Miki Ando- what do you think?

**Vash01** · 08-15-2004, 04:11 AM

I see her as a work in progress. I think the comments about her are often a bit unfair, since she did not even skate at the senior level before the 2004 season. She obviously has extraordinary jumping ability, and good basic skills. She does not excite the viewer the way the last great Japanese jumper Midori Ito did. Some skaters are a natural in communicating their feelings to the audience. She is a more introverted skater and she will do well with the right choice of music and choreography. I see her as 2 years away from becoming world championship caliber. She needs to 'discover' herself and then her performance could really take off. I think it is just a matter of time.

**Linny** · 08-15-2004, 02:26 PM

While I'd certainly be kinder than some of the comments about Miki that could be characterized as unfair... well, at her last Junior Worlds Competition, she looked decidely unhappy. It seems a bit disrespectful to just go through the motions of a program.... but that was just my impression.
Linny

**Jaana** · 08-16-2004, 08:37 AM

Originally Posted by Linny

... well, at her last Junior Worlds Competition, she looked decidely unhappy. It seems a bit disrespectful to just go through the motions of a program.... but that was just my impression.
Linny

I have not seen this competition and would be curious to hear how awful were the others if Miki did win with that kind of skating, hmmm...? I understand from results that she won the QR, SP and FS. The judges apparently did not have the same opinion like Linny, LOL?

Marjaana

**euterpe** · 08-16-2004, 08:38 AM

I agree with Linny. At Junior Worlds 2004, Miki seemed to have mailed her performance in. She was so disconnected from the music and rather sloppy. I thought Kimmie and Katy were vital and exciting compared to a dull, bored Miki.

**berthes ghost** · 08-16-2004, 08:48 AM

Originally Posted by Jaana

I have not seen this competition and would be curious to hear how awful were the others if Miki did win with that kind of skating? I understand from results that she won the QR, SP and FS. The judges apparently did not have the same opinion like Linny, LOL?

Jaana, it's all purely opinion. I saw all 3 rounds live and to me, it was Miki and then everybody else. As she proved at Dortmund, Miki could hold her own as a senior, and looked very much in a class of her own against the obviously junior skaters.

The only other skaters who I thought were of any interest were the other two Japanese ladies. I was hoping for a Japanese medals sweep, and I'm from the US.

Team USA was very boring IMHO. Tara clone 1, Tara clone 2 and Tara clone 3. Only the silver medalist seemed like she could be interesting one day. They all seemed overly packaged, but as you can see, US fans are hyping them to the skys all over the internet. Go figure.

Cindy P from Canada was awful IMHO. Not only did she fall all over herself, but I saw none of this future greateness that everyone is hyping her up with. Well, it was just one event and everyone has bad days.

The Europeans were dreadful. Even Viki P who was so good at Euros, was a shaddow of herself. Watered down programs not skated very well, and no spark.

**berthes ghost** · 08-16-2004, 08:49 AM

Originally Posted by euterpe

I thought Kimmie and Katy were vital and exciting compared to a dull, bored Miki.

Do you mean vivacious? Vital means nescessary. How are they vital?

**Jaana** · 08-16-2004, 08:54 AM

Thanks very much for the info, Berthe´s Ghost!

Marjaana

**RealtorGal** · 08-16-2004, 09:50 AM

Originally Posted by berthes ghost

Do you mean vivacious? Vital means nescessary. How are they vital?

Euterpe is correct. "Vital" can also mean full of life or animated.

Thanks for the info on Jr. Worlds. It seems odd that skaters such as Phaneuf and Pavuk skated so poorly in a Jr. event when they were so awesome at a senior event. I wonder what was up with THAT?

**chuckm** · 08-16-2004, 10:12 AM

I seem to recall Pavuk was skating with an injury, so that's why she didn't do well.

**berthes ghost** · 08-16-2004, 10:35 AM

Originally Posted by RealtorGal

Euterpe is correct. "Vital" can also mean full of life or animated.

Sorry Euterpe, I've never heard it used like that before. Guess I gotta start spending time with people who did better on their SATs.

**hockeyfan228** · 08-16-2004, 02:35 PM

I think that Ando has great technical bones: fine jumping technique and edges, wonderfully centered spins with clear positions, and accomplished footwork (ex: mainly one-footed pass with no hesitation into the 3F in the SP). She's not just a jumping bean. That she was a very different skater in the SP in Dortmund -- much more flow and expression than in the LP, where she was heavy and a bit off the music -- makes me think that with experience, her interpretive skills will grow. I think overall she was overrated in Dortmund, where in my opinion there was a lot of revolution counting, but it was also due to a handful of other skaters being markedly underrated in earlier groups. (I would have had her fourth in the first Quali group and SP and seventh in the LP and overall.) Apart from her spiral, there's little to her technique that needs changing, which means she can concentrate on flow and interpretation.

**vivitt** · 08-17-2004, 05:16 AM

Miki is very cute! I love her!

She will do a this season breakthrough now!
Go Miki!!!

**lavender** · 08-17-2004, 10:04 AM

Originally Posted by Kasey

still waiting for her to hit ME with a bang.....she seems extremely talented, technically, and I think she has good enough basics that she can improve over time in presentation and artistry. She's not quite a 'bathroom break' for me right now, but not an edge of the chair with goosebumps skater either!

Kasey

ITA. She doesn't come across as interesting on the ice. She has so much talent but I need to see some kind of personality come out when she's on the ice to take interest.

**floskate** · 08-17-2004, 10:39 AM

Originally Posted by Linny

While I'd certainly be kinder than some of the comments about Miki that could be characterized as unfair... well, at her last Junior Worlds Competition, she looked decidely unhappy. It seems a bit disrespectful to just go through the motions of a program.... but that was just my impression.
Linny

Did you not stop to think of the amount of pressure she was under? Her third time at Junior Worlds and both times she'd bombed in the SP but charged back to win silver and bronze - no such excuse this time. Japan expected her to deliver and thats what she did - enough to win under enormous pressure not to end up 2nd or 3rd again!

**rtureck** · 08-17-2004, 12:49 PM

Originally Posted by figure8fan17

I have been watching the Junior figure skating world recently ( through magazines)
and I was just wondering: Do you think this coming season is the season for Miki Ando? ,when I watch her programs on television, they seem flat, in a way. There is no consistent trademark move that she has as of yet that motivates me to watch her programs ( aka make me look forward to them). What do you think?

I think she will only improve if she is injury free. Some skaters look good on tv, and have no presence in real life, Miki is the opposite in that regard.