Kim Yu-Na breaks world record to lead after Olympic short program; Joannie Rochette third

From Sportsbeat staff, in Vancouver

 KIM Yu-Na broke her own short program world record score with an awe-inspiring display to her 007 James Bond routine and has one hand on Olympic gold - the South Korean superstar has an undeniable licence to thrill.

LICENCE TO THRILL: Kim Yu-Na of South Korea smashes her short program world record to lead at Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics (Getty Images)

The 19-year-old produced a flawless performance of grace, artistry and style to chalk up an incredible 78.50 points with an effortlessness that left the Pacific Coliseum dumb-struck.

Kim is the marquee name of the ladies competition. Ever since setting foot in Vancouver she has been swamped by media attention but she glided into a commanding lead, adding more than two points to her previous world record.

Fierce rival Mao Asada of Japan is leading the chase but in truth, Kim is in a league of her own. Asada produced a near-flawless performance and possesses something in her armoury that Kim does not - the triple axel.

Much like the quad in the men's ranks, the triple axel is the secret weapon that guarantees big points and Asada, the 2008 world champion, landed her triple axel it to open her dazzling routine to Masquerade by Aram Khachaturian.

Asada, also 19, has been well below-par this season, especially in the short program but performing directly before Kim she amassed a huge score of 73.78 points to pile the pressure onto the South Korean.

Kim however, is used to handling pressure. While she may not have the triple axel in her locker, her sublime triple lutz-triple toe-loop combination can be just as potent and she used it to devastating effect to lead by 4.72 points from Asada.

The partisan Canadian crowd unsurprisingly saved their biggest cheer of the night for home favourite Joannie Rochette, whose mother suffered a heart-attack and died suddenly on Saturday night.

The world silver medallist opted against pulling out of the competition, instead choosing to dedicate her performance to her late mother and in an emotionally-charged routine collected 71.36 points to lie third and earn a standing ovation from a pack house at the Pacific Coliseum.

Kim, despite her delicate frame, burdens a burgeoning weight of expectation - as the world champion and the Grand Prix final champion she is the odd-ons favourite to complete her hat-trick.

In South Korea she is treated like royalty, indeed she is even called Queen Yu-Na by her adoring public. She is plastered across billboards from Seoul to Busan and is expected to claim her country's first ever Olympic figure skating gold medal.

After the short program she is halfway there and it will take serious errors to deny her the one title that she is yet to get her hands on.

Kim has been breaking records for fun recently. In claiming the 2009 Four Continents crown she set a new short program world record and promptly broke it at the World Championships.

That record was broken for a third time at Skate America this season and did stand at 76.28 but already in Vancouver, it has been surpassed.

At Trophee Eric Bompard she set a new world record of 133.95 in the free program - again her triple-triples were key.

She has a $1m carrot dangling in front of her should she break her own combined points score world record and appears well on the way to achieving it.

Not that she needs it as according to Forbes magazine she earned $8m last year but the Olympic gold medal will be more than its weight in gold to Kim.

Meanwhile, Great Britain's Jenna McCorkell endured an Olympic debut to forget and managed just 40.64 points after falling during her short program and failed to qualify for the free skate, finishing 27th out of 28.

AS IT HAPPENS: Follow day 12 of the Winter Olympics in Vancouver