Yuna Kim

Kim began skating at the age of five, at a neighborhood rink with her sister.[21] Her coach, Ryu Jong-hyun, suggested to Kim's mother, who noticed early on that there was something special about her daughter's skating, that Kim receive formal training in figure skating.[17][28][21] In a 2011 interview, she gave credit to her coaches for noticing and developing her aptitude for skating, stating that they told her that her body was perfect for skating. She added, "I was born with a good instrument, maybe more so than the talent".[18] Ryu cited Kim's work ethic, especially her hard work, dedication, and commitment to practice, for her success.[28] She landed her first triple toe loop at the age of 10 and except for the triple Axel, was able to land every triple jump cleanly two years later.[16] During her middle school years, her boots often did not fit her as she matured, and she had a lot of injuries, including a period when she had to rest for a month after a pelvic-muscle injury.[29]

In 2002, Kim competed internationally for the first time at the Triglav Trophy in Slovenia, where she completed five triple jumps and won the gold medal in the novice competition, the first international victory for a Korean woman.[16][30] A year later, at age 12, she won the senior title at the South Korean Championships, becoming the youngest skater ever to do so, a record not broken until 2016 by 11-year-old You Young.[31] She also won the 2003 Golden Bear of Zagreb, a novice competition.[32] Kim won three consecutive South Korean championships between 2003 and 2006.[33][34]

In the 2004–2005 season, Kim competed as a junior on the ISU Junior Grand Prix. She won a gold medal at 2004 JGP Budapest, her first international competition, in Hungary, and became the first Korean skater to win a Junior Grand Prix event. She earned an overall score of 148.55 over silver medalist Sawada Aki from Japan, who earned 136.16 points. She won first place in both the short program and free skate.[16][35] At her second competition, 2004 JGP Harbin in China, Kim was in fourth place after making four errors in her short program, with 38.87 points, but rebounded in the free skate, with first place and 92.35 points, to take second place overall, with 131.22 points.[36][37] She qualified for the 2004–2005 Junior Grand Prix Final, where she won the silver medal with an overall score of 137.75 points, behind Mao Asada, who earned 172.83 points, and ahead of Kimmie Meissner from the U.S., who earned 133.14 points. It was the first time a Korean skater won a medal at the event.[16][38]

At the 2005 South Korean Championships, she won her third consecutive gold medal. In her free skate, she successfully executed a triple-triple combination for the first time but fell on her triple Lutz. She was ineligible to compete at the Senior World Championships because she was under the age of 15.[33][39] She won the silver medal at the 2005 World Junior Championships with 158.93 points overall, behind Mao Asada, who earned 179.24 points overall. Coming from behind after a poor performance during her short program, when she came in sixth place, she scored 110.26 points in her free skate, with her "secret weapon"[39] of a triple combination jump. It was the first time a Korean skater had medaled at Junior World Championships and the Junior Grand Prix Final.[16][39]

For the 2005–2006 season, Kim was first in the junior-level rankings. Young-ho Lee of Yonhap News reported that because she lacked the corporate sponsorship to pay for her training and participation costs, Kim experienced financial difficulties; the Korea Skating Union promised to underwrite her expenses so she could train out of the country.[40] She was not old enough to compete at the 2006 Olympics; instead, she participated in the Olympic torch relay and competed in the 2005–2006 Junior Grand Prix, winning both of her competitions in Slovakia and Bulgaria.[19][41][42][43] At the 2005 JGP Skate Slovakia, she came in first place with 168.83 points overall, beating silver medalist Aki Sawada from Japan, who had an overall score of 143.20 points.[42] At the 2005 JGP Bulgaria Cup and despite a great deal of pain caused by new skates she had purchased shortly before the competition, she came in first after the short program, with 53.45 points. She also came in first place in the free skate, with 99.98 points, beating Katy Taylor from the U.S., who earned 83.71, and won the gold medal, with 153.43 points overall, to Taylor's score of 131.30 points overall.[19][43] At the 2005–2006 Junior Grand Prix Final, where she was the youngest skater to compete, she earned 57.51 points in the short program, despite a minor landing error during her final spin movement. She earned 116.61 points in the free skate and won the gold medal, earning an overall score of 174.12 points. She skated to "Roxanne's Tango" from the soundtrack of the 2001 film Moulin Rouge during her short program. She earned more than 28 points than the silver medalist, Aki Sawada from Japan, who earned 145.78 points overall, and earned over 40 points more than her previous overall score.[40]

At the 2006 Korean Figure Skating Championships, Kim came in first place, earning an overall score of 165.52 points, over Ji-eun Choi, who earned 117.80 points overall and came in second place, and Ye-ji Shin, who came in third place with 110.22 points overall. Kim earned 61.44 points in her short program and 104.08 points in her free skate.[34] At the 2006 World Junior Championships, she was the first Korean skater to win the gold medal, scoring 177.54 points overall, with a 24.19-point margin of victory over silver medalist Mao Asada. Overcoming a ligament injury in her right ankle, Kim came in first place after the short program, with 60.86 points.[16][41] In what Seok-mu Lee of the South Korean news outlet My Daily called a "most brilliant performance",[41] Kim captivated the audience and won the free skate, with 116.68 points and an overall score of 177.54 points overall. She was the only skater in the competition who surpassed 100 points in her free skate; she also earned over 24 points more than Asada, who came in second place.[41] This marked the first time a Korean skater had won the Junior Grand Prix final and the Junior World Championships.[16] It was also the eighth consecutive competition Kim finished in either first or second place since 2004 and raised expectations for Korea's chances of winning a gold medal at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.[41]

Kim performing her free skate to The Lark Ascending at the 2006 Skate Canada.

To prepare for her senior debut in the 2006–2007 season, Kim began training with Brian Orser at the Toronto Cricket, Skating and Curling Club during the summer of 2006, after working there with choreographer David Wilson.[16] According to International Figure Skating, she lost her confidence and was ready to quit the sport due to her recurring knee injury and boot problems, so her coach suggested that she train in Toronto. After three months, she decided to make Toronto her permanent base of training. At first, Orser was reluctant to agree to train her, but he agreed because he identified with her competitive spirit and felt he could not turn down the challenge. Also according to International Figure Skating, Kim's move was controversial; her former coach publicly criticized it.[20] Orser reported that one of his goals as her coach was make her laugh and that he was instructed by Korean skating officials to "make Kim a happier skater".[20] She was Orser's first real student.[44]

Kim made her senior international debut and Orser made his coaching debut at the 2006 Skate Canada, where she became the first Korean skater to place at a senior grand prix event by winning a bronze medal, placing first at the short program and fourth in the free skate, with a total overall score of 168.48 points.[16][20][45] At the 2006 Trophée Eric Bompard, Kim became the first Korean skater to win a senior Grand Prix competition, placing first in both the short program and free skate, with a total of 184.54 points.[16][46]

Her Grand Prix performances qualified Kim for her first Grand Prix Final, in Saint Petersburg, Russia.[47] She became the first Korean skater to both medal at and win a Grand Prix final. She placed third in the short program and first in the free skating, earning a total of184.20 points and defeating silver medalist Mao Asada.[16][48] Skating to El Tango de Roxanne, Kim opened her short program with an "effortless"[49] triple loop-triple toe loop combination, followed by a Level 4 spiral sequence and a Level 4 sit spin, although she sightly touched down during her triple Lutz. Her final combination spin had some shaky positions, but she performed a Level 3 layback spin and a "solid"[49] double Axel coming out of an Ina Bauer. Kim later admitted that she was worried about her performance due to some back pain, but that she was satisfied with her results.[49]

In her free skate, Kim used music from Vaughn Williams' The Lark Ascending. She successfully performed her opening triple flip-double toe loop-double loop combination, which was followed up by a double Axel, a layback spin, and a triple Lutz. She stepped out of her second double Axel, but successfully accomplished a triple Lutz-double toe loop-double loop combination, a double toe loop-double loop combination, a double Axel, as well as a successful Level 4 spiral sequence and spins. She later told reporters that she was surprised by the outcome and was pleased to compete with the Japanese skaters present, calling them "strong competitors".[49]

Kim withdrew from the 2007 Korean Nationals because she was diagnosed in January 2007 with the early stages of lumbar disc herniation, involving the fourth and fifth lumbar vertebrae. She began treatment and physical therapy in Seoul immediately after her diagnosis.[50] She was scheduled to compete at the 2007 Asian Winter Games, but withdrew. She was replaced by Ji-eun Choi.[51]

Kim was selected to compete at the 2007 World Championships in Tokyo.[52] Despite being on pain killers for chronic back pain and with little treatment, she won the short program with 71.95 points, setting the highest short program score ever under the ISU Judging System.[30][20][53] Rosaleen Kaye of Golden Skate stated that Kim performed her short program "with an intensity and maturity far above her years".[53] She opened it with a high triple flip-triple toe loop with enough speed to carry her out of both jumps.[53] She had to do a small balance check while entering her Level-4 spiral sequence, but was able to follow it up with "a huge death drop sit spin which displayed excellent speed and position variation".[53] She earned positive GOE scores for her triple Lutz. Her Level-4 layback spin demonstrated her back flexibility and was followed by her double Axel, which was awarded a rare +3 GOE score from one judge. The audience gave her a standing ovation for her fast Level-4 combination spin.[53]

According to Kaye, "Elegance and superior skating skills were brilliantly displayed"[54] during Kim's free skate at World's. She accomplished her triple flip-triple toe loop combination "with wonderful flow as well as with a big smile",[54] her Level 4 camel spin displayed multiple positions, and her straight line footwork sequence was "light and lyrical".[54] She produced a Level 4 sit spin with a huge death drop, a Level-3 spiral sequence with extension and speed, and a Level 3 combination spin. Kim also fell on both her triple Lutzes and she performed a triple Salchow-double toe loop combination which received no credit as it was considered a fourth combination. She finished fourth in the segment, with 114.19 points, and third overall, with a total of 186.14 points, behind Miki Ando and Mao Asada. Despite her mistakes, Kim later said that she had learned a great deal from her fellow skaters and during her first season as a senior skater.[54] She said, after winning the gold medal at Worlds in 2009, that even though she did her personal best in the short program in 2007, she did not do as well in the free skate.[55]

Due to Kim's first-place win at World's, South Korea was eligible to send two women to compete at the 2008 World Figure Skating Championships.[56] This season marked the first time a Korean skater had medalled and won at a senior Grand Prix, the first time a Korean skater had medalled and won the senior Grand Prix Final, and the first time a Korean skater had medalled at the World Championships.[16]

Kim on the podium at the 2008 World Championships.

During the off-season during the 2007–08 season, Orser created a team of specialists to work with Kim, including three-time Dutch national champion Astrid Jansen, who became her spin coach, and former Canadian ice dancer Tracy Wilson, who helped Kim develop her all-around skating quality, her stroking skills, and her expression. David Wilson also became Kim's full-time choreographer. Her team focused on her triple loop jump, which Orser called her "nemesis jump"[16] and was impressed with Kim's skating abilities, her ability to learn choreography quickly and well, her artistry, and her openness to learning new skills. Shrubb reported that Kim had a positive influence and was a good role model for the younger skaters in Toronto. Kim reported that training in Toronto was an escape from the great fame and "media circus" she faced daily in Korea.[20]

David Wilson choreographed all three of her programs. Her short program was set to music from Johann Strauss' Die Fledermaus and her free skating program was set to music from the soundtrack of the musical Miss Saigon.[20][57][58] Her exhibition program was set to "Just a Girl" by the American rock band No Doubt, which International Figure Skating called "a playful piece that really suits" Kim.[20] She wore royal blue for her short program and fuchsia for her free skating program.[20]

Kim's short program included a triple flip-triple toe loop combination, a triple Lutz, and a double Axel; and her free skate included a triple Salchow, triple Lutz, two double Axels, and three combination jumps. She started the season by becoming the first Korean skater to win the 2007 Cup of China, with a total score of 180.68 points, 24 points ahead of silver medalist Caroline Zhang.[16][59] In the short program, she landed a triple Lutz, a double Axel, and successfully landed three Level 3 spins, but she popped the second jump in her triple flip-single toe loop combination and came in third place. Golden Skate reported that her disappointment was clear as she entered the Kiss-and-Cry after leaving the ice and that she later admitted that she was nervous after popping her jump.[60] In the free skate, she hit a triple flip-triple toe loop combination, a triple loop, triple Lutz-double toe loop combination, double Axel-triple toe loop combination, a single Lutz, a triple Salchow, a double Axel to score 122.36 points.[59]

Kim became the first Korean skater to earn a gold medal at the 2007 Cup of Russia.[16] She called the competition at Cup of Russia "very strong".[20] She won the short program, scoring 63.50 points, which was a new season best for her;[57] reporter Anna Kondkova called it "a nearly flawless performance".[57] Kim successful executed her triple flip-triple toe loop combination, but struggled landing her triple Lutz and blaming her nerves, singled her double Axel coming out of an Ina Bauer. Despite the errors, she "expressed an excellent waltz character"[57] during her Level 3 footwork and earned Level 4s for her layback spin and spiral sequence. She later said that she was pleased with her result.[57] Kim also won the free skate with 133.70 points, finishing first overall with 197.20 points, and set a world record for the free skate score under the ISU Judging System. Skating last, she executed a triple flip-triple toe loop combination, a triple loop, a triple Lutz-double toe loop, a double Axel-triple toe loop, a triple Lutz, a triple Salchow, and a double Axel out of a spiral. She earned Level 4s for three out of her four spins.[58]

Kim qualified for the 2007–2008 Grand Prix Final in Turin, Italy; she and Japanese skater Mao Asada both earned the maximum 30 points to advance.[61] She won the short program with 64.62 points, a season's best score.[62] Skating last, she "performed nearly perfect, except the failure of her starting jump".[62] She lost her balance during the first jump of her triple flip-triple toe loop combination, forcing her to touch both her hands on the ice and singling out her subsequent jump. Despite the one error, she cleanly skated the rest of her program.[63] Skating last, she placed second in the free skate with 132.21 points, behind Asada, who came from behind from sixth place in the short program to first place in the free skate and win her second consecutive silver medal at the finals. Kim fell early in her routine, but was able to successfully land six triple jumps and earned Level 4s for all her spins and a Level 3 straight-line footwork sequence. With a total score of 196.83 points, Kim swept the Grand Prix series and won her second consecutive Grand Prix Final, the youngest skater in the world to do so.[16][30][64]

Kim was not required to participate in the 2008 South Korean Championships due to her previous results.[65] A hip injury prevented her from competing at the 2008 Four Continents Championships.[66] Despite the injury persisting and taking pain killers, Kim competed at the 2008 World Championships in Gothenburg, Sweden. She was placed fifth in the short program with 59.85 points, but rebounded in the free skate to win the program with 123.38. Despite seriously considering dropping out of the competition several times due to her injured hip, she scored 183.23 points overall, and won her second consecutive bronze medal at the World Championships, behind Asada and Carolina Kostner from Italy. She landed several difficult combinations. Again skating to Miss Saigon in her free skate, she landed several combination jumps; her only error was during her second Lutz jump. She later told reporters that she planned on taking the next two months to rest and take care of her injury, and then return to training in Canada.[30][67] It was the first time a Korean skater repeated as a medalist at the World Championships.[16]

Kim performing her short program to Danse Macabre at the 2009 World Championships.

Kim was assigned to the 2008 Skate America and the 2008 Cup of China for the 2008–2009 Grand Prix season. Going into the 2008 Skate America, Kim said that she felt healthy; according to figure skater reporter Lynn Rutherford, she showed no signs of the injuries that plagued her during the previous season. Her coach Brian Orser reported that she had a new physiotherapist and a new trainer.[68] The week before the competition, Kim was accepted into Korea University.[63] She placed first in the short program at Skate America with a score of 69.50,[63] leading by 11.70 points despite trouble with her double Axel. Rutherford speculated that if she had not faltered on her Axel, she might have scored a personal best.[68] After several proposals for the music of her short program made by Wilson and choreographer Shae-Lynn Bourne,[16] Kim used "Danse Macabre" by Camille Saint-Saëns, which "tells the tale of skeletons that rise from the grave and dance until the break of dawn"[68] and was the only competitor to skate the only clean triple-triple combination jump. She scored 10.70 points on her triple flip-triple toe combination jump, her first jump of the program, and all eight of her elements, except her double Axel, earned her positive GOEs.[68]

Kim captured the gold medal, winning the free skate with a score of 123.95, and earning 193.45 points overall, more than 20 points ahead of silver medalist Yukari Nakano from Japan.[63][69] She chose music from Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade after seeing another skater use it four years previously and chose to wear a red costume accentuated by gold embellishments.[16][63] According to The Korea Times, Kim "pulled off a series of near-perfect jumps and an eloquent spiral sequence"[63] in her free skating program. She landed six triple jumps, including her opening triple flip-triple toe jump combination, the only triple-triple jump combination in the competition not downgraded by the judges. Her only error was popping a planned triple loop jump into a single. She later expressed appreciation to the large Korean contingent in the audience.[69]

Kim won the 2008 Cup of China, where she received a score of 63.64 in the short program and 128.11 in the free skate, placing first in both. The combined total of 191.75 was nearly 21 points ahead of silver medalist Miki Ando.[70][71][72] Kim made errors in her short program; she two-footed and under-rotated her triple Lutz, which was downgraded to a double jump. Miki Ando from Japan, who came in second place in the short program. also made an error; her triple flip was downgraded as well.[70] In Kim's free skate, she successfully executed five clean triples, including her trademark triple flip-triple toe. She stepped out of her first triple Lutz, which she did not think affected her score, so she added a double toe jump to the end of her second triple Lutz.[71]

Kim's performances qualified her for a trip to the Grand Prix Final, which was held in Goyang, the first time the event was held in South Korea.[30][73] She placed first in the short program with 65.94 points, well below her personal best, and second in the free skate where she earned 120.41 points. After placing first place at the finals the previous two seasons, she won the silver medal with a total score of 186.35 points, 2.20 points behind Mao Asada.[74][75] She landed a "beautiful"[74] triple flip-triple toe loop combination jump at the start of her short program, popped her planned triple Lutz, and then successfully completed a double Axel. She later admitted that her Lutz "wasn't so great",[74] but she was satisfied with her other elements and said that since last season, she had learned to recover from her errors. She ended up being a little over half a point ahead of Asada.[74] Kim opened her free skating program with a strong triple flip-triple toe combination jump, which she followed up with a double Axel-triple toe combination jump. She popped her planned triple Lutz and fell on her triple Salchow, but was able to land her double Axel at the end of the program. She later complained of suffering from a cold and feeling the pressure from competing in her home country.[75]

Kim then competed in the 2009 Four Continents in Vancouver, British Columbia. She set a new world record of 72.24 points in the short program with a clean performance.[76] Asada finished a "shocking"[76] sixth place after the short program. Opening with a "beautiful"[76] triple flip-triple toe loop combination jump, Kim was the only one of the top six women in the competition to get credit for a triple-triple combination. According to Laurie Nealin of IceNetwork, "Kim skated without evident flaw, sailing through jump after jump and igniting the audience".[76] She scored 116[19].83 in the free skating program, keeping the lead with 189.07 points overall and winning the gold medal.[77] Kang Seung-woo from The Korea Times stated that Kim's success "brightened prospects for a first figure skating medal for the Far East nation in the Winter Games".[77] Kim was happy with her free skating performance, despite falling after her triple loop jump, a jump she had not been able to successfully accomplish all season. She was able to land her triple Lutz-double toe loop-double loop combination jump, which was downgraded, earned a Level-4 for her flying sit spin, and completed both her double Axel-triple toe loop combination jump and her triple Axel. Kang speculated that the judges might have been overly strict in their scoring of Kim's program.[77]

During the 2009 World Championships, held in Los Angeles, she set another new world record of 76.12 points in the short program, surpassing her previous record by four points. She beat Canadian Joannie Rochette, who came in second place, by 8.22 points; Asada, who came in third place, earned 66.06 points.[55][78] Orser, who later said that Kim was well-trained, stated about Kim's short program, "I think this was one of those moments people will always remember, especially those judges".[55] She began her program with her triple flip-triple toe loop combination jump, which Yoon Chul of The Korea Times called "undoubtedly perfect",[78] and a triple Lutz, which was followed by "a superb"[55] spiral sequence and three more Level 4 elements.[55] Chul reported that Kim skated with energy and confidence and that the audience gave her a standing ovation.[78] She later expressed her appreciation for her Korean fans in the audience during her short program.[55]

Kim won the free skate, and set a new world record total score of 207.71, winning her first World Championship title, as well as becoming the first female skater to surpass 200 points under the ISU Judging System. Her win also established her as a contender for the 2010 Olympics. Rochette came in second place, with 191.29 points, Miki Ando came in third place, with 190.38 points, and Asada came in fourth place, with 188.09 points.[79][80] Juliet Macur of The New York Times stated, about Kim's free skate, "For the second night in a row, Kim performed yet another elegant, seemingly effortless routine that enthralled the crowd and the judges".[80] Kang Seung-woo of The Korea Times stated, "She performed a remarkably charismatic dance, demonstrating flexibility and powerful energy before an awestruck crowd".[79] Her only mistake was popping her planned triple Salchow into a single jump.[79] She later said that winning Worlds was the fulfillment of a dream and that she wanted to win because it was the last Worlds before the Olympics.[79][80] Macur reported that it was the biggest goal of Kim's career thus far.[80] Kim's win earned Korea two slots in the Olympics.[79]

Kim performing her short program to a James Bond medley at the 2009 Trophée Eric Bonlyompard.

Kim was assigned to the 2009 Trophée Eric Bompard and the 2009 Skate America in the 2009–2010 ISU Grand Prix season. At the Trophée Eric Bompard and skating to a James Bond medley, she placed first in the short program with a score of 76.08 points, nearly 17 points ahead of Yukari Nakano.[81] According to CBC News, Kim opened her program with a difficult triple Lutz-triple toe loop combination and made "perfect landing"[81] on all her jumps. After her performance, she pumped her fists and waved to the audience.[81] Opening with a triple Lutz-triple toe loop combination and in "a flawless performance",[82] Kim won the free skate with 133.95 points. Skating to "Piano Concerto in F" by George Gershwin, she also executed a double Axel-double toe loop-double loop combination jump, a double Axel-triple toe loop combination jump, a triple Salchow, a triple Lutz and a double Axel. Her only error was missing her triple flip. She won the event with 210.03 points, ahead of silver medalist Mao Asada, who earned 173.99 points, and Nakano, who earned 165.70 points. Kim broke her on world records for both the free skate and the overall score.[82]

At the 2009 Skate America, Kim placed first again after the short program with a score of 76.28, 17.48 points ahead of her closest competitor Rachael Flatt, who later said that she admired Kim, was inspired by her, and enjoyed competing against her.[83] She set a new world record for the short program, marking the fourth straight competition in which she broke world records; as Lynn Rutherford stated in Ice Network, "None of her world records are safe. She'll break them again and again".[83] Kim later said that every competition was important to her and she considered them practice for the Olympics. Her opening triple Lutz-triple toe jump combination earned her +2 and +3 GOEs, for a total of 12.20 points. She admitted that she was nervous until the music started and that although she liked her combination jump, but thought that her footwork and final camel combination spin were "slow and struggling".[83] After her short program, Kim told reporters that she was not sure about using music from the Bond films, but eventually came around to the idea because she liked the choreography created by her choreographer David Wilson and felt that it was a good choice for an Olympic year. Orser told reporters that even with Kim's multiple wins, he was "taking nothing for granted".[83]

Kim placed second in the free skate with a score of 111.70 points, while Flatt earned 116.11 points. Kim won the event with 187.98 points, beating Flatt, who won the silver medal.[84][85] Philip Hersh of the Los Angeles Times noted that Kim was vulnerable to mental pressure, which he speculated could influence her chances at the Olympics. Hersh also pointed out that even though Kim's free skate score was her lowest since her debut on the senior Grand Prix circuit, she won the competition by over 13 points. According to Hersh, Kim's program started badly, with shaky jumps in both parts of her opening combination jump, "and she never completely recovered".[84] She fell on her next jump, a triple flip, and her triple Lutz was ruled a single jump by the judges, who gave her the maximum negative GOE for it. The judges also gave Kim credit for only three clean jumps. Hersh speculated that Kim's world record score in the short program was both the reason she won Skate America and served as "the albatross she carried into the free skate"[84] due to the pressure to skate perfectly. The South Korean newspaper The Chosun Ilbo called Kim "the clear favorite for the gold" in Vancouver and "in a league of her own".[85]

Kim's victories in both Grand Prix events qualified her for the 2009–2010 Grand Prix Final in Tokyo, Japan, in December 2009, with a total of 30 points, the highest score of all the qualifiers.[86] She placed second in the short program with 65.64 points, behind Miki Ando, who earned 66.20 points. The next day, she won the free skate with 123.22 points, ahead of Ando's 119.74 points. As a result, Kim won every competition she had entered in 2009 and her third Grand Prix Final title with a total of 188.86 points.[87][88] In her short program, her triple Lutz-triple toe loop combination jump was downgraded and called as under-rotated; The Chosun Ilbo reported that "there were questions of possible favoritism by the judges for hometown skaters like Ando",[87] even though they were the same judges that previously gave Kim the highest scores for a woman at a Grand competition. During the dress rehearsal for the free skate the morning the competition took place, Kim's skate blades collided with each other during a jump, which damaged her left skate blade. The skate was repaired, but it was not in the best condition.[88] In her free skate, which the Korea JoongAng Daily called "an impressive performance",[88] Kim again earned lower GOEs for her combination jump, which she changed from a triple-triple to a triple-double because her first triple jump was not secure.[87] In mid-December, she was chosen to carry the Olympic torch for the second time, running about 300 meters in downtown Hamilton, Ontario, an hour's drive from where she trained in Toronto.[85]

In February 2010, Kim competed in the women's event at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, where she won Olympic gold, thereby completing what has been called her Super Slam.[89] In March 2010, Kim competed at the 2010 World Championships in Turin, Italy. Kim said she had struggled with finding the motivation to compete at the World Championships after winning the gold medal at the Olympic Games.[90] Kim placed seventh in the short program with 60.30 points, the third-worst lowest score of her career and the first time she did not place into the top five. She opened with a triple Lutz-triple toe loop combination, but under-rotated her triple flip, missed a layback spin, and had her spiral sequence downgraded.[91] She rebounded in the free skate to win the program with 130.49 points, and won the silver medal with a total of 190.79 points. A fall on her triple Salchow prevented her from scoring enough points to defend her title, but she successfully accomplished her opening triple Lutz-double toe-loop combination, her triple Lutz, and her double Axel-double toe loop-double loop combination jump. She also under-rotated her double Axel. Kim later admitted that Worlds were mentally difficult for her and that she had seriously considered pulling out of the competition.[92]

In February 2010, Kim competed in the ladies event at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, held in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. She entered the Games as a strong favourite to win the gold.[93] In the short program on February 23, she executed a triple Lutz-triple toe loop combination jump, a triple flip, and a double Axel. Kim scored 78.50 points, taking the lead by 4.72 points over Mao Asada of Japan and achieving her best score in the short program. She broke her own world record by over two points, which she made earlier in the season, at Skate America. She later told reporters that she felt no pressure going into the free skate.[94]

On February 25, Kim won the free skate, which Agence France-Presse called "a stunning performance" and "spellbinding", with 150.06 points, setting a new world record for the free skate.[95] Bryan Armen Graham of The Atlantic called Kim's free skate "our generation's Nadia Comaneci moment: the abstract of perfection made flesh" and "a performance of such artistic beauty, charisma, and splendor, it may never be surpassed".[6] She landed six triples and eleven jumps in all: a triple Lutz-triple toe loop combination jump, a triple flip, a double Axel-double toe loop-double loop combination jump, a double Axel-triple toe loop combination jump, a triple Salchow, a triple Lutz, and a double Axel.[95][96] Overall, Kim totaled 228.56 points, breaking her own personal best and previous world record.[95] She won the gold medal, becoming the first South Korean skater to medal in any discipline of figure skating at the Olympic Games.[2] She defeated silver medalist Mao Asada by 23.06 points, the greatest margin recorded in women's singles at the Olympics or World Championships since the introduction of the ISU Judging System.[97] Kim's gold medal was South Korea's first medal at the Winter Olympics in a sport other than speed skating or short track.[98]

Kim's short program, free skate and combined total scores at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver were the highest scores since the creation of the ISU Judging System, and were registered in the Guinness World Records.[99] Jacques Rogge, who was president of the International Olympic Committee at the time, stated that Kim's performance "touched me in away that I haven't been touched since Torvill and Dean in Sarajevo".[100] U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also praised Kim's performance, calling it "extraordinary".[101]

Kim performing her free skate to "Homage to Korea" at the 2011 World Championships.

In August 2010, Kim and her coach of four years, Brian Orser, parted ways. Their split was first made known to the public by Orser's press release. Orser's dismissal was reported as "sudden and unexpected" and no explanation was given for the split. Orser made the separation public, saying he did not want it to become a distraction for his other skaters, including Americans Adam Rippon and Christina Gao.[102] Rippon said in an interview that they had known about the situation longer than the general public, and had had time to deal with it, noting that "it hasn't affected Brian's coaching, and it certainly hasn't affected my training".[103]

Kim posted an online message accusing Orser of lying. She stated on her official website that they had been maintaining an awkward and ambiguous relationship for months and that she was perplexed by Orser's announcement. She also said that the dismissal had been her decision and that the reason behind it did not need to be made public. After the split, Orser gave several interviews regarding the end of their collaboration.[104] On August 25, 2010, Orser caused controversy by revealing Kim's 2010–2011 competitive program information to the press without Kim and her choreographer's consent.[105][106] Soon after, Kim left the rink where she had trained with Orser to train at the East West Ice Palace in Los Angeles owned by Michelle Kwan and Kwan's family.[107] On October 5, 2010, Peter Oppegard was announced as Kim's coach.[108]

Kim was assigned to the 2010 Cup of China and to the 2010 Cup of Russia for the 2010–2011 ISU Grand Prix season.[109] However, she chose not to compete in the Grand Prix series to focus on the 2011 World Championships.[110] She won the silver medal at the event after being placed first in the short program, with 65.91 points, a lead of less than one point ahead of Miki Ando. She stumbled out of her triple Lutz, so she was unable to combine her planned triple-triple combination jump, but she added a double toe loop to her planned triple flip in order to fulfill the combination jump requirement. Oppegard later told reporters that Kim was nervous because it was her first competition in a year.[111] Kim came in second in the free skate with 128.59 points and a total score of 194.50 points, 1.29 points behind Miki Ando. Skating to Korean music, she landed her opening triple Lutz-triple toe combination jump and landed another triple Lutz and two triple Salchows, but she popped her flip jump. Golden Skate reported that Kim "continued her impressive record" of earning a medal in every competition she had entered since the Junior Grand Prix in 2015.[112]

Kim said she might miss the next Grand Prix series due to her work promoting South Korea's successful bid for the 2018 Winter Olympics.[113] She officially announced she would be sitting out the entire 2011–2012 season, the first time in her junior and senior careers, on October 18, 2011.[114] She later said that one of the reasons for her break was the high expectations and pressure she felt going into the Vancouver Olympics.[115]

Kim performing her free skate to Les Misérables at the 2013 World Championships.

On July 2, 2012, Kim announced her intention to skate competitively in the 2012–13 season, with the ultimate goal of skating in the 2014 Winter Olympics.[116] She later told Nancy Armour of the Associated Press that was "determined not to be suffocated by the pressure again".[115] However, Kim was not invited to skate on the 2012–13 Grand Prix circuit, so she decided to participate in minor events to score enough technical points to qualify for the 2013 World Championships.[117]

Kim left Oppegard and started training with her childhood coaches Shin Hea-sook and Ryu Jong-hyun.[118][119] Her first competition of the season was the 2012 NRW Trophy which was held in Dortmund, Germany.[119] It was the first time she competed since 2011. Tickets to the NRW Trophy sold out in six hours and instead of the few media outlets that usually attended it, over 50 credentials, which included several news outlets, were issued for it. Although it was not important for her to win the competition, she placed first in the short program with a score of 72.27 points and also won the free skate with 129.34 to claim the gold medal. Klaus-Reinhold Kany of Ice Network pointed out that because the NRW Trophy was a minor international competition, the ISU did not include Kim's short program score in its list of the season's best rankings, even though her score was the highest recorded that season. Skating to music from the 2012 film Les Miserables, she needed to earn 48 points in her technical element scores during her free skate in order to qualify for the 2013 World Championships, which she easily did, with 60.82 points.[120][121]

Kim later admitted that she felt nervous during the warm-up before her free skate, but she kept her nerves under control and considered skating at a minor competition a positive experience. She also stated that she concentrated on her elements, but intended to improve upon her free skate's choreography and emotional aspect and was looking towards the Korean National Championships and the 2014 Olympic Games.[121] Kany called Kim's opening triple Lutz-triple toe loop combination "brilliant";[121] she also successfully executed a triple flip that earned her a +2 GOE, two additional triples, and a double Axel coming out of an Ina Bauer, although she singled her first Axel, turned her two planned double toe loops into single jumps, and fell during her triple Salchow-double toe combination jump. Kany stated, however, that although she appeared tired towards the end, the rest of her program was "solid".[121] With the technical qualifications met, Kim's agency said she would focus on Korean nationals and the World Championships.[122] Kim also told reporters that she was enjoying her reunion with Shin and Ryu, and that she had missed training at home in Korea.[121]

In January 2013, due to her lack of competition in the previous season, Kim had to compete in the 2013 South Korean Championships to earn a spot for the 2013 World Championships.[123] Reporter Kyung-nam Ahn called it her "real comeback".[123] Kim placed first in the short program with a score of 64.97, and won the free skate with a score of 145.80 points and 210.77 points overall, after skating a clean program. She won her fifth national title and qualified to compete in the World Championships. Dong-wook Koh of the Yonhap News, who called it a flawless performance",[124] reported that even though Kim felt nervous going into the free skate because of a fall during practice, she completed her program with no errors. She received a GOE of 1.40 points in her opening triple Lutz-triple toe loop combination jump and a GOE of 1.28 points on her triple flip. She earned a Level 4 on her combination spin, a GOE of 1.05 points on her triple Salchow, a GOE of 1.33 points and a Level 3 on her step sequence, a GOE of 1.17 points on her triple Lutz, and successfully executed her double Axel-double toe loop-double loop combination jump.[124]

At the 2013 World Championships and looking towards winning her second World title, Kim placed first in the short program with a score of 69.97 points. Skating 14th out of 35 competitors and to the soundtrack of the 1963 film The Kiss of the Vampire, she completed a triple Lutz-triple toe loop combination jump, a triple flip, which was downgraded due to her take-off on the wrong edge of her skate, and a double Axel.[125] She lost almost half-a-point on her flying camel spin, which she called "a bit shaky",[125] early in her program. According to the Korea Herald, she also "performed flawless spins and step sequences the rest of the way".[125] Kim took the lead over Carolina Kostner from Italy, who earned 66.86 points, and Kanako Murakami from Japan, who earned 66.64 points. She later told reporters that she was disappointed with her score but had no regrets about her short program. She also said that she enjoyed skating "in the middle of the pack"[125] because skating later on would make her more nervous.

Kim also won the free skate after executing a clean program that earned 148.34 points. With 218.31 points overall, Kim claimed her second world title, surpassing the rest of the competitors by 20.43 points,[8][126] the largest difference between gold and silver in the nine years the ISU Judging System had been used in the World Championships.[115][8] As Nancy Armour of the Associated Press said, Kim "could have stood at center ice for the second half of her program and still won".[115] Armour also speculated that if Kim, who told reporters that she felt less pressure, was less stressed, and was "able to enjoy the moment",[115] continued to skate like that in Sochi, she would be hard to beat at the Olympics. Kim received a standing ovation for her free skate,[115] which Philip Hersh of the Chicago Tribune called "an ethereal free skate of surpassing brilliance".[8] Last to skate, her free skate included six "flawless" jumps, one of which was in combination. She was only skater who skated a clean program. Kim said later that she felt happy with her free skate and that "I was out of my mind".[8] She also said that it was the first time she no longer focused on the results, but had been able to enjoy both skating and competing. Up to that point, Kim had earned medals at all 30 of her international competitions, both at the junior and senior levels, and had won gold medals at 19 of them.[8] Her world title secured three spots for South Korea in the women's event for the 2014 World Championships.[127]

At the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi

In the 2013–2014 ISU Grand Prix season, Kim was assigned to compete in the 2013 Skate Canada International and in the 2013 Trophée Eric Bompard. However, on September 26 it was announced that Kim would not compete in the Grand Prix series due to a metatarsal injury to her right foot (bruised bones) from excessive training, with recovery expected to take up to six weeks.[128]

Kim competed in the 2013 Golden Spin of Zagreb in Zagreb, Croatia, in December 2013, her first competition in nine months. She placed first in the short program with a score of 73.37 points, won the free skate with 131.12 points. She won the gold medal with a total score of 204.49 points, beating Miki Ando by 27.67 points.[129][130] According to Jee-ho Yoo of the Yonhap News, "the level of competition at the second-tier event in Croatia was far from world class"[130] and pointed out that Kim made unusual errors, which may have meant that she was not yet fully recovered from her foot injury. Yoo stated that Kim's choice of music for her short program, "Send in the Clowns," was a departure from her recent choices, which tended to be set to "more powerful tunes" and could have fallen flat in its choreography, but that Kim made up for it with "a series of exquisite steps and spins".[130] During her short program, Kim landed her opening triple-triple combination jump and added a triple flip, but was unable to complete her double Axel, putting her hand down on the ice. She earned the highest short program component scores of her career and the highest short program score in the Grand Prix this season.[130][129] Yoo called Kim's free skate, which was set to the tango piece "Adiós Nonino," a "dense, breathless program, jam-packed with complicated step sequences"[130] and the most challenging free skating program of her career. Kim fell after the first jump of her opening triple Lutz-triple toe loop combination jump, but she successfully landed the rest of her jumps and added a double toe loop after her triple Lutz halfway through her program, which earned her extra points. Her overall score was the fifth-best of her career and the third consecutive time she scored over 200 points.[130]

In early January, Kim competed in the 2014 South Korean Championships. She came in first after the short program, with 80.60 points, which was her personal best score, and won the free skate, which was called "flawless",[131] with 147.26 points. She successfully landed her opening triple Lutz-triple toe loop combination jump, her triple flip, triple Salchow-double toe loop combination jump, a combination spin, and a triple Lutz. She missed the final jump in her double Axel-double toe loop-double loop combination jump and popped her double Axel into a single jump, but successfully executed her triple Salchow, layback spin, and choreographic sequence. Kim won her sixth national title and second Nationals in a row, with a total score of 227.86 points, the second-highest score ever earned. Yonhap News stated that Kim's victory raised expectations for winning a second gold medals at the Olympics.[131]

In February 2014, Kim competed at the 2014 Winter Olympic Games, with the intention of retiring from competitive skating afterwards. She told Moon Gwang-lip of Korea JoongAng Daily that she wanted not feel burdened or pressured and to finish her career with no regrets.[132] She narrowly came in first place after the short program with 74.92 points. Jeré Longman of The New York Times called her short program "a mature and elegant routine, even if it did not equal her stirring performance four years ago at the Vancouver Games".[133] Longman stated that Kim defied the convention that skaters must compete throughout the season, in the Grand Prix circuit, in order to remain at the highest levels. She skated earlier than the other favorite skaters due to her lower international standing, although she later said that it lessened her pressure. Paul Wylie, the 1992 silver Olympic medalist from Canada, stated that it demonstrated that Kim could skate well "whenever, wherever, whatever".[133] Longman reported that Kim appeared anxious during her warm-up, but was able to give "a flowing if imperfect performance dressed in a sparkly chartreuse costume, similar in color to one that Peggy Fleming wore in 1968".[133] Her triple Lutz-triple toe loop combination jump was "bounding and fluid", but her footwork sequence and layback spin appeared "slow and not wholly formed".[133] Scott Hamilton, the 1984 Olympic champion from the U.S., stated that she might be judged in her free skate by her 2010 performance, not by her current merits or in comparison with the current field of skaters.[133]

Skating last in the free skate, Kim successfully executed six triple jumps, three in combination; Adelina Sotnikova from Russia, who won the gold medal, had seven triple jumps in her program. Kim later admitted that she was not as motivated as she was in Vancouver.[134] Graham reported that although the audience cheered throughout the next two skaters' performances, they were quiet as Kim took the ice and called her "sublime" triple flips and step sequences "the stock-in-trade of an athlete in full command".[134] Graham also stated that Kim free skate "awed the crowd" and reported that many observers had proclaimed her the winner. Her overall score was 219.11 points, 5.5 points less than Sotnikova's score. Her silver-medal win was, as Graham called it "controversial" and said that it "strikes a blow to the artistry that sets figure skating apart from all other sports—and to many, seems to stink of corruption".[134] Graham cited Sotnikova's free skate score, 149.95, which was 40 points higher than her average score over the previous year and less than one point than Kim's free skate score in Vancouver, as well as impropriety about two judges, as the reasons for the controversy. He also called the outcry against the decision "swift" and reported that a petition demanding an investigation had crashed Change.org's servers and had garnered 1.8 million signatures. Ashley Wagner from the U.S., who came in seventh place overall, called for the elimination of anonymous judging in figure skating.[134] Kurt Browning, four-time World champion and commentator for CBC, stated: "Yu-na Kim outskated [Sotnikova], but it's not just a skating competition anymore—it's math".[135] American Olympic champion Dick Button stated: "Sotnikova was energetic, strong, commendable, but not a complete skater".[136] As anticipated, Kim announced that the Olympics would mark the end of her competitive skating career and that she would not compete in the 2014 World Championships.[137]

During Kim's junior years, South Korea had limited facilities for figure skaters. In an October 2010 interview with CNN, she pointed out that there were not many ice rinks in Korea, and that the few rinks that existed were public. She went on to add, "Even now, when athletes want to practice, they have to use the rink very early [in the] morning or late at night." The scarcity of facilities meant that skaters were often forced to alternate between rinks, and there was an increased risk of injury due to the cold temperatures.[164] Kim travelled to the US to work on her jumps, preferring it to South Korea because of the better training environment. Her coach used a harness to teach her how to jump a triple toe loop.[165]

Kim's primary choreographer during her career was David Wilson, who provided choreography for all of her competitive programs from the 2007–08 season to her retirement in 2014. Wilson initially began working with Kim as her choreographer prior to the 2006–07 season, shortly after her 2006 Junior World Champion title. Kim had wanted to work with Wilson in 2004–05, but he declined because he'd been contacted too late in the season, so Kim worked with Jeffrey Buttle instead. When Kim contacted Wilson again two years later, Sébastien Britten, who had been working on the Junior Grand Prix circuit at the time, strongly recommended her as a skater to Wilson, leading to him accepting her as his student.[170] Buttle had told him that Kim was "not a very happy skater", so Wilson made it his mission to make her smile and to connect with her.[44] During this time, Brian Orser and Tracy Wilson had just taken over temporarily at the Cricket Club, and Orser had told Wilson to bring over his students to the Cricket Club, because it had private ice.[170] He and Orser also choreographed the Festa on Ice shows.[141] In a 2009 interview, Kim said she did not take any special acting classes to enhance her choreography, stating that all her programs were delivered by Wilson.[165]

Wilson was contacted for All That Skate 2018, even though he had not spoken to Kim for more than three years and Kim had not skated in four years. She stated that she wanted to do something that was "pure and beautiful, not dramatic."[170] Wilson has praised Kim's work ethic, noting that she "took everything [he] said to heart".[170] In a different interview, he said that she believed in him, which was fulfilling, adding that she had never been rude or temperamental with him, and that she was an "absolute dream" to work with. He also praised her integrity as a person.[44]

Kim said that acting on the ice was the most important thing for her, and that she loved performing in front of the audience.[165] She took ballet classes from Evelyn Hart starting from the 2007–08 season. Though Kim was encouraged by her coaching team to look for music, Orser commented that Wilson often had the best ideas, so they would make a "sales pitch" to her in order to help her build a program. For example, during the 2007–08 season, Wilson proposed using a waltz.[173]

After the 2008 Worlds, Kim's coaching team decided it was time for her to have more input in her program music, crediting their rapport and good communication as helping with the process. Orser felt she had "come into her own in terms of maturity and development". For the 2008–09 season, Wilson and Shae-Lynn Bourne suggested several pieces to Kim for the short program, and she chose Danse Macabre by Camille Saint-Saëns. For the free skate, she chose Scheherazade by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov because she "was very attracted to Scheherazade four years ago after another skater used it". Kim felt classical music fit her and liked to skate to it.[16]

The idea for the 2009–10 short program came from Sandra Bezic, who pitched Kim as a Bond girl to Wilson in 2009.[44] "I have some ideas that I want to put out there," Kim explained. "We made together a detail of my program day by day. The black nail color is also everyone's idea."[165]

For the 2010–11 season, Kim wanted to do something to thank Korean fans for their support. Kim stated that using traditional Korean music as part of her program was a bit of a risk, because Chinese, Japanese and Korean music could easily sound indistinguishable to a non-Asian audience.[18] The program focused on emotional expressions rather than performing specific movements that gave a Korean feel, and tried to convey Korean emotions to the audience.[174] She felt the program was very modern, despite its use of traditional music. Wilson had suggested doing a Korean program previously, but she had rejected the idea because she had been concerned about the global reception. She believed that the international judges did not respond to it.[18]

Kim has broken world records 13 times in her career in the +3/-3 GOE judging system, including two historical junior records.