I think that Sasha needs to be put on this list. She was probably the first one to promote flexibility and innovative spins so strongly. It was only after her that I-spin became so popular and it's clearly visible she inspired many skaters. Kiri Baga had just the same short program to Dark Eyes, Fumie had similar clothes, Julia's music choices especially in the 2011-13 seasons were clearly inspired by Sasha. I would say many young skaters followed her path and these are just some examples.
Many say that Mao made an impact but even though I truly love her, I would sadly say she didn't make much of an impact. Maybe after some time we will see more ladies trying the 3axel or in general programs with the highest difficulty level possible. As of now I think Kim is the one that had a bigger impact, as somebody already wrote, now most girls are relying on their 3Lz-3T, which became a standard combination for top female skaters partly because of Yuna.
The same with Midori - yes, she and Asada were pushing the technical envolope but who was in fact inspired by Ito? Well, except for Mao
I'm not trying to diminish their achievements, as both Mao and Midori are my favourite skaters but it seems to me that sadly not many people follow their path.
Many say that Mao made an impact but even though I truly love her, I would sadly say she didn't make much of an impact. Maybe after some time we will see more ladies trying the 3axel or in general programs with the highest difficulty level possible. As of now I think Kim is the one that had a bigger impact, as somebody already wrote, now most girls are relying on their 3Lz-3T, which became a standard combination for top female skaters partly because of Yuna.
The same with Midori - yes, she and Asada were pushing the technical envolope but who was in fact inspired by Ito? Well, except for Mao
I'm not trying to diminish their achievements, as both Mao and Midori are my favourite skaters but it seems to me that sadly not many people follow their path.