 Kim Yu-na stands next to her then coach Brian Orser during a practice at the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver Olympics on Feb 23. the former coach of the world No.1 figure skating star revealed her new long program as well as giving hints about the short program for the World Championships, Thursday (KST), which is very unusual in the figure skating field. / Korea Times file |
By Yoon Chul
On Feb. 26 in 2010, South Korea’s national flag the Taegeukgi was hung at the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver Olympics.
At that time figure queen Kim Yu-na and her then coach Brian Orser shone together with the gold medal.
The duo always made perfect harmony and their story was touted to be a happy ending as highlighted in their joint commercial filming of an ice show.
But the situation changed suddenly seemingly because of Orser’s apparently careless press release on Tuesday (KST).
Worse still, Orser betrayed Kim by unveiling the world No. 1 figure skater’s new long program on Thursday via the AFP.
“It is a fantastic program, the best I’ve seen so far,” Orser told the AFP “It is well beyond even her (Olympic program) Concerto in F. It’s a complete departure.”
“The routine is set to a compilation of Korean music, featuring the famous folk song ‘Arirang,’” Orser revealed.
The Canadian coach gave another hint to the AFP and said Kim’s short program will be choreographed by Canadian ice dancer Shae-Lynn Bourne on the Labor Day weekend.
Orser should not have spoken about Kim’s veiled program. He could refute this by saying he was only talking about the music. But given his background as a former figure skater and present coach, he knows the importance of music in figure skating.
Following Orser’s words, Kim’s agent AT Sport found it hard to hide their embarrassment.
“We are very careful about his revealing of Kim’s new programs,” an AT Sports official said. “We are trying to grasp the real intention of why he revealed this. Regardless of his reasons, leaking the information without any prior agreement is definitely wrong,” added the official.
Yu-na’s choreographer David Wilson, said he had no idea before Orser’s revelation to the press.
“Before Orser did the interview he didn’t say he would reveal anything about the program. I am also really embarrassed,” Wilson said in a statement through AT Sports.
This all started on Tuesday.
On that day, IMG, Orser’s agency said in its press release that Kim’s mother Park Mee-hee, and All That Sports (AT Sports) informed Orser that he was not Kim’s coach any more.
After that AT Sports responded to Orser’s actions by press release.
According to the release, Kim and Orser were uncomfortable after the rumor the Canadian coach contacted Mao Asada to be her next coach in May and due to that reason, Kim has trained by herself since June.
AT Sports suggested Orser take a break for a while on Aug 2, which the Canadian accepted.
But on Monday, Orser said he would not act as Yu-na’s coach any longer and Kim’s side accepted this.
It could have been a normal separation between a coach and skater. But Orser turned it into a witch hunt against Kim’s mother by alleging she fired him and matters have become complicated.
Kim has to defend her mother based on facts. She couldn’t stand idly by when her mother was blamed without doing anything wrong.
Kim and Orser have the relationship of employer and employee. He is not Yu-na’s own coach.
In July citing the need to teach other skaters, he didn’t appear at Yu-na’s ice show in Korea.
Even despite the looming termination of the contract, he should not have done this.
Orser might have been upset but no employer says “If you don’t mind, could you quit your job?”
Orser said Kim had mentioned she could win the World Championship to the Sports Chosun, a local sport newspaper.
“If I was approached by Yu-na, it would definitely be a consideration. I want the best for this girl,” Orser said to the AFP.
There is a rumor that Kim is too cold toward the press and people. But it is not true.
Before she was a world figure skating star she was a regular young woman, just like anyone else her age.
What the fans want is watching Kim Yu-na’s great performances in competitions.
The pressure to maintain her position at the top is weighing on one shoulder while the other is loaded with the pressure to cope with these situations.
It could be enough to make Kim decide to retire earlier than expected.
양심을 파는 오서 코치
밴쿠버 올림픽 여자 피겨에서 금메달이라는 쾌거를 올리며 전세계의 주목을 받은 김연아 선수와 그녀의 코치 브라이언 오서는 늘 함께 완벽한 협력과 조화를 보여주면서 부러움을 받아왔다.
그러나 둘의 관계는 오서가 아사다 마오로부터 러브콜을 받으면서 벌어지기 시작했고 이미 계약이 끝난 상태에서 지난 화요일 오서가 자신의 입장을 옹호하며 섣불리 둘의 상태를 언론에 공개해 더 악화되었다. 그러던 중 그 이튿날 오서는 김연아의 새 시즌 프리스케이팅 곡을 동의 없이 언론에 공개하면서 둘의 관계는 극으로 치달았다.
그는 AFP통신과의 인터뷰에서 “김연아의 프리스케이팅은 한국의 전통음악의 편집곡으로 구성돼있으며 민요 '아리랑'을 피처링했다”며 “내가 지금 까지 본 프로그램 가운데 최고이며 (밴쿠버 동계올림픽 프로그램) '피아노 협주곡 F장조'를 훨씬 뛰어넘는 매우 환상적인 프로그램", 이라고 밝혔다.
피겨스케이팅의 새 프로그램은 선수 본인의 의사를 얻어 공표하기 전에는 철저히 비밀을 지키는 것이 관례임에도 불구하고 그 누구보다도 이러한 사실을 잘 아는 오서코치의 발언은 이해하기 힘들다는 반응이다.
새 프로그램의 안무를 맡은 데이비드 윌슨도 올댓스포츠를 통해 오서의 프로그램에 관한 언론 공개는 전혀 몰랐던 일이라며 공개를 한다는 말을 단 한마디도 하지 않았고 자신도 무척 놀랍고 당황스럽다고 덧붙였다.
한편, 오서는 김연아가 다시 코치 제안을 해온다면 고려해볼 의사가 있다고 말하고 자신은 김연아가 최고가 되길 바란다고 말했다.
올댓스포츠는 오서의 이러한 태도에 실망을 표하며 그의 행동의 진짜 의도를 궁금해 하고 있다.
