Kim Ye-lim qualifies for ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating in Turin next month

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Kim Ye-lim qualifies for ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating in Turin next month

Published: 28 Nov. 2022, 18:04

Kim Ye-lim lands a jump during the women's singles free skating program at the Finlandia Trophy Espoo international figure skating competition in Espoo, Finland on Oct. 9. [AP/YONHAP]

Kim Ye-lim will be the only figure skater representing Korea at the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating in Turin next month.

With the last senior Grand Prix of the season in the books, the ISU announced the season rankings with only the top six qualifying. Kim stands at No. 4 after the best season of her career.

On Nov. 19, Kim won the women's singles gold medal at the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating NHK Trophy to become only the second Korean ever to win a women's singles Grand Prix event, after Olympic champion Kim Yuna.

Kim Ye-lim held off reigning world champion Kaori Sakamoto of Japan by a total of 2.62 points to win the top prize. She had led Sakamoto by over four points after Friday’s short program, scoring 72.22 points, then added 132.27 points in the free skate on Saturday to win gold. Despite Sakamoto scoring higher in the free skate with 133.8 points, it was not enough to overtake the leader.

The fact Kim was able to improve on her second place finish at the Grand Prix de France, which was two weeks before the NHK Trophy, is a very positive sign.

On Nov. 5, Kim won her first-ever medal on the Grand Prix circuit in Angers, western France and said at the time that she wanted to improve on things that she felt were lacking and to compete without regrets at the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating NHK Trophy.

Kim will advance to the finals of next month’s ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating in Turin, becoming the first Korean female figure skater to do so since Kim Yuna.

The Grand Prix finals is the second most important competition in a season after the World Championships as it is a culmination of the Grand Prix series. Skaters earn points for their placements and only the top six from each discipline — women’s singles, men’s singles, pairs and ice dancing — qualify for the finals.

Kim Yuna was the first Korean to win at the Grand Prix finals, taking home three gold medals in the 2006-07, 2007-08 and 2009-10 seasons and silver in the 2008-09 season.

Cha Jun-hwan was the second Korean to medal in the 2018-19 season, when he won bronze following Nathan Chen of the United States and Shoma Uno of Japan.

BY YUN SO-HYANG [yun.sohyang@joongang.co.kr]