VICTORIA, B.C. — Shy and wondrous, Yu-Na Kim of Korea, the reigning world junior champion, upstaged a field of veterans to win the women's short program Thursday night at the Skate Canada international Grand Prix event.
Kim had a not-so-secret weapon in her corner, and that was Canadian icon Brian Orser, who worked with Kim for four months last summer in Toronto, helping add speed and expression to her programs.
One of the veterans that Kim uprooted was Canadian champion Joannie Rochette of Ile Dupas, Que., who sank to fifth place after missing her triple Lutz.
Canada's No. 2 woman, Mira Leung of Vancouver, beamed as she sparked a standing ovation for a gritty skate, which landed her in sixth place among 12 women even though she was skating in taped up, battered two-year-old skates.
"I am learning every day,'' said Orser. "What a treat.''
Kim won by more than four points over Fumie Suguri of Japan, the reigning world silver medalist at the senior level. Suguri is nine years older than Kim and is a Grand Prix Final winner.
The skater with the delicate touch on the ice landed a triple flip — triple toe loop combination and a triple Lutz with great height and speed. She also did a beautiful Ina Bauer position into a double Axel.
Orser said Kim arrived in Toronto without her coach, and her mother in tow. Toronto choreographer David Wilson designed her long program and Orser and Tracy Wilson worked with Kim every day. They also arranged her costumes and skates and some massage therapy to prevent injury.
Orser said he made no changes in her technique — she really didn't need it. On Thursday night, she used last year's short program, designed by American Tom Dickson.
Kim will return to Toronto in another three weeks to work with Orser again.
Suguri of Japan was second while Susanna Poykio of Finland was third.
Rochette said she thought she rushed her triple Lutz too much; she had changed her combination to a flip-toe loop, and it was new for her to do a Lutz out of required footwork.
"Overall I was happy with the practices I had here,'' she said. She really wanted to try a new triple-triple combination — the triple flip — triple toe loop, but the landing on the flip wasn't secure enough and she did only a double toe loop afterward.
She's been landing the new combination in practices this week but I was still doubting it. She intends to do the combination this season, because she knows she will need it. The young Japanese woman at Skate America were doing more difficult ones last week.
"The Lutz is unusual,'' she said. "Usually (if making a mistake) I rotate it and fall. I never usually do that pop in the middle kind of thing.''
She said she knew she could do much better and the entire routine was a bit of a battle. "In the footwork, I didn't feel on top of my feet,'' she said. She usually does a clean program to get 55 points, but did it this time with a struggle. She takes encouragement from that.
"I know I can do much better than 55.''
Her routine, to music from Jimi Hendrix and choreographed by Sandra Bezic, is a departure for Rochette and she is still getting accustomed to it. "It's a program where you need to feel everything but like a skater,'' she said. "It's hard because all my life I've been told: 'Chin up,'' and head up straight and nice posture and I'm being told to be more laid back. It's just a matter of being more relaxed,'' she said.
56
