김연아 선수 우승관련 미국 스포츠전문지 보도내용

김연아 선수의 피겨세계선수권대회 신기록우승에 대해 월요일자 거의 모든 신문들은 1면에 사진과 함께 크게 보도하고 있다. 새로운 한 주일을 시작하는 월요일아침, 시민들은 신문판매대의 보도기사를 바라보기만 해도 얼굴이 활짝 펴진다.

미국의 스포츠 일루스트레이트(http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/)는 미식축구(NFL), 대학축구(College Football), 메이저리그야구(MLB), 대학농구(College Basketball), 골프(Golf), 하키(Hockey), 자동차경주(Racing), 축구(Soccer), 복싱(MMA & Boxing), 테니스(Tennis) 등을 카테고리로 정해 놓고 심층 보도하는 스포츠전문인터넷 사이트이다.

기타스포츠(More Sports)에 들어가면 경마(Horse Racing), 크리켓(Cricket), 트랙경기(Track & Field), 피겨스케이팅(Figure Skating)이 들어 있다. 피겨스케이팅을 클릭하면 김연아의 우승관련 기사가 가장 최근뉴스이다. 이의 주요내용을 한번 보자.

그 제목부터가 예사롭지 않다. <Queen Yu-na, indeed! Kim wins first world title> (여왕 김연아, 첫 세계타이틀을 거머쥐다). 김연아의 영문표기를 "Yu-na Kim" 이라고 한다는 사실도 확인했다. 또 우리가 애칭으로 불러주던 "피겨 여왕"이라는 칭호를 외국언론에서 그대로 사용한 것이 더욱 놀랍다.  

두 차례나 올림픽 은메달리스트인 그녀의 코치(Brian Orser)는 "세계는 큰 감동과 충격에 휩싸였으며, 전 한국인은 고무되어 있을 것임에 틀림이 없다"고 말했다.
("I'm sure the whole globe shook," said Kim's coach, two-time Olympic silver medalist Brian Orser. "The whole country of Korea must be elated.'')

김연아는 세계신기록을 수립했다. 그녀가 얻은 207.1점은 현재의 평가시스템을 확립한 이후의 최고 점수이며, 종전기록을 8점이나 경신한 쾌거이다. 그녀의 점수는 Joannie Rochette보다 16점이 높았으며, 주요 경쟁자였던 아사다 마오(Mao Asada)보다는 20점이 앞섰다. 마오는 4위로 추락했다. 
(Kim won in record fashion, too. Her 207.71 points were the highest scored under figure skating's current judging system, shattering the old mark by eight. She was more than 16 points ahead of Joannie Rochette. Main rival Mao Asada was almost 20 points behind, falling to fourth.)

그녀가 점수를 확인했을 당시 눈을 감은 채 머리를 흔들었다. 그리고는 벌떡 일어나 환호성을 지르며 열광하는 관중들에게 손을 흔들었다. 그녀는 한국 국가가 연주되는 동안 눈물을 흘렸다.  
(When she saw the scores, Kim closed her eyes and shook her head. She then stood up, beaming, and waved to the cheering crowd. She cried as the South Korean anthem played.)

"이번은 나의 세 번 째 세계선수권대회 참가다. 지난 두 번의 대회에서는 플레이를 잘 하지 못해 매우 유감이었다." 그녀는 지난 2007년과 2008년 대회에서 동메달을 차지하였다. "오늘 밤 비록 약간의 실수는 있었지만 잘 할 수 있었다. 이제부터는 올림픽을 향해 연습할 계획이다."      
"This is my third world championships, and the last two I was really regretful I was not able to do well,'' said Kim, who won bronze medals in 2007 and 2008. "Even with a little mistake tonight, I was able to do well. Now, I plan to practice for the Olympics.''

김연아와 아사다의 경쟁관계는 최근 스케이팅에서 일어나는 핫 이슈이며, 둘 다 고국에서 슈퍼스타로 발돋움했다. 그들은 주니어시절부터 경쟁을 했으며, 메이저타이틀도 차례로 획득했다. 아사다는 지난해 세계타이틀과 금년 그랜드 프릭스 파이널대회에 우승했으며, 김연아는 4개국대회의 승리와 이번의 쾌거로 화답했다.      
(Kim and Asada's rivalry is the best thing going in skating these days, and has made both of them superstars in their own countries. They've been at it since juniors, trading one major title after another. Asada won the world title last year and the Grand Prix final this season. Kim responded with a victory at Four Continents, setting up a showdown here.)

 

위와 같은 내용은 이미 우리 언론의 보도를 통해 알고 있는 사실이지만 외신을 통해 직접 보니 느낌이 새롭다. 글쓴이는 김연아가 우승하는 역사적인 순간을 직접 보지 못했다. 이날 아침 일찍 안내산악회를 따라 등산을 갔기 때문이었다. 등산버스가 고속도로를 이동할 때 운전기사에게 TV를 켜라고 부탁했지만 위성방송을 제대로 잡을 수 없어 무용지물이라고 하였다. 낮 1시쯤 경남 사천 소재 와룡산 능선에서 김연아가 세계 신기록으로 우승했다는 소식을 듣고는 쾌재를 불렀다.

☞ 이외에도 위 기사에는 많은 내용이 있지만 영어실력이 짧아 전문번역은 생략한다. 관심이 있는 독자들을 위해 기사의 전문을 아래에 전재한다.  

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Queen Yu-na, indeed! Kim wins first world title

 
LOS ANGELES (AP) -Queen Yu-na, indeed!

Kim Yu-na won the title at the World Figure Skating Championships on Saturday night, setting off celebrations from Southern California to South Korea. Already treated like royalty at home - her nickname is Queen Yu-na and she wears tiny, sparkling crowns in her ears - her popularity is sure to grow now that she's given South Korea its first world title.

"I'm sure the whole globe shook,'' said Kim's coach, two-time Olympic silver medalist Brian Orser. "The whole country of Korea must be elated.''

Kim won in record fashion, too. Her 207.71 points were the highest scored under figure skating's current judging system, shattering the old mark by eight. She was more than 16 points ahead of Joannie Rochette. Main rival Mao Asada was almost 20 points behind, falling to fourth.

How big a rout is that? Think one of those nonconference football games the big names play, and you get the idea.

When she saw the scores, Kim closed her eyes and shook her head. She then stood up, beaming, and waved to the cheering crowd. She cried as the South Korean anthem played.

"Always when I heard the anthem (before), I got teary and it got to the verge of crying. But I always kept it in,'' she said. "Today because it was a dream come true, I couldn't hold it in.''

Rochette won the silver, Canada's first medal at the world championships since Liz Manley also won silver in 1988. Miki Ando, the 2007 world champion from Japan, was third.

Asada tumbled off the medals podium a year after winning the title. She'll have to console herself with trying two triple axels, a first by a woman at worlds. She fell on the second one.

"I was thinking about being a champion again, but instead of thinking about that, I needed to have concentrated on completing my elements,'' said Asada, who had clearly been crying.

Rachael Flatt finished fifth and Alissa Czisny was 11th, meaning the United States can send only two women to the Vancouver Olympics. It's only the second time since 1924 the Americans have failed to earn the maximum three spots. The other was in 1994.

Kim and Asada's rivalry is the best thing going in skating these days, and has made both of them superstars in their own countries. They've been at it since juniors, trading one major title after another. Asada won the world title last year and the Grand Prix final this season. Kim responded with a victory at Four Continents, setting up a showdown here.

But Kim was in a class by herself.

"I like it when the competing skaters do really well. I think she steps up to that,'' Orser said. "I know next year Mao has to be in top shape, but it is nice to win whenever you win. You take it any time.''

Kim skates with ease and lightness, seeming almost to fly across the ice, but has incredible power and strength. While other skaters slow down as they approach their jumps, trying to steady themselves, she goes full speed ahead. Yet she lands as if she's touching down on a pillow. She did five triple jumps, three in combination, including a triple flip-triple toe loop combination to open the program.

There is so much more to her, though. Her edge quality is so high, she carves the ice like a calligrapher. All of her jumps were landed to crescendos in the music, making the music as much a part of her program as any other element. Her footwork was exquisite, and she skated with the elegance of a queen throughout her "Sheherazade'' program.

Almost as entertaining was Orser. Standing by the boards, he did every element with her. His only flaw was a single leap at the end of the program, not nearly as difficult as the triple jump he did Friday after her short program.

"I'm kind of drained. She skated so well and I skated it with her. I know the moment she is experiencing,'' said Orser, the 1987 world champion.

The audience was on its feet for the last 15 seconds of her program, knowing it had seen something truly special for a second straight night. Her only flaws were popping a triple salchow and not getting credit for her final spin because it didn't meet the criteria. But those were forgotten by the time her magical performance was over.

"This is my third world championships, and the last two I was really regretful I was not able to do well,'' said Kim, who won bronze medals in 2007 and 2008. "Even with a little mistake tonight, I was able to do well. Now, I plan to practice for the Olympics.''

Asada was more than 10 points behind her rival heading into the free skate, and needed to pull out every trick she had to have any hope of catching Kim. She sure tried, attempting two triple axels in the most technically demanding program any woman has ever done at worlds. It would put some of the men to shame, too.

Triple axels are so difficult few women even practice it, let alone put them in their programs. Asada's first was perfect, landed with ease and confidence right in front of the judges as part of a triple axel-double toe combination. She didn't get all the way around on the second axel, though, and tumbled to the ice, drawing a groan of disappointment from the crowd.

That, and the fact she didn't have much besides her jumps and spins, cost her not only a title, but a medal.

"I think she is a very good rival for me, and she motivates me,'' Asada said.

The Americans failed to medal, too, for a third straight year. That hasn't happened since 1962-64 - and that drought came after a plane crash wiped out the entire U.S. team on its way to the 1961 world championships.

Worse, Czisny and Flatt's combined placement of 16 means the Americans will send only two women to Vancouver.

Czisny's dismal 14th-place finish in the short program Friday all but doomed the United States. She managed to stay upright Saturday, but her program didn't have any spark or emotion, the only color coming from her eggplant and green dress. It wasn't until her last two elements, a combination spin and a layback spin, that she showed any kind of life.

"I came here and tried to do my best,'' Czisny said. "The outcome is not in my hands and there is nothing I can do about that.''

Except skate better. Her 11th-place finish was the worst by a U.S. champion at worlds since World War II.

Flatt made two major mistakes, not getting all the way around on the second jump in a triple flip-double toe combination and turning it into more like a 1 1/2. She also landed it on two feet. And she didn't get any credit for her final spins. But fifth place at her first world championships is an impressive debut.