“Queen” Kim Yu-Na‘s popularity and support from fans continues to skyrocket as shown through her past three sold-out shows. In a recent interview with TIME magazine, she expressed her gratitude toward her fans, shared how she, like everyone, hates Mondays, and revealed her excitement for the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics.

Regarding her first initial reaction to Pyeonchang’s win, she told TIME‘s Clara Kim that it was “relief”:

The Korean delegation worked so hard for 10 years to host the Olympics. I joined the team at the last minute, but the bid came to mean more when I saw from up close how much the rest of the delegation invested in it. I started thinking, ‘This really has to happen!’ It could not be any other way.

She also shared why she thinks she has been so successful:

I think I’m a born athlete. My coaches have told me my muscles and body structure are perfect for skating. I was born with a good instrument, maybe more so than the talent. I was lucky my coaches noticed early on and helped me develop that. A lot of people don’t know they are born that way.

Kim Yu-Na will soon be leaving Seoul to continue her training in Los Angeles.

For more of the interview, go to TIME.com

Earlier this week, we wrote about Korean American skier Toby Dawson along with other Korean athletes who were rigorously campaigning to bring the Winter Olympics to Korea. Although a cliché, it seems that the third time really is the charm!

This morning, the International Olympic Committee announced that voting was over after only one round of voting. Pyeongchang beat out Munich, Germany and Annecy, France to become the host city of the 2018 Winter Olympics. Unlike its bids for the 2010 and 2014 Winter Olympics, Pyeongchang seemed to be the clear favorite going into the election. In fact, the day before voting, one official claimed that Pyeongchang had already secured 54 votes. IOC President Jacques Rogge confirmed that Pyeongchang had achieved an outright majority.

Pyeongchang’s slogan, “New Horizons,” proves to be a compelling argument, emphasizing Korea’s desire to expand the Winter Olympics into unfamiliar territory. Until now, Japan has been the only Asian country to host the Winter Olympics (Sapporo in 1972 and Nagano in 1998). The IOC’s decision to host the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, combined with the growing popularity of winter sports after Yu Na Kim’s gold medal win in Vancouver, will hopefully accelerate the growth of winter sports in not only Korea, but all of Asia.

[Photos: Jo Yong-Hak/Reuters; Associated Press]