Yu-Na does it again.

I just got back from the gym in time to watch the second half of Yu-Na's show. Thanks to 'Aunt Joyce' for posting a link on their blog to a live feed.

Videos and photos are already popping up everywhere on the web. As expected it was a great success and the crowd went crazy. Yu-Na's hip-hop exhibition to Bulletproof was lots of fun and similar to her 'don't stop the music' piece from last year.

Sasha Cohen broke the mould a bit with her sexy fun performance from cabaret- fishnet stockings and all. Watching Michelle skate was as ever a treat - even though her music choices were a bit poppy and didn't show her off as well as a beautiful classical piece would. Yu-Na and Michelle's duet to hero was a tad cliche, but still special.


My favourite performance was in fact Min-Jung Kwak's performance to 'Don't rain on my Parade' She too has come on leaps and bounds in Brian Orser's camp and is now quite the performer. Great news for Korean skating as Yu-Na likely waves a gradual goodbye to competition.

Click HERE for more photos
Below- click the song titles for video links
Also try visiting to YuNa forum.


ACT 1

All Skaters - Get the Party Started by Pink
John Zimmerman - I’m Gonna Crawl by Led Zeppelin
Minjeong Kwak - Canon in D major by J. Pachelbel
Jamie Sale & David Pelletier - Try by Blue Rodeo
Silvia Fontana - Boom Boom Pow by Black Eyed Peas
Jeremy Abbott - At this Moment by Michael Buble
Tanith Belbin & Ben Agosto - If It Kills Me by Jason Mraz
Brian Joubert - Love Is All by Roger Glover
Sasha Cohen - Hallelujah by Jeff Buckley
Aliona Savchenko & Robin Szolkowy - Barbie Girl by Aqua
Stephane Lambiel - Let the Good Times Roll by Ray Charles
Yu-Na Kim - Meditation for Thais by J. Massenet
Michelle Kwan - Primitive by Annie Lennox
Yu-Na Kim & Michelle Kwan - Hero by Mariah Carey

ACT 2

Haejin Kim - You Raise Me Up by Celtic Woman
Jeremy Abbott - Viejos Aires by Ensemble Nuevo Tango
Silvia Fontana & John Zimmerman - Purple Rain by Prince
Minjeong Kwak - Don’t Rain On My Parade by Glee
Brian Joubert - Aerodynamics by Daft Punk
Tanith Belbin & Ben Agosto - Bleeding Love by Leona Lewis
Sasha Cohen - Mein Herr from Cabaret
Stephane Lambiel - Wilhelm Tell Overture by G. Rossini
Jamie Sale & David Pelletier - Scream by Michael Jackson
Michelle Kwan - No One by Alicia Keys
Aliona Savchenko & Robin Szolkowy - Gee
Yu-Na Kim - Bulletproof by La Roux
Special Guest - singer YounHa.

All That Skate Summer

Yu-Na's ice show is taking place in Korea later today. In an interview David Wilson said Yu-Na had been preparing for this almost like an international competition.

Rehearsals seem to have been going well and I'm sure with the cast of big names and Yu-Na fever still raging in Korea- photos and videos will be swamping the internet instantly.

See more rehearsal pictures here


With Mao having her own show, THE ICE, in Nagoya this weekend - maybe 'international competition' was right!

News Bits

Georgia Bonora is leading the All Around competition at the Australian Gymnastics hampionships. You can read a great article by the Gymnastics Examiner here, or Australian Gymnastics here.
The nationals will help to decide the World and Commonwealth teams.


American Skater Johnny Weir is taking this season off to try and develop his skating and persue his other interests.
(Surprise Surprise!)

You can read a full article from icenetwork as well as a written statement from Johnny.

Johhny tweeted "I am sorry to disappoint you all. I will be back. Don't be sad. I love you so much."

To be fair, Johnny has been focusing more on the celebrity than on the skating recently. But he says he'll be back so we'll watch and wait.

If he and Evan both sit out Nationals this year it will make way for a new wave of talent.

Also, Michelle Kwan and Yu-Na kim are to skate a duet to Maria Carey's song 'Hero' in Yu-Na's show - All That Skate Summer. Yesterday was Michelle's 30th birthday. That these two champions who have done so much for the sport have a mutual appreciation society is great.

A Rare Gem

Browsing through youtube today I found this- Canadian footage of a teeny-tiny Michelle Kwan at the 1995 World Championships in Birmingham.

Michelle was only 14 here - this was before the age rules were made stricter. Whist it's not as difficult as several of the routines we see today- it's great to see a programme with clean, confidently landed jumps.



It's also a demonstration though of how convoluted (and possibly biased) the old judging system was. We complain the current system is hard to understand- But at least you now win gold based on what YOU do rather than what everyone else does!