S. Korea's Kim Yu-na inches toward third straight Grand Prix Final title

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By Sam Kim
GOYANG, South Korea, Dec. 12 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's Kim Yu-na headed off a
strong performance by Japan's Mao Asada on Friday to claim the first half of the
Grand Prix Final in her country, edging closer to her third straight title at the
top figure skating event.

Performing in front of an enthusiastic home crowd of 2,600, the 18-year-old
pulled off a masterful sequence of jumps and spins, except for a triple lutz that
she came short of fully executing.
Kim completed the short program with a score of 65.94, edging past world No. 1
Asada, who earned only about half a point less to post 65.38. Japan's Yukari
Nakano scored 62.08 to finish third.
The six top-ranked contestants will continue their competition into the free
skate Saturday in this city of Goyang, just west of Seoul. The winner will be
determined based on her combined score.
"I felt quite nervous, and I felt a little disheartened by the slip," Kim said in
a press conference, explaining why she was seen wiping tears from her face
following the performance.
"I had hoped to do better because this was a competition held in my country. The
strain unraveled quickly after the performance, and the tears rolled out," she
said.
Kim said she was satisfied with the other parts of her performance danced to the
rhythms of Russian suite "Scheherazade," saying they were "neatly done," and
thanked the South Korean fans for their support.
"It was more than I had imagined," Kim said, describing her astonishment at
bouquets and teddy bears that descended upon her following the performance.
"Presents poured in, nearly covering the ice."
Kim, a high school student recently granted admission to a top university in
Seoul, commands a fan base as big as any celebrity in her country. She is the
first from South Korea ever to win a medal at a senior international figure
skating event, and has captured the last five Grand Prix series events she has
competed in since 2006.
Asada, who beat Kim in this year's world championship, said she was pleased with
her score and expected a more vigorous performance in the free skate.
"I think it was a good mark," Asada, also 18, said, speaking through an English
interpreter. "I know I have to skate again tomorrow. So I was telling myself
'Don't relax too much, keep the tension and bring it to tomorrow.'"
In an earlier contest, Japan's Takahiko Kozuka took the lead in the men's
competition, scoring 83.90 in the short program to edge past Jeremy Abbott of the
United States and Brian Joubert of France.
samkim@yna.co.kr
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