Best and Worst of 2012/2013, Part 10

One could argue that comebacks in figure skating are a bad idea (check out Johnny Weir's performance this season), if it weren't for Yuna Kim's astonishing start of a second attempt to become Olympic Champion once more. She proved that 'veterans' are a force to be reckoned with at the same time that some of the most experienced skaters out there show signs that they can't cope with the youth invasion.

You have to admit, no matter how big a Kim fan you are, that her return on the ice made you if not a bit nervous, then at least curious. Suddenly, it didn't matter anymore what the other skaters did; everyone was waiting to see if she is still 'The Queen.' The fact that it took her a lot less than expected and what looked like almost no effort at all to make the world title hers again proves how brilliant this Korean skater is. Not that she needed to prove that.

Her Short Program featured James Bernard's Kiss with a Vampire and the choreography of David Wilson, who worked with names like Miki Ando and Daisuke Takahashi. Beautifully presented right from the start, the programme was absolutely flawless both technically and artistically. The World Championship was not the programme's first competition (Kim also competed in the NRW Trophy and South Korea's Nationals), but it was definitely the most important. Yet Kim showed absolute control of her emotions even though this counted as her first important skate of the season while for the other skaters, it was their last.


Choosing the soundtrack of the new Les Miserables for the Free Skate probably won the audience (and some critics) over even before the programme actually started. She wore a sparkling gray dress, staying faithful to her theme, but also to the glamour of this sport. When the programme started, so did the cheers and they were so loud and 'omnipresent', you could barely hear the music. Yet her interpretation didn't flinch for a single second.

For Yu-na Kim, this season, as short as it was, proved that she is the exception to the rule in more than one way.That is why she is the very best this season offered.

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