Pressure is no problem for Yu-na Kim

VANCOUVER — In a black, bejeweled dress and her hair pulled back into a neat bun, South Korea’s Yu-na Kim skated on Tuesday as if she knew she would win the short program at these Olympics.

It did not matter that she came into this event with more pressure than anyone, as the reigning world champion and the dominant skater of the past two seasons. It was not a problem that her longtime rival, Japan’s Mao Asada, had performed brilliantly just before her, garnering a ton of points and roars from the crowd.

Kim, the most famous celebrity in South Korea, remained unfazed.

She glided onto the ice, letting a sly smile peek through as her music, a medley from James Bond films, began. Then, in the snap of a finger, she turned into a Bond girl — and turned on the magic.

Kim, who has lost just once since finishing third at the 2008 worlds, was the perfect combination of artistic and athletic. She skated with such ease that nary a sound was heard as she moved across the ice.

As her costume glistened under the lights, she sailed high into the air during each jump, especially her spectacular triple lutz-triple toe loop that seemed to keep her in the air for an hour. For her effort, judges gave her a world-record 78.50 points.

"I have been waiting for this for a really long time," Kim said, adding that Asada had "skated perfectly."

Asada could only sit back and watch Kim perform. Going into Thursday’s long program, Asada is in second place, 4.72 points behind Kim. She scored 73.78 points.

In third was the Canadian Joannie Rochette, the 2009 silver medalist at the world championship.

Rachael Flatt, the reigning United States national champion, was fifth, with 64.64 points. Mirai Nagasu, the 2008 national champion, was sixth, with 63.76.

The night began with all eyes on Kim and Asada, two 19-year-olds who have been competing against each other since they were juniors.

Despite feeling shaky, Asada hit her trademark jump, a triple axel, which is a move even some male skaters have trouble with. Skating to a waltz, she loosened up as the time went on, finishing with a smile on her face.

Once she was finished, she jumped up and down a few times, like a giddy schoolgirl.

"I am very relieved," Asada, the 2008 world champion, said. "This is the best short program I have skated this year. I am really happy with it. I tried to stay calm."

The most emotional moment of the evening, however, did not belong to the top two skaters. It was Rochette’s, and Rochette’s alone.

Two days after her mother, Therese, died of a heart attack here, Rochette, a six-time Canadian national champion, managed to keep her focus and skate well enough to put herself in contention for a medal.

She gave her coach, Manon Perron, a double hand slap and took a few deep breaths before heading to midice. As soon as the tango music started, the crowd began clapping along as she hit her jumps. In her black dress accented with glistening roses, she remained stoic until the end.

Afterward, though, she doubled over and held her head in her hands. Skating away, she put her left hand over her heart as the tears flowed. While waiting for her scores, she looked into the television cameras and said the word "mother," in French, again and again.

"It was hard to handle, but I appreciate the support," she said later, of the crowd’s applause. "I will remember this forever."

The American skaters, Flatt and Nagasu, also received a rousing cheer from the crowd when they skated. Both came in under pressure to win a medal of any color for the United States. It remains a daunting task.

The American women have not made the podium at the past three world championships. If they fail to win a medal here, it will be the first time since 1964 that they go home empty-handed.

Nagasu, 16, had a few obstacles come her way.

In a risky move that would garner many points, she said she was going to try a triple lutz-triple toe loop combination. She ended up doubling the second jump, though, because the landing of the lutz was "a little funky," she said.

Then, halfway through her program, came a problem she did not expect. She got a bloody nose.

"Even though I felt the blood come down my nose, I said, ‘Don’t stop, keep going,’ " she said, blaming the dry air for her malady. "I still did the best I could."

In the end, she tried to stay positive. "I’m happy that in my first Olympics I didn’t fall yet," she said.

Flatt, skating to "Sing Sing Sing," did what she did best: land her jumps. This time, though, she was more playful than usual, flashing cute facial expressions as the music played. In a hot pink dress accented with rhinestones, she danced atop the ice, smiling all the while.

And when it was over, Flatt, a 17-year-old high school junior, appeared to giggle.

"I came in as the underdog and I was just having a great time," she said. "I’m savoring the moment. I had the time of my life."