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| Olympic figure skating champion Kim Yu-na |
By Nam Hyun-woo
Olympic figure skating champion Kim Yu-na has decided to pick up her books after hanging up her skates in the wake of the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics.
She is waiting for the admission to a graduate university, according to her agency, All That Sports, Tuesday.
Some believe the decision is in line with her future plan to develop her academic career and become an International Olympic Committee (IOC) athletes' commission member.
Kim's agency said she had an interview Saturday for admission to Korea University Graduate School to major in physical education. She graduated from the university's undergraduate school last year.
"She originally wanted to continue her studies after graduation from the university, but delayed the plan in order to focus on the Sochi Games," an official from the agency said.
If she is admitted, she will start to attend classes from the fall semester this year, the agency said. The result of her request for admission will be announced on June 5.
According to an official from the university, she will learn about the basics of physical education in the first year, but she is also likely to study about sport marketing, sport philosophy and sport psychology.
Her fans have paid close attention to her next move following her outstanding 18-year figure skating career.
She said she just wanted to rest and spend some time planning her future when she held a gala show to commemorate her retirement earlier this month.
But her decision to study at graduate school is also seen as her first step toward a bigger ambition ― becoming an IOC athletes' commission member.
She mentioned that desire when she returned for the 2012-2013 skating season after a year of hiatus.
Kim is a legendary skater, who claimed a gold medal with a historic performance at the 2010 Games in Vancouver, crushing her Japanese rival, Asada Mao.
In Sochi, however, Kim failed in her bid to become only the third female in the sport to repeat as Olympic champion, finishing second to Russia's Adelina Sotnikova.
