Mira Leung aims to surprise the world (top 8)

[iloveaxel]

Give Cynthia a chance. .

Skate Canada gave her a chance at 4CC, she was place 15th.

Whether it's Cynthia, Mira, Lewsley, Joannie, they have to earn the spot, nobody should get a free pass. Mira earned her spot at Nationals, fair and square, she bombed, so what? How can you be sure Cynthia or Lewsley would have even made to the top 24 at worlds?

 

[nadster]

Hopefully Cynthia will get her jumps back this summer. Remember she did was still injured during the summer ( when skaters make their biggest gains). At Canadians she did show that the power is back. She really hasn't had the time to get her jumps back.

Lesley Hawker has made great strides this season and I think will continue to improve.

As far as Mira goes she needs both a new attitude and coach. Certainly Joanne M. is not a great coach of axel jumps ( look at Sandhu's problems with the jump and even Kevin Reynolds can't rotate a triple axel despite easily rotating 2 different quads).

Skate Canada has also been too nice to Mira. When Mira refused to do the JGP and waited for the injury of Annie Bellemare to get into the senior grand prix, SC should not have let her get the spot. The message should be, if you get a JGP , you go there. You don't get to weasel out of JGP and sneak a trip to senior GP from somebody's injury.

Mira also needs genuine competition at nationals to take her out of her delusional state. Hopefully Duhamel ( with no injuries), Samson , Phaneuf or Hawker can genuinelly challenge.

 

[Melody]

Mira also needs genuine competition at nationals to take her out of her delusional state. Hopefully Duhamel ( with no injuries), Samson , Phaneuf or Hawker can genuinelly challenge.

I have always felt that Meagan could really shake things up, as long as her season remains injury-free. Poor girl just seems to have the worst luck with that! I would love to see someone, anyone, come up and snatch that 2nd place spot from Mira. She has had enough chances. Let someone else have a go at it!

 

[antmanb]

Canadian skaters need to learn jumps from little kids, not just artistry, spins, footwork. I completely agree with you. There is no one else. That is exactly my point as I have been saying in other posts. I have not forgotten Cynthia's placement; (in fact I think Cynthia may have missed her opportunity when she elected not to go to Worlds when she won.) I think you misunderstood. Skate Canada needs to set the bar higher! Demand more from the novice and junior ladies. Make them try the triple triples. Get the message out to coaches. Decrease funding if standards in competitions are not met. I agree with what you said, and I did not mean to give the impression otherwise.

Firstly, kids do learn jumping from when they are little kids - for most kids the jumps are the most exciting things - spinning and jumping generally are not difficult to get the kids to practice, now footwork and basics the kids do not practice - its like the having to practice scales on a musical instrument.

Decreasing funding if results are not made? Forcing skaters to try triples they can't consistently land? That does nothing but demotivate and demoralise skaters. NISA have been doing this to their skaters for the last 3-4 years and our results in singles have gotten worse. You don't use a stick to beat people to motivate them, you use a carrot. NISA changed their senior test standards to be like an international elite SP. We have three ladies who compete in senior nationals because no-opne can pass the damn test. We have skaters who don't get experience because NISA don't send thm to international events unless they're sure of a top half draw finish. If canada moves to a system more like in the UK - it will be the final nails in the coffin.

Ant

 

[temperboy28]

I knew the haters would come out after Mira had her worst competition in years. Way to kick somebody while they are down. Mira is one of the most consistent skaters going today, she will have a personal competition(relative to her own abilities) like this about 10% of the time, some others have it 90% of the time(or worse).

Mira earned her right here by doing 2 clean programs at Canadians. Lesley Hawker could not do it, Phaneuf sure as heck didnt and I have no idea how she even made the top 5 at Canadians, Samson didnt although she had a nice short.

Yeah she had a disaesterous competition here, well atleast a disaesterous long, a respectable short, which is unfortunate. However she is human, it will happen to even the most consistent of skaters at some point. Her international performances and consistency at Canadians still set her apart as clearly the #2 Canadian behind Rochette. Nothing that happened her changes that.

 

[R.D.]

wow, check out the letter post in the edge. But I have to wonder where the letter originated...and hope it's not an excuse or cop-out....

 

[Tigger]

I know what you mean Red Dog. Yes, we heard from Joanne in the one article Mira was having problems w/one of her heels, but the timing of all of this does make me wonder....

 

[blue dog]

I knew the haters would come out after Mira had her worst competition in years. Way to kick somebody while they are down. Mira is one of the most consistent skaters going today, she will have a personal competition(relative to her own abilities) like this about 10% of the time, some others have it 90% of the time(or worse).

Mira earned her right here by doing 2 clean programs at Canadians. Lesley Hawker could not do it, Phaneuf sure as heck didnt and I have no idea how she even made the top 5 at Canadians, Samson didnt although she had a nice short.

Yeah she had a disaesterous competition here, well atleast a disaesterous long, a respectable short, which is unfortunate. However she is human, it will happen to even the most consistent of skaters at some point. Her international performances and consistency at Canadians still set her apart as clearly the #2 Canadian behind Rochette. Nothing that happened her changes that.

The so-called haters were already out before because we noticed that it wasn't the skating that turned us off but her attitude. Her attitude towards her coach, and towards the fact that she believes she doesn't make mistakes. She hasn't improved since her first showing at Canadians. Now, yes she was clean at Canadians, but clean doesn't necessarily mean good. Tonya Harding had clean performances, but I would rather have a splatfest Sasha than a clean Tonya.

Nothing annoys people more with people in the public eye than divas who cannot back up their big mouths.

On that note, I hope her Achilles Heel heals so that she can finally make those improvements--but as the others had said, she may have been looked at in a better light had she initially come out with her injury and still done what she did--in fact, people will think of Mira as brave. But to come out now with this injury--it's almost like Tonya Harding's skate lace breaking in the single lutz all over again.

 

[mike79]

I just get a kick out of the fact that there are people put there who seem to think that Phaneuf should already be back skating at 100%. The girl had a serious injury and went through a growth spurt. If she regains her form she should pass Leung on the Nationals stage. Will she get her form back? Maybe, maybe not. It's still way to early to write her off though.

 

[nadster]

I just get a kick out of the fact that there are people put there who seem to think that Phaneuf should already be back skating at 100%. The girl had a serious injury and went through a growth spurt. If she regains her form she should pass Leung on the Nationals stage. Will she get her form back? Maybe, maybe not. It's still way to early to write her off though.

To add to that, Phaneuf did not have this past summer to train. And that is the time for a skater to make technical gains.

 

[chuckm]

I think Mira's letter smacks of: 'don't blame me for my bad performances 'cuz I was injured.' I think she probably was skating injured, but lots of skaters do, and they feel no need to justify off performances by making a public statement after the fact. IIRC, Joanne McLeod knew about the injury and didn't think it was a major problem.

Whatever. Mira says she will come back in the fall much improved. I hope that is true, but if I were Mira, I'd be very careful about making public predictions of how she's going to do. It tends to make fodder for cynical board posters such as myself and many others.

 

[lutzskate]

The so-called haters were already out before because we noticed that it wasn't the skating that turned us off but her attitude. Her attitude towards her coach, and towards the fact that she believes she doesn't make mistakes. She hasn't improved since her first showing at Canadians. Now, yes she was clean at Canadians, but clean doesn't necessarily mean good. Tonya Harding had clean performances, but I would rather have a splatfest Sasha than a clean Tonya.

Nothing annoys people more with people in the public eye than divas who cannot back up their big mouths.

On that note, I hope her Achilles Heel heals so that she can finally make those improvements--but as the others had said, she may have been looked at in a better light had she initially come out with her injury and still done what she did--in fact, people will think of Mira as brave. But to come out now with this injury--it's almost like Tonya Harding's skate lace breaking in the single lutz all over again.

:agree: I couldn't have put it better myself. You posted exactly what I was thinking. Thanks.

And to mike79 and nadster, I certainly haven't written Cynthia off. I hope that she can regain the fire that she needs to inspire her and I hope as much as anyone that she can get back into top form. She's got the basics, I just hope she can get her jumps back and is able to remain uninjured. But I will wait to see how she does, and I have not written her off.

 

[Kwanford Wife]

Whatever. Mira says she will come back in the fall much improved. I hope that is true, but if I were Mira, I'd be very careful about making public predictions of how she's going to do. It tends to make fodder for cynical board posters such as myself and many others.

Ok. This was funny!!!

I don't know alot about Mira, outside of what's said on the boards, her mom and her obvious need for a make-over... Is she the Canadian Tonya Harding or is she simply a good little skater who hasn't figured out how to be great? And could she be great? Is it polish, attitude or talent that is holding her back?

 

[R.D.]

well, if I were Canadian or lived in Canada I'd know a lot more about her, it seems...but I don't think I've ever seen her skate except at the Olympics.

A lot of harsh things were said about her, then this letter popped up which smoothed things out. I must admit that I felt the timing of it was rather coincidental, though.

Well, seems that if I were Mira I'd let the skating do most of the talking for me. Nothing wrong with saying you're going to improve, though, or even that you WILL improve. No one is looking at Meissner funny after she said "I'll be back" at the ESPN interview, right? they take her word for it.

 

[Tigger]

True, but Kimmie also realizes she has weaknesses she needs to work on. Mira doesn't. All those quotes about the double axel in the SP being fine and she can't understand why she got dinged for it, not to mention the remarks about Joanne's decisions leading up to Worlds, is a prime example of Mira being Mira.

She doesn't think there's anything to fix w/her skating and whether it's due to arrogance, getting her own way for so long and/or Mommy's influence, it's past time for her to be getting an attitude check. Last week should be a wake up call for her, but from the comments I've read coming out of her mouth in the various articles show unless an earth shattering event happens, that's not going to happen either.

 

[janetb]

True, but Kimmie also realizes she has weaknesses she needs to work on. Mira doesn't. All those quotes about the double axel in the SP being fine and she can't understand why she got dinged for it, not to mention the remarks about Joanne's decisions leading up to Worlds, is a prime example of Mira being Mira.

She doesn't think there's anything to fix w/her skating and whether it's due to arrogance, getting her own way for so long and/or Mommy's influence, it's past time for her to be getting an attitude check. Last week should be a wake up call for her, but from the comments I've read coming out of her mouth in the various articles show unless an earth shattering event happens, that's not going to happen either.

Just a thought but someone who says that they intend to improve over the summer probably does realize that they have area's that need improvement otherwise why would they be trying to improve? Maybe if you tried to read said articles critically rather than reading into them what you want to see you would have recognize that.

 

[Tigger]

There is such a thing as spin and trying to work the PR in your favour.

And please don't tell me I'm reading anything into Mira's comments. I've watched and followed her now for nearly four years and nothing she has said the last week and a half is anything new. She's great at talking the talk. Not so much at walking the walk or skate. I mean, as far as she's concerned, a poorly done double axel w/next to no height is fine and dandy, so just exactly what am I "reading into" on that one?

 

[R.D.]

True, but Kimmie also realizes she has weaknesses she needs to work on. Mira doesn't. All those quotes about the double axel in the SP being fine and she can't understand why she got dinged for it, not to mention the remarks about Joanne's decisions leading up to Worlds, is a prime example of Mira being Mira.

She doesn't think there's anything to fix w/her skating and whether it's due to arrogance, getting her own way for so long and/or Mommy's influence, it's past time for her to be getting an attitude check. Last week should be a wake up call for her, but from the comments I've read coming out of her mouth in the various articles show unless an earth shattering event happens, that's not going to happen either.

If it's indeed true that this Mira Leung is THAT hard-headed, sadly it seems like the reality check will have to be sparked WITHIN her...it's simply not going to be done by someone slapping it into her, no matter how hard they strike. She's going to have to wake up one day with the realization that the status quo is not working and she actually needs to make changes. Only Mira herself can "wake up" and turn this around- not a coach, nor angry skating fans or federation, not even mom. It may take a rather humbling moment for this to occur, but it has to happen.

As for Meissner, everyone has "weaknesses that [they] need to work on." She strikes me as one with the necessary work ethic to make noteable changes, though. But I figured from last week's event that she does have some catching up to do to catch the Asians. For now, she needs to rely on mistakes from them in BOTH programs...it didn't happen here; they were perfect or solid in either the SP or FS and Meissner couldn't dig herself out of that hole, so no podium. I think the times are changing. You're seeing the new dominance of the Asian skaters and the decreasing impact of the western skaters.

 

[Spun Silver]

I think the times are changing. You're seeing the new dominance of the Asian skaters and the decreasing impact of the western skaters.

Can I quote you on this in the next year or two when Caroline, Mirai, Ashley and Kristine come onto the senior level?

No need to get so lofty. Their current champs are better than our current champ. Doesn't mean anything about "the times."

 

[R.D.]

Can I quote you on this in the next year or two when Caroline, Mirai, Ashley and Kristine come onto the senior level?

no you can't

anyway, putting it all on the US up-and-comers isn't going to be enough. Once they step into the senior scene they'll have to work their way back up and only Skate God knows how that will play out. Didn't Em Hughes win a junior bronze medal?

I don't know if Japan has any young and rising talent but Kim and Asada are quite young and likely have many more years of competition in them. Ando I'm not sure about.

I really do think that they will be a force at least throughout the next Olympic games.