Miki Ando is now mother of a baby girl!

[Kalina]

I must've missed the news of her pregnancy beforehand, I guess...?

You didn't. Nobody even knew she was pregnant, let alone had a baby, until today
How she managed to keep everything hidden from the media, I have no idea, but I guess JSF must have helped her in some way.

 

[mateusp1]

Please, can someone translate the interview?

Thank you so much.

 

[mateusp1]

Now, get ready for most difficult decision that JSF will have to do.

They have 4 great girls and only 3 spots. I just do not want to think Akiko not skating in Sochi.

 

[Mrs. P]

Now, get ready for most difficult decision that JSF will have to do.

They have 4 great girls and only 3 spots. I just do not want to think Akiko not skating in Sochi.

I guess the silver lining to all this is that if Akiko or Miki doesn't make it at least they had the opportunity in Vancouver. It's not a sad case of someone who NEVER made the Olympics.

 

[ForeverFish]

Of course, I wish her luck, but can't imagine she can have a baby and make the Olympic team in a competitive country like Japan less than a year later.

I see where you're coming from. Even if Japan's ladies' field was weaker, it would still be extremely difficult to get back into competitive shape in time. Women can gain up to 40 pounds while carrying a child; for a figure skater, that's a monstrous figure.

Good luck to Miki (a baby! Congratulations! :yay: ). I hope she does with her competitive career whatever feels appropriate.

 

[gourry]

WOW. Didn't see that coming at all!! Yeah, it explains a lot about last season, I guess.
Congratulations, Miki! And she looks stunning.

 

[mateusp1]

I guess the silver lining to all this is that if Akiko or Miki doesn't make it at least they had the opportunity in Vancouver. It's not a sad case of someone who NEVER made the Olympics.

I understand your point. But, do not forget that this will be Akiko's last chance. Kanako, Mao and Miki can still skate in 2018.

 

[mateusp1]

Guys, do not forget that Miki is a rock solid skater. She is very consistent. Her SP with 3Lz+2Lo, 3Lo and 2A is hit almost every time.

 

[bluesky85]

I understand your point. But, do not forget that this will be Akiko's last chance. Kanako, Mao and Miki can still skate in 2018.

i doubt miki could even try to make it to 2018 since she would be 30 turning 31 that year. also with a little girl, it will get even harder to train.... but you are right in that it will definitely be akiko's last chance...

anyways, im worried how miki could get back into competitive form after having a baby. she must have had to take a long time off the ice for the safety of the baby. will she be able to regain her jumps so quick after such a long break from the ice...?

 

[ForeverFish]

I understand your point. But, do not forget that this will be Akiko's last chance. Kanako, Mao and Miki can still skate in 2018.

Miki probably can't. It's possible for Kanako and Mao, but I doubt they would want to. Mao has already announced that she'll be retiring after next season; Kanako, if she performs well at the Olympics, has expressed the same intention. They likely want to move onto another phase in their lives that isn't dominated by training and traveling and competing, and they'd need a pretty good reason to decide to stay on for four more years. Mao, for one, doesn't have much left to accomplish in the sport -- she's already written down as one of the greatest of all time, and while she could win more medals by continuing to compete after Sochi/2014 Worlds, that doesn't sound like something she would want to do.

Not to mention, in 2018, the younger generation (Kaetlyn, Gracie, Zijun, Adelina, Liza, Julia) will be grown up and toughened up. Mao and Kanako could very easily lose the edge that they have right now.

 

[TontoK]

Doing more thinking on this. I don't think it's farfetched to believe she's done with competitive skating... because she will want to be.

Parenthood has a way of putting things in perspective, and a trip to Sochi might not be what she wants to focus on now.

 

[clairecloutier]

It will be hard with three strong women already. But in many sports like tennis (Kim Clijsters) and gymnastics (Oksana Chusovitina), mothers have made successful competitive returns.

That's true. But the most recent example in skating is Isabelle Delobel in 2010, which didn't work out well. I must admit, I don't really know why Miki would want to come back now. A medal in Sochi is unlikely, even if she gets back in shape and makes the team. Yes, her jumps are solid when she's in shape. But she didn't have a 3/3 combination in 2011, or in the years leading up to that, as I recall. And she's certainly been surpassed in PCS by quite a few girls, including the Big 3 of course, Wagner, Korpi, Suzuki, and very possibly Murakami, Gold, or even Osmond. It's not impossible she could win a medal in Sochi, but I think she's much more likely to place somewhere around 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th. So why sacrifice time with her newborn when she's already been to the Olympics twice anyhow?

 

[deedee1]

Why is she crying?

When she told about her pregnancy, there was (or, were) people around her at frist, saying something like 'there was other option to make'. And she had to convince her/him/them very hard that she wants the baby to be born. Poor Miki...

In this interview, what surprised me the most was Miki literally has never done off-ice trainings whole her career, so that she now is having hard time doing lots of off-ice trainings to regain her muscle strength.
She started figure skating rahter late, IIRC, 9y.o. or 10y.o., and four years later she landed a quad Salchow in a competition. She said in the interview, "When I was younger, people asked me how I could do spins and triple jumps, but I did not know how to answer those questions, because I just could do them without much effort..." Ever since she had started figure skating, it's been almost no sweat for Miki to do spins and all triples is just AMAGING. Now I can believe and expect a real comeback from Miki Ando.

 

[gkelly]

If she is able to compete at Sochi, Miki will be the very first 'mother' single skater to compete at the Olympic Games!

Zuzana (Paurova) Babiakova competed in singles figure skating the 2002 Olympics after giving birth in 2000.

I would not be surprised to learn that one or more women who competed in singles skating in any of the pre-WWII Olympics were mothers, but I haven't done the research to determine whether that is or is not the case.

 

[plushyfan]

When she told about her pregnancy, there was (or, were) people around her at frist, saying something like 'there was other option to make'. And she had to convince her/him/them very hard that she wants the baby to be born. Poor Miki...

In this interview, what surprised me the most was Miki literally has never done off-ice trainings whole her career, so that she now is having hard time doing lots of off-ice trainings to regain her muscle strength.
She started figure skating rahter late, IIRC, 9y.o. or 10y.o., and four years later she landed a quad Salchow in a competition. She said in the interview, "When I was younger, people asked me how I could do spins and triple jumps, but I did not know how to answer those questions, because I just could do them without much effort..." Ever since she had started figure skating, it's been almost no sweat for Miki to do spins and all triples is just AMAGING. Now I can believe and expect a real comeback from Miki Ando.

Thank you deedee! I believe it was a good decision that gave birth to a baby girl.

 

[chloepoco]

Congratulations to Miki; what a beautiful mother she is!!

 

[prettykeys]

When she told about her pregnancy, there was (or, were) people around her at frist, saying something like 'there was other option to make'. And she had to convince her/him/them very hard that she wants the baby to be born. Poor Miki...

Thank you for the explanation. Miki looks radiant and peaceful. Congrats to her.

 

[demarinis5]

Congratulations to Miki! Surprising but wonderful news!

 

[FSGMT]

When she told about her pregnancy, there was (or, were) people around her at frist, saying something like 'there was other option to make'. And she had to convince her/him/them very hard that she wants the baby to be born. Poor Miki...

:disapp:

In this interview, what surprised me the most was Miki literally has never done off-ice trainings whole her career, so that she now is having hard time doing lots of off-ice trainings to regain her muscle strength.
She started figure skating rahter late, IIRC, 9y.o. or 10y.o., and four years later she landed a quad Salchow in a competition. She said in the interview, "When I was younger, people asked me how I could do spins and triple jumps, but I did not know how to answer those questions, because I just could do them without much effort..." Ever since she had started figure skating, it's been almost no sweat for Miki to do spins and all triples is just AMAGING. Now I can believe and expect a real comeback from Miki Ando.

However, congratulations to Miki and good luck!

 

[FlattFan]

Congrats to Miki and her baby. Tough road ahead for her, though.