SOUTH KOREA/JAPAN: WINTER OLYMPICS VANCOUVER 2010 - South Koreans and Japanese stop to watch their rivals fight for gold on the ice rink

Record ID: 465512

  • Title: SOUTH KOREA/JAPAN: WINTER OLYMPICS VANCOUVER 2010 - South Koreans and Japanese stop to watch their rivals fight for gold on the ice rink
  • Date: 25th February 2010
  • Summary: SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA (FEBRUARY 24, 2010) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF CROWDS OF SOUTH KOREANS WATCHING KIM YUNA PERFORMING ON TELEVISION AT SEOUL RAILWAY STATION (SOUNDBITE) (Korean) 23-YEAR-OLD CHOI KYU-DONG SAYING: "She's great just like I expected! Nobody can compete against her, I think. She was really great!" MORE OF CROWDS OF PEOPLE WATCHING KIM YUNA'S PERFORMANCE (SOUNDBITE) (Korean) 20-YEAR-OLD LEE CHANG-SOO SAYING: "I am of her (Yuna's) age. I am a part-time worker here (Seoul Railway Station). I have decided to work harder for my future life after watching her performance. I enjoyed it and I am very happy." MORE OF PEOPLE WATCHING TELEVISION
  • Embargoed: 12th March 2010 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA5CRB7H4598KGFX6W0J8QSH1BO
  • Story Text: South Korea and Japan come to a standstill as they watch ice rink rivals Kim Yuna and Mao Asada compete in the Olympic figure skate short programme.
    South Korea's capital Seoul came to a standstill on Wednesday (February 24) as they watched their idol skater Kim Yuna lead ahead of her long time rival Japanese Asada Mao in the short programme of the women's single figure skating competition.
    Nineteen-year-old Kim Yuna stood in first place in the short programme with a record breaking score of 78.50 points in the women's figure skating short programme at the Vancouver Winter Olympic Games, beating her long time ice rink rival Asada Mao by 4.72 points, who came in second.
    The final medal will only be awarded after the total scores are tallied from both the short programme on Wednesday and the freestyle programme on Friday (February 26).
    Nevertheless, the atmosphere in front of the Seoul Railway Station lobby was crowded with skating fans as they watched the short programme on large television screens.
    "She's great just like I expected! Nobody can compete against her, I think. She was really great!" said 23-year-old Choi Kyu-dong.
    One young man was so impressed by Kim's performance that he made a new life resolution.
    "I am of her (Yuna's) age. I am a part-time worker here (at Seoul Railway Station). I have decided to work harder for my future life, after watching her performance. I enjoyed it and I am very happy," said 20-year-old Lee Chang-soo.
    Kim Yuna, who turns 20 in September, is a major star in her home country where she also, through lucrative endorsement deals at home, is believed to have brought her an estimated $8 million last year, making her one of the top-earning athletes in Vancouver, according to Forbes magazine.
    Across the Sea of Japan - called the Eastern Sea in South Korea, Tokyo residents watched the same competition on televisions in stores and on their mobile phones.
    Work in some offices came to a halt as the nation watched their favorite skater complete her programme without a hitch, yet fail to score higher than arch-rival Kim Yuna.
    "I had such big hopes for her. It's such a pity," said Shima Shiozawa, a 24-year banker said after seeing Asada score 73.78.
    Kim Yuna also has a following in Japan which meant not all was lost for Japanese ice skating fans.
    "I feel bad for Asada, but I also rooted for Kim Yuna as well. So, I'm glad that an Asian won at this point," added Kanako Tsutsumi, a 27 year-old designer, after watching the heat on her mobile phone.
    Though in reality 70-year-old Haruko Yonekubo probably reflected the Japanese sentiment more accurately when she said: "I like Kim Yuna very much, but of course I had hoped Asada Mao would win this competition because she is Japanese."
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