Kim Yu-seong (Korean김유성; born 12 June 2009) is a South Korean figure skater. She is a two-time ISU Junior Grand Prix silver medalist, the 2023 South Korean junior national champion, and the 2022 Denis Ten Memorial junior silver medalist.

Kim Yu-seong
Native name김유성
Other namesYuseong Kim
Born (2009-06-12) 12 June 2009 (age 15)
Seoul, South Korea
HometownAnyang
Height1.55 m (5 ft 1 in)
Figure skating career
Country South Korea
CoachChoi Hyung-kyung
Skating clubC&K Team
Began skating2019

Personal life

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Kim was born on 12 June 2009, in Seoul. Her identical twin sister, Yu-jae, who is two minutes older than her, is also a competitive figure skater.[1][2]

Career

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Early years

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Kim's mother, Ga-young, first enrolled her and her sister into figure skating when they were eight years old as a means of improving their health and growth.[2] Due to the lack of skating rinks where they lived, the family moved to Gwacheon in 2019, where both sisters began training under Choi Hyung-kyung.[2]

2022–23 season

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Making her international debut, Kim won the silver medal at the 2022 Denis Ten Memorial Challenge on the junior level behind Inga Gurgenidze of Georgia.[3]

She then went on to win gold at the 2023 South Korean Junior Championships by over twenty-five points.[3]

2023–24 season

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In late July, Kim competed at the 2023 South Korean ISU Junior Grand Prix Qualifiers, finishing fourth. Her performances earned her two assignments on the Junior Grand Prix circuit.[4] Debuting on the Junior Grand Prix, Kim won the silver medal at the 2023 JGP Thailand, 0.73 points behind gold medalist Ami Nakai. At the event, Kim successfully landed a clean triple Axel jump in her free skate.[5][4] In late September, it was announced that Kim and her sister made a coaching change from Choi Hyung-kyung to Chi Hyun-jung and Kim Jin-seo.[6][7][8][9] She would go on to win a second silver medal at the 2023 JGP Hungary, despite missing her triple Axel attempt.[10]

Following the Junior Grand Prix, Kim won the silver medal at the national qualifier for the 2024 Winter Youth Olympics, to be held on home ice in Gangwon. She and reigning national champion Shin Ji-a were assigned to South Korea's two berths.[11] Kim also went on to compete at the senior national ranking competition, where she finished fourth overall.[12]

Kim's Junior Grand Prix results qualified her to the 2023–24 Junior Grand Prix Final, where she came fifth in the short program after receiving an incorrect edge call on her triple Lutz. In the free skate, she landed the triple Axel and her other triple jumps, but for another Lutz edge call. Fourth in that segment, she rose to fourth overall, 5.98 points back of bronze medalist Rena Uezono. Kim said she was "super happy" with the result.[13] At the 2024 South Korean Championships, Kim finished fourth. With this result, both Kim and her sister, who finished fifth at the event, were selected to represent South Korea at the 2024 World Junior Championships.[3][14]

Going on to compete in the women's event at the Winter Youth Olympics, Kim finished in fourth-place.[3] She and her sister Yu-jae were among the South Korean team for the 2024 World Junior Championships in Taipei, finishing fifteenth and sixteenth, respectively.[15]

2024–25 season

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Kim began the season by finishing second at the 2024 South Korean ISU Junior Grand Prix Qualifiers in late July and was given two Junior Grand Prix assignments as a result of her placement.[16]

In August 2024, it was announced that Kim and her sister had left coaches, Chi Hyun-jung and Kim Jin-seo to return to their longtime coach, Choi Hyung-kyung.[17]

Competing on the 2024–25 ISU Junior Grand Prix circuit, Kim captured the gold medal at 2024 JGP Turkey, scoring personal bests in all competition segments. She said she was "very happy" to have won her first gold medal.[18][16] She followed up this result with a silver medal win at 2024 JGP China. With these results, Kim qualified for the 2024–25 Junior Grand Prix Final, the only South Korean junior woman to do so.[19]

Programs

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Season Short program Free skating Exhibition
2024–2025
[17]
2023–2024
[6][20]
2022–2023
[21]

Competitive highlights

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International: Junior[3]
Event 22–23 23–24 24–25
Youth Olympics 4th
Junior Worlds 15th
JGP Final 4th TBD
JGP China 2nd
JGP Hungary 2nd
JGP Thailand 2nd
JGP Turkey 1st
Denis Ten Memorial 2nd
National
South Korea 1st J 4th

Detailed results

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ISU personal best scores in the +5/-5 GOE System [16]
Segment Type Score Event
Total TSS 198.63 2024 JGP Turkey
Short program TSS 64.72 2024 JGP Turkey
TES 36.56 2024 Winter Youth Olympics
PCS 28.59 2024 JGP Turkey
Free skating TSS 133.91 2024 JGP Turkey
TES 75.74 2024 JGP Turkey
PCS 58.17 2024 JGP Turkey

Junior results

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Current personal best scores are highlighted in bold.

2024–25 season
Date Event Level SP FS Total
9–12 October 2024 2024 JGP China Junior 3
64.20
4
128.03
2
189.92
18–21 September 2024 2024 JGP Turkey Junior 2
64.72
1
133.91
1
198.63
2023–24 season
Date Event Level SP FS Total
26 February – 3 March 2024 2024 World Junior Championships Junior 9
59.58
15
111.22
15
170.80
28–30 January 2024 2024 Winter Youth Olympics Junior 4
63.64
4
115.97
4
181.53
4–7 January 2024 2024 South Korean Championships Senior 7
64.93
4
135.80
4
200.73
7–10 December 2023 2023–24 JGP Final Junior 5
62.71
4
127.77
4
190.48
20–23 September 2023 2023 JGP Hungary Junior 6
60.03
3
116.95
2
176.98
23–26 August 2023 2023 JGP Thailand Junior 2
63.04
1
126.88
2
189.92
2022–23 season
Date Event Level SP FS Total
5–8 January 2023 2023 South Korean Junior Championships Junior 1
59.35
1
117.72
1
177.07
26–29 October 2022 2022 Denis Ten Memorial Challenge Junior 2
58.26
2
95.64
2
153.90

References

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  1. ^ a b Kim, Jeong-hoon (23 September 2022). ""트리플 악셀 점프 겁먹은 적 없어" "6분 차이 언니와 올림픽 출전 꿈"" ["I've never been afraid of jumping a triple Axel" "My dream is to compete at the Olympics with my sister"]. The Dong-a Ilbo (in Korean). Retrieved 26 September 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d 김, 동윤. "'韓 피겨 최연소 메달' 김유재 "연아 언니가 제 이름만 알아줘도..." [신년기획]". 스타뉴스. 스타뉴스. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "Competition Results: Yuseong KIM". International Skating Union.
  4. ^ a b c Cho, Young-joon. "[Figure Junior GP] 'Triple Axel Twin Sisters' Appearance... Korean junior figure 'both wings' attached". Spot News. Spot News. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  5. ^ a b "Exciting start into the ISU Junior Grand Prix season in Bangkok (THA)". International Skating Union. 28 August 2023. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  6. ^ a b c "Yuseong KIM: 2023/2024 (1st Coach)". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 26 September 2023.
  7. ^ a b "Yuseong KIM: 2023/2024 (2nd Coach)". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 28 September 2023.
  8. ^ a b "Yujae KIM: 2023/2024". International Skating Union.
  9. ^ a b "Yujae KIM: 2023/2024". International Skating Union.
  10. ^ a b "Six Skaters celebrate their spots for ISU Junior Grand Prix Final after competing in Budapest (HUN)". International Skating Union. 25 September 2023. Retrieved 26 September 2023.
  11. ^ a b Park, Ji-min (15 October 2023). "2024 강원 동계청소년올림픽대회 선발전 – 여자 주니어 우승 신지아, 준우승 김유성" [2024 Gangwon Winter Youth Olympic Games Selection Match – Women's Junior Winner Shin Ji-a, Runner-up Kim Yu-seong]. mfocus.kr (in Korean). Retrieved 18 October 2023.
  12. ^ a b "Ranking Competition - Senior Women Results". Twitter. Twitter. Retrieved 14 January 2024.
  13. ^ a b Slater, Paula (8 December 2023). "Shimada defends Junior Grand Prix Final title". Golden Skate. Retrieved 10 December 2023.
  14. ^ a b "ISU World Junior Championships 2024 - Junior Women Entries". International Skating Union. International Skating Union. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
  15. ^ a b Slater, Paula (1 March 2024). "Mao Shimada defends Junior World title". Golden Skate. Retrieved 10 March 2024.
  16. ^ a b c d "Yuseong KIM". Skating Scores. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
  17. ^ a b c "Yuseong KIM: 2024/2025". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 22 August 2024.
  18. ^ a b "Exciting moments at the ISU Junior Grand Prix in Ankara". International Skating Union. 23 September 2024. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
  19. ^ a b "Skaters grab six last tickets for the Junior Final at ISU Junior Grand Prix Wuxi (CHN)". International Skating Union. 15 October 2024. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
  20. ^ a b 박, 지민. "[인터뷰] 꿈을 그리는 쌍둥이 별, 피겨 요정 김유재-김유성 자매". Focus. Focus. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
  21. ^ a b "Yuseong KIM: 2022/2023". International Skating Union. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
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