Olympic champion Kim says Orser lied about their split

By Philip Hersh

In an English tweet removed quickly from her Twitter site, where her entries are infrequent, Olympic figure skating champion Kim Yuna of South Korea accused her former coach, Brian Orser of Canada, of telling lies.

In a statement posted Wednesday in Korean on her official web site and on Cyworld, a Korean version of Facebook, Kim rebutted what she said were lies.

Orser said he never got the reasons for his dismissal, was treated with disrespect throughout the process and that Kim told him she was confused about why it happened as well.

Kim said she and her mother did nothing disrespectful to Orser and denied any confusion, saying she was fully involved in the decision.

So we have wound up with a classic case of ``he said, she said,'' which makes it impossible to know where the truth of why Kim split with Orser really lies.

(To get all the background on this, click on my two Blogs of yesterday:  Orser's side of the story and the reaction of Helen Choi, a member of Kim's management team.)

This is what appeared on Kim's Twitter page for a while Tuesday:

``Would you please stop to tell a lie, B? I know exactly what's going on now and this is what I've DECIDED.''

And this is what was posted on Kim's web site, in a translation graciously provided by one of this Blog's readers:

``Hello everyone...

``I've been trying to be patient but it is too frustrating to just sit and watch this.

 ``Not only I, but everyone else involved in this matter, including Brian Orser, knows the truth.

``A skater and a coach can part ways and there are always reasons for such decisions, but I'm honestly disappointed and upset that (Brian Orser) rashly used the media to inform (the public) that we split and that he turned this into a big deal by telling untruthful things about what we could have just kept between us.''

(Kim next answered the questions of whether she was in the loop and whether there was a lack of communication with Orser).

``Do you really think that my mother would decide to split with the coach on her own?

``I am no longer a child.  (Brian Orser) was my coach and it is my final decision whether I decide to continue with him or to part ways.  After consulting with my mother and upon careful consideration, this is the decision we made.

``Honestly, when thinking of terminating the relationship with the coach, who would directly consult with the coach before making the decision?

``As a daughter, I don't want to just quietly and stupidly stand by and watch my mother be criticized for no reason and for no wrongdoing.

(And then Kim, who is a national hero in South Korea, addressed the issue of Orser having been approached about the possibility of coaching Mao Asada of Japan, runner-up at the Olympics, who beat Kim at the 2010 worlds.)

``Of course, there was the problem regarding the offer to coach another skater, but do you really think that is the only reason? Just reading Brian Orser's interviews, it seems as though we were thoughtless and disrespectful and all of this is our, no, my mother's fault. Are you going to believe what he says at face value?''

(Kim went on to talk about her relationship with Orser and her reasons for responding to his statements).

``Do you really think that I was happily training for the past four years without any problems, as it would have seemed to the outside world?

``Our relationship was awkward for the past few months and only a few days ago did we completely end the situation. If you knew about what happened, you would understand how even more completely surprised and flabbergasted I was to read the contents of Brian Orser's interview in the news.

``However, I don't want to tell you what happened and I don't need to tell you. In any case, this is an issue between us. I'm frustrated that I can't tell you the details and it's tough that I have to deal with this situation and why do I even need to explain this.

``This situation has already blown up but I could not let the truth packaged in lies go uncovered.

``I'm not trying to determine who's in the wrong but trying to uncover the truth.

``Even though the entire truth may not be uncovered, I can't bear letting people believe lies and criticize innocent people. Why did something that could have ended well have to end up being so hurtful to each other... I really want this situation to end.

``When reading this, you may think that this is something the agency (her new management agency, All That Sports, headed by her mother ) made me do...

``I'm a person too and I just couldn't stay quiet...At the end of the day, this is about me and I wanted to tell the truth.

``I swear to God that we were careful and we did not do anything disrespectful to (Brian Orser).

``Please believe in me.

``Apologies for any concern this may have caused.''

*Kim certainly had a different view in a Reuters story published May 17.  This is what she said then about the Orser-Asada situation and about Orser in general:

``The stories that have been going around that Brian Orser will coach another athlete, I know to be false.  Other athletes have many troubles with their coaches, but I think I was able to get where I am now because Orser and I had that relationship of trust.''

*So I called Orser Wednesday night to see what he thought of being called a liar and why he thought Kim reacted that way.

``Of course I'm hurt,'' he said.  ``At the same time, she is a 19-year-old girl whose world has been turned upside down at the moment.

``I believe she is saying these things to protect her mother, and I think that is very noble.''

Orser pointed out Kim was not at the Aug. 2 meeting when Kim's mother, Park Mee-Hee, and members of her management team informed Orser he would no longer be Kim's coach.

*Orser sent me and Korean broadcaster SBS a copy of an April 25 email he sent to Kim, in which he attempted to assure her that although he was approached about coaching Asada, he had no interest in doing it and was focused on continuing to work with Kim.  Here is that email. 

From: borber@syxxxxxx.xx

Subject: rumours
Date: Sun, 25 Apr 2010 20:46:04 -0400

Hi Yuna,  hope you are well and getting some rest.  i am sure you have heard some of the rumours that have been going around about Mao.  I just want you to know that I am loyal to you and am always here for you.  Her agency did inquire about me ( and team ) working with her, I told them that you are my first priority.  I have to say that I was flattered she has an interest,  but your skating comes first.  

Let me know if you have any concerns or thoughts.  I wanted to contact you and tell you how this all happened. 

When are you arriving?  and do you have any idea what you are feeling for next year?   maybe we should talk about this.  

All the kids are missing you here at the club.  

Please be in touch.   B

*I later asked Orser the $64,000 question.

``So would you now be interested in coaching Asada?''

His answer was brief and emphatic.

``No.''

*There are two other matters that have been raised in readers' comments that need to be addressed.

One resulted from Choi's statement that choreographer David Wilson had been the only one with whom Team Kim (AT Sports) could discuss the situation.  Wilson, who has choreographed Kim's long program for this season, has not responded to messages seeking comment.

Said Orser:  ``There is no strain in my relationship with David.''

The other is that International Management Group, which represents both Orser and Asada, was behind the suggestion he coach the Japanese star.

``This is completely untrue,'' IMG's David Baden said in an email.  ``Brian's coaching business is his own.  We at IMG have never gotten involved in who he coaches.  AT Sports needs to take responsibility for their actions and stop pointing the finger and making baseless accusations.  Brian and Yuna deserve better.''

It's just as hard to believe that one of the feel-good stories of the Vancouver Olympics, the coach who fell just short of gold in his home country 22 years earlier helping a South Korean win her country's first figure skating gold, has turned so quickly into bitterness and recrimination.

Photo:  Pedestrians pass a photo of Kim Yuna in a bank advertisement Wednesday in Seoul. (Park Ji-Hwan / Getty Images)

Comments

[Lynnpd]

Mr. Orser is the one who has been in skating over 25 years. He is the experienced teacher/professional. If he had not complained and made himself such a victim while trying to turn everyone who respected him against Yu-Na and her mom maybe things would have been quieter and nicer---- but that would have required him to swallow a little pride for the greater good of all.

He chose to make a big stink about it. No one likes being fired. A ten page bill of particulars would not have made him any happier.They decided on separation & didn't think it necessary to talk about the "whys" since they thought he already knew their concerns and worries.

Ever try to end a relationship with someone once the hard decision has been made but not want to argue about the reasons for ending it? The rejected one will always feel the reasons are bogus and argue about them. Once the decision to separate is made the reasons are not really arguable and the more you talk about it the uglier it can get. After all, it's not like they had to worry about "the children"!

[pointg0320]

Dear Mr. Hersh.

hello. Mr. Hersh. i' m a fan of Yuna Kim living in South Korea.

i thank you very much for your articles. and i'm glad to read your article/leave my opinions here.

Sooner or later,the total truth will be revealed in daylight but what i want to say here is that i'm a liittle sorry and distressed that Brian Orser, who has been loved by many korean fans, should have been more aware of Corea/Japans' relationship. i'd like to ask you to imagine how uncomfortable Yuna Kim might have felt when she watched some persons associated with japanese figureskating snooping around Criket Club in the middle of training for the past a couple of months under the name of watching their own junior skaters recently accepted by Bryan Orser. as you know.. japan is the country which is always sensitive to grasp Yuna kim's every single moves. i think it doesn't need to explain the reason about that. this is just tip of iceburg. ------this is side story, but if you take a chance to serf on Youtube, you might easily notice how ugly and conscienceless footages are being made and posted by japapnese fans in order to disparage Yuna Kim and koreans. more than that some japanese public media, which must stand in justice,fairnees and truth , tried to hamper Yuna KIm's victory right after the Olympics and tried to make bad immages about Yuna Kim with absurd and false articles that can't not be made or be immaginend if they are human having souls and conscience. l i won't say it here. we have to know that individually, nationally, enterprisedly japan is tyring to pull down Yuna Kim by taking every possible ways.------)

and he should have been more patient and more concentrated to Yuna herself and her voices about inconvinence/discord such as training, time spent for intensive coaching as her full time reponsibility coach and problems of receiving many students under his wings etc. if he was thinking of the team continuing to go together as a main coach for the next several years.

As you know, the 4 years contracts between Yuna Kim and Brian Orser was terminated as of April 2010. so technically, resigning the contract is not mandatorily needed unless the both parties reach an agreement. this is absolutely not firing the hired or someting. it's just end of contract. the matter that the contracts goes on is totally another problems. so from May to August, both parties decided to have pause on the questions wheter or not the two parties will continue to go on as a team together. and then finally they came to a result in agreemetn that they will find and go to their own way.. i think it's totally one-sided and prejudiced artices whice have been released by some canadian media for the past several days like "Orser, fired by AT. Yuna KIm's mother"..." i understand B.Orser is a great athlete and one of the honorable legends in world figurestaking history and especially loved skaters in Canada. so it's possible they publicized as if Bryan Orser is the victim and AT.&Yuna kim are offenders. but it's totally not truth. it's just one sided story.

[pointg0320]

every fans in korea just want this turbulence end as early as possible and everything turns around in a good way for Yuna Kim and the truth will be known.

thank you Mr. hersh again for trying to write articles as neutral as possible.

[pointg0320]

i think Yuna kim, if she really wants to end all the disturbance. can take steps forword. but it seems that she keeps silent to repect Bryan Orser as a coach and keep the memories with him for the past 4 years pecious and beautiful. looks like she doesn't want any more disruption.

every fans in korea just want this turbulence end as early as possible and everything turns around in a good way for Yuna Kim and the truth will be known.

thank you Mr. hersh again for trying to write articles as neutral as possible. i just wrote this comments to let you know how some fans of Yuna Kim feel about this issue. and i'm ok even if you don't post this comment.i just hope that you can be a help for Yuna kim. this is all i want.

[Song Happy]

IMGnewyork was the source to korean medias, :|
Orser coaching time is an hour per day.Did most coaches do an hour per day, as well?

Orser has a lot of explaining to do...

[Sylvia]

Japanese skaters have been coming to the Cricket Club and the Mariposa Club to train in the summer for as long as I have been going to Thornhill, that is to say since 1999, and probably before that. A coach at our first club (which we left in 1998) used to help with finding homes to billet the kids while they were here.
Except for the summer that SARS hit Toronto, planeloads of kids from Japan, Spain and in recent years, Korea, have been coming to Toronto to train at the Granite, the Cricket and Mariposa. This is hardly a recent occurrence or one which Team Kim would not have been aware of.