Kim, Yu-Na

Yu-Na Kim is a figure skating champion from South Korea. She is most known for her impressive scores and for breaking the world record in figure skating at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada-the first medal in figure skating for South Korea. Those in the world of figure skating have claimed that her fiercest rivalry is with Mao Asada of Japan, whom she beat at the 2010 Winter Olympics but lost to at the 2010 World Figure Skating Championships. In April 2010, the International Skating Union ranked Kim first in the world of figure skating. At that time, she also held the record for the short program, free-skating program, and the combined total. Being the first female skater to move past 200 points is also an honor that she has earned. In South Korea, Kim has received various endorsement deals and is the public face of products from mobile phones to fabric softeners.

Born in Bucheon, South Korea, on September 5, 1990, Kim began figure skating at the age of 7. Her first coach, Ryu Jong-Hyeon, saw great potential in her and predicted that she would one day be a skating champion. The Triglav Trophy in Italy was the site of her first competition in 2002, at which she won gold in the novice category. At the age of 12 she became the youngest person to win the South Korean Figure Skating Championships. She continued to compete nationally and internationally, defending her titles at such competitions as the World Junior Figure Skating Championships, Junior Grand Prix, World Championships, and Four Continents Championships.

In 2006, Kim began training in Toronto, Canada, at the Toronto Cricket, Skating and Curling Club. She moved to the country in 2007. In the Grand Prix Final competitions, Kim won the gold medal twice and the silver once. In the Four Continents Championships, she brought home the gold. In the World Championships, she has won the bronze medal twice and the silver and gold once each. In addition, in the Winter Olympics she won the gold while setting a world record. Kim is most known for her bent-leg layover, jump combinations, speed, artistry, and grace on the ice.

Even before competing at the Winter Olympics, Kim was a millionaire as a result of her many endorsement deals in South Korea-at one time, Forbes estimated her as having made over $8 million in endorsements alone. She received intense scrutiny from her home country before the Olympics, with many hoping that she would live up to the fanfare already given her before the games began. The pressure of competing and defending her numerous records has led Kim to question whether or not to continue competing or turn professional. She has indicated an interest in eventually pursuing her education at university and studying sports psychology.