Kwan on Kim for Time 2010 Most Influential

[Simone411]

Congratulations to Yuna and hats off to the Kween. Job well done, Michelle.

[eyh201]

While "forever" may be a bit of a stretch, I'll put my Nostradamus cap on and predict that in ten years time (and perhaps as early as the next couple of seasons), the Kween's words will be vindicated. Just as Michelle was hugely influential for so many of the skaters that came after her, Yuna, whether she continues eligibility or not, is IMO going to be the prototype for those who eventually emerge as top-level skaters, whether they be Korean, Russian, Chinese, North American, European, or perhaps even Japanese.

The prototypical characteristics will include:
-body type. Long-limbed and wide shouldered but slim, and great lower body strength (although it has been said that Yuna's proportions are a kind of freak of nature for women that aren't fashion models, I could definitely envision, say, a Russian skater along these lines over the next few years).

-physical explosiveness. The body type mentioned above lends itself to generating speed and height (think Usain Bolt or a great NFL wideout like Randy Moss), resulting in ice coverage and +GOE jumps.

-authoritative jumps. The focus on GOE will become widespread. Not only great height and coverage, but also complex transitions, correct edges, confident landings, and great speed and flow in and out. If all this sounds familiar, it's because Yuna is the skater in whom the ideal that CoP had been groping for first came to mature fruition.

-musicality and expressiveness. IMO, this aspect has become one of Yuna's greatest strengths under Orser/Wilson. If you've ever seen her dance, you can see that her sense of rhythm and pace on ice is no accident (I would love to see her on DWTS at some point; I think she'd blow the field away, including Nicole ). And the way she uses her arms, head, body as instruments of expressiveness has been rightly praised by Sonia Bianchetti as superlative. This combination of musicality and expressiveness, so hard to describe but immediately recognizable as a Yuna signature, is in my view going to be just as influential as her jumps.

Of course, I believe in the truism that no skater is perfect. Toe-point fetishism notwithstanding (is the smilie here showing the correct technique, I wonder?), I agree with the many who say that she could improve her stretch and line. But if I had to, ah, point to one ladies skater as the probable model for the next generation of elite skaters, I'm betting it will be Yuna.

ITA! Again, congratulations to Yuna!

Plus, Kwan = class!

Is it the first time for a skater to be included in 'Time 100 Most Influential' list?

[clara00]

Wow, congratulations!! Yuna

Kwan is so nice

[shine]

nvm.

[barbk]

To say that Kim's performances at Vacouver "changed the face of figure skating forever" is a little bit OTT. How did those performances changed figure skating?

Well, since the end of figures, we haven't had too many OGM ladies winners who won both the SP & the LP at the Olympics with outstanding technical performances:

1992 - Kristi - won with a fall
1994 - Baiul -- I defy anyone to call her technical performance outstanding
1998 - Tara - didn't win the SP
2002 - Sarah - didn't win the SP and actually rather bombed it
2006 - Shizuka -- did not deliver an outstanding LP technical performance
2010 - Kim -- by my count the first woman to win both SP & LP with really outstanding tech performances.

[French Quarter]

To say that Kim's performances at Vacouver "changed the face of figure skating forever" is a little bit OTT. How did those performances changed figure skating?

Ask Kwan. I'm sure she knows about figure skating better than you do.

[Rock2]

While I believe the feelings and thoughts reflected in the quote are sincere, I'd bet 25 bucks that the quote was written or highly edited by someone other than MK. She's a smart and I'm sure deep-thinking woman, but there is nothing I've ever heard her say that leads me to believe she can be that eloquent without a lot of help.

[tkhm]

While I believe the feelings and thoughts reflected in the quote are sincere, I'd bet 25 bucks that the quote was written or highly edited by someone other than MK. She's a smart and I'm sure deep-thinking woman, but there is nothing I've ever heard her say that leads me to believe she can be that eloquent without a lot of help.

As a MK fan I take offense.

[skatesindreams]

Why must some here find reason to belittle/doubt whatever Ms. Kwan does?
I'm sure that someone who is working on a Master's degree can write a cogent statement in honor of another person!

[FSUSF]

While I believe the feelings and thoughts reflected in the quote are sincere, I'd bet 25 bucks that the quote was written or highly edited by someone other than MK. She's a smart and I'm sure deep-thinking woman, but there is nothing I've ever heard her say that leads me to believe she can be that eloquent without a lot of help.

Feel sour? eh?

[barbk]

While I believe the feelings and thoughts reflected in the quote are sincere, I'd bet 25 bucks that the quote was written or highly edited by someone other than MK. She's a smart and I'm sure deep-thinking woman, but there is nothing I've ever heard her say that leads me to believe she can be that eloquent without a lot of help.

Any number of people are more eloquent in writing than they are orally.

[MOIJTO]

[IceJunkie]

Any number of people are more eloquent in writing than they are orally.

For real. I am one of them. When I'm speaking or just talking, I have a tendency to never know what to say, or when I do, it just comes out wrong. When I'm writing I have much more time and freedom to carefully construct what I am trying to say. I consider myself to be a good writer.

Michelle is a grad student at a great school. I certainly would hope most grad students, especially in her field, can write well. Besides, what MK wrote wasn't exactly jaw-dropping, amazing writing. It was coherent, congratulatory and well executed. If she needed "a lot of help" with writing a couple paragraphs about how great Yu-Na Kim's skating is, I'd hate to see her write a 10 page report about Sino-Australian relations.

[iarispiralllyof]

While I believe the feelings and thoughts reflected in the quote are sincere, I'd bet 25 bucks that the quote was written or highly edited by someone other than MK. She's a smart and I'm sure deep-thinking woman, but there is nothing I've ever heard her say that leads me to believe she can be that eloquent without a lot of help.

You have got to be kidding me. First of all Michelle may have come off as awkward throughout her figure skating reign because she was usually (mostly) part time student - part time olympic level athlete, she didn't have as much time to interact socially as others did. Yet she still kept up her grades and attended UCLA for one year. So while she might have come off as awkward in some interviews, it doesn't mean she doesn't have the capacity to be eloquent.

Secondly, as others have said writing and speaking publically are extremely different things.

Thirdly, the passage in question isn't even that complicated - it's heaps of praise in a sport that Kwan knows well. You must think incredibly lowly of her to think she can't come up with something like that on her own. In fact, although she makes specific references to Yuna's achievements, her words of praise don't sound entirely different to the praise given to michelle during her reign or other top-level skaters. It's almost cliched. Whoa - "changed the face of the sport", "such a combination of athleticism and artistry"!!! omg those words have never been uttered before O_O

What's more, when Kwan eventually left the sport in 2006, she finally had time to focus full time on her studies and get her BA. And then she was accepted into a graduate program at Tufts, which is not some easy smeazy university. Graduate programs are NOT a joke, regardless of whether or not she's a famous athlete.

She would've easily matured and developed her skills academically throughout these past few years since she's no longer had to deal with the immense stress of staying on top of a sport long past her teens and her getting into a grad program shows her seriousness when it comes to education.

Sorry for overreacting, but seriously!

[icedance21]

While I believe the feelings and thoughts reflected in the quote are sincere, I'd bet 25 bucks that the quote was written or highly edited by someone other than MK. She's a smart and I'm sure deep-thinking woman, but there is nothing I've ever heard her say that leads me to believe she can be that eloquent without a lot of help.

What a nasty little comment.

[Mathman]

To say that Kim's performances at Vacouver "changed the face of figure skating forever" is a little bit OTT. How did those performances changed figure skating?

You could look at it this way. Yu-na Kim's face is the "new face of figure skating," replacing the "former face of figure skating," Michelle's.

[euneri]

To say that Kim's performances at Vacouver "changed the face of figure skating forever" is a little bit OTT. How did those performances changed figure skating?

maybe because now people can put a face to the new era of figure skating

eta: lol, i just realised i pretty much repeated what mathman said above

[RunnersHigh]

While I believe the feelings and thoughts reflected in the quote are sincere, I'd bet 25 bucks that the quote was written or highly edited by someone other than MK. She's a smart and I'm sure deep-thinking woman, but there is nothing I've ever heard her say that leads me to believe she can be that eloquent without a lot of help.

Then you might spill the money.

[OliviaPug]

Congratulations to Yuna. What a nice honor for her. And what a nice quote from Kwan.

I have heard Kwan speak recently, and she has become quite an eloquent public speaker. She has a warm, engaging presence, and (now) a commanding delivery. I have no doubt she is capable of writing something of this nature.

[With all that can be said about Kim's honor and Michelle's recognition of it, commenting on Kwan's writing ability has to be the most irrelevent, mean-spirited, and ridiculous post in this thread.]

O-

[jaws12345]

Maobots swarming in again... it's gotta be maobots, judging from the familiar style of bashing; totally irrelevant, tedious, inflammatory, and persistent. And what do you know, checking their previous posts confirms just that. Are they seriously bashing Kwan's writing skill now, because she praised Yuna? Unbelievable. Just how low can they get? Leave Michelle and Yuna alone, and go eat your rubbish in Trash can or Youtube where you belong. This is a cheer thread for Yuna and Michelle, their class and their respect for each other.