Kim Yu-na smiles after winning the Trophée Eric Bompard, the Grand Prix series opener, in Paris on Sunday. /Yonhap

The 2010 Winter Olympics are months away but already figure skater Kim Yu-na is sounding a warning as the one to watch. In the first Grand Prix event of the season, Kim completely blew away the competition to capture the Trophée Eric Bompard in Paris on Sunday.

The Korean star scored 133.95 in the free skating on Sunday, and with a combined score of 210.03 including 76.08 points from the short program, took first place well ahead of the second place winner Mao Asada of Japan.

Kim also broke her previous world record by 2.32 points, topping her combined score of 207.71 in the 2009 World Championships in March. The outstanding performance over the weekend brightens Kim's prospects of winning the gold in the Olympics in Vancouver in February.

Since her debut in the senior competition in the 2006/07 season, Kim has been steadily working towards perfection. The consistency of her jumps and her mature, confident artistry set her apart from her rivals.

Kim made one mistake in Sunday's free program, missing a planned second jump -- a triple flip --which has a base value of 5.5 points, because she "felt something was on her blades." Even with that error she set a new record, breaking her previous high score of 133.70 achieved in November 2007. She received extra points in all other elements of the 12-component program.

In the short program her performance to a musical medley from James Bond films was an eye-opener for many viewers as she creatively reinterpreted music that until now had mostly been used by male skaters. She was awarded extra points for flawless executions of all eight planned elements in the program.

Kim will return to her training camp in Toronto to prepare for the fourth Grand Prix event, Skate America, which opens on Nov. 13 in Lake Placid, New York. Barring any extraordinary events, Kim is expected to win a berth in the Grand Prix Final in Tokyo in December. Only the top six finishers based on performances in two Grand Prix events are allowed to compete in the final.