韩国冰上公主 金妍儿冬奥夺冠

Women's figure skating is the main event tonight. And by all accounts, the leading contender is someone you may not yet have heard of, although she is one of the most successful and sought-after athletes in the world. Here with the proper introductions tonight our own Ian Williams

Figure skater or rock star? With Kim Yu-Na it can be hard to tell.

"I think a celebrity would be in absolute understatement."

She's world champion and queen of ice in her native Korea, adored by advertisers and her fans alike with whom she has a magnetic bond.

"When I act, I always try exaggerate there, or to make my facial expressions bigger. Every time I skate, I try to look at the audience and they're smiling at me and they enjoy the program and that helps."

Yu-Na was just seven when she took to the ice. Now 19, she has soared to the top, with her elegant artistry and the command of high complicated jumps that few others can match. During praise from an early Olympic medalist, American, Michelle Kwan.

"She's got the jumps. She's got the triple-triple. She's got the spins. She's got the look. She's got the whole package."

For almost 40 years, the US dominated figure skating. But now Asian skaters particularly from Japan and now Korea have the edge, their smaller frames enabling them to spin faster and jump higher.

"Here in Japan, the international success of their skaters has inspired an explosive interest in the sport. It seems that every youngster wants to step on the ice."

Watched by their skating moms.

The devotion of Yu-Na's mother is legend here, always at her daughter's side, even at the Toronto rink where Yu-Na trained for the Olympics. The constant scrutiny seems not to face her.

Her coach, two-time Olympic silver medalist from Canada Brian Orser, knows well the pressure she feels to deliver her country's first gold medal in figure skating.

"She takes on this role as their national treasure. She feels that when she has a performance that's not so great and she feels an obligation to them. And that's a lot of way for her to carry it."

Skater and coach teamed up in a recent commercial featuring Yu-Na as a Bond girl, a role she'll play in her short program in Vancouva. She told me she just wants to do her best.

"I'm kind of getting nervous and very excited at the same time."

Queen Yu-Na has taken the skating world by storm, now the time has come to conquer the Olympic judges.

生词汇总：

figure skating: 花样滑冰

by all accounts: 大家一致认为，根据各方面所说，据说

sought-after: in great demand, usually because it is rare or of very good quality. 受欢迎的,很吃香的

magnetic: that people find very powerful and attractive 富有吸引力的；有魅力的

artistry: the skill of an artist 艺术技巧（这个词也是化妆品雅姿的英文名）

edge: something that gives you an advantage over others 优势

rink: a place or building where you can skate 旱冰场；旱冰馆