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Asada Beats Kim To Win World Skating Championship Title
TURIN, Itally - Mao Asada finally dethroned Olympic champion Kim Yu-Na to put Japan on top of the medals table on the final day of the 100th world figure skating championships on Saturday.
Olympic runner-up Asada claimed her second world title after Gothenburg in 2008, as teammate Daisuke Takahashi became the first Asian to win the men's gold earlier in the week.
Asia claimed an unprecedented three of the four titles on offer as, for the first time, Europe failed to take at least one gold.
Asada finished second behind Kim in the free program but it was enough to seal her first victory over her long-time rival since the Grand Prix Final in December 2008.
Overwhelming favorite Kim had struggled in seventh after Friday's short program when she blamed a foot problem for her mistakes. The South Korean needed to match her record-breaking Olympic exploits in the free skate but a fall during her routine left her holding the silver.
As Kim struggled, the feisty Asada, who had placed second in the short program, was determined to seize her chance.
Skating to Rachmaninov's "Bells of Moscow" she gave an error-free performance, opening with a solid triple axel, the difficult 3.5-rotation jump which she is the only woman to land in competition.
She downgraded her second attempted triple axel, but added four more triples to achieve 129.50 points for the free skate and 197.58 overall, to finish 6.80 points ahead of her rival.
"I didn't think I would be sitting here," admitted Asada, who had a poor season before rebounding with a fourth national title and the Olympic silver. "I had to continue to challenge myself and push myself to try the triple Axel. The spirit of challenge has helped me to get where I was today.
"I've done perfectly in both long and short program. I'm satisfied with this competition and it is a relief after the Olympic Games." She added: "I wanted to follow Takahashi's success. I think that Europe is a lucky place for me. Next year the World Championships are in Japan and I think this is a good start to the new season."
Skating in the earlier group, the 19-year-old Kim, known to her fans as 'Queen Yu-Na,' needed something exceptional to defend her title. But she was far from her majestic best and after her fall on the triple salchow she did not attempt the final double axel in her performance to Gershwin's "Concerto in F". She nevertheless scored the best marks in the free skate with 130.49 for 190.78 overall. In Vancouver Kim scored 228.56 overall and 150.06 in the free skate.
"These championships were mentally the most difficult for me," said Kim as she left the ice at the Palavela, struggling to manage a smile. "For the moment I'm just happy to have finished the season. The morning practice didn't go well, I was worried, I couldn't concentrate. I even thought of pulling out."
Kim, who completed her world medal collection after already holding two bronze, refused to be drawn on her future plans amid reports she was planning to retire.
"The Olympics were the biggest goal in my life. After winning the gold medal I thought there was nothing more, but I was happy to come to Turin and I wanted to give my best. It was a mental and physical struggle after the Olympics. There, my condition was at its peak, but I felt I could do one more competition. I'm going to go to Korea to spend time with my family and have fun and I'll decide afterwards," she said."
Laura Lepisto gave Finland their first world medal with bronze, as American Mirai Nagasu, who had led the short programme, struggled with her jumps to finish seventh.
Earlier in the week, China's Pang Qing and Tong Jian claimed their second world title at the expense of two-time defending champions Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy of Germany.
The only title which did not go to Asia was in ice dancing where Canadians Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir added the world crown to their Olympic gold.
AFP
