Figure skating star Kim returns after 18 months

SEOUL - Agence France-Presse

Kim Yu-na will take part in the NRW Trophy in Dortmund this weekend to mark her return after 18 months. AFP photo

South Korean figure skating star Kim Yu-na will make her competitive return to the ice in Germany this weekend, ending a break of more than 18 months from the sport, her management agency said yesterday.

The reigning Olympic champion, 22, will take part in the NRW Trophy in Dortmund, chasing the points she needs to qualify for next year’s world championships in Canada, her agency, All That Sports, said.

Known as “Queen Yu-na” in her native country, Kim won silver at the 2010 worlds, after which she took a lengthy break. She finished second at the event in 2011 before dropping out of competition again.

The NRW Trophy figure skating competition from December 5 to 9, is a second-tier event on the circuit, often used by skaters seeking qualification points for the world championships.

Kim announced in July that she would retire after the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.