Yu-na Dominates Short Program
Kim to Skate 21st in Free; Asada 22nd
By Matt Flemming
Korea Times Correspondent
VANCOUVER -- Pressure? What pressure?
Just moments after Japanese champion Mao Asada laid down an near-perfect performance, Korean darling Kim Yu-na responded with her best short program ever, breaking the world record again and setting up the much-anticipated showdown with Asada in the free skating that many in Japan and Korea have hoped for.
Kim scored 78.50 in the short program Wednesday (KST), at the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver that was filled with fans waving Korean flags, and is in first place over Asada, a close second with 73.78, entering the free skating on Friday.
In an event which is traditionally unpredictable, the world's top two delivered as advertised, both bringing the audiences to their feet with thrilling performances and putting pressure on each other to be mistake-free again in the free skating.
Kim and Asada have gone head-to-head before, but the stakes have never been higher than they will be Friday morning (KST).
It's Kim Yu-na versus Mao Asada for the gold medal.
The talk during the months leading up to the 2010 Vancouver Olympics was all about how Kim and Asada would deal with the pressure of expectations from fans at home. As Kim's coach Brian Orser gave his final instructions to his 19-year-old student, Kim looked a little less confident than normal.
But once her James Bond theme-inspired music began, the tension seemed to just melt away. The overwhelming favorite was flawless, effortlessly completing her triple lutz/triple toe loop just seconds into her routine.
She followed it up with a triple flip and a double axel, all done with the speed and expression which has set her apart from the rest.
By the time Kim had clasped her fingers into a pistol and flashed a confident smile, an image which has become her trademark this season, she had left no doubt that she would be the leader.
``I couldn't stop thinking about the fact that this is the Olympics,'' Kim told the press. ``I have waited for the Olympics for a long time and I've prepared a lot. So I wasn't that nervous. I am very glad I did so well.''
``I knew that if I skated perfectly, I could set a new world record. But I wasn't thinking about my score before my performance.''
Pressure, Kim said, was not a factor.
``I'm not under pressure. I can think of it in two ways. I could let the pressure get to me or I could try to maintain the good start I had today.''
Skating second in the final group of 10, Asada nailed her triple axel/double toe loop, an element which she needed if she had any chance of competing with Kim. In the months leading up to the Olympics, the Japanese 19-year-old had struggled with her triple axel, a jump which no one else in the women's competition is attempting.
``This is the best short program I have skated this year,'' Asada said. ``I am feeling really good. I will try to stay calm and do my best in the free skating final on Thursday.''
``Mao skated perfectly,'' acknowledged Kim. ``I was a little worried but there was no pressure.''
After Asada laid down the gauntlet, Kim was the next skater on the ice. She had been less than perfect in her last two competitions ― Skate America in November and the Grand Prix Final in December ― competitions which she still managed to win. Kim's crucial element, the triple-lutz/triple-toe, is worth more than the triple axel, and she executed it perfectly ― and that was the difference-maker, as it often is for Kim.
One of the most touching moments of the night came when Canadian Joannie Rochette bravely delivered a near-flawless performance of her own, just days after the sudden death of her mother, who had traveled to Vancouver to watch her skate. Rochette showed incredible poise throughout her routine, until breaking down into tears when the music ended. Her 71.36 puts her third entering the free skating. Even Orser, a fellow Canadian, looked overcome by Rochette's heroic skate.
Japan's Miki Ando, who was also expected to be a contender should Asada and Kim falter, made no major mistakes but was downgraded on her triple lutz/triple toe loop. She's likely out of contention with a score of 64.76, which puts her fourth, more than seven points behind the Canadian.
Kim spends most of the year training in Toronto with her coach, former Canadian Olympian Orser. In addition to her superstardom in Korea, Kim has become quite popular among Canadian fans as well. For coach Orser, a two-time Olympic silver medalist, Kim could give him that gold medal victory he so narrowly missed out on in 1988 in Calgary, Canada.
``I have felt good in training in Toronto and here in Vancouver but I think I can do better. I will try to maintain my concentration until the end of the competition, so I get a good result,'' Kim said.