Olympic gold medalist Kim Yuna announced today that she has asked former U.S. pairs skater and Olympic bronze medalist Peter Oppegard to guide her in this next chapter of her skating careeer. She will train with her new coach at the East West Ice Palace in Artesia, Calif., where he is based.
Since September, Kim has been skating coach-less at the rink in preparation for the “All That Skate LA” ice show that premiered at the Staples Center last weekend. During that time, she apparently watched Oppegard interacting with other skaters and liked what she saw.
“I thought he had a very calm, collected manner that I felt would match my style very well,” Kim said during a press conference at the rink this afternoon. Her remarks were translated from Korean. “So I was very happy he agreed to coach me. He has a very unique style of leading his students, so I’m very happy.”
Oppegard and his partner Jill Watson won an Olympic bronze medal in Calgary, Canada, in 1988. The pairs skaters are three-time U.S. national champions and were inducted into the U.S. Hall of Fame in 2004. Oppegard has won several coaching awards, including the Developmental Coach of the Year and Choreographer of the Year honors from the Professional Skaters Association. He replaces Brian Orser, with whom Kim severed ties after some tension between the skater and coach following the Olympics.
Oppegard admitted that he initially had reservations about coaching Kim, currently ranked the No. 1 women’s figure skater in the world, because she had already achieved so much success, including Olympic gold and breaking the world record 11 times in her sport. But, he said, that she convinced him that she still has more work to do.
“With all her successes she’s had, and there have been many, she’s still interested in furthering her skating and all aspects of skating, which I thought was an admirable quality,” said Oppegard, also present at the press conference. He said the two will work on her jumping, spinning, footwork, edge quality, as well as her overall fluidity of style, which he called “renowned.”
Kim and Oppegard said they have not yet decided what competitions she may enter in the near future. Kim apparently asked Oppegard to coach her just days before the L.A. ice show. He, incidentally, is married to Karen Kwan, the sister of celebrated U.S. skater Michelle Kwan, whom Kim has idolized since childhood. Karen Kwan teaches skating at the East West Ice Palace, which is owned by her sister.
