Kim Yu-na heading to Harvard

Figure skater Kim Yu-na will go to Harvard in October to take part in a charity ice show. Kim, the reigning Olympic champion, will perform at “An Evening with Champions,” an annual charity show organized by the school, Kim’s agency, All That Sports, announced yesterday.

The 41st edition of the event will take place on Oct. 15 and 16 at Harvard’s Bright Hockey Center, with the aim of benefiting the Jimmy Fund of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, according to the official Web site.

“It’s an honor to be invited to such a meaningful event,” Kim said in a statement. “It feels great to know that my skating can help cancer patients. I am nervous to be performing overseas, and I hope many fans will come out for a good cause and to enjoy some beautiful figure skating.”

Kim has done shows in Los Angeles but this will be her first appearance on the U.S. east coast. The agency said Kim will also attend a ceremony on Oct. 14 celebrating Harvard’s 375th anniversary.

On the ice, Kim will be joined by Rachel Flatt, the 2010 U.S. ladies singles champion, and brother and sister Maia and Alex Shibutani, who won the ice dancing bronze medal at this year’s World Championships. Paul Wylie, a silver medalist at the 1992 Olympics and also a Harvard alumni, will host the event.

Kim has had a busy year working outside her usual sphere. She helped the Korean alpine city of Pyeongchang secure the right to host the 2018 Winter Olympics on Korea’s third attempt, culminating in her heartfelt appeal in Durban, South Africa, last month.

The taxing schedule left her drained and Kim reportedly fell sick on the flight back to Korea complaining of exhaustion.

She is now mulling whether to compete at next year’s World Championships after earlier deciding to skip the upcoming ISU Grand Prix series.

Yonhap

한글 관련 기사 [연합뉴스]

'피겨여왕' 김연아 하버드대 자선 아이스쇼 참가

'피겨 여왕' 김연아(21ㆍ고려대)가 오는 10월에 열리는 미국 하버드대학교의 자선 아이스쇼에 참가한다.

미 보스턴의 자선 모금기관인 지미펀드는 17일(현지시각) 인터넷 사이트(www.aneveningwithchampions.org)를 통해 10월 15일과 16일 하버드대 브라이트 하키 센터에서 열리는 제41회 '이브닝 위드 챔피언스(An Evening with Champions)' 자선쇼에 김연아가 참가한다고 밝혔다.

지미펀드는 김연아가 이번 자선쇼에서 미국 동부에서는 처음으로 공연을 펼치게 된다고 덧붙였다.

이브닝 위드 챔피언스는 하버드대와 지미펀드가 암 환자의 치료에 필요한 기금 마련을 위해 진행하는 연례행사다.

공연에는 김연아를 비롯해 2010 전미선수권대회 여자 싱글 챔피언 레이첼 플랫, 2011 전미선수권 남자 싱글 동메달리스트 로스 마이너, 2011 세계선수권 아이스댄싱 동메달리스트 마이아 시부타니-알렉스 시부타니 등 10여명의 선수들이 참가한다.