New short program inspires Leung

Eurofan said:

"Dress for the job you want." I think that's true in any field.

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Well based on that, Mira can't want the top spot very much.

We saw her at Canadians last year, and there were holes in those tights, as there seem to be for every competition. Even the youngest skater in our club knows that you don't come to a competition with big holes in your tights.

How much does a new pair of tights cost? If you really can't afford new ones, then just learn to sew and fix those holes so they don't show.

And no, fixing those holey tights is not going to fix her technical issues, but this kind of sloppiness just shows a total lack of respect, for herself, for the competition, for the judges, for the fans....and I can not take her seriously (or feel sorry for her) until she fixes this part of her performance.

feraina said:

Let's face it, no matter how Mira presents herself, she will never be considered "beautiful" or even "pretty" by most people. To me, she has not shown up at any competition looking "sloppy" or "bedraggled" in recent years. Maybe she hasn't had the most expensive-looking costumes or expertly done make-up, but nothing really out of the ordinary, but then her family is not supposed to be financially well off or into high society, isn't that right? The truth is that Mira isn't naturally endowed with beauty, and a lot of people's perception of her as a skater, as a person, is probably influenced by that.

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It's not about her physique that people call her sloppy and bedraggled, it's about the holey tights, the granny panties showingt from under the dress and tights, and the dresses that don't fit properly. Even the youngest skaters in Beginner levels know you wear "good" tights for competition without holes and runs, that you either tuck your underwear in or you don't wear any under the dress, and that your dress should show off your physique and should fit properly when you compete (not be too big or too tight). Also, your hair should be put in an attractive 'do with bangs not just hanging in your eyes (even if you do it yourself) and that your makeup should be done in an attractive manner (again, even if you do it yourself) so that you look put together, not only in competition but in competition practices. Mira doesn't look put together for competition a lot of times, much less practice. Wasn't it Frank C who made Kwan wear dresses to all the practices at Nationals in 98 so she looked like a lady to the judges. Yeah...

mskater93 said:

Wasn't it Frank C who made Kwan wear dresses to all the practices at Nationals in 98 so she looked like a lady to the judges. Yeah...

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At the risk of going off topic on this Mira thread, ... yeah

For Michelle, every practice was a performance. Not only for the judges, but for whatever audience showed up, too, however sparse.

When Michelle was skating, even if other skaters were on the ice, all eyes were on Michelle until she took her final bow and left the ice. Then we could turn our attention to the others.

mskater93 said:

It's not about her physique that people call her sloppy and bedraggled, it's about the holey tights, the granny panties showingt from under the dress and tights, and the dresses that don't fit properly. Even the youngest skaters in Beginner levels know you wear "good" tights for competition without holes and runs, that you either tuck your underwear in or you don't wear any under the dress, and that your dress should show off your physique and should fit properly when you compete (not be too big or too tight). Also, your hair should be put in an attractive 'do with bangs not just hanging in your eyes (even if you do it yourself) and that your makeup should be done in an attractive manner (again, even if you do it yourself) so that you look put together, not only in competition but in competition practices. Mira doesn't look put together for competition a lot of times, much less practice. Wasn't it Frank C who made Kwan wear dresses to all the practices at Nationals in 98 so she looked like a lady to the judges. Yeah...

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Let's not forget the taped-up, dirty boots. :sheesh:

I seriously doubt that Mira has much choice in the dresses she wears. If you go to a Regional/Provincial competition, some of McLeod's students wear the most hideous costumes that most skaters wouldn't touch with a 10-foot pole (Kevin Reynolds anyone?). At these competitions, you can guess who coaches who just by their costumes.

Also, Mira used to skate sometimes at my home club before she started winning at Nationals. In the 2-3 years that she casually skated with us, I never, not even once, saw her with a coach. Her mother was constantly at the boards. I would say her lack of any coach at all caused her technique problems. She would have been 12-13 at the time and was practicing all triple jumps.

I feel really sorry for the poor girl. She obviously has a talent. I think it just hasn't been properly nurtured. I agree that a year off competing (and without her mother!) to work on correcting her jumping problems and artistry would do her a world of good!

Even if the costume is awful (and there are a lot of awful/unattractive/icky costumes out there), it can at least fit correctly; even if it's inexpensive makeup from the drugstore, you can apply it well to appear more attractive and choose colors that are flattering to your skin tone and hair color. There are many ways to style your hair if it's long and you have bangs so you look "finished" and you can wear tights without holes and cover your panties under your tights along with polishing your boots/wearing OTB tights.

Sorry for those that feel Mira is "unfairly picked on", but I don't see any of the other ladies who consistently skate on the international scene (contender or no) who look so slap-dash. I rarely see it outside of the LTS events!!

I agree with both of the above. It's a shame to see talent mismanaged so badly. Hopefully this new coach will be a positive influence, make her more presentable, and address the problems in her skating. Internationally, Mira's averaged about 3 UR calls per competition since the 2006 GP. She skated only two programs cleanly, with no UR's or negative GOE's on her jump elements. Last year she even got edge calls on her 3F, which until then was probably her most consistently successful jump. Her average placement for that same period: 9th. Average score: 138.12. None of which points to a top three finish on the international level unless you're talking about competitions like the Triglav Trophy or Crystal Skate. The only competition where she scores well enough to medal is Canadian Nationals. This should tell her coaching team that something is very, very wrong. The idea that international judges somehow have it in for Mira is both ridiculous and pathetic.

I think talking about what a person was endowed with beautywise is a waste of time because you can't change it. I'm much more interested in how a person presents themselves - put on some makeup, choose style and colours that flatter whatever figure a person was born with...lovely! Joannie Rochete, IMO, was also not born with stunning features, but who would have noticed? She presents herself so well! She's very polished and she looks like she put some thought and care into her outward appearance. I think it's important to show up at events appropriately dressed whether it is a competition or media relations or team photo. You don't need to be born beautiful in order to do that and you don't need to make a statement and cause undue negative attention to oneself by doing otherwise (like the underwear fiasco). I'm sure Skate Canada was very embarrased particularly due to the extremely personal and private nature of the issue.

I think Mira going to Lori Nichol and leaving home sound really positive. I am looking forward to the new program.

Someone already beat me to the punch about her pic...
Everytime I see an article about her, they always use a horrible pic! Poor girl
What's up with that?!