USA TODAY

Kim wins skating gold; U.S. shut out

Kim Yu-Na of South Korea vaulted herself to a big lead after earning a score of 150.06 for her program and went on to win the gold medal on Thursday night.  
By Robert Deutsch, USA TODAY

 

 

VANCOUVER — South Korea's Kim Yu-Na dazzled from the big air of her opening jumps to the blurring spin of her finish to win a historic gold medal with more record-smashing scores.
Japan's Mao Asada hit her big, early jumps for silver, and Canada's Joannie Rochette skated through grief to win bronze Thursday in the finale of Olympic women's figure skating.


Korea's Kim Yu-Na of South Korea closes her program with a dominant victory Thursday at Pacific Coliseum, capturing gold in women's figure skating.

Kim, 19, who trains in Toronto under Canadian coach Brian Orser, won the first medal of

any color for South Korea in Olympic figure skating.

After Kim's record-breaking point total in the short program Tuesday, the 2009 world champion's

scores of 150.06 in the free and 228.56 overall obliterated her own world records (133.95 in the

free, 210.03 overall).

 

Wearing a bright blue outfit with a neck collar of silver sequins, Kim opened with a triple lutz/

triple toe jump combination. She hit four more triples and finished with her skate held over

her head in a whirring spin.

South Korean fans waved flags and roared. Dozens of teddy bears and other stuffed animals

were tossed on the ice in tribute. "It was my dream, and this is not a dream anymore," Kim said.

"I still can't believe it."