So-Youn Park

Park So-youn (Hangul: 박소연; hanja: 朴小宴) is a South Korean figure skater. She was born on 24 October 24 1997, in Naju, South Korea.

She is the 2015 South Korean national champion, the 2012 Asian Trophy champion, and the 2012 JGP Turkey silver medalist. She has represented South Korea at the 2014 Winter Olympics.

Last updated on 9 March 2019 by Mohacz​

ISU bio
http://www.isuresults.com/bios/isufs00012732.htm

Wikipedia
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Park_So-youn_(figure_skater)

Tracings.net entry
http://www.tracings.net/park-soyo.html

Wayback machine archive of her ISU Bios
http://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www.isuresults.com/bios/isufs00012732.htm

Social Media
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/f.skater_soyoun/

Personal Best Scores under +5/-5 GOE
SP: 58.94 (ISU CS Inge Solar Memorial / Alpen Trophy 2018)
FS: 94.00 (ISU CS Inge Solar Memorial / Alpen Trophy 2018)
TS: 152.94 (ISU CS Inge Solar Memorial / Alpen Trophy 2018)

Personal Best Scores pre +5/-5 GOE
SP: 64.89 (ISU GP Trophee de France 2016)
FS: 120.30 (ISU GP Trophee de France 2016)
TS: 185.19 (ISU GP Trophee de France 2016)

Programs and Videos
2018/2019
SP: "Man with the Golden Arm" by Billy May; choreo. by Cindy Stuart
FS: "Titanic" (soundtrack) by James Horner

2019 Winter Universiade2019 Korean National Championships2018 KSU President Cup Ranking Competition2018 CS inge Solar Memorial - Alpen Trophy
2017/2018
SP: "Black Swan" by Clint Mansell; choreo. by Cindy Stuart
FS: "En Aranjuez con mi amor" by Joaquín Rodrigo performed by Nana Mouskouri; choreo. by David Wilson

2018 Four Continents Championships2018 South Korean Nationals2017 GP NHK Trophy
2016/2017
SP: "The Man with the Golden Arm" by Billy May; choreo. by Cindy Stuart
FS: "En Aranjuez con mi amor" by Joaquín Rodrigo performed by Nana Mouskouri; choreo. by David Wilson
Ex: "Amazing Grace" performed by Hayley Westenra; choreo. by Cindy Stuart

2016 GP Trophee de France2016 GP Skate America2016 CS Nebelhorn Trophy2016 CS Lombardia Trophy
2015/2016
SP: "Black Orpheus"; choreo by Cindy Stuart
FS: "Come, Gentle Night", "The Cheek of Night" and "A Thousand Times Good Night" (from "Romeo and Juliet" soundtrack) by Abel Korzeniowski; choreo by Cindy Stuart
Ex: "Dear Future Husband" by Meghan Trainor; choreo. by Cindy Stuart

2016 World Championships2016 Four Continents Championships2015-16 Korean Nationals2015 GP Cup of China2015 GP Skate America2015 CS Finlandia Trophy
2014/2015
SP: "Introduction et Rondo Capriccioso" byCamille Saint-Saëns
FS: "Romeo and Juliet" by Abel Korzeniowski
Ex: "I Dreamt a Dream" by Idina Menzel (from "Glee"); choreo. by Cindy Stuart

2015 World Championships2015 Four Continents Championships2014 Skate Korea2014 GP Skate America2014 GP Rostelecom Cup2014 Asian Trophy
2013/2014
SP: "The Swan" by Camille Saint Saëns
FS: "Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini" by Sergei Rachmaninoff, "As You Like It" by Patrick Doyle and "Spirited Away" by Joe Hisaishi

2014 World ChampionshipsXXII Winter Olympic Games Sochi 2014 (thanks guys)2014 Korean Nationals2013 Skate Korea
2012/2013
SP: "Pantoum for Piano" by Ravel
FS: "West Side Story" by Leonard Bernstein

2013 Junior World Championships2012 Asian Trophy2012 JGP Istanbul2012 JGP Lake Placid
2011/2012
SP: "Poème" by Secret Garden
FS: "Elizabeth: The Golden Age" by Craig Armstrong
Ex: "They Can't Take That Away From Me" sung by Peggy Lee; by George Gershwin

2012 Youth Olympic Games2012 Korean Nationals2011 JGP Trofeo W. Lombardi2011 JGP Austria2011 KSU President's Cup
2010/2011
SP: "Czardas" by Vittorio Monti
FS: "Malaguena" by Ernesto Lecuona
Ex: "Roxie" (from "Chicago") by John Kander

October
2009/2010
SP: "Carousel Waltz" by Richard Rodgers
FS: "Yentl" by Michel Legrand
Ex: "Once Upon A December" (from "Anastasia") by Stephen Flaherty

2010 Korean Winter Sport Festival
2008/2009
SP: "Kalinka" by Ivan Larionov
FS: "It Ain't Necessarily So" by George Gershwin
Ex: "So long, Farewell" (from "The Sound of Music") by Richard Rodgers

2009 Korean Nationals
Baby Pictures
2007/2008
SP: "The Swan" by Camille Saint-Saëns
FS: "Aragonaise" by Georges Bizet

2008 Dream Treas 4th Grade
So Youn can be seen at this 2008 show
Competitive History


Exhibitions and Galas
2014 All That Skate Act 1 - "The Swan" - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lxU4Ag10Jk
2014 All That Skate Act 2 - "I Dreamed a Dream" - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zoc7AFICHek
2011 Asian Trophy Exhibition - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEyl1UjrMWk
2010 Gala - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qk1Gf-Pm4rg

GS Articles and Threads

• Thread about July 2015 CNN article - http://www.goldenskate.com/forum/sh...o-be-South-Korea-s-next-Kim-Yu-Na#post1194799
• Golden Skate had a nice article fall 2014 about So-Youn (http://www.goldenskate.com/2014/12/so-youn-park/), which inspired this thread: http://www.goldenskate.com/forum/showthread.php?53149-So-Youn-Park-skates-into-the-spotlight
• By 2014, So Youn had many fans on GS, as this thread shows - http://www.goldenskate.com/forum/showthread.php?51308-So-Youn-Park-The-next-queen-of-figure-skating
• 2012 report on JGP Bosphorus, where So Youn won the silver - http://www.goldenskate.com/2012/09/2012-jgp-bosphorus/
• 2012 Lake Placid JGP report. So Youn faltered in the FS to finish sixth. - http://www.goldenskate.com/2012/09/2012-jgp-lake-placid-recap/
• 2012 - her first GS fan thread: http://www.goldenskate.com/forum/showthread.php?36299-Park-So-Youn&highlight=Youn+Park

Other Articles and Media

• July 2015 CNN - "Park So-Youn: The teen tipped to be South Korea's 'next Kim Yu-Na'" - http://www.cnn.com/2015/07/15/sport/park-so-youn-figure-skating-south-korea/index.html
• Promo fluff - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trQrYhVk-9A
• Pre 2015 4CCs - "Teen figure skater Park So-youn hoping to keep up momentum on home ice" - http://m.yna.co.kr/mob2/en/contents...te=0100000000&cid=AEN20150211006200315&mobile
• Her win at Nationals - http://www.koreatimesus.com/park-so-youn-wins-nationals-kim-yuna-presents-awards/
• TV Arirang report on her Nationals win - http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2i4e12
• TV report on her GP debut at SKAM - http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x28qu7a_park-so-youn-finishes-5th-in-gp-debut_news
• Print report on her SKAM debut - http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2014/10/27/2014102701572.html
• Pre 2014-15 report in Korean - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnTQ9MCfGYw (geoblocked in USA)
• Another pre-season report - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FmLE90l1qzY
• Mid season report - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEiVn458aww
• Post 2014 Worlds interview - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=piMBO3yDbGE
• Can So Youn fill Yu Na's skates eventually? - http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2e9c1l_can-park-so-youn-fill-in-korea-s-post-kim-yuna-blues_news
• Documentary in Korean about 15 year-old So Youn - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opz_atvO758

Excerpt from the Original Post
What a joy to watch!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jzPxN68vrU

This is her Paganini free skate from worlds 2014.Watch the great lutz!
Koreas future in women skating for sure.

Here are some other skates, for the people who never heard of her bevor.

SP at worlds great 3-3
Her FS from korean nationals last year. She came in second right after Yuna.
Her SP from junior GP Istanbul. Good hight on salchow

She is elegant, good jump techniques, a joy to watch. If she develops well she can do big things. But there is one thing... I don't know how to say it, but I feel like she hasn't gotten a distinctive character yet. At the moment she is Yuna-like. There is nothing bad about that, but I hope she will be more of a character for herself.

she is great, since korean nationals I loved her. She is so delicated in her skating

I love the serenity and security in her skating. The British Eurosport commentators noted her strong jumping technique; all her jumps are so clean. Has great potential to medal at Pyeongchang.

Watched her performance in Saitami, and she looked junior-ish. One thing: I am now convinced that there must be the world's best jumping coach in Korea. I've always wondered where the heck Yuna learned all those correct techniques, when Korea had next to no presence in the skating world. Looking at So Youn, now I think there has got to be someone in Korea who knows how to teach jumps. So Youn's jumps are not Yuna's quality but the techniques are textbook.

This mystery coach should get a huge credit. I've seen so many women skaters trying to fix, with mixed results, incorrect jumping techniques acquired young. Korean skaters are blessed to have this coach.

^ I was going to say the same thing! Who is this mystery jumping coach? Is she/he working with the other baby korean skaters? Like for instance: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hn-mDkEEjVk Now my other question is: does the coach know how to teach the right techniques of a textbook triple axel as well? Yu-Na's double axels are pretty awesome but I wonder if the coach could've helped her more......

sunny_stars said:

^ I was going to say the same thing! Who is this mystery jumping coach? Is she/he working with the other baby korean skaters? Like for instance: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hn-mDkEEjVk Now my other question is: does the coach know how to teach the right techniques of a textbook triple axel as well? Yu-Na's double axels are pretty awesome but I wonder if the coach could've helped her more......

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That kid is adorable! And wow, that he has a 2A-3T and 3Z!

I believe that Korea's issue was never technique but rather a lack of ice time.

Anyway count me impressed with So Youn. I disagree with some who think she is juniorish. I actually think she has a sense of maturity in her skating and I like that she doesn't rush in and out of her moves.

Mrs. P said:

That kid is adorable! And wow, that he has a 2A-3T and 3Z!

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He's Cha Jun Hwan, 12, apparently he's originally a cf model? he was on yuna's show kiss and cry. there was a blog post about him, along with a clip of him in a commercial. cute kid.
http://blog.naver.com/kikirujoa?Redirect=Log&logNo=40130622858

She is my new favorite! She definitely needs to improve on certain areas, but I really was amazed by her skate at Worlds 2014. Her layout was very similar to Akiko's National skating, and I must say, if Akiko received 144 (even though it's nationals), it wouldn't be too long until we see another Korean skater scoring 130+ or even 140+!

Can someone, link SoYoun's almost clean LP this season before she changed music at the olympic selection comp. and Her almost clean Swan SP from some national comp? I watched them elsewhere. absolutely love them. cannot find them anymore. Thanks

yyyskate said:

Can someone, link SoYoun's almost clean LP this season before she changed music at the olympic selection comp. and Her almost clean Swan SP from some national comp? I watched them elsewhere. absolutely love them. cannot find them anymore. Thanks

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8U-tRieUQus&feature=c4-overview&list=UUDZnEbedlNcR7_zVKCfOM3Q -- FS (in HD!)

I agree it was a lovely program!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1w0nO5rP2c this is from her SP from Nationals, I think this is the one you're thinking of.

Don't hate me for saying this but IMO if she wants to do 3F-3T or 3Lz-3T, she needs to 1) lose weight, or 2) need some serious power training for leg muscles. Her chest is kinda big for her height and she needs lots of speed to land any kind of combo as it is. Compare her combos with, say, Yulia's. Yulia with no flow and mule kicks can eek out 3T combos because she is so small and her chest doesn't get in the way of rotation. I definitely prefer Park's textbook style (who knows what will happen to Yulia in the next few years), but nevertheless Park's 2nd/3rd jumps in combos are tiny because that chest puts quite a bit more stress on her legs when landing.

Example:

Check out her 2nd Lutz combo (3Lz-2T-2Lo) in realtime -> http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=2jzPxN68vrU#t=169
Slo-mo -> http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=2jzPxN68vrU#t=340

Her TES was fine in WC 2014 and may even be enough in 2018 if Korea does Sochi , but 3-3 has become a staple of top flight contenders and she will need one other than 3T-3T.

Sam-Skwantch said:

Holy Crap ...one of the best surprises for me at 2014 WC's was watching someone I wasn't that familiar with go out and lay it down.

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Couldn't agree more...She was indeed one of the most beautiful surprises at this Worlds. I saw her in Sochi also,but at that time I wasn't able to have a clear opinion about her But now I know exactly that I'll watch her more carefully . And I also believe she could medal at the 2018 Olympics

And of course,she is very beautiful and surly doesn't need to lose weight

I don't know how much weight affect women on their jumps. But if we talk about the jumps, then men should be heavier than women, right? If that is the case then she doesn't need to lose weight. I heard some girls have to put on weight so they can jump better.

Surya Bonaly and Midori Ito are not willowy types yet their jumps are monstrous. So Youn is fine as she is.

Meoima said:

I don't know how much weight affect women on their jumps. But if we talk about the jumps, then men should be heavier than women, right? If that is the case then she doesn't need to lose weight. I heard some girls have to put on weight so they can jump better.

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For men. they have strength and muscle so it different approach I guess. But I never heard anyone wants to put on weight for any reasons in figure skating. Coaches mostly are obsessed with small body type. In my opinion, the good coaches should be able to work with any body types. Look at Wagner, she has a strong body type but she can have the pretty spins no matter what. Her Biellmann looks even better than some small skaters.

So Youn obviously doesn't need to lose weight. But she needs to work on her consistency. Her nerves is always her biggest problems.

Tanith Belbin. 2010.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/17/sports/olympics/17icedancers.html?_r=0

This is an important article. Ten extra pounds made all the difference in the power of her skating. Anorexia or any other eating disorder is not a sustainable life style, for skaters or anyone else.

Check the photo of "too thin" Tanith. Several skaters on the current scene are even thinner.

Back then, she never thought her legs were too spindly or that her body was too chopstick-thin for her to be a strong skater. She thought she looked just fine.

“Ugh, I was so thin,” Belbin said in a recent interview at Ice Works, the rink where she trains with her partner, Ben Agosto. “You could see my bones jutting out; you could totally see my chest bone sticking out.”

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What do you need then?

You need to do muscle strengthening exercise.

She also began training harder off the ice, lifting weights, doing push-ups and participating in Karponosov’s boot camps, which involve hard-core skating drills to strengthen the legs.

Karponosov’s skaters would often complain that his drills made their legs so muscular that they could no longer fit into their jeans.

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And you need a healthy diet.

Belbin began marveling at her new body. She had gained 10 pounds. Her waist size increased two inches because her core was so much stronger.

Agosto could see a huge difference in Belbin’s skating. During lifts, she was no longer a sack of potatoes, holding on for dear life. She could hold her positions much better, and that made it easier for Agosto because she did not move around as much.

Belbin says she wishes she had learned the importance of nutrition long ago. She said U.S. Figure Skating officials would have provided a nutritional counselor if she had asked them for one. But that phone call “never fit into her busy day,” Belbin said. In the end, she preferred educating herself.

“The message shouldn’t be, go consult a nutritionist; we need more education,” she said. “Skaters always sit there and wait to be told what to do, but in this case, they need to take the initiative and find out how to eat healthy.”

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^^Fascinating article. Everyone should read this before bashing skaters for weight issues. I was unaware of Tanith's issues with this.
Thanks, Doris!

BusyMom said:

For men. they have strength and muscle so it different approach I guess. But I never heard anyone wants to put on weight for any reasons in figure skating. Coaches mostly are obsessed with small body type. In my opinion, the good coaches should be able to work with any body types. Look at Wagner, she has a strong body type but she can have the pretty spins no matter what. Her Biellmann looks even better than some small skaters.

So Youn obviously doesn't need to lose weight. But she needs to work on her consistency. Her nerves is always her biggest problems.

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Didn't Ashley have to lose 5 lbs for the Sochi Olympics bc her coach thought her jumps would improve from the weight loss?