By Kim Jae-won
Staff Reporter
Figure skating world champion Kim Yu-na has put her weight behind PyeongChang's third bid to host the Winter Olympics.
``I hope PyeongChang will host the 2018 Winter Olympics,'' the 18-year-old, nicknamed ``Figure queen,'' said in a press conference in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, Monday. ``I have been working for the bidding committee as a public relations ambassador and I want to do the job again.
``I have always been sorry that the winter Olympics were held out of South Korea.
``I know that PyeongChang failed in the past two attempts, but this time I hope the city will be named the host for the Games.''
Gangwon Province plans to appoint Kim as an ``ambassador'' as soon as the Korean Olympic Committee (KOC) and the government give the final nod to the city on April 23.
``Kim will surely commit to the job if the KOC approves PyeongChang's bid,'' said IB Sports, Kim's agency.
PyeongChang launched bids for the 2010 and 2014 Winter Olympics, but lost to Vancouver, Canada, and Sochi, Russia, respectively, although it led the first round of votes in both cases.
IB Sports also announced that Kim would perform a ``sexy and mature'' show in the KCC Switzen Festa on Ice, scheduled from April 24 to 26, in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province.
``I will show a different style that I have never done before,'' Kim said. ``I have performed with soft music so far, but this time I chose Rihanna's `Don't Stop the Music,''' which has a speedy tempo."
IB Sports official Kim Young-min, speaking to The Korea Times on Monday, said, ``She will show a matured performance to the fans. It is sexy, but familiar."
She departs for Toronto, Canada, around May 10 to practice in the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics.
Meanwhile, Mao Asada, the 2008 ISU world champion and Four Continents champion, will practice in the Pacific Coliseum, Vancouver, Canada, where the Olympic Games will be held, Japanese newspaper Sports Hochi reported, Monday.
The Games are to be held from Feb. 12 to 28, 2010.