VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) – A seismic power shift in figure skating hit the Vancouver Olympics. Asia, led by the phenomenal Kim Yu-na, and North America are in. Europe, particularly Russia, is out.

Kim’s record-setting performance will be a YouTube staple for years. Evan Lysacek’s gold medal, the first for an American man since 1988, showed what an insatiable work ethic can achieve.

Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir’s ice dance victory was a celebration of everything new and good about a once-staid sport. Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo’s pairs gold was a tribute to perseverance.

The common thread: All came from outside Europe. It’s a trend that could last.

“It is proof that this is an open system in which everyone has a chance to reach the podium,” ISU president Ottavio Cinquanta said.

“The judging system has worked and the best skaters have won. That is the kind of competition everyone wants to see.”

Five countries won two medals and two others got one apiece in a balanced Vancouver Olympic figure skating tournament.

Russia failed to dominate and even saw its streak of pairs gold medals dating back to 1964 snapped by the Chinese. The North Americans showed staying power with two medals apiece by the United States and Canada. Japan and China also had two each, but the rising superpower could be Kim's South Korea, which got its first non-speedskating Olympic medal from the country's sweetheart.

“The young athletes in South Korea have a level of proficiency that’s very high,” Kim said Friday through a translator.

“It’s higher than I had at that age. I'm that at such a young age, there’s a lot of possibilities for our figure skating. There are also high expectations, I know, and there is great potential for our skaters.

“My teammate, Kwak Min-Jung, was 12th. I watched her and I was really surprised, because this is only her second competition on the senior level, and it was almost perfect what she was able to do,” Kim added.

Kim plans to defend her world championship next month in Turin before looking ahead. At 19, “Queen Yu-na,” as she has been dubbed back home, certainly isn’t too old for the sport. But she’s already accomplished her goals - and satisfied her nation’s clamor for gold.

Similar demands are made on the Russians for every Olympics; they have been a fixture for figure skating gold for nearly half a century, but their shut out here underscores the sport's demise at home.