한계는 없다.

  젊은이들은 두려움이 없습니다. 한계가 없다는 표현이 맞을 겁니다. 예전에는 우리가 할 수 있을까 의심했던 적이 있었습니다. 세계에서 최고가 되는 것은 불가능해 보였습니다.

손기정 선수이후 올림픽에서 첫 금메달을 딴 것은 1976년의 일이었습니다. 몬트리올에서 양정모 선수가 레슬링 종목에서 금메달을 땄었습니다. 라디오에 귀를 기울이며 감격했던 기억이 새롭습니다. 그때로부터 12년 이후 서울에서 올림픽이 열렸습니다. 대회 이후 우리선수들이 올림픽에서 메달 따는 건 예삿일이 되었습니다.

축구의 월드컵같은 국가대항전을 만들어 보자고 출발한 경기가 월드베이스볼 클래식입니다. 첫 대회에서 4강에 오른 우리는 이번 2회 대회에서  준우승을 차지했습니다. 메이저리그에서 고액연봉을 받는 선수들로 구성된 나라들을 상대로 통쾌한 승리를 거두었습니다.

일본은 고등학교 야구, 사회인 야구 등 야구의 저변이 넓습니다. 한 세대 전만 하여도 야구 종목에서 일본을 이긴다는 건 어렵거나, 불가능에 가까운 일로 여겼습니다. 이번 대회에서 보았듯이 우리 젊은 선수들은 이 사실을 믿지도, 생각지도 않았습니다. 한번 일본을 꺽은 후부터 이기는 건 자연스럽고도 당연한 일이 되었습니다.

PGA대회에서 한국선수가 우승하는 건 상상도 못할 일이었습니다. 완도 촌놈(?) 최경주선수가 도전장을 내밀 때 주위 사람들은 모두가 안 된다고 말렸습니다. 하지만 최 선수 자신은 할 수 있다고 믿었습니다. 최경주 선수가 PGA대회에서 첫 우승(2002년 5월 컴팩 클래식)하는 순간 꿈에나 가능한 일이 현실이 되었다고 좋아했습니다. 이후 우승은 예삿일이 되었습니다. 최근엔 양용은 선수까지 우승자 대열에 이름을 올렸습니다. 

피겨스케이팅은 그 우아함과 아름다움 때문에 세계 사람들의 사랑을 받지요. 수십 년 동안 미국 독일 러시아 등의 선수들이 대회를 휩쓸었습니다. 대한민국에서 우승자가 나올 수 있다는 생각은 아무도 하지 못했습니다. 하지만 김연아 선수는 아무 일도 아니라는 듯 해냈습니다. 당연히 해야 할 걸 한 것처럼 말입니다. 

김연아의 코치인 캐나다인 브라이언 오셔는 뛰어난 재능과 능력에도 불구하고 늘 이등에 그쳤습니다. 올림픽에서도 늘 우승후보로 거론되었지만 두 번씩이나 이등에 그쳤지요. 브라이언 오셔를 기억하는 사람들은 대단한 능력을 가진 선수였지만 이등에 머물렀던 선수로 기억하며 아쉬워합니다.

그가 이루지 못했던 꿈을 제자 김연아 선수가 이루어냈습니다. 연기를 끝내고 점수발표를 기다리는 브라이언 코치의 얼굴에도 긴장감이 역력했습니다. 점수가 발표되자 코치와 선수는 믿어지지 않는 표정이었습니다. 참으로 멋진 스승에 멋진 제자 아닙니까.

경기 당일의 이야기입니다. NBC방송의 해설자로 나선 미셀 콴은 김 선수는 쇼트프로그램 점수에서 십 점이나 앞서있지만 앞서있다고 생각하고 적극적으로 연기하지 않으면 역전당할 수 있으니 조심해야 한다. 그러므로 십 점을 뒤졌다는 생각으로 적극적으로 공격적으로 연기를 해야 한다고 말했습니다.

그 말을 듣기라도 한 듯이 김연아 선수는 적극적이고 공격적인, 확신에 찬 연기를 펼쳤습니다. 실로 놀라운 연기였습니다. 경기장을 가득 메운 관중의 기립박수는 끊이질 않았습니다. 새로운 채점방식이 생겨난 이래 최고의 점수(207.71)로 우승을 했습니다.

전미 선수권대회를 여덟 번이나 우승한 미쉘 콴은 김연아 선수가 세계 피겨스케이팅에 새로운 기준(new standard)을 만들었다고 입이 마르도록 칭찬했습니다. 놀라운 기술과 예술성을 가진 놀라운 선수라며 찬사를 연발했습니다. 김연아 선수는 이제 세계 피겨스케이팅의 여왕입니다. 유망주이던 소녀에서 세계 최고의 선수로 우뚝 섰습니다.

기적이라 생각했던 일들이 이제는 마음먹고 도전하면 되는 것으로 바뀌었습니다. 한계는 스스로 정하는 것입니다. 불가능하다고 생각하면, 한계가 있다고 생각하면 아무 일도 일어나지 않습니다. 가능하다고 믿고 끊임없이 노력하고 도전하면 불가능하다고 생각되었던 일들이 놀랍게 이루어집니다. 나중에는 아무 일도 아닌 듯, 당연한 일인 듯 저절로 되어 집니다.

한계를 정하고 도전을 멈출지, 한계는 없다고 믿고 끊임없이 도전하여 세계 최고가 될지는 자신이 결정할 일입니다.

<Queen Yu-na, indeed! Kim wins first world title>

Kim, called “Queen Yu-na” by her adoring fans, gave South Korea its first title at the World Figure Skating Championships on Saturday night. After her big lead in the short program, this was more coronation than competition. She finished with a record 207.71 points, shattering the old mark by eight.

“Being the world champion was my dream and I did it here,” Kim said. “So it’s just amazing.”

Kim was more than 16 points ahead of Joannie Rochette, and beat main rival Mao Asada by almost 20. How big a rout is that? Think one of those non-conference football games the big names play, and you get the idea.

When she saw the scores, Kim closed her eyes and shook her head. She then stood up, beaming, and waved to the cheering crowd.

“I’m sure the whole globe shook,” said Kim’s coach, two-time Olympic silver medalist Brian Orser. “The whole country of Korea must be elated.”

Rochette won the silver, Canada's first medal at the world championships since Liz Manley also won silver in 1988. Miki Ando, the 2007 world champion, was third. Asada, last year’s winner, fell on her second triple axel and dropped to fourth.

“I was thinking about being a champion again, but instead of thinking about that, I needed to have concentrated on completing my elements,” said Asada, who had clearly been crying.

Rachael Flatt finished fifth and Alissa Czisny was 11th, meaning the United States can send only two women to the Vancouver Olympics. It's only the second time since 1924 the Americans have failed to earn the maximum three spots. The other was in 1994.

Kim and Asada's rivalry is the best thing going in skating these days. They've been at it since juniors, trading one major title after another. Asada won the world title last year and the Grand Prix final this season. Kim responded with a victory at Four Continents, setting up a showdown here.

But Kim was in a class by herself.

“I like it when the competing skaters do really well. I think she steps up to that,” Orser said. “I know next year Mao has to be in top shape, but it is nice to win whenever you win. You take it any time.”

Kim skates with ease and lightness, seeming almost to fly across the ice, but has incredible power and strength. While other skaters slow down as they approach their jumps, trying to steady themselves, she goes full speed ahead. Yet she lands as if she's touching down on a pillow. She did five triple jumps, three in combination, including a triple flip-triple toe loop combination to open the program.

There is so much more to her, though. Her edge quality is so high, she carves the ice like a calligrapher. All of her jumps were landed to crescendos in the music, making the music as much a part of her program as any other element. Her footwork was exquisite, and she skated with the elegance of a queen throughout her “Sheherazade” program.

Almost as entertaining was Orser. Standing by the boards, he did every element with her. His only flaw was a single leap at the end of the program, not nearly as difficult as the triple jump he did Friday after her short program.

“I'm kind of drained. She skated so well and I skated it with her. I know the moment she is experiencing,”said Orser, the 1987 world champion.

The audience was on its feet for the last 15 seconds of her program, knowing it had seen something truly special for a second straight night. Her only flaw was popping a triple salchow, but it was forgotten by the time her magical performance was over.

“This is my third world championships, and the last two I was really regretful I was not able to do well,” said Kim, who won bronze medals in 2007 and 2008. “Even with a little mistake tonight, I was able to do well. Now, I plan to practice for the Olympics.”

Asada was more than 10 points behind her rival heading into the free skate, and needed to pull out every trick she had to have any hope of catching Kim. She sure tried, with the most technically demanding program any woman has ever done at worlds. It would put some of the men to shame, too.

She attempted two triple axels, a first for a woman at worlds. The jump is so difficult few women even practice it, let alone put it in their programs. The first was perfect, landed with ease and confidence right in front of the judges as part of a triple axel-double toe combination. She didn't get all the way around on the second axel, though, and tumbled to the ice, drawing a groan of disappointment from the crowd.

That, and the fact she didn't have much besides her jumps and spins, cost her not only a title, but a medal.

“I think she is a very good rival for me, and she motivates me,” Asada said.

The Americans failed to medal, too, for a third straight year. That hasn't happened since 1962-64—and that drought came after a plane crash wiped out the entire U.S. team on its way to the 1961 world championships.

Worse, Czisny and Flatt's combined placement of 16 means the Americans will send only two women to Vancouver.

Czisny's dismal 14th-place finish in the short program Friday all but doomed the United States. She managed to stay upright Saturday, but her program didn't have any spark or emotion, the only color coming from her eggplant and green dress. It wasn't until her last two elements, a combination spin and a layback spin, that she showed any kind of life.

“I came here and tried to do my best,” Czisny said. “The outcome is not in my hands and there is nothing I can do about that.”

Except skate better. Her 11th-place finish was the worst by a U.S. champion at worlds since World War II.

Flatt made two major mistakes, not getting all the way around on the second jump in a triple flip-double toe combination and turning it into more like a 1 1/2 . She also landed it on two feet. And she didn’t get any credit for her final spins. But fifth place at her first world championships is an impressive debut.

<LOS ANGELES (AP)—Kim Yu-na has a world title to go with her royal nickname. By NANCY ARMOUR, AP National Writer>