In today’s AP, Kim Yuna apparently made references to fellow skaters “obstructing” her practice routines. She made no reference to skaters from a particular country, but the Japanese press (with the help of SBS) has interpreted her references as a stab against Japan.
Particularly at this year’s Four Continents championships, I felt it was a bit terrible … too much,” [Yuna] told Korea’s SBS network without naming names.
“I am trying to find a way to deal with it.”
[An SBS]… voice-over said it was always Japanese skaters that crossed Kim’s path.
… Japanese media reacted this week with headlines declaring that Kim blamed Japan for obstructing her, with the Sports Hochi daily describing her remarks as “‘Japan-bashing’ without warning.”
As long as nothing like THIS happens, I think we are good.
UPDATE: Link to Brian Deutsch‘s blog that includes a video allegedly showing the obstructions. (HT to Brian D).
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I posted a video put together by a youtube user. Not the same SBS report, but pretty damning evidence of skaters messing with Kim.
I read in the papers this morning that Kim has acquired Bob Probert in exchange for a 2010 5th round draft choice.
Probert is old and retired. And besides, he was more of a guy who out-lasted you than a guy who flat-out wrecked you in his prime.
If I wanted a enforcer who’d scare folks, I’d get me a prime Dave Brown, Tony Twist, or even Clark Gillies.
Anyways, can you link the Youtube video? I am always skeptical when claims like this come up, so I’d like to see some evidence.
How can I forget Joey Kocur?!
Damn, the good ole days when enforcers actually tried to hurt each other, rather than hug-suffocate each other to death a la Laraque or “Huggy Bear” Brashear.
This is all at the fault of SBS. Kim Yuna made no reference at all about skaters from a specific country. SBS construed the whole story against Japanese skaters for the sake of feeding the rivalry. In return, the Japanese broadcast took the bait and ran with it.
It must be reiterated, what SBS spews out is not representative of what Kim Yuna and her side says. In the broadcast from which Kim Yuna was quoted, the question wasn’t even presented to the viewers, so we have no idea to what exactly Kim Yuna is responding to. It’s extremely poor jounralism from SBS to take a quote from Kim Yuna to fabricate a story like this.
I’m more bothered about the fact that you guys seem a little too knowledgeable about ladies figure skating…
Brian’s video certainly does appear that Yuna is being swarmed. However, who is swarming her is not clear. For the Korean media to imply that it was “Japanese” skaters is just yellow journalism. Again. Imagine that.
Yuna Kim is a darling as well as an extremely talented skater. For this to be happening needs to be dealt with within the sport. It is not right, and needs to stop.
I wish they hadn’t mosaiced the other skaters.
You’re right this shouldn’t be going on. Where are the managers during practice? Aren’t there officials or judges or anything? The repeat offenders should lose practice time or be taken out of these tournaments.
Darius Kasparaitis would keep these women honest, that’s for sure.
Amen sisters. Your outrage is well deserved. Who’d have ever thought that when 6-10 skaters are all practicing at the same time, at high speeds, doing blind maneuvers often times backwards, that some close calls and collisions might take place? It’s outrageous, and needs to stop because a Korean is involved!
Please stop embarrassing yourselves by slobbering over the Oliver Stone video put together by some netizen douchebags. This shit happens all the fucking time, at every level of skating competition. Go to any warm-up at your local rink and every five minutes you’ll hear the ooohs and ahhhhs from the crowd when two twinkle-toed princesses pass by each other whilst doing their triple sow cow lutzes. It’s as common as NASCAR cars bumping on a turn or an errant puck smacking someone’s knee during the pregame warm-up.
It’s expected that the FUCKING USA/GODDAMN JAPAN crowd will salivate and cry over this kind of bullshit… So try and differentiate yourselves from the average retard by using a little common sense.
Thanks.
Has everyone forgotten this?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tonya_Harding
one of the few times I’ll agree with NetKim…
most of the time the girls obstructing her were wearing their costumes. On some the shots you can tell the colour and style of the costume. if somebody watched the footage of the 4CC it shouldn’t be too hard to figure out who was shadowing her.
That’s nothing.
http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/winter02/figure/news?id=1333280
…To answer questions about how certain skaters can fall on their ass and still win.
@9 so, you are predicting a post-skating p0rn career for Kim Yuna? Sweet.
Uh… Tonya Harding is the epitome of white trash. Her mom like remarried six times…
Somehow, I’d hazard to guess that Yuna had a better upbringing than her.
What about the other Four Continents champion?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrick_Chan
I’ve stumped my students with that one.
Netizen Kim,
The triple toe lutz will cure what ails you.
#15,
And he’s Canadian, eh? We all have lots of hopes of him winning the gold. He’s that good.
I will never understand Canadians…
You can see the faces better here in this video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcDfNV8SQMg
Wait, one question, how do we know for sure that this obstructionist behavior isn’t *common practice* among these fine young ladies? If that’s not the case, then it’s actually kind of coool. It means she’s the best. They will always go after the best. But if she’s REALLY the best, she will find a way.
It’s like Top Gun meets Russian Ballet, a bevy of snow hawks soaring through the ice and air dancing with chaos and collision. Beautiful.
I love figure skating when I watch it.
And the proper analogy would be Kerrigan:Harding // Yuna :Bitches behind the mosaic in Brian’s video.
Yuna’s SBS interview w/subtitles:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ts0SAc03I7o&feature=related
I can’t watch it cuz it’s too choreographed. Not enough randomness to generate excitement.
Synchronized swimming is similar. It’s disturbing to watch that stuff.
OHHHH, “그렇*케*까지” …. She’s pissed off, no doubt. Got a lil fight in her. I totally LIKE it. Just keep the tonya hardings on a leash.
It’s a very high school bully thing to do… but remember… most of these girls are either still in high school or not too far removed from it.
Those skaters are implicated because they are the only ones interrupting Yuna, as a matter of fact. Korea’s “yellow journalism” doesn’t need to “imply” anything.
However, there is a fine line between baiting and mere fact reporting. SBS ought to have avoided mentioning any particular country in their news segment.
Don’t know the protocol for warm-ups so I guess I can’t really say shit. Do they have separate times per se? Does one skater have the ice so to speak at different times? Is it a free for all? If the latter, is she just being a me-first-pretty-lil-princess as a result of her recent success? If given the appropriate video, I am sure a clever editor could make the case that she was in the wrong.
Even if they were intentional, mind games and psych-outs have always been and always will be a part of competition. Suck it up and just win dammit!
Figure skating would be a lot more exciting if it was full contact though….
Well, perhaps we’ll have to flush this down the toilet…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chxfpsJgtxY
Picture used by Japanese netizens to “prove” that Yuna is actually the one who’s jealous of Mao.
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_nIb4QX-aL3U/SYqz1JlysCI/AAAAAAAAAZM/R4bhzxRm3VE/s400/yuna+asada.jpg
Man… this whole mess is funny.
Finally, something to make figure skating exciting. I say put a half dozen of ‘em out there not during the warm up but for the actual competition. Who’s got the guts to throw the quintuple sow cow now?
# 29,
All of them out there at once with twirling blades???
Yeah, but what if there is an inadvertent “Iron Lotus?”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1weVp4S8IFc
Considering how popular she is in Korea, the news would have brought enough domestic public attention without the unnecessary & unconfirmed “Damn Japanese” angle the K-media has taken – the sentiment would have been something in the line of “Who’s messing with OUR Yuna?!” as opposed to “those damn Japs”
Evidence so far are pretty damning to the Japanese skaters, but more evidence would be necessary before making that kind of judgment call. And even then, (short of the Japanese skaters shouting “Kill the Josenjing Skater!”) the incident would be an immature disregard for sportsmanship, not some proxy pseudo-war between Korea and Japan (again).
I think those girls were probably told by their coach to do what they did.
The complaint was first issued forth by Yuna’s coach, Brian Orser, so it’s not just an idle imagination from the mind of an 18 year old.
(I thought the mention of Orser will get the Canadians on my side…
)
Amen sisters. Your outrage is well deserved. Who’d have ever thought that when 6-10 skaters are all practicing at the same time, at high speeds, doing blind maneuvers often times backwards, that some close calls and collisions might take place? It’s outrageous, and needs to stop because a Korean is involved!
Please stop embarrassing yourselves by slobbering over the Oliver Stone video put together by some netizen douchebags. This shit happens all the fucking time, at every level of skating competition. Go to any warm-up at your local rink and every five minutes you’ll hear the ooohs and ahhhhs from the crowd when two twinkle-toed princesses pass by each other whilst doing their triple sow cow lutzes. It’s as common as NASCAR cars bumping on a turn or an errant puck smacking someone’s knee during the pregame warmup. To boot, its a common psych-out tactic, and judging by the reaction, it appears to be working.
Yuna needs to either shut her pie hole, or start swinging her blade a half-inch from the throat of whichever snatch decides to invade her space. Crying about it not only makes her look weak, but will probably just invite more of it.
@ihbb
Yeah! Those damn whiny Canadian coaches who more than likely can tell those kind of things considering one of them won an Olympic silver medal in the event-, oh.
@bumfromkorea
If Orser had spent more time practicing and less time writing letters to the International Skating Union about how some guy in tights and a tutu brushed his frilly dress too closely in warm-ups, maybe he’d have won gold.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3muHF8n4ws
I’m more bothered about the fact that you guys seem a little too knowledgeable about ladies figure skating
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxvetM7uqms
Oops, wrong link.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uF0W5KBkpO8&NR=1
# 37,
Orser went manly military uniform style in the Olympics (but in flaming Canadian Mountie red).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmoYP1oKQUU
Incidently, so did Brian Boitano, but in undertoned American dark blue…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEYNskBniw0
However, me thinks that someone was copying somebody…
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