Orser says, mom says, but what does Kim say?
Brian Orser is no longer the coach of Kim Yu-Na. Why that is depends on who you talk to. But what does the skater really think beyond the customary, "goodbye and good luck?" A classic case of interference by a "skating mom," or simply two parties moving on?
Here is what we know - Brian Orser is no longer the coach of Olympic champion Kim Yu-Na.
Why the split?
According to Orser, Kim's mother Park Mee-hee informed him on Aug. 2 that "he would no longer be retained." Orser's management IMG released a statement on Aug. 23, adding "no reason was given for the sudden and unexpected decision."
Kim's mother, who has always been at the forefront of the 19-year-old's career, is the CEO of "Queen Yu-Na's" new management firm All That Sports.
AT Sports claims that Orser informed them on Aug. 23 that "he would no longer be able to care for Kim Yu-Na" and the agency took that as Orser's decision to step down.
Here is the timeline according to AT Sports-
May 2010 - The relationship between Brian Orser and Kim's agency is strained
June 2010 - Kim begins practicing without a coach
Early August 2010- Kim's agency and Orser agreed to Kim and Orser taking some unofficial time off
August 23, 2010 - Orser informs AT Sports he will no longer be able to care for Kim, which AT Sports understands as Orser stepping down.
The missing information in this he-said, she-said is where Kim stands in all of this.
Yes, there is the official statement from Kim, "I thank [Orser]. He helped me to win the Olympic gold medal. I hope he will endeavor to continue teaching athletes. I wish him good luck."
But would you speak out against your mother, who happens to be your manager?
The relationship between Kim and Orser thrived since it began in December 2006.
The world junior champion arrived in Toronto in 2006 with nagging injuries and on the verge of quitting the sport.
"There were problems of boots and injuries, so I was scared to think that I had to endure it until I quit my athlete's life. I didn't even want to move at the skating rink and really thought it was over," Kim said.
In steps two-time Olympic silver medalist Brian Orser.
Kim's new coach cut back her off-ice training time and taught her "the value of rest and taking care of her body," he said in an interview.
Things were not always smooth, especially at the beginning when Orser says it was challenging to see such raw talent so focused on the technical and not enjoying the process. His goal as a coach was to have her enjoy skating everyday and by 2008 Skate America, he realized they were making progress.
Fast forward to the 2010 Olympic Games, where a lifelong dream of both Orser and Kim was realized - the Olympic gold medal. Fast forward to August 2010, and a seemingly unstoppable duo has split.
Why?
It seems hard to believe that Kim was truly unhappy with her coaching situation in Toronto. While Orser has added quite a few elite students since his first (Kim), it is not uncommon for an elite coach to instruct several top athletes. (Orser coaches American hopefuls Adam Rippon and Christina Gao, among others.)
Was Kim's management uncomfortable with this? By Kim's management, can we point directly to her mother Park Mee-hee, who is CEO and as she wrote in her memoir, "majored in Yu-Na."
According to the New York Times, Park monitors Kim's training, records her mistakes, and has forgot her husband's birthday and skipped her older daughters graduation because it conflicted with Yu-Na's competitions.
In the same article, Park acknowledges she suppressed Kim's sister Aera's dreams to be a singer because she wanted to focus the families finances on Yu-Na's skating career.
So is this a classic case of "skating mom" trying to assert control of her daughter's career, or has the Orser-Kim bond truly tired and it was time for the Olympic champ to move on? |