Is Yu-Na Kim doomed for the worlds?

[netnuts]

Your comment sounds so callous. If you're a true figure skating fan, you should have some compassion and respect for these hard-working athletes. Knowing that you'll be happy as long as someone 'crashes YuNa' (in your own words), I may be expecting too much. I wish you would contain your hostilities to yourself rather than express them so frequently on this board.

I'm just saying Yu-Na has multiple injuries, and nobody can predict how long her skating life will last. It's probably in her interest to earn multiple medals at world stage early and often as long as her body allows. If she sits this one out, do you believe there's any guarantee she won't sit next year out. With Yu-Na's talent, she should win multiple medals at world championships, but with stupid age restriction, it is NOT impossible she will only have very limited medal collection when her career ends.

Mao, on the other hand, is pretty healthy, she may last much longer, but you still never know.

 

[cosmos]

I agree with that.

In Yu-na's case, Brian Orser commented before she went back to Korea something along the lines of: this time she realizes that she cannot just push through an injury, because if she does that, she'll really hurt herself in the long term. That sounded like to me an implicit hint that in the past she HAS pushed through injuries, and did hurt herself. This was before Yu-na left Canada though. Since then, even though the doctor hasn't ok'ed her getting back to training, she's already gotten back on twice to test the ice. Was that wise? Wouldn't it have been better at least to wait for Thursday's diagnosis?

AFAIK, YuNa's practice was allowed by doctor. You can read her mom's comment in YuNa Forum.

 

[bubbleyum]

u know, i don't think everybody should jump to conclusions about the korean public pressuring yuna to skate and compete when she's injured. i've read a lot of korean message boards, and most of the message board comments showed that the skating fans were very concerned for her health, and want her to do whatever is best for a good recovery. when the issue of her skating in the exhibition came up, everybody posting was saying how she should not skate in the exhibition, and she should focus on getting healthy for worlds or even next year.

there are not a whole lot of famous world-class athletes in korea, so they are pretty darn proud of yuna and are very protective of her. they call her their "little sister" etc, and they want what is the best for her too.

so i'm sure whatever yuna is doing in terms of practice, she is using her own sound judgement instead of being swayed by public opinion. she seems to have a good head on her shoulders!

 

[Bennett]

But if the doctor allows her to practice, then it should be fine.

I feel that she may win even with an injury. She was said to be 50% last year and was still great.

 

[feraina]

A morning practice video from Feb. 22:
http://news.naver.com/sports/index....&mod=read&office_id=001&article_id=0001970380

She seems to be better shape and spirit than the previous practice clip.

According to a poster on FSU, she ran through her SP and LP with simple jumps. She also tried 2 kinds of triples, including 3S. Apparently there's just some muscle dullness now, compared to prickling pain she felt before. Her plans are to go to the worlds and gain some experience, even if she might not be in top training shape (though she expects to be free of pain).

ETA: According to a poster on the Yuna forum, Yu-na says she still has some minor pain, but if the pain disappears, she really hopes to go to Worlds. Note that the Feb. 22 morning practice video (apparently posted at 8:50 AM) is made BEFORE her re-scheduled medical examination, scheduled for 10 AM, which is supposed to decide whether she is fit to train and/or compete.

I don't know, the whole thing still sounds a bit iffy to me. I understand her impatience, but I wish she had just waited two hours to see what the doctor thinks. Now that she has raised the expectations so high by allowing the media to observe her practice, what if her doctor then orders her to stay off the ice or something?

Well, hopefully she knows her body the best, and the doctor will come out with some good news!

 

[jaejang2001]

Here's another video..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=diDgXGxkCTc

 

[demarinis5]

Thanks for the links and the update on YuNa. She seems to be doing o.k. Her jumps looked good.

 

[hazey]

If people are saying how 3L is the cause of Yu-Na's latest problem, I worry for Asada who pops off 3L-3L combos in practice like nothing and trains 3A, which most ladies don't even attempt.

 

[redhotcoach]

Time for skaters to rebel against the system????

The triple loop has caused more than one skater to injure themselves -- look at Tara Lipinski had her hips done at what, age 20???

Just like in the gymnastics movie, Stick It, perhaps skaters should start to rebel against the bar being set so high for jumps --- and forcing injuries to happen that shouldn't.

When was the last time a member of the ISU technical panel, or any skating organization -- did a triple-triple combination or attempted a 3A??? NEVER - because the people who are making the rules for our young skaters - either didn't skate, or skated so long ago that doubles were a bit deal or one triple was all that was expected - Even most coaches at the international level never did a triple triple ( I know a few are recent skaters but that is the minority).

So why should skaters be forced to push themselves and end up with broken bodies - in order to satisfy the thrill seeking fans and skating organizers?

Funny how those ice shows with has-beens often attract more fans than the competitive events ( and I know SOI etc have had trouble lately).

Remember Beatrice Shuba (sp sorry) who won a title based on great figure marks? She opened her performance with Ice Capades doing loops!(figure loops that is - not the jump!)

Is it time to scale down the risk elements and develop the sport in another direction - because it is still jump jump jump that counts!

 

[feraina]

We don't know for sure that it's the loop that's causing Yu-na's latest problems. Last year she had a major back injury after not having included loop in her programs for at least a couple of years. I would think the ueber-flexible moves like the Biellmann and layback are problematic for her, b/c her back/hips are not naturally flexible. It reminds me of Miki Ando, who's also not especially flexible -- catch-foot spins cause re-dislocations in her shoulder, not the tough jumps. Obviously her shoulder is now very vulnerable, but it's telling that the only moves she has to exclude are the catch-foot layback positions.

Mao Asada has been including multiple loops in her programs every year, and we've never heard of any injuries related to the loop. I don't think we should just jump to the conclusion that the loop is to blame.

You might as well say that it's the sport to blame. That, and the physical condition or possibly the training habits of certain skaters make them more injury-prone than others.

 

[feraina]

Well, it looks like Yu-na is partially cleared to skate. The doctor says she should train at 60-70% for some more days, and that it's a little early to train the triples intensively.

A cautiously optimistic assessment, it sounds like.

 

[Medusa]

This is like Reality-TV, just better...

How is Yu-Na doing, how is she moving, how many jumps has she trained, who said what about her, when does she have her doctor's appointment? Did she make a grimace during that layback, did she touch her hip after the spiral and what is Orser saying?

I think I wait till the short program in Stockholm - if she is there she obviously recovered enough, if she isn't there she is still too badly injured.

But I feel for that girl, everybody monitoring her nonstop, the Korean press probably has an update on her "health" every four hours - reminds me of that time David Beckham broke his foot 2 months or so before the European Soccer Championships, I was in England back then and for the first time nobody talked about the wheather - everything was about Beckham's foot, even the most sophisticated newspapers had a regular update on Beckham's foot. I developed a deep dislike for Beckham's foot during that time... Of course I couldn't care less about that foot and was also cheering for my country - England's soccer arch-nemesis - and had to keep myself from being happy about Beckham's damaged foot... Offtopic again. Sorry.

Well, I hope she can find some time for herself and doesn't lose her mind in the next month.

 

[kandidy]

Sort of not just athlete's news, but celebrity's news.

 

[cosmos]

This is like Reality-TV, just better...

How is Yu-Na doing, how is she moving, how many jumps has she trained, who said what about her, when does she have her doctor's appointment? Did she make a grimace during that layback, did she touch her hip after the spiral and what is Orser saying?

I think I wait till the short program in Stockholm - if she is there she obviously recovered enough, if she isn't there she is still too badly injured.

But I feel for that girl, everybody monitoring her nonstop, the Korean press probably has an update on her "health" every four hours - reminds me of that time David Beckham broke his foot 2 months or so before the European Soccer Championships, I was in England back then and for the first time nobody talked about the wheather - everything was about Beckham's foot, even the most sophisticated newspapers had a regular update on Beckham's foot. I developed a deep dislike for Beckham's foot during that time... Of course I couldn't care less about that foot and was also cheering for my country - England's soccer arch-nemesis - and had to keep myself from being happy about Beckham's damaged foot... Offtopic again. Sorry.

Well, I hope she can find some time for herself and doesn't lose her mind in the next month.

Haha, I never realized it looked like a reality show. Certainly, YuNa's popularity in Korea is never comparable to Beckahm's in England (she is pretty popuar, though). Only a limited number of people are constantly interestedin her updatd news. I think, it is Korea. So many things happen in cyber space, not only YuNa but a lot of news are constantly updated in it. I never realized it looked interesting to you.