Mira Leung withdrawal

[nadster]

Mira's former coach is one of the best,and I am sure that she or someone else attempted to fix Mira's technique some time ago. Also,someone from her Section should have forced the issue with the grooming flaws. Mira being stubborn,etc has already been addressed. However,there is a possibility that her focus and the academic ability that probably made her spend her free time at competitions studying instead of socializing may have had something to contribute to the dislike referred to in some quarters. If her mother is protective of her it is sometimes necessary in the face of outright hostility and sometimes bullying. That said I feel that the coaches should never have permitted the kind of technique Mira displays. It brings to mind a very experienced coach telling my own young daughter that a Lutz take off will never be accepted unless it is fom a clean outside edge. It was hard to see others flutzing and getting credit,but later,when it counted the lesson paid off.

About these comments.

I do think that Joanne Mcleod is slightly overrated as a coach. Her students tend to be slow and have poor axel technique. Sure she is great with students and junior and lower levels but internationally they are often found wanting when their lack of speed really shows up.

Kevin Reynolds is a great example with what is wrong with Joanne's coaching. His axel technique is horrible and for a senior man he is way too slow.

Also Joanne has had a history of whining about her students' low PCS marks. For someone in a delusional state like Mira, this puts oil on the fire.

Not blaming Joanne for Mira's problems ( I blame Mira's mother for putting delusional thoughts into Mira ).

Mira's academic skills is not the reason for her poor social skills. Her mother did not even allow her to be with the other skaters in the dressing room. Mira often arrived at the rink and left the rink with skates on. The only time she spent in the dressing room was with nobody else there. You learn so much from the dressing room banter as the skaters talk about their experiences ( kind of a great place for unofficial informal coaching). Again great opportunities missed.

[aurora100]

Ladskater - I admire your sense of generosity toward Mira or any skater as we know this is not an easy sport - but you cannot put Mira's skating in the same category as Cynthia or as some others said, Caroline Zhang) or I could add Naomi Nari Nam, Meisner or any other teenage sensations who won too early. I liked Mira when she came on the scene, she was young, bubbly with all good jumps. We saw her potential, but at 15 we take into consideration she had time to improve, in jumps, postures, artistry, all the basic skating skills which she did not have at the time. But she never really got the fundamentals fixed - I place some of the blame on her early coaching/chore team. They should have helped her fix it. I understand she switched her coach last year but it was about 4 years too late. She is 20 years old now, not an age to start or restart in ladies skating (Mao and Yuna are 19!). I am sure Mira is a nice young lady. But skating, or elite skating, is not for everyone, it's a brutal sport. I wish the best of luck for Mira.