Yu-Na Kim's achievements and favorite program | Golden Skate

Yu-Na Kim's achievements and favorite program

skateluvr

Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 23, 2011
At the top as a senior we had really just four years. I don't pay much attention to post Vancouver as it was not "Yuna" at her competitive best. The fire was gone and it showed.

What is your 1 favorite Yuna performance? For me, tho I loved her Oly programs- as sexy grown up Yu-Na, I will always see 'The Lark Ascending' as my favorite Yuna. Still a girl, still growing, so young and that beautiful purity that was Yuna. Technically but moreso artistically, Yu-Na's heart seemed in that program. I wish we had ten years of Yuna to look back on, but so it goes.
 

cooper

Medalist
Joined
Mar 23, 2010
i think she could have achieved even more if she's motivated enough. her technique is a world class. but it seems to me she's satisfied already with her accomplishments. el tango de roxanne is still my favorite program. :)
 

heyang

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
i think she could have achieved even more if she's motivated enough. her technique is a world class. but it seems to me she's satisfied already with her accomplishments. el tango de roxanne is still my favorite program. :)

I wonder if it's related to her back problems. Also, winning an OGM is usually pinnacle of a skater's career. Nothing wrong with her stopping after winning one.
 

Tonichelle

Idita-Rock-n-Roll
Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 27, 2003
Please remember to not flame threads by attacking other posters - be it in name, or as a group. The posts will be unapproved.

Also, remember it's better to ignore the negative, not feed it, because then we mods actually have to work. ;)
 

Skater Boy

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 24, 2012
I still really loved her short at the Olympics and just the lyrical quality to her but I think a lot of the Yuna hype has to do with the Asian community; I am not so sure she is an international sensation like some of the tennis players from Russia or past gymnasts or skaters. These websites are a bit stilted I think possibly. Skating is huge in Asian now especially Japan and Korea but not to be north america centric - not so big in Canada and US mainly or in part because the big skating event is women's skating and right now Canada is totally no where without Joannie. They aren't even on the map. US has hope but no lady has dominated and been on the world podium in a while. Ashley loooks close but remember Mirai was 4th in vancouver and was first after the free at worlds then she fell down the ladder with a crash. I do like Yuna but do think she is a bit more hype
 
Joined
Mar 11, 2011
Technical prowess combined with artistic skating is shown best in her many short programs, Miss Saigon, and Gershwin. But for me, Scheherezade at worlds. That performance was what got my attention to Yuna and that thrill I'd been conveyed from her is beyond words still. Records aside, pure artistry she brought on to that performance. Wow. And that ending pose was so heartwarming after I realized that this program was a tribute to her idol, Kwan.
 

Oreo

On the Ice
Joined
Aug 3, 2003
Even though Yu-Na won all the hardware, I don't think she ever reached the peak of what she could have done. There was still room for improvement with things like her spirals (as an example). No doubt, burn out was a factor. That's a pity. Nonetheless, I really enjoyed her Olympic year programs and am sad there weren't more on those levels. And yes, I loved her Adele program.
 
Last edited:
Joined
Mar 11, 2011
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wC2U_qmvUnU

This is her lp performance at GPF in 2007. She did 3f-3t with ease and then fell horribly at 3loop. But the rest of the program was so impressive since she was able to keep up the good energy, bloomed during performance, did all the tricks needed to win at the end.

Although Yuna received a deduction and -3 GOE on 3loop, her tech scores were 72.25 just a point shy after Mao's wizard, squeaky clean free skate which had two 3-3s. This was one of the most substantial wins of hers in Yuna's senior career.
 

kwanatic

Check out my YT channel, Bare Ice!
Record Breaker
Joined
May 19, 2011
Her iconic program for me is Danse. She will forever be tied to that music and any use of it immediately brings about thoughts of that program. Gorgeous costume, wonderful choreography, delivered perfectly multiple times...that is her iconic program.

As far as her FS go, none of them really stuck with me. I was a much bigger fan of her SPs (Tango, Danse, Bond) than her FS, though if I had to choose, I'd pick Lark Ascending. It was a challenge for her artistically she she delivered it nicely. If there was one program I'd love to see her skate now, it's that one. There was still a slight awkwardness to Yu-Na during that time; she wasn't as refined, smooth and secure as she was a year later. I think it'd be great to see a mature Yu-Na tackle that program now.
 

cosmos

On the Ice
Joined
Oct 2, 2007
Her iconic program for me is Danse. She will forever be tied to that music and any use of it immediately brings about thoughts of that program. Gorgeous costume, wonderful choreography, delivered perfectly multiple times...that is her iconic program.

As far as her FS go, none of them really stuck with me. I was a much bigger fan of her SPs (Tango, Danse, Bond) than her FS, though if I had to choose, I'd pick Lark Ascending. It was a challenge for her artistically she she delivered it nicely. If there was one program I'd love to see her skate now, it's that one. There was still a slight awkwardness to Yu-Na during that time; she wasn't as refined, smooth and secure as she was a year later. I think it'd be great to see a mature Yu-Na tackle that program now.
That would be the dream of every YuNa fan. However, I also thought that mature YuNa wouldn't be a young lark any more.
 

ImaginaryPogue

Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 3, 2009
I think her body of work will stand comparison with any post-Kwan lady, to be honest. She didn't have the longest career (only one quad), and her long programs never quite matched her short (though that seems to be a COP thing, so it's forgiveable). But between Danse Macabre, Roxanne, Bond, Gershwin, Lark and Arirang, I think she'll be in beautiful stead.
 
Joined
Mar 11, 2011
I think her body of work will stand comparison with any post-Kwan lady, to be honest. She didn't have the longest career (only one quad), and her long programs never quite matched her short (though that seems to be a COP thing, so it's forgiveable). But between Danse Macabre, Roxanne, Bond, Gershwin, Lark and Arirang, I think she'll be in beautiful stead.

Yeah, but what she'd accomplished during that short period of career is more than any other female skaters have ever done. She won every title there to be won. I do agree with your opinion about her lp roaster. Lark Ascending and Arirang have really something ethereal, new, and magical.
 
Joined
Aug 16, 2009
Oh, I think she'll be counted as one of the best ever. As far as the length of her competitive career, one quadrennial is actually about average for a lot of ladies' skaters, though recently we've had a few long-lasting ones (Michelle, Irina, Mao, Carolina K. et al) to skew the statistics. Really short and meteoric is someone like Tara Lipinski, who was in and out in just about two years. Like Midori Ito, YuNa was technically head and shoulders above the competition, with the exception of Mao Asada. In 2007 it was hard for me to watch her because I kept worrying about her back, but now looking back (I just watched "Roxanne"), I can really enjoy her work and her artistry.
 

periperi

On the Ice
Joined
May 11, 2011
Yuna's programs for her senior debut season were her best for me. The complex choreography is unmatched by any of her programs afterwards, imo. She wasn't as refined, as regal back in those days, but it's during that time that I most connect with her performances artistically. Yuna was truly ethereal performing to Lark Ascending (not a word I would usually use to describe her) and truly feisty and aggressive performing to Roxanne. There was also an honest quality to her expression that I would miss in later years.
 
Joined
Mar 11, 2011
Yuna herself stated more than often that Lark Ascending was the most challenging program for her career and it's her favorite program. When David Wilson choreographed this program, he asked for her to be a "light and young" bird literally, so she struggled to present that theme most suitably on ice. And me thinks this is where all of her artistic contemplating through performance started. Lark Ascending is that good.
 
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