By Kim Tong-hyung
Staff Reporter
Figure skating sensation Kim Yu-na is ready to face the world's top athletes at the International Skating Union (ISU) World Championships starting today in Goteborg, Sweden, although her fragile left hip remains an injury concern.
The 17-year-old South Korean departed for Sweden Saturday to participate in the season's final competition, where she is penciled as a favorite along with the Japanese duo of Mao Asada and Miki Ando to win the women's singles title.
Recovering from a two-month layoff will be crucial for Kim, who missed last month's Four Continents Championships held in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, after complaining of pain in her left hip joint and watched Asada take the gold on her home turf.
Kim, who admitted she wasn't fully confident about her hip, sounded cautious about her medal hopes.
``I am not pressuring myself for perfection, but I want to finish by performing mistake free," said Kim, talking to reporters at Incheon International Airport before departing.
``I don't know if I will feel the pain in my hip or not once the competition starts, but I am not putting too much pressure on myself,'' she said. ``It's been only three weeks since I resumed training, and I can't say I have fully recovered my top form fitness-wise."
Kim ended up with a bronze in last year's event, setting a world record in points for her short program but surrendering her lead with a disappointing free program to watch Ando take the gold and Asada the silver.