Figure Skating: Asian skating queens set to dominate
Paris (AFP) – The long-running rivalry between South Korea’s Kim Yu-Na and Japan’s Mao Asada is set to spice up the women’s figure skating competition at the Olympic Winter Games.
The fact that world champion Kim has dominated the season so far and Asada, the 2008 world champion, has struggled takes nothing away from the much-anticiplated clash between the 19-year-old rivals.
Kim is the hot favourite having lost just twice in the past two seasons, both times to Asada at the 2008 worlds and the 2008-2009 Grand Prix final.
And she opened this season in impressive fashion, winning the Trophee Eric Bompard in Paris by beating Asada with the highest-ever women’s total score with 210.03 points.
Although Canada’s Joannie Rochette will be hoping to rise to the occasion in front of her home crowd, the battle for gold in Vancouver looks set to be an Asian one between Kim, Asada and Japan’s Miki Ando.
Kim, Asada and Ando have won the last three world titles.
And of the nine medals on offer over the last three world championships, the trio have won seven, with Ando leading a sweep ahead of Asada and Kim in 2007.
Asada failed to qualify for the Grand Prix final after finishing fifth at the Cup of Russia.
But she has come back, sealing her berth to Vancouver by winning the Japanese championships, scoring a personal best in the free skate and overall with 204.62 putting her closer to Kim’s world record.
Asada admits that the rivalry has helped her over her poor year.
“(Kim) has been a good source of inspiration for me,” said Asada.
Both will be competing in their first Olympic Games after missing the 2006 Torino Games because they were too young to be eligible to compete.
Ando competed at the Turin Olympics where she finished a disappointing 15th.
This year she has won the Cup of Russia and the NHK Trophy but was runner-up behind Kim at the Grand Prix final.
Once best known for her jumps, Ando, who landed the first and only quad by a woman in competition back in 2002, has become a more rounded skater and coached by Russian Nikolai Morozov, who helped Shizuka Arakawa to a surprise gold in Torino four years ago, is hoping to emulate her countrywoman.
The third member of the Japanese team is Akiko Suzuki, who won the Cup of China, placed second at nationals and third at the Grand Prix final, and is also eyeing a podium spot.
The 22-year-old finished third at last year’s worlds behind Kim and Rochette, who is hoping to put the hosts on the women’s podium for the first time in 22 years, despite a mixed season.
Meanwhile, former giants the United States could find themselves off the women’s podium for the first time since the 1964 Innsbruck Games.
Olympic silver medallist Sasha Cohen, who has not skated internationally since 2006, has returned to competition but was forced to pull out of Skate America and the Trophee Eric Bompard with tendinitis in her right calf.
She is nevertheless hoping to qualify, meaning Vancouver would be her first major competition in four years.
But the Olympic Games can always spring surprises with the last three women’s champions – Tara Lipinsky, Sarah Hughes and Arakawa – not the favourites.
