Yuna Kim (Korean: 김연아; born September 5, 1990), also credited in eastern name order as Kim Yuna or Kim Yeon-a, is a South Korean figure skater. Known for her well-rounded skills, achievements, popularity, and impact on the sport, she is one of the most highly recognized athletes in South Korea and regarded as one of the greatest figure skaters in history, being commonly referred to as "Queen Yuna".[1][2] Kim started skating at five years old and competed in women's singles from 2001 to 2014. She is the 2010 Olympic champion, the 2014 Olympic silver medalist, a two-time World champion (2009, 2013) the 2009 Four Continents champion, a three-time Grand Prix Final champion (2006, 2007, 2009), the 2006 World Junior champion, the 2005 Junior Grand Prix Final champion, and a six-time South Korean national champion (2003–2006, 2013, 2014).
Kim never finished off the podium in her competitive career, becoming the first South Korean figure skater to medal at the Olympic Games, World Championships, ISU Grand Prix, and ISU Junior Grand Prix. She won every major international competition in the course of her career and is a former record holder in all three competition segments in women's singles under the ISU Judging System by breaking world records 11 times. She was the first woman to score above 150 points in the free skating segment and 200 points in the combined total score. Kim is noted for her rivalry with three-time World champion Mao Asada from Japan, who headlined women's skating for two Olympic cycles until the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.
After her retirement from competitive figure skating in 2014, Kim was instrumental in the successful bid to bring the 2018 Winter Olympics to her home country in Pyeongchang. She also had a successful professional skating career, producing and appearing in several ice shows like All That Skate. Due to her sponsorships, Kim was one of highest-paid athletes in South Korea, well into her retirement. She was included in the Time magazine's annual list of the World's 100 Most Influential People in 2010 and in several Forbes lists.
- ^ Graham, Bryan Armen (February 22, 2014). "The Sad, Perfect End of Kim Yuna's Figure-Skating Reign". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on February 28, 2014. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
- ^ Hersh, Philip (March 16, 2013). "Kim Reigns at Worlds". The Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on April 2, 2019. Retrieved September 3, 2023.