's face it she's been mostly in retirement since the Olympics and everyone has managed to move on.

There was always that hope though b/c she hadn't officially retired. She's announced her retirement after this season so now that element of finality has been introduced. Personally I never expected her to comeback so I had already accepted her absence and moved on. I'm glad she's back and I'm interested to see how she will elevate the competition next season.

But to be honest, I'm ready for all of the holdovers to make their exit at this point. It's going to be tough to really enjoy skating for a few years simply b/c none of these skaters are soup yet, but I'm ready for this new generation to step to the front and take over. And let's face it, as long as these post-Torino ladies are still around, that isn't going to happen.

 

[sky_fly20]

pressure from Korean Olympic Fed or Korean Fed to have a star in figure skating for home crowd cheer, quite possible
the chances of a medal might still be possible, Plushenko has done it after having off the ice for a few yearsa
Yuna is one of the most consistent skaters there is but not gold medal for sure

 

[vera01]

I don't think Korean fed should force Yuna to compete. If they do-well, it's a worst scenario that I can ever imagine. We won't be seeing 2010 Olympics Yuna or 2013 Worlds Yuna if she's forced to compete.

 

[sky_fly20]

I don't think Korean fed should force Yuna to compete. If they do-well, it's a worst scenario that I can ever imagine. We won't be seeing 2010 Olympics Yuna or 2013 Worlds Yuna if she's forced to compete.

so ? it will be for home crowd anyways, we've seen that happen
even if she wont medal she can still be in Top 5 for Korean crowd

 

[vera01]

so ? it will be for home crowd anyways, we've seen that happen
even if she wont medal she can still be in Top 5 for Korean crowd

Why do you think Korean crowd(who aren't specifically her fans) would be happy to see Yuna NOT winning the gold medal?

And why would Yuna want to end her career with Top.5 at Olympics especially if she has won a medal of any color in the previous Olympics? Why does she have to make a sacrifice and train for another 4 years just to skate in front of the home crowd?

 

[sky_fly20]

Why do you think Korean crowd(who aren't specifically her fans) would be happy to see Yuna NOT winning the gold medal?

And why would Yuna want to end her career with Top.5 at Olympics especially if she has won a medal of any color in the previous Olympics? Why does she have to make a sacrifice and train for another 4 years just to skate in front of the home crowd?

she could still be ready to take the burden, ever since she was an elite skater she has faced huge pressure at home to do well
she was one of the key people Korea won to host the 2018 Olympics, so she might be willing to sacrifice that again by competing in 2018 even if its because of pressure

 

[ice coverage]

Stranger things have happened. ....

.... Yuna, of course, is always free to change her mind. ....

Understood that Kim's situation is unique b/c her efforts brought the 2018 Games to her country.

But FWIW, from the "Never say never" department:
During the past season (if not earlier), Virtue/Moir openly and repeatedly made casual references to the 2013-14 season as their last -- although they did not make an official announcement of their future retirement.
Then lo and behold, a surprising quote from Virtue in yesterday's IN article does not rule out the possibility of continuing to compete in the 2014-15 season.

 

[gmyers]

She doesn't strike me as the kind of person who would want to come back just to beat a whole bunch of younger skaters just for the sake of saying "ha ha, I'm still the best." Yu-Na doesn't seem to have a that kind of ego. Her reasons for coming back this time are largely selfless. Yes she still wants to compete, but at the same time she made it very clear that part of the reason she was doing this was for the younger skaters in Korea to have an opportunity to participate in Sochi.

She got south Korea two spots for Sochi I guess she can leave skating now! No she wants a second gold medal and be the best ever and I think that drive could go to 2018!

If she comes back for 2018, I think it would be more on the KOC's or KSU's insistence (and persistence) than of her own volition.

I think this is possible.

Sports is an inherently selfish pursuit. You can't achieve those heights of excellence without a drive to be the best and do your best. I would say Yuna's reasons in Worlds 2010 and 2011 were "selfless", and you can tell her "self" wasn't in it. But this comeback strikes me as very different. Outwardly she says she's doing it to win spots for Korea, but I also think there's a fire in her that says "I'm not done yet", which is easily overlooked because she's very reserved, humble and not at all boastful. To me, actions always speak louder than words. Can you really watch her Worlds LP and say to yourself, she did that only out of charity?

Totally!

 

[Ven]

I think Yuna's motivation for coming back this cycle was to "finish her career". Finish it the right way, whatever you want to call it. Up to 2010 it was about achieving her goals, becoming the world champion, winning the gold medal at the Olympics. Now it's about finishing her career and hopefully doing it her best. I think there is virtually zero % chance she will compete again after Sochi 2014.

 

[sky_fly20]

I think there is virtually zero % chance she will compete again after Sochi 2014.

never say never, there is always Federation pressure

 

[RABID]

I think Yuna's motivation for coming back this cycle was to "finish her career". Finish it the right way, whatever you want to call it. Up to 2010 it was about achieving her goals, becoming the world champion, winning the gold medal at the Olympics. Now it's about finishing her career and hopefully doing it her best. I think there is virtually zero % chance she will compete again after Sochi 2014.

I think you have the right of it. And with all that she has done for raising Korea's profile and helping them get the 2018 Olympics she is deserving of exiting competition on her own terms. However I recall broadcasters recounting (NBC Olympics?) letters to Yuna NOT congratulating her on 2nd place finishes inferring she must do BETTER next time and on another note she apparently feared that if she didn't win Olympic gold her country might turn their back on her. In other words there is a cultural aspect to this all that leaves me unsure how she sees her self in regards to her country's expectations and what she thinks she owes them or for that matter, what they might owe her. For me the ideal scenario is for her to be on the fence about retirement and with just an eensy, weensy, little bit of pressure, she comes off the fence and says, OK, sure, why not.

 

[Eclair]

never say never, there is always Federation pressure

no federation can effectivly pressure yuna anymore, since she's already achieved everything and is independant in money and fame. And it's not like they can put her into jail or sth if she doesn't skate.

I think you have the right of it. And with all that she has done for raising Korea's profile and helping them get the 2018 Olympics she is deserving of exiting competition on her own terms. However I recall broadcasters recounting (NBC Olympics?) letters to Yuna NOT congratulating her on 2nd place finishes inferring she must do BETTER next time and on another note she apparently feared that if she didn't win Olympic gold her country might turn their back on her. In other words there is a cultural aspect to this all that leaves me unsure how she sees her self in regards to her country's expectations and what she thinks she owes them or for that matter, what they might owe her. For me the ideal scenario is for her to be on the fence about retirement and with just an eensy, weensy, little bit of pressure, she comes off the fence and says, OK, sure, why not.

Yuna said in an interview that the expectations from the public and the pressure is what she fears most about competing again. What overweightend this fear was the new spark that training with younger skaters has ignited, as well as finding a good ending to her skating career (she doesn't want to have any regrets later, so she decided to compete) and enabling the younger generation to experience an olympics.
Expectations from the public or pressure from her federation no longer have the power over her they once had. I don't believe she'll come back for 2018.

 

[sky_fly20]

no federation can effectivly pressure yuna anymore, since she's already achieved everything and is independant in money and fame. And it's not like they can put her into jail or sth if she doesn't skate.

and ? Plushenko is also independent in money and fame and yet is pressured to come back
if Korea wont sprout any real contenders for 2018 , then Yuna will definitely be pressured to return

 

[Olympia]

Golly, I hope she's not pressured. That would be such a grind for her, and inevitably her skills will diminish a bit, or there will be wear-and-tear injuries. She should be allowed to leave while the gleam is still on for her. She can always do a guest appearance at the 2018 Games. Korea will have to learn to stand on its own two feet at some point, and now is a good time to prepare. Understandably, YuNa is a hard act to follow. In fact, she's an impossible act to follow, because another skater of her caliber isn't going to show up in any country for a good long while, I suspect. This post-Olympic season is going to be a huge letdown all over the world, what with all the retirements. But as always, new and surprising talents will show up.

 

[Finnstep]

and ? Plushenko is also independent in money and fame and yet is pressured to come back
if Korea wont sprout any real contenders for 2018 , then Yuna will definitely be pressured to return

I doubt KSU(Korean Skating Union) would be able to force Yu-Na to be back on ice, when so far, they have done pretty much nothing for her.

I think Yu-Na has already done a lot for South Korea by competing after 2010 Vancouver(2011/2013 World Championships). KSU can't just depend on Yu-Na to take care of everything.

 

[Eclair]

never say never, there is always Federation pressure

and ? Plushenko is also independent in money and fame and yet is pressured to come back
if Korea wont sprout any real contenders for 2018 , then Yuna will definitely be pressured to return

I believe Plushenko comes back because he still has the competitive fire and wants to be there. Or am I misinformed here? If he didn't want to come back, not even his Federation could have made him --> ergo Federation pressure is nearly irrelevant for both yuna and plush. In addition I believe the russian federation is a lot more powerful than the korean skating federation...

therefore there's no scenario in which yuna might return in 2018 except for wanting so herself - but she has already made the decision to not skate at Sochi and also announced it. Her announcements had alwas been very relieable, which leads to the conclusion that she won't return. Following, the usage of the word 'never' is justified