TOKYO (AFP) — The Japan Skating Federation has denied that Japanese competitors intentionally obstructed South Korean figure skating star Kim Yu-Na in warm-ups before international contests.
The denial, posed on the federation's website Thursday, comes amid a flap over comments by Kim about obstructed warm-ups ahead of her showdown with her Japanese rival Mao Asada at next week's world championships in Los Angeles.
The federation said Japanese skaters "compete in keeping with sportsmanship and it is not true they have intentionally committed acts of obstruction."
It added that it had not received any protest from the South Korean Skating Union or from Kim, or any warning from the International Skating Union.
Kim, who upstaged world champion Asada at the Four Continents contest last month, told the Korean TV network SBS at the weekend that her pre-competition warm-ups had been obstructed.
Without naming names, she said the interruption was particularly evident at the Four Continents and she was "trying to find a way to deal with it."
A voice-over said it was always Japanese skaters that crossed Kim's path.
Korean and Japanese media reported that it was Kim herself who pointed the finger at Japan.
The controversy has added some spice to the world championships, which the 18-year-olds are expected to turn into a preview of their gold medal showdown when they make their Olympic debut at the 2010 Vancouver Games.
The Japanese federation said it had been "very embarrassed by the reports" but wanted to deal with the issue on the basis of "relations of friendship and trust" it had built with the Korean union and Kim.
Reports here said the federation would ask its Korean counterpart to probe the matter and would seek advice from the International Skating Union.
Asada and her teammates Fumie Suguri and Akiko Suzuki competed at the Four Continents at Vancouver's Pacific Coliseum.
Kim Wonmin, an agent for Kim Yu-Na, told AFP that "it is true that several times she felt obstructed during her warm-ups."
"But she never singled out any country in the interview with SBS. It's news media that mentioned Japan," he said.
He said they had discussed the situation with Kim, her coach and the Korea Skating Union.
"If this situation continues, we may have to lodge a protest," he added.
Asada and Kim, who were both born in September 1990, have each won three of their six head-to-head encounters at senior level.
With her trademark jumps, including the 3.5-revolution triple axel, Asada regained the Grand Prix Final title in December, after Kim had won it for two straight years.
But Kim stole Asada's title at the Four Continents.
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