Mira Leung aims to surprise the world (top 8)

[iloveaxel]

New article on Mira Leung and Joannie Rochette's preparations.
http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/sports/story.html?id=2b19bf5c-ddf6-40e8-b7e3-f673b13e3260

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The gift package, she hopes, will include a message to the world that she's not the same skater who finished 13th in Calgary at 2006 worlds or the one who placed eighth at Skate America in late October in Hartford, Ct., and sixth a week later at Skate Canada in Victoria.

"I feel I've improved my skating, my speed, probably my spins too," Leung said on a conference call Wednesday. "In general, everything has gone up since the Grand Prixs (Hartford, Victoria). I have cleaned up the footwork [with more body movement and deeper edges]. The program is about the same but I feel my spins have improved.

"I think it will be a surprise to the world where I'll be standing next week. I haven't competed internationally since November and I'm not sure where I'll be ranked but I think I will be coming as a surprise to worlds."

Leung isn't promising anything gaudy from either the jewellery or the results departments in Tokyo. Confident but not brash, she said Wednesday she's hoping for a top eight, slightly below Rochette, who's hoping for a top five.

Top 8 may be a bit stretch, but top 10 is well within reach. Mira Leung can be a bit delusional at times, but I really like her competive spirits plus a bit rustiness.

Joannie's goal

"I was seventh last year so I want to be in the top five for sure," Rochette, 21, of Ile Dupas, Que., said Wednesday on her conference call. "I go there and I want to win. If I skate well I'm happy, but I want to be in the top five for sure."

Rochette will have seven triples in her long program in Tokyo. Leung will have six.

 

[iloveaxel]

Mira leung

Whenever there's a Mira Leung thread, there will be lots of whining. Have some fun, folks. LOL.

 

[Oscilla]

I actually like her new SP. Her technique might be questionable, but she is a fun skater to watch. I really like her combo spin, where she goes from a donut position right into "I" spin.

 

[chuckm]

As usual, no mention of fixing her crazy jump technique, or working on her presentation. I still think she has very little chance to make top 10 and top 12 may be her ceiling. Again.

 

[passion]

We'll just have to wait and see what happens. She usually brings up the point about improving in interviews (and she has made great strides without a doubt), but the judges make the official call. I think she has been a bit naive in the past. For instance, she thought that she could do Cohen moves and land all her triple jumps and do well inernationally. I still get a sense of naiveness because it's not just about improvements. It depends on how the others skate and how the international judges receive her. It will be a very exciting competition, nevertheless, and I am pleased to see that she seems to be identifying her weaknesses and working on them. Ironically, it's not Mira that I'm worried about or frustrated with; it's Joannie this time.

 

[blue dog]

I hope for the best. Hopefully she CAN surprise us...even if she isn't my favourite.

 

[chuckm]

Mira did 3Z2L, 3F and 2A, but the 3Z and the 2A both looked underrotated. She also had a whoopsie during the spiral sequence. She sits in 20th place so it looks more likely that she will finish lower than she did last year, not higher.

Her 'consistency' seems to have gone south. I hope she will finally come to terms with what she has to do to succeed as a skater, and start paying close attention to her coach AND to the feedback from the judges.

Mother definitely does not know best.

 

[passion]

Mira did 3Z2L, 3F and 2A, but the 3Z and the 2A both looked underrotated. She also had a whoopsie during the spiral sequence. She sits in 20th place so it looks more likely that she will finish lower than she did last year, not higher.

Her 'consistency' seems to have gone south. I hope she will finally come to terms with what she has to do to succeed as a skater, and start paying close attention to her coach AND to the feedback from the judges.

Mother definitely does not know best.

I'm shocked! Absolutely shocked! I really thought she could at least be top 12 at the very worst! What happened?!!!! I mean, I geuss I'll have to watch her program, but it seems like she absolutely has no room to make errors considering her skating doesn't seem up to par with some of the others. It must be especially humiliating after you eat your own words. In my mind, I think everything has gone down, and I was very surprised at her standings! She needs to be even more careful with her words during interviews, not to be too confident in public for the sake of saving face.

And I'm shocked at Joannie! This is just devastating!

 

[passion]

I am very embarrassed for Skate Canada. I wonder what's going through their heads right now.

 

[SK8LUVR]

Passion I was thinking those words too. I just don't know what we as a skating country are going to do to improve on this. We are hosting the Olympic games in a few years and we really don't have top seeds to go for a podium finish. I am very dissappointed in Joannie. I had such high hope for her and now I don't know what to think.

 

[chuckm]

At least Joannie blames herself for her poor performance. Mira blames the judges for marking her down, and her coach for not following Mira's suggestions.

Mira has a major-league attitude problem. The mistakes that caused her to be marked down were a badly underrotated jump and a major stumble in the spiral sequence, yet she thought she skated beautifully and blamed the judges for not marking her correctly. Then she blamed her coach for not changing a step sequence.

Skaters who want to become World champions do not publicly blame the judges. And since Mira was already 'fired' once by her coach Joanne McLeod, she is treading on thin ice by insinuating that Joanne is somehow responsible for Mira's low placement.

 

[R.D.]

Remember, IT'S NOT OVER YET

only 33.3% of the competition has taken place. A lot can happen in that other 66.7%. a LOT.

 

[Kasey]

At least Joannie blames herself for her poor performance. Mira blames the judges for marking her down, and her coach for not following Mira's suggestions.

Mira has a major-league attitude problem. The mistakes that caused her to be marked down were a badly underrotated jump and a major stumble in the spiral sequence, yet she thought she skated beautifully and blamed the judges for not marking her correctly. Then she blamed her coach for not changing a step sequence.

Skaters who want to become World champions do not publicly blame the judges. And since Mira was already 'fired' once by her coach Joanne McLeod, she is treading on thin ice by insinuating that Joanne is somehow responsible for Mira's low placement.

Everything that chuckm said here, and more. Mira IS delusional if she thinks what she did was a "good skate". And is rather, well, not intelligent to lay the blame on the coach. Who exactly is skating out there, Joanne??

 

[iloveaxel]

I blew the first half of my prediction that Mira leung would squeeze into top 10, but the second half of my prediction is still valid.

I mean, I'm shocked, shocked that Joannie is official in league with Mira Leung! Even PCS is closer than ever.

 

[iloveaxel]

I am very embarrassed for Skate Canada. I wonder what's going through their heads right now.

I believe there's some fatal flaw of Canada's coaching philosophy. They don't realize the priority for skaters is to be able to consistenly land hard jumps. Most of their skaters are excellent in basic skating skills, but due to lack of tough training in consistency, they easily crumble under enormous pressure. Look at Jeffrey Buttle, Patrick Chan, very similar, great basics, but jumps suck...

The best approach is to combine technical difficulty, consistency and Canada's wonderul basic skating skills, and excellent choreographers. That's why you saw the success of Yu-Na Kim, and even Shen & Zhao(both of their programs were done by Canadians). You really need a solid skater to build the artistry. I feel some Canadian skaters' technique is quite empty.

That's why I don't really think D&D will go as far as lots of people predicted. I actually believe the third Canadian pair will surprise us in the future. They have the right approach to get big items consistent first, coupled with their excellent basic skating skills.

 

[chuckm]

Remember, IT'S NOT OVER YET

only 33.3% of the competition has taken place. A lot can happen in that other 66.7%. a LOT.

I think Joannie has a good chance to pull up, maybe even into the top 10 or 12.

But Mira is far, far out of it. She is skating in the first flight, which basically guarantees low PCS scores even for a good skate.

Skaters in the second flight who have the potential to top whatever Mira does are Rochette, Korpi, Marchei and possibly Czisny.

Mira is 7.5 points behind the lowest-ranked skater in the third flight (Martinova). Mira could score higher in the FS than some of these ladies and still wind up behind them all because her SP score was so low. She is also very vulnerable in the PCS scores. Martinova has a 2-3 point edge on Mira when it comes to presentation. All of the other 3rd-flight skaters get PCS scores nearly 7 points higher than Mira.

We won't even talk about the final flight.

 

[lutzskate]

At least Joannie blames herself for her poor performance. Mira blames the judges for marking her down, and her coach for not following Mira's suggestions.

Mira has a major-league attitude problem. The mistakes that caused her to be marked down were a badly underrotated jump and a major stumble in the spiral sequence, yet she thought she skated beautifully and blamed the judges for not marking her correctly. Then she blamed her coach for not changing a step sequence.

Skaters who want to become World champions do not publicly blame the judges. And since Mira was already 'fired' once by her coach Joanne McLeod, she is treading on thin ice by insinuating that Joanne is somehow responsible for Mira's low placement.

Is there an article in which she is quoted? Did she really diss the judges?! and her coach??!!
Could someone provide the link to where they were interviewed about their skates? Thanks.

 

[chuckm]

Is there an article in which she is quoted? Did she really diss the judges?! and her coach??!!
Could someone provide the link to where they were interviewed about their skates? Thanks.

http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/features/2010/story.html?id=013471a0-fd6e-4b14-a4cc-5b8e24790093

 

[lutzskate]

http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/features/2010/story.html?id=013471a0-fd6e-4b14-a4cc-5b8e24790093

thanks so much. Wow. If I was Joanne Mcleod, I don't know if I would want to coach a skater who spoke like that about me to the media. I'd like to see Mcleod dump Mira. She certainly needs a lesson in being gracious.

 

[hongligl]

How come Joannie and Mira arrived so late and didn't get the chance to practice in Japan??? Canada can't afford the hotel room for a couple of more days? It's just stupid to do that for World.