Rachael Flatt established herself as a favorite for one of two Olympic spots on the U.S. team Sunday by placing second at Skate America behind Korean star Kim Yu-Na.
But that wasn't the big news coming out of Lake Placid. That would be Kim's shocking stumble and splat during the free skate. She still wound up winning the competition by a large margin, thanks to a substantial cushion built by her record-setting short program -- a point total that would have placed her second in the men's short program. (Look out, Evan Lysacek.)
In the women's final, Kim tripped on an early opening triple combination, and her unsteadiness carried over to a triple flip, when she hit the ice after a late takeoff and awkward landing. She appeared to gain confidence through the middle section of the program before two-footing her landing on another triple late.
It was a stunning finale for fans accustomed to near perfection from Kim in the past year. In that time, Kim has turned an expected Olympic duel with rival-since-juniors Mao Asada into a one-woman show, distancing herself from the rest of the world's skating queens with near-flawless performances. She won the 2009 world championships by a breathtaking -- and record-setting -- margin, and seemed nearly untouchable. Skating observers had already slotted her for 2010 Olympic gold.
Not so fast. If Lake Placid proved anything, it's that the 19-year-old Kim can suffer from frayed nerves after all. In a refreshingly candid confession, Kim said that mounting pressure as the Games approach has affected her.
Not only is she Korea's biggest sports celebrity and trying to become Korea's first Olympic skating champion, she will also be competing in her adopted home country of Canada, the Olympic host. That's a double-whammy bound to be an obstacle.
Kim, however, is in good hands. She moved to Canada to train with coach Brian Orser, 1984 and 1988 Games silver medalist and famous foil to Brian Boitano in the memorable "Battle of the Brians." He knows what it's like to go into an Olympics as a gold-medal favorite in your host nation. Last season, the year before The Year, he was already beginning to prep Kim.
In Lake Placid after her unusually flawed final, Kim did not cry. She did not crumple. She smiled, jokingly pretended to cover her eyes when her scores came up. In terms of Kim's confidence, over the next three months we'll see if this performance is mere speed bump or brick wall.
Comments
Yu Na Kim falls all over the ice and she gets the gold!!
Give me a break! What kind of ridiculous scoring system is that?
answer: a scoring system that you obviously don't understand.
"Yu Na Kim falls all over the ice and she gets the gold!!
Give me a break! What kind of ridiculous scoring system is that?"
she is perfect.but she is also a human. we have to understand it.
she will shows good performance to you
I obviously do understand the scoring system. Kim's score in the SP was over the top. She's not that good.
Folks,
Yu-Na Kim is one of the greatest lady figure skaters who has ever lived. When she falls or "pops" a triple flip, it's like when Tiger Woods misses a short putt, or David Akers misses a field goal attempt. Top athletes make mistakes. But at the end of the day, it's the figure skater and football team with the most points who wins, and the golfer with the fewest strokes who wins.
Yuna Kim is so goood!!! and she fell because her skete blades were not right they were bent. She got the courage and kept on skting thats what makes her Gold Medalist. Susan you are wrong , she did an excelent job before she fell thats why she got it! Its like playing Basket ball with a broken finger... you cant play. And exactly to Kim Yuna! Her skaes are bent.... what do you expect??
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