Researching Yuna Kim

Kim is the first South Korean figure skater to win a medal at an ISU Junior Grand Prix or ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating event, the ISU Figure Skating Championships, and the Olympic Games. She is the first female skater ever to win every major international competition, namely, the Olympic Games, the World Championships, the Four Continents Championships, and the Grand Prix Final. She is also the first figure skater ever to complete a Career Super Grand Slam by also winning the Junior Grand Prix Final and the Junior World Championships. She is one of the most highly recognized athletes and media figures in South Korea. As a result of her numerous accomplishments and popularity, she is frequently referred to as Queen Yuna by various media across the world.

She is the former record holder for ladies in the short program, free skate and combined total under the ISU Judging System. She has broken world record scores 11 times under the ISU Judging System since 2007, eight of which being records she herself set. She is also the first female skater to surpass the 140-point and 150-point free skating mark and the 200-point, 210-point and 220-point total mark under the ISU Judging System. Throughout her entire career, Kim never finished a competition off the podium. Due to her strong artistry, musicality, skating skills, mental strength, solid and consistent competitive record, she is regarded as one of the greatest figure skaters of all time. She is also noted for her great rivalry with three-time World champion Mao Asada from Japan.

Kim was the highest paid athlete in the XXI Olympic Winter Games, the 5th, 7th, 6th and 4th top-earning sportswoman in the world in 2010, 2012, 2013 and 2014 respectively according to Forbes. The business magazine has also listed her in their 30 under 30 and Philanthropy lists. She was included in Time magazine's annual Time 100 of World's Most Influential People in 2010. Kim was the first to top Forbes Korea Power Celebrity and was ranked in the Top 10 from 2009 to 2015 and in 2018. Kim lit the Olympic cauldron at the opening ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.