Queen Yu-na

Kim Yuna is an Olympic figure skater from South Korea. She earned the nickname "Queen Yu-na" before the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games, where she earned two gold medals in record setting, stunningly beautiful performances. In the 2014 Sochi Olympic Games, Yuna again performed an extremely graceful piece, which earned her a silver medal. Many claim her performance was flawless and truly deserved a gold medal.

Via:The Atlantic

 

Not surprisingly, Yuna is an iconic figure in South Korea. Aside from her immense figure skating talent, Yuna starred in advertisements for products as diverse from bottled water to cars to financial services. She also recorded songs with Korean pop vocalists. All of Yuna's work earned her a spot on the Forbes highest earning female athletes list.
Yuna's 2010 performance in the 2010 Vancouver Olympic games was under an immense out of pressure, politically. The other two figure skaters who were favored to perform well were both Japanese skaters. Relations between South Korea and Japan are tense. Japan occupied the Korean peninsula during the first half of the 20th century. During this brutal occupation, the Japanese attempted to eradicate the Korean population and assimilate them into the Japanese population and culture. As a result, the Koreans fear and distrust the Japanese, which has been a major factor in the geopolitical relations. A major point of contention that still exists between the two nations is the Yasukuni shrine. The Yasukuni Shrine is a Japanese memorial site, where Japanese soldiers are commemorated. This burial ground also memorializes 15 Japanese war criminals. Thus, when Japanese prime ministers visit the Yasukuni Shrine, the Koreans get very upset. Because both Japan and South Korea are major US allies in the region, the US has significant interest in their relations. When Yuna clinched the gold medal in 2010 it was a personal and national victory.   
Though Yuna did not capture the gold medal in the 2014 Olympics, she retires having never competed in the Olympics without at least standing on the podium. No small feat.  
-Olivia O