Kim Yu-Na

It took me less than three minutes to realize that Kim Yu-Na of South Korea should simply be presented the 2010 Olympic women's figure skating gold medal right now.

Kim's short program in today's Grand Prix series opener -- the Trophy Bompard in Paris -- was nothing less than brilliant. Skating to a musical medley from James Bond films -- including, appropriately, "Goldfinger," in which the villain loves only gold -- the reigning world champion was sassy, speedy and just plain scintillating.

Kim was utterly in another league from a field that included 2008 world champion Mao Asada of Japan; Caroline Zhang of the United States; Yukari Nakano of Japan (who three times has been in the top five at worlds); and two-time European champion Carolina Kostner of Italy, who sadly reprised her stumblebum free skate performance from the 2009 worlds.

The judges were as dazzled by Kim, 19, as I was, giving her a score of 76.08, second only to the record short program total of 76.12 she rolled up at the 2009 worlds. Were it not for a wobbly leg on one of her spiral positions, Kim would have been virtually perfect . As it is, she has a lead of more than 16 points over runner-up Nakano. She opened with a huge triple-triple combination. And her score would have been worth third in the men's event.

One short program does not a season make. But this one made it clear that Kim at her best will be impossible to beat, and Kim at 80% of her best still is better than anyone else. Athlete, artist -- this young woman is breathtaking on the ice. Barring injury or early retirement, she can be the greatest women's skater in history.

[http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/olympics_blog/2009/10/figure-skater-yuna-kim-so-good-she-can-gild-her-lily.html]

Go, Grandma, Go

Don't eat your veggies, lift weights, and live 'til you're 100 - and maybe you too could win a gold AND break a world record.


The oldest female athlete at the World Masters Games in Sydney has broken a world record in the shot put - at the age of 100.

All eyes were on Ruth Frith, from Brisbane, as she arrived for day two of the World Masters Games, hoping to win gold in the the shot put and feeling pretty confident as she was the only competitor in the over-100s category.

But her 4.07-metre (13 feet, 4.2 inches) throw on Sunday didn't just win her gold but also broke a world record.

"As long as I didn't foul I was going to win it," Ms. Frith told Reuters Television.

The great-grandmother is also a keen hammer and javelin thrower and believes other pensioners should follow her example.

Ms. Frith trains five days a week, regularly lifting 77-pound weights. She doesn't drink or smoke and she doesn't eat vegetables either, claiming she hasn't like them since she was young.

[http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/100-year-old-woman-sets-shot-put-record/article1320765/]

U.S. Open

Go Venus, it's your birthday.

Go Andy, it's your birthday.