- Joined
- Nov 12, 2009
If we're going into how certain skaters are favored over other others, don't forget that Kim was a victim too in the 2008 WC when she was missed 2nd place over Kostner despite skating with lesser mistakes.
Kostner in 2008 WC FS:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9YrrFLsL84
Kim in 2008 WC FS:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUpJ7g98eTM
Kim DID pay her dues through years of competing internationally and falling short because of underscoring or whatever reasons. It was only after she became world champion in 2009 that she became favorited so to speak by the media and others.
People have always known Kim was good, it's just that she was so overshadowed by Mao for so many years. When she made her senior GP debut in 2006 with Tando de Roxanne she scored 71 and everyone was amazed because all of a sudden she was wonderful and sophisticated whereas the year before she was just a shy little girl. Yuna beat Mao at 2006 Jr. Worlds and that was the beginning. Yuna faltered in 2007 at worlds in the long because of her back injury, the next year she said she was still not in top form. Asada has not been truly consistent since she was 15. People knew that Yuna was better than Mao, it's just that she couldn't win when she kept falling once in the short and twice in the freeskate. Last year at worlds she didn't fall and so she won. People knew it was coming, and she finally delivered so now she's the new favorite, especially after Mao came in 4th at worlds last year and is now having big difficulties