South Korea's first Olympic medal in figure skating was won by Kim Yuna. Japan's first Olympic medal in the men's event came from Daisuke Takahashi's bronze medal. These are their stories.
Kim Yuna was born on January 4, 1992 in Seoul, South Korea. She is one of only a few female figure skaters to have their own signature move. The "double axel" is named after the most difficult jump that can be done with just two feet. It is popular among female skaters because of its beautiful look and tough requirement skills needed to perform it correctly.
When Kim Yuna was young, her parents moved to Japan so she could get better training from more experienced coaches. She started skating at the age of three and a half years old. Her mother said that when they returned to South Korea, she would put ice cubes on Kim's feet to help her learn how to skate. By the time she was five years old, she was competing in international events.
In 2010, Kim became the first Asian woman to win the gold medal in figure skating at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver. The following year, she won another gold medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.
Today, Kim trains in Japan and South Korea.
Kim Yuna won gold and established a world record in the ladies' event, giving Korea its first medal in figure skating. South Korea at the opening ceremony in 2010. South Korea qualified two competitors in the ladies' singles event. They are Kim Yuna and Son Chao-hyun.
Kim Yuna is a native of South Korea who was born on January 4th, 1992. She is one of the most successful figure skaters in history having won four World Championships, three Olympic medals, and $1 million in prize money. She has also become one of the highest paid athletes in the world having signed contracts with companies such as Nike, Samsung, and L'Oreal.
Before winning her first World Championship in 2013, Kim had never finished higher than fourth at a major competition. However, she went on to win three consecutive titles from 2013 to 2015. In addition to her multiple World Championships, she has also won two Olympic medals: one silver and one bronze. The 2014 Winter Olympics were the first Olympics that Kim competed in and she went on to win a silver medal in the women's single event.
After taking some time off from competing, Kim returned to the sport in 2017 and has so far won two more World Championships. She currently holds the record for most World Champion titles by a female athlete with five.
Kim Yuna of South Korea won the Olympic figure skating title in 2010. She was the first person from her country to win a gold medal in figure skating. Shizuka Arakawa became the first Japanese woman to win Olympic gold in figure skating in 2006.
Peggy Fleming won the Olympic figure skating title in 1968. She won the championship at Grenoble, France, winning the United States' lone gold medal at that Olympics. Fleming went on to work as a figure skating commentator on television. Carol Heiss of the United States won the gold medal in women's figure skating at the 1960 Olympics, after her silver medal in the 1956 Olympics.
She earned an Olympic bronze medal in 1972 and was the national figure skating champion of the United States from 1969 to 1973. Peggy Fleming won the Olympic figure skating title in 1968. She won the championship at Grenoble, France, winning the United States' lone gold medal at that Olympics. Fleming went on to work as a figure skating commentator on television.
A list of speed skating Olympic medalists Skoblikova won four gold medals in the 1964 Olympics, becoming the first athlete to win gold in every event. The achievement was duplicated in 1980 by American Eric Heiden, who won five gold medals, the most ever won by a Winter Olympian in a single Games.
Kim Yuna of South Korea won the Olympic figure skating title in 2010. She was the first person from her country to win a gold medal in figure skating. Shizuka Arakawa became the first Japanese woman to win Olympic gold in figure skating in 2006.
Kim (1000m) and American Cathy Turner (500m) became the first to successfully defend their Olympic titles in 1994, becoming Kim the first short-tracker to earn three Olympic gold medals. .1000m.
| Games | 1998 Nagano |
|---|---|
| Gold | Chun Lee-kyung South Korea |
| Silver | Yang Yang (S) China |
| Bronze | Won Hye-kyung South Korea |
Join Britannica's Publishing Partner Program and our professional network to earn worldwide exposure for your work! Hanyu Yuzuru (born December 7, 1994 in Sendai, Japan) is a Japanese figure skater who became the first Japanese male to win an Olympic gold medal in figure skating at the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, Russia. He won the gold medal in the men's singles event, having outscored his opponents by a wide margin of 20 points over two rounds - thus becoming only the second man to ever achieve a perfect score in ice dancing after Sergei Novitskiy.
Yuzuru also holds the record for the largest margin of victory in an individual figure skating competition with his 20 point lead over the next-highest scorer. The Sochi Olympics were the first to use the short program-medal match format, which means that once the scores are determined there will be no further re-scoring of items such as jumps or spins performed by the athletes.
In addition to his figure skating career, Yuzuru has been involved in some controversial incidents during and after competitions. For example, it was reported that he had asked to change rooms with Mao Asada after hearing that she would not be able to compete due to a leg injury. When reporters questioned him about this incident, Yuzuru said that he did not ask to change rooms but instead wanted to know what kind of injury it was so that he could prepare accordingly.
Arakawa made history by capturing Japan's first ever ladies' figure skating gold medal at the Winter Olympics, as well as the country's lone medal at the 2006 Winter Olympics. Cohen, who skated last in the short, impressed the audience and the judges with a faultless routine.
The Palavela in Turin hosted four figure skating events during the 2006 Winter Olympics. Margarita Drobiazko and Povilas Vanagas of Lithuania (who married in 2000) were the first figure skaters to compete in five Olympics.
Yuna Kim won the ladies' championship in 2010 after setting world records in the short program, free skate, and overall total. The team event is the newest Olympic figure skating event, debuting at the 2014 Games.
Tara Lipinski of the United States won the Olympic gold medal in figure skating in 1998 at the age of 15, becoming the youngest women's Olympic gold winner in figure skating history. Michelle Kwan is a figure skating superstar and the most decorated figure skater in US history. She is an Olympic medalist in 1998 and 2002, a five-time world champion, and a nine-time U.S. champion.
Alina Zagitova won the gold medal in women's figure skating for the Russian Olympic Athletes at the 2018 Winter Olympics. She became the second-youngest women's champion in history, a month after American Tara Lipinski won in 1998.
Barbara Ann Scott was the first Canadian to win an Olympic gold medal in figure skating, doing so in 1948. She had became the first person from a country other than Europe to win a world title in skating the previous year. Norway's Sonja Henie won the Olympic figure skating championship three times: in 1928, 1932, and 1936.
Yuna Kim won the ladies' championship in 2010 after setting world records in the short program, free skate, and overall total. The team event is the newest Olympic figure skating event, debuting at the 2014 Games.
Copyright © 2020 - 2023 Sportsmanist Inc.
