体坛英语新闻：S Korea's star figure skater Kim Yu-na looks beyond Olympics

"Looking back on the process of reaching where I am now brings with it more bad memories than good ones," Kim said. At one point, she said, she suffered injuries almost every day for two years in a row, a hard blow to the fledgling athlete.

Still, persistence has always been Kim's middle name -- she has proven in competition after competition that even with a shaky start in the short program, she can rebound and still outshine competitors in the free skate. "I guess I could get where I am now as I've endured all the difficulties along the way," the Olympic gold medalist said.

Now that Kim is where she is, the figure skater, though she describes herself as "just a girl," commands a goddess-like status in South Korea.

Everything she says and does get obsessive media following. She might be seen smiling or frowning, and it will be plastered all over the newspapers the next day. She is a ubiquitous presence on television and billboards, while clothes and shoes she is seen wearing sell like hot cakes.

All this might be a little too suffocating for a college sophomore, but Kim, dubbed "Queen Yu-na" by her home fans, said she feels grateful.

"Being famous brings its own inconveniences along with it," she said. "But knowing there are many people out there rooting out for me give me more confidence in doing what I do."