In Kim Yuna's absence, Koreans holding out for Winter Games hero

Seoul

A YEAR after her dazzling gold medal-winning performance at the Vancouver Games, figure skater Kim Yuna delivered an impassioned speech to the International Olympic Committee that helped sway the vote to bring the 2018 Winter Games to South Korea.

Dubbed the "Face of Pyeongchang" after crisscrossing the globe to garner support for the bid, Kim's charm offensive was equally effective in Korea as she helped sell the vision of a home Olympics on snow and ice despite the country having little prior interest in winter sports.

Even after her retirement from competition in 2014, the nation's favourite athlete has played a key role in…