Yuna Kim at the Olympics Opening Ceremony is a pleasure for figure skating fans
Figure skating legend Yuna Kim lit the torch at the Opening Ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympics. Here is everything you need to know about her.
The torch was lit by a legend to officially open the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympics. The flame has traveled all over the world, making its way to South Korea for the big celebration. Upon arriving in the arena, it was up to Yuna Kim to lift the torch to light the flame.
Yuna Kim is a beloved figure skater in South Korea who brought home the ladies’ singles gold medal in the 2010 Vancouver games and a silver medal at the 2014 Sochi games. She is known in South Korea as Queen Yuna because she is the first South Korean to win a gold medal in figure skating with a near-perfect performance. The win propelled her to superstardom in her home country, making her a household name.
The win in Vancouver came with its own fair share of controversy. Kim’s performance was flawless but did not contain the kind of high scoring elements that her competitor, Japan’s Mao Asada, incorporated into her routine. Both women were nearly perfect, but Kim was awarded the gold. Her score, in fact, remains the record to beat in figure skating under the new rules. (Her silver medal in Sochi 2014 featured controversy too, with the suspicion gold medalist Russian Adelina Sotnikova benefited from score inflation.)
OMG! I miss the QUEEN! Unnie @Yunaaaa I'm crying! 😥😘 #PyeongChang2018 #OpeningCeremony pic.twitter.com/KhCohCE7hd
— always&forever (@sincerelyurs18) February 9, 2018
Here is a look at a few highlights of Kim’s best performances.
Kim retired from figure skating after Sochi and enjoys a busy life full of endorsement deals and public appearances. She was appointed a Goodwill Ambassador in 2010 and uses her status as a celebrity to promote her philanthropic endeavors.
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There’s no question that seeing Yuna Kim on the ice again at the Opening Ceremony will inspire countless young South Korean girls to follow in their hero’s footsteps. She is the embodiment of a champion for her country, and it would be difficult to find someone else as worthy of lighting the flame as she is.