When you are a mega star like Yu-Na Kim or Michelle Kwan, everytime you appear somewhere, your agency expect certain ROI - regardless the nature of the event, GP included. She doesn't necessarily have to be on an active project, e.g. shooting a commercial or something, but her agency or agency of any mega star would want him/her available to appear here and there in order to prospect or increase her visibility / marketability. Skating at GP for example is considered a waste of time because it is watched by a very narrowly focused audience so it doesn't really appeal to a broader market like those will likely buy her air conditioning commercial but otherwise, never interested in skating as a sport. However, this conflicts greatly with what's best for a skater's career, which is to get the mileage necessary in order to be comfortable in your programs. No matter how much you practice and train, you need to get out there and compete. So my hunch is if she is indeed going to skip 4CC, it is likely a "management decision" and I don't like that because I think it can hurt her the same way it hurt Michelle Kwan, eventually, she was no longer a World Medalist long before the 2006 Olympics.
Kim to skate at 2011 Worlds: Press release
- Thread starter EWalker
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When you are a mega star like Yu-Na Kim or Michelle Kwan, everytime you appear somewhere, your agency expect certain ROI - regardless the nature of the event, GP included. She doesn't necessarily have to be on an active project, e.g. shooting a commercial or something, but her agency or agency of any mega star would want him/her available to appear here and there in order to prospect or increase her visibility / marketability. Skating at GP for example is considered a waste of time because it is watched by a very narrowly focused audience so it doesn't really appeal to a broader market like those will likely buy her air conditioning commercial but otherwise, never interested in skating as a sport. However, this conflicts greatly with what's best for a skater's career, which is to get the mileage necessary in order to be comfortable in your programs. No matter how much you practice and train, you need to get out there and compete. So my hunch is if she is indeed going to skip 4CC, it is likely a "management decision" and I don't like that because I think it can hurt her the same way it hurt Michelle Kwan, eventually, she was no longer a World Medalist long before the 2006 Olympics.
Uh...excuse me, where did I mention a parent anywhere? Is Helen Choi Yu-Na Kim's mom? Please stop putting words in my mouth.
I think there is still a chance for her to skate at 4CC. Agree with cosmos.
Just my assumption...
Considering the Winter Asian Games 2011 will be held from Jan 30 to Feb 6 in Kazakhstan and 4CC 2011, from Feb 15 to 20 in Taipei, if she had announced she would only go to 4CC and not Asian Games, most Koreans would have been really disappointed.
You know, to Koreans, the Asian Games are VERY important and and the Korean speed skating heroes/heroines who won at Vancouver will probably go there.
Ordinary Koreans don't even know the exisitence of 4CC.
I think she clearly said that she would not participate in the Asian Games. That may be why she said she was not sure if she could be in 4CC.
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- Mar 23, 2010
Wallylutz, I understand your concern. I'm still hoping that she will compete at the 4CC. 
Anyway, I'm happy with her music choices. Giselle will be a challenge because Yuna is not known for her balletic moves/style. But like what she said..she wants to improve. So, I can't wait!
Anyway, I'm happy with her music choices. Giselle will be a challenge because Yuna is not known for her balletic moves/style. But like what she said..she wants to improve. So, I can't wait!
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- Mar 23, 2010
Let me ask you Wallyluz, in your 20 years experience, did you expect to see a girl from an obscure figure skating nation rising from no where and sweep up the records she did? Or have you been proven more surprised than not when often favourites fail to deliver their promises? My point is this sport is full of surprises therefore history doesn't count for as much as from other sport. (and yes, I do realise that include she may very well fail at wc.)
As for her reason. Although competitive skating is suppose be all about maximise your chances of winning, but she did say after fulfilling her Olympic/WC goals, her priority is no longer just about winning, but to develop her artistry, expressions and experiencing many different characters (hence her choice of ballet and Korean folk dancing are at such extreme opposite of each other). If you recall reading from various sources, Arirang is not merely a typical program that has been designed to win a competition, but it has a big cultural significance to her own Korean heritage, thus has became more about her presenting her gift to her country at the biggest stage and the most important event of the season - Arirang in Tokyo. Is it a statement? One can certainly quibble, but if you are sensitive to the 2 rival nation's history,it might not be as surprising.
To put it simply, it is more than about medalling and it is a risk she is willing to take.
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You know whant you meant. I sense that you are really not concerned about Yuna and her skating. She doesn't need to increase her visibility / marketability at all. She is not showing up here and there either. She is training quitely in LA, wokring on her programs, and resting, instead of throwing herself into the stress of competing (whether she enjoys competing or not, and no matter how good she is, competing still casues a lot of stress). You must have one troubled mind to think that eveything she does is business and $ related.
thanks, this is good to know. I hope she does one or both, it will be good for her and she gets to be seen by her skating fans more. Why not? Yu-Na fans should all ask her to show up at the Asian Games then since it will be more like an exhibition for her with little pressure. If the event is important to Koreans, then more reasons for her to go and be seen by her key audience, which is also good for business. Seems like a win-win situation to me.
As for the really hilarious accusations that I want something bad for Yu-Na, if that's my intention, why would I want to warn her about the danger of lacking mileage? Suppose I have bad intention, shouldn't I be encouraging her fans using fake pleasantries? What would I accomplish by pointing out no man or woman has ever won Worlds as their 1st competition of the season? there is still time to reconsider and I hope she does. Sadly, the bots have passion but no brain.
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Hm. I get what you mean. But still I beg to differ. You are looking it from current American point of view I think.
The bolded part is simply wrong in Korea. It is actually quite the opposite.
Yes, Yuna is such a Mega star in Korea, so if Yuna had competed in GP series this season, it would have aired for sure because high rating is guaranteed. And it would have been filled with Yuna's commercials. I'm not making this up. It is what happened in the past. I'm pretty sure they even aired the other events where Yuna was not in just to show how Yuna's competitors were doing.
This year's 4CC is not different. If "ROI" is what her agency expects, she should have competed in GP series. And she should compete in 4CC.
On the contrary, what did she do? No media appearance. Her fans are dying to know how she's doing and occasional photos at her blog are sparing them. Hm. so much for ROI and $, I should say.
If Yuna feels she is ready, and if she feels it is necessary, she will compete in 4CC. Or in Asian games(but I'm not so sure what Asian games we are talking about. Aren't they just finished??), or whatever in hand.
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- Nov 9, 2007
Sometimes, the competition environment is really necessary to work out the kinks as well as gaining momentum in the season. Sometimes things work very well in the practice environment (at least, based on what I read about Mao's practices in Paris the last week, but can go wrong under the pressure of competition. That could be very well the reason why Mao is insisting on going through the Grand Prix circuit.
Of course, it is always possible to come out extremely well prepared despite being out of competition for awhile, like Shen/Zhao demonstrated last year at their first Grand Prix event, but it could also go poorly, like what happened to Delobel/Scoenfelder at the Olympics, so it depends very much on the individual and their situation. Yuna has never been out of competition this long in the past couple of years, so we really have to wait and see, though if anyone could pull that off, she in all likelihood, can.
Let me tell you that any Korean athelete will avoid competing in Taiwan, and for a good reason (go search it yourself). And Yuna tends to skate better when she is rested and well prepared. If she thinks she can't do it she wouldn't do it.
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- Mar 27, 2010
Let me tell you that I'm Taiwanese-American, and I find that rather offensive. Care to say why? :disapp:
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Please remember that this is not a skater specific board. Opinions are going to differ. Do not attack other posters or ethnicities just because you're in a heated conversation. Keep to the topic at hand, leave the computer for a bit and cool off, do whatever to refrain from going against the GS Guidelines.
Yeah, I also think it is risky. But it seems to be a risk that Yuna is willing to take.
I also agree maybe that is the reason why Mao did GP series at the risk of poor showing (thus a risk of lowering her PCS.) That was the risk that she was willing to take I guess.
So in the end, it comes down to personal choices, it seems.
And I trust Yuna is going the right path that suits her best.
Because of their weird and unreasonable hatred against Koreans, and the recent events that took place in Taiwan as a result of disqualification of one of ther athletes during Asian Games. If you are Taiwanese Americacn I'm sure you know it. I'm not trying to be racist here, i'm just saying that given Taiwan's record of agressive public behaviours towards Koreans, even at sporting events, I would really be concerned.
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- Mar 23, 2010
I think he/she was talking about the Asian Games controversy recently in Taekwando when a Taiwanese was disqualified and blamed the Koreans. I think it made the news.
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- Mar 27, 2010
Oh. THOSE were those really nationalistic "Taiwan is not a part of China", refusing to have connections with any other asian nation, overly aggressive (as you said) green party people. All countries have their zealots, and Taiwan is no different, those people try to use the old mistreatments of Taiwan as a sort of leverage (I think it's really annoying). Most of the country is not like that. I'm sorry the perception of Taiwan is so skewed because of those people
I don't have an answer. Joannie Rochette is all over the place in comparison, she is not competing but boy, she is super busy, non-stop. It seems to defy logic that Yu-Na is not doing more so I take your words at face value. I hope everything is all right on her end because if she is focusing on training, then there is even less reason for her not to do Asian Games and/or 4CC.
Well, good luck to Yuna.
It is definitely risky to just show up at worlds but if anyone can defy the odds, it is Yuna. Somebody, probably Wallylutz, mentioned that even Plushenko did a few competitions, including Euros, before the Olympics. But Yuna has not taken three years off competition like Plushenko did. Plushenko defied the odds by winning Euros and an Olympic silver and I think Yuna could too.
Yuna was in a strange position. I think nobody can blame her for skipping the GP given the pressure she was under all these past years. But since she is South Korean, she has no nationals that are competitive for her. So she only as the 4CC. Who knows, maybe she will still go to that but I can sort of understand the decision to skip that too as it is so close to worlds.
As for her music choices I am so excited about her FS but color me skeptical about Giselle. I hope it doesn't bug me too much when she doesn't point her feet. On the other hand, there was that picture we saw a while ago with Peter apparently trying to help Yuna work on her turnout :thumbsup: And David Wilson has never done Yuna wrong, so what do I know?
Go Yuna!!!
It is definitely risky to just show up at worlds but if anyone can defy the odds, it is Yuna. Somebody, probably Wallylutz, mentioned that even Plushenko did a few competitions, including Euros, before the Olympics. But Yuna has not taken three years off competition like Plushenko did. Plushenko defied the odds by winning Euros and an Olympic silver and I think Yuna could too.
Yuna was in a strange position. I think nobody can blame her for skipping the GP given the pressure she was under all these past years. But since she is South Korean, she has no nationals that are competitive for her. So she only as the 4CC. Who knows, maybe she will still go to that but I can sort of understand the decision to skip that too as it is so close to worlds.
As for her music choices I am so excited about her FS but color me skeptical about Giselle. I hope it doesn't bug me too much when she doesn't point her feet. On the other hand, there was that picture we saw a while ago with Peter apparently trying to help Yuna work on her turnout :thumbsup: And David Wilson has never done Yuna wrong, so what do I know?
Go Yuna!!!
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- Jun 21, 2003
OK, now you've got me confused again. I thought the "+1" was Yu-na's mom. Did you mean someone else?
If this is about old grudges, are you saying that Yu-na won't compete in Taiwan, but she's OK with Tokyo?
When my grandparents were brought to Japan, and forced to work in the Japanese Army base, they endured their hard labor with the song, Arirang. My mom burst into tears when she knew she would hear the music in Tokyo. She has lived in Japan for her whole life and got married to a Japanese man, my father. She doesn't even speak Korean, but something about this music, it's like some kinds of emotion are engraved in your gene. I think most Koreans feel the same way.
So, my answer to your question is, I believe she's doing it because it might be the last time to show her gratitude toward her country. "The hommage to Korea", aka Arirang in Japan. It might not impress anyone in the world, but definitely, Koreans and half-Korean like me will get the message. I'm so grateful she compromised her chance of winning and chose harder way for my mother.
