Reigning Olympic champion Kim Yu-na set herself up as a contender to win back-to-back Olympic gold medals with a runaway women’s victory on Saturday at the World Figure Skating Championships.
The South Korean superstar left the field in her wake as she delivered a second picture-perfect performance in her return to International Skating Union (ISU) competition after a two-year hiatus.
“It has been a while since I competed in a big competition like worlds,” Kim said through a translator. “I was really nervous in warm-up but I skated last and I had time to calm myself down.”
Kim scored 148.34 points for her masterful Les Miserables free skate, which opened with a flawless triple lutz-triple toe loop jump combination and brought the cheering crowd to its feet 10 seconds before she wound down her final spin.
“I’ve been competing at worlds since 2007 and had both good and bad memories,” Kim said. “This one was emotional because I was thinking it could be my last one. But because I delivered good results, I’m very happy.”
