Kim Yu-Na soars to Olympic gold and smashes world record

Figure Skating Vancouver 2010 Post a comment

Posted: Friday 26th February 2010 | 5:38

KIM Yu-Na has shattered her own world record to capture South Korea's first ever Olympic figure skating gold medal and will collect a $1m bonus for her troubles.

RECORD-BREAKING: Kim Yu-Na breaks her own combined points score by more than 18 points with a flawless free skate in Vancouver (Getty Images)

Kim, 19, the red-hot favourite in Vancouver produced a flawless free skate to George Gershwin's Piano Concerto in F, adding to her sublime short program on Tuesday for an incredulous score of 150.06.

That gave her a combined score of 228.56 - a full 18.53 points more than her previous world best.

Her free program alone would have put her 18th out of the 24 competitors such is her dominance.

In Vancouver, Kim has now broken her own world short program world record, free program world record and combined points world record - Queen Yu-Na has been crowned Queen of Vancouver.

Kim is Korea's biggest female sporting superstar, with several major endorsement contracts, including car manufacturer Hyundai, US sportswear firm Nike, and the Kookmin Bank.

And Olympic gold is only going to see her royalty-like status sky-rocket.

Kookmin is understood to have taken out an insurance policy late last year with a firm of brokers based in the City of London to underwrite the possibility that they will have to pay-out the skater's $1m bonus, should she set a new world record - a wise move after her perfect performance at the Pacific Coliseum.

After the short program, Kim's lead was such that gold was hers to lose but such is the burgeoning wait of expectation on her fragile shoulders that victory was far from assured.

For someone so young however, Kim thrives on the pressure. Her triple-triples were terrific and as she glided across the ice with style and grace and the fans of her adopted country [she is based in Toronto] raised the roof in appreciation.

"I still can't believe the score that I received, I'm really surprised. It's almost as close as the men's score" said Kim.

"I predicted that my score would probably be 140.

"In the past, I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to do what I wanted, but I am really happy that I was able to show everything I did in training.

"I was more comfortable today than during my short program. It helped that I skated earlier in my group.

"I can't believe this day has finally come for me."

Prior to the start of the competition, it was thought only Japan's Mao Asada could rival Kim. Asada, also 19, is the only skater to defeat Kim in the last two years - at the 2008 World Championships and the 2009 Grand Prix final.

Asada has been off form since then however. She didn't even reach the podium at the 2009 World Championships but she struck all the right notes in Vancouver and her triple axel was on song.

The triple axel guarantees points if executed to perfection and Asada did just that to claim silver in her free skate to Bells of Moscow by Sergei Rachmaninoff, even if notable errors crept into her free program.

She was still a huge way down on Kim however but made second best well and truly hers with a free score of 131.72 and a total of 205.50, a 2.86 points ahead of third, but more than 23 down on the champion.

Bronze, quite fittingly, went to Canada's Joannie Rochette, who displayed a spell-binding display of bravery and ability in her short program to lie third, just three days after the sudden death of her mother, Therese.

And she returned to the ice with an equally emotionally-charged performance, amassing 131.28 for her free skate to capture bronze.

The capacity crowd rose to their feet to deliver Rochette a standing ovation and saved by far the biggest cheer of the night for the 24-year-old, who dedicated her performance to her mother.

But while personal victory was unquestionably, and in the most heart-wrenching of circumstances Rochette's, gold and cash boost of $1m was Kim's.

Upon finishing her routine, Kim's icy cool veneer finally cracked and the emotion got the better of her.

"I am really happy. I don't know why I cried, I think I was just very emotional," added Kim.

"Watching previous figure skaters, I always wondered why they cried after their performance. Crying for the first time today, I still don't know why I did."

According to Forbes magazine, her earnings last year were approximately $8m. She may not need the $1m bonus but for Kim, the gold medal is priceless.