South Korean Kim Yu-na, center, Japan's Asada Mao, right, and Joannie Rochette of Canada pose holding their medals on the podium at the ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships in Vancouver, Canada, Friday. While Kim grabbed the gold medal, Rochette was placed second and her Asian rival Asada earned bronze. / Yonhap |
 By Kang Seung-woo
Staff Reporter
Kim Yu-na is to start training for the forthcoming World Figure Skating Championships, to be held from March 23 to 29 in Los Angeles, after grabbing her first gold medal from the non-European international competition for the Americas, Asia, Africa and Australia in Vancouver, Canada, Friday (Saturday KST).
The 18-year-old Korean won gold in Vancouver, although a triple loop bothered her again in the free skating of the International Skating Union (ISU) Four Continents Championships.
World No. 3 Kim finished with 116.83 points for the free skate and 189.07 overall, but she failed to reach the 200-point milestone record.
Kim scored a world record 72.24 in the short program Wednesday to heighten expectations for her to reach 200 combined points.
Canadian Joannie Rochette, a short program runner-up, maintained the post, holding off stiff challenges from the rest of the pack with 183.91 points, while reigning champion Mao Asada of Japan rebounded from one of the worst short program performances in her career, which left her in sixth place, to win the bronze on 176.52.
Capturing the gold medal at the Pacific Coliseum, the venue for figure skating and short track speed skating for the 2010 Winter Olympics, Kim brightened prospects for a first figure skating medal for the Far East nation in the Winter Games.
``I wanted to do a triple loop but I missed it,'' Kim said. ``The rest of the program was great. For me to have first in Vancouver is good.''
Kim ― who watched Asada top last year's contest, which took place in South Korea, due to injury ― opened up with a triple flip-triple toe loop to Scheherazade by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov.
But she fell on the triple loop, which she has never managed to hit this season.
Determined, she landed a triple lutz-double toeloop-double loop combination, but it was downgraded to 3.22.
After her flying sit spin, a level four, she completed a double axel-triple toeloop combination and a triple lutz.
Asada scaled down to a triple axel-double toeloop, but singled the planned triple axel.
After landing her second triple axel, the defending Grand Prix and world champion turned a triple toeloop into a double.
``I still have problems to conquer so I will try harder at the worlds,'' Asada said.
Kim might have some complaints over judges who appeared to be too strict on her after she set a new world record in the short program.
The judges cut six points as they evaluated that her first and third jumps lacked in the number of spins. Compared to her contenders, who didn't lose points in that part, her jump looked to be enough to get full points.
Kim, however, didn't make any comment on the judges. `` As I always have done, I tried to put in all my effort and do my best. Though I made a few mistakes, I tried my best not to lose my concentration until my performance was completed.''
Meanwhile, fellow South Koreans Kim Hyeong-jung and Kim Na-young came in 14th and 16th, respectively, after gaining 121.64 and 120.28 points.
Kim, a two-time world bronze medallist, will now concentrate on competing at the World Championships, scheduled from March 23 to 29 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
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