World champions to join Kim Yu-na for May ice show

Former Olympic gold medalists and world champions will join South Korean figure skater Kim Yu-na for an ice show here in May, Kim’s agency announced Thursday.

All That Sports unveiled a list of skaters who will perform alongside Kim, the reigning Olympic gold medalist in ladies’ singles figure skating. The ice show is scheduled for May 6-8 at the Jamsil Indoor Gymnasium in southern Seoul.

Two-time Olympic pairs champion Ekaterina Gordeeva of Russia headlines the list. Her husband, Ilia Kulik, the 1998 men’s singles champion, will also be here.

Stephane Lambiel, the 2006 Olympic silver medalist, and Brian Joubert, the 2007 world champion, will be back for another ice show with Kim, after skating with the South Korean in a show last year.

Alissa Czisny, the reigning Grand Prix Final champ from the U.S., will also be here.

Among pairs, the 2010 Olympic champions Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo of China will be joined by their compatriots Zhang Dan and Zhang Hao.

Kwak Min-jung, who won bronze at the Asian Winter Games last month, and 14-year-old prospect Kim Hae-jin are other South Korean participants.

The schedule for the ice show remains up in the air. Kim was scheduled to have competed at the 2011 World Figure Skating Championships in Tokyo this week but the event has been postponed indefinitely following a devastating earthquake in Japan earlier this month.

The International Skating Union has received bids from six countries to replace Japan as the host and it could set new dates in late April or early May. (Yonhap News)