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Kim Yu-na, Kwan Hold Joint News Conference for Ice Show

Posted September. 09, 2010 11:45,   

한국어

Olympic figure skating champion Kim Yu-na and five-time world champion Michelle Kwan held a joint news conference Tuesday (local time) at Pickwick Ice Center in the Los Angeles suburb of Burbank.

They were promoting their upcoming ice show “All That Skate LA” set for Oct. 2-3 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

Kim and Kwan performed together for around 20 minutes before the news conference and entered the conference room together after changing.

Hordes of reporters were present at the news conference, including those from U.S. networks ABC, CBS and NBC and Chinese and Japanese media, showing the huge popularity Kim and Kwan command. Los Angeles Times reporter Helene Elliott, who became the first woman to be inducted into the Ice Hockey Hall of Fame in 2005, asked the first question.

Kim said, “I’ve achieved all that I’ve wanted to so I’d like to show diverse performances without burden.”

The news conference was deemed unsubstantial, however, since the organizers urged reporters to ask questions on the ice show only. Kim’s public appearance was her first since her bitter break-up with her longtime coach Brian Orser last month.

Kwan held one-on-one interviews with each broadcaster after the news conference under a common U.S. practice of celebrities giving individual interviews after a joint news conference.

Kim, however, left the venue citing a previous engagement. Korean reporters followed her in vain to try to get more information.

The Korean will be the star of the upcoming ice show. Her picture and profile come first on promotional cards for the event.

The ice show is the first overseas PR event hosted by All That Sports, Kim’s management agency established by her mother Park Mi-hee. It will be broadcast live by SBS in Korea and NBC will air it a week later.

Kim’s archrival Mao Asada of Japan also announced Nobuo Sato as her new coach Wednesday. She had parted ways with Russian coach Tatiana Tarasova after the world championships in March.



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