Kim Yerim, First Grand Prix Gold Medal and Final Qualification Since Kim Yuna

First Grand Prix Victory in 13 Years Since Kim Yuna
Competing Against 6 Others Next Month at Torino Champions Final

Kim Ye-rim (Dankook University) is performing in the women's singles short program at the 5th event of the 2022-2023 ISU Figure Skating Senior Grand Prix NHK Trophy held in Sapporo, Japan on the 18th. / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Noh Kyung-jo] 'Figure General' Kim Ye-rim (19, Dankook University) became the first Korean female skater since Kim Yuna (retired) to win a senior Grand Prix gold medal and secure a spot in the Grand Prix Final, the championship of champions.

On the 19th, at the 2022-2023 International Skating Union (ISU) Senior Grand Prix 5th event NHK Trophy Free Skating held at Makomanai Ice Arena in Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan, Kim Ye-rim received a Technical Element Score (TES) of 66.90, Program Component Score (PCS) of 66.37, a deduction of 1 point, totaling 132.27 points. Combined with her Short Program score (72.22 points), her total score was 204.49 points, earning her the gold medal.

Having won the silver medal at the 3rd event, Kim Ye-rim secured 28 Grand Prix points, guaranteeing her participation in the Final regardless of the results of the remaining two Grand Prix events.

The Grand Prix Final is the championship where the top six skaters with the best results from the Grand Prix series this season compete. Qualification is determined by the combined results of two Grand Prix events.

This is the first time in 13 years since November 2009 that a Korean skater has won a senior Grand Prix gold medal, following Kim Yuna. It is also the first time since the 2009-2010 season that a Korean female singles skater has competed in the Grand Prix Final (Kim Yuna won gold then). Among male singles skaters, Cha Jun-hwan advanced to the Final in the 2018-2019 season, winning bronze.

On this day, Kim Ye-rim successfully landed the triple Lutz-triple toe loop combination jump, and cleanly executed the double Axel and triple loop jumps consecutively. However, she wobbled on the landing of her fourth jump, the triple flip, and made a mistake by touching the ice with her hand. In the latter part, she was supposed to perform a triple flip-double Axel sequence jump but fell and was unable to complete the double Axel.

Nevertheless, she calmly continued her performance, minimizing deductions. She cleanly executed the triple Lutz-double toe loop-double loop combination jump, then added a double Axel to her final triple Salchow jump. She beautifully finished the program with a flying camel spin (Level 4), step sequence (Level 3), choreographic sequence (Level 1), and flying change foot combination spin (Level 3).

The Grand Prix Final will be held from the 8th of next month in Turin, Italy.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.