'Figure Queen' Kim Yuna left for Germany on Wednesday (December 5th) through Inchon International Airport. She will be competing at the NRW Trophy that will be held in Dortmund, Germany. The figure skating community will be closely watching the comeback of the Vancouver Olympic gold medalist. Kim has not stood on competitive ice for 20 months and will be revealing her new programs on Saturday and Sunday (Dec. 8th, 9th). The following is the question and answer session during her press conference, held at the airport.
Q: How do you feel now that you are leaving for your first competition after a long break?
I feel a bit nervous because I haven't competed in a while, but at the same time I'm excited too. I have a clear goal set: to earn the required minimum technical score at the NRW Trophy. So currently I am focusing on working hard and achieving my goal through a good performance. Of course I am worried because I haven't competed for a while, but I am ready to compete since I trained hard. So if I skate with confidence I think I can achieve my goal.
Q: Could we have a word from both coaches?
Coach Shin Hye-suk: Yuna has been training hard ever since her last press conference. I think that she will get good results because she has been training diligently.
Coach Ryu Jong-hyeon: I also think that Yuna will get good results because she has trained hard up until now. We will try to do our best at the competition.
Q: How is your endurance at this point?
As I mentioned last time, my stamina was the biggest issue. The most important thing for me was to bring up my endurance to a level where I could handle full run-throughs during my training sessions. I worked out, slowly but steadily to reach that point and I also focused on improving the consistency of my technical elements. I spent a lot of time concentrating on those two goals and thanks to that, my stamina and technical elements have improved. Training hard is vital. However the most important thing is to perform well at the actual competition. I will focus on maintaining a good physical condition so that I can give my best at the competition.
Q: What were the psychological challenges that you faced?
While preparing to return to competitive ice, I found myself thinking that I was feeling much more relaxed. I mean, compared to my former seasons and competitions. When I made my decision to come back, I was worried. I doubted that I could prepare for a new season without being overburdened by the pressure. But I discovered that once I lowered my expectations and goals, and gave myself some slack, it was much easier to train both physically and mentally. Even though training sessions were demanding, I found myself the leisure to smile while I was training. I think that is the biggest difference, compared to the past. Of course, in order to get good results, you have to deliver on the day of the competition. However, the way I see and handle situations have changed. Currently, I don't feel pressure nor am I weighed down with worries. I think that if I skate with confidence, good results will follow.
Q: How have you prepared for the changes in technical requirements?
When I was a junior skater, spinning time was a bit of respite. Now spins are more physically draining than jumps. I'm not as flexible as a lot of skaters so the variations were difficult for me. It first, it was a challenge just to design the spins. Execution was also hard. But practice makes perfect and after a lot of hard work I was able to do it. Needless to say, you get deductions if you make the slightest mistakes during the competition like missing a revolution. Execution during practice is important but I am well aware that I will need to remain focused during my actual performance in order to not make any mistakes.
Q: What did you find the most difficult while preparing for your comeback?
Enhancing my endurance was the hardest part. Of course, I have always worked out but since I did not compete, it was virtually starting from square one again. It is possible to bring up my stamina from square one to my current level or even more. But the process of climbing up that mountain is extremely difficult, physically. As I mentioned before, it was possible to overcome these challenges because I was not burdened by pressure as I was before. Training was much more enjoyable as a result.
Q: You were at your top condition at the Vancouver Olympic Games. If you were to put that at 100, on a scale from 0 to 100, where do you think you stand now?
I recall that I said I was up to 60~70% last time. I can't exactly compare but my endurance has improved. I was at my best condition during the Games so it's difficult to exactly compare my current condition to that. I can currently perform my programs without much difficulty so I would say around 80~90% of my optimal condition.
Q: Have your new programs changed, compared to when you first started training for them? What are your programs like?
Even though I have done exhibition programs while I was away from competitive ice, I was overwhelmed when I first received my programs. It had been a while since a skated a competitive program and I would need a lot of endurance to physically pull off all the choreography along with the technical elements. So that was the main source of anxiety. I was like 'Can I pull these programs off like I used to do?' However since I was able to do such programs in the past, I thought that through practice I would eventually get there. Such optimism helped me prepare for competition.
Q: Do you know that Hugh Jackman offered you an invitation?
The timing was unbelievable. When I chose 'Les Miserables' I had no idea that the musical would be made into a movie. I found out a few days later. Even though it was a coincidence I felt that I had made a good choice. I am honored that a famous Hollywood star actually mentioned my name. If 'Les Miserables' is made into a show in the future, it would be a great privilege indeed to be invited.
Q: Any message for your fans?
I will be competing once again after being away from the competitive ice for a while. I am aware that people have high expectations for me and my programs. I will do my best to live up to those expectations. It's my first competition so I hope that you will support and pray for me. Thank you very much.
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