[News] Kim Yu-na Earns Spot at Worlds by Winning National Championships.

[News] Kim Yu-na Earns Spot at Worlds by Winning National Championships.

Cr. - Chosun Ilbo

Kim Yu-na added another flourish to her successful comeback to the world of competitive figure skating on Sunday by winning the senior division of the ladies' singles event at the Korean Figure Skating Championships held at Mokdong Ice Rink in Seoul.

"I was so happy to do so well at what might have been my last competition in Korea," said the reigning Olympic champion, who only recently returned from an 18-month layoff from the sport. Her victory earned her an automatic berth at the World Championships in Canada in March.

In her first national competition in seven years, Kim earned 145.80 points in the free skate. Coupled with 64.97 points from her short program, she claimed the title with a total score of 210.77 points. Park So-youn and Choi Da-bin, both students at Gangil Middle School, finished second and third with 161.88 and 153.09 points, respectively.

Park, 15, earned 108.68 points in free skating and 161.88 points in total; Choi, 12, was awarded 99.88 points in free skating for a total of 153.09 points.

Kim, 22, put on a dazzling show in what amounted to only her second competitive event in almost two years.

"I settled down once the music started and tried to skate like I had in practice," Kim told reporters after battling nerves following a rare fall in Saturday's short program. "I didn't think I could get more than 200 points but I was able to stay composed. The world championships are coming up and I hope I can stay healthy and prepare well."

The world championships take place in London, Ontario from March 10-17. Kim won the world title in 2009 and took silver in 2010 and 2011.

She electrified 4,500 people in the audience with a flawless free skating program to a compilation of songs from the original soundtrack of "Les Misérables," that reminded many of her gold-medal-winning performance at the Vancouver Olympics in 2010.