About Miki

[Tinymavy15]

What are the general opinions about how she will do next season? She has been very inconsistent this past season... and with her injuries... She seems to have motivational problems lately, so I really have no idea what to expect. Also, what music would you recommend? Carmen, although being terribly overused actually went over pretty well for Miki... in my opinion at least, but I do not think she will keep it.

 

[Hsuhs]

I'd recommend her a coaching change. Mr. Arutunian?

 

[NatachaHatawa]

I'd recommend her a coaching change. Mr. Arutunian?

Haha! Poor Morozov loosing all his Japanes pupils!

Miki really needs powerful music.

 

[eleonora.d]

It seems like she had motivational problems, yes, but she also had an injury! I can remember she told the press her shoulder was moving while sleeping (several months ago). In Gothenborg too, she did not recover yet. Shouldn't she go under surgery?

 

[sorcerer]

Here's what I know right now about Miki, in brief.

- In April, Miki took rest from skating, healing her left calf and her right thigh, meeting friends, helping the coffee shop that her family runs, attending university, doing rehab of her shoulder everyday in the hospital.

- As for her shoulder, being told that it won't fully recover with one surgery, she went through careful consultation with her doctor, talked a lot with her family, and considering her situation as a skater, she chose rehabilitation over plural surgery that may result more than a full-season retreat.
She will try this way to start this season, be cautious, and will see.
It is not that she has completely denied surgery.

- On May 6, Fuji-TV aired Miki getting on the ice on April 29, after more than a month's blank. She showed to the camera her new shoes, and seemed to be in joy of recovering from the shock she got herself in Goteborg.
They showed her doctor telling what her shoulder is like with MRI photos. Also showed how Miki is doing rehab everyday.

- She stayed in Japan till this week for various reasons including this rehab, also trying the new choreo of a exhibition number for the shows JSF(its affiliate to be precise) and IMG each planned.

- She will join the Morozov team in Hackensack, presumably will polish her exhibition number, and will be back to Japan late this month for the Dreams on Ice show.

- She is close friends with both Dai and Nobu. She said she will miss Dai in the Morozov team.

My personal impression after seeing some recent off-ice videos and photos of Miki, and comparing them to last season, she certainly looks much younger now IMO.
I will post my view of Miki both last and this season in a few days.

 

[DragonPhoenix]

Thank you very much for the information, sorcerer

Great to hear she is making a good recovery from her injuries.

About the music choice for her. I feel powerful and passionate music fits her very well. I love the music for her programs from her last two seasons. And I also hope she will add whatever new and variety music that she likes.

 

[Hsuhs]

Poor Morozov loosing all his Japanes pupils!

He isn't. In fact, he's got one more, Fumi Suguri.

 

[NatachaHatawa]

He isn't. In fact, he's got one more, Fumi Suguri.

It was just a thought that crossed my mind when you suggested Miki change coach - it would mean the second Japanese Pupil Morozov would have lost.

What's this I hear about Fumi? When did this happen?

 

[Sylvia]

Very recently, apparently. See: http://www.ifsmagazine.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=576

However several other high-profile skaters train under Morozov’s direction. Fumie Suguri has relocated to New Jersey to train full-time with Morozov. 2007 World champion Miki Ando also trains in Hackensack as does the 2008 World junior champion, Adam Rippon of the United States.

 

[Hsuhs]

Fumie's ISU bio lists Nobuo Sato,Nobuko Fukui, Shinji Someya, O.Vasiliev and Zhulin as her former coaches. Morozov's a good move for her, IMO. The girl has nothing to lose.
But Miki... I wish she came back strong.

 

[nubka]

I wasn't even sure that she would be back next season. If her love of skating is rejuvinized and her shoulder really is up to par, then it's a good thing. I'd just hate to see her struggle through another season looking so sad all the time...

 

[Tinymavy15]

I wasn't even sure that she would be back next season. If her love of skating is rejuvinized and her shoulder really is up to par, then it's a good thing. I'd just hate to see her struggle through another season looking so sad all the time...

I have to agree with you. She really does not seem to enjoy skating anymore, (not that I would either if I had to deal with all her injuries and quad talk) and she has really never been injury free since 2005 or so. I guess she wants to stay until the olympics because she skated poorly the last time around, but realistically I cannot see her doing better in 2010. I think she is forcing her body beyond its limits and that she would be so much happier if she quit the sport, went to school, made some friends and lived a normal life.

 

[Bennett]

Very recently, apparently. See: http://www.ifsmagazine.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=576

Wow, it's really really astonishing to learn that Fumie goes to Morosov!!! I never thought that he would be her style. But perhaps he would help her earn more points, which is really essential if she wants to stay competitive. But her biggest problem was the recent inconsistency in jumps and I wonder if he could be helpful with that. Hope that things go well with her. I really wish her all the best in the newer environment.

 

[sorcerer]

These are my very personal views; I have confidence in them but don't blame me if I'm wrong. ... These are totally IMO.

The so-called burn-out syndrome that Miki suffered in the first half of last season had rather little to do with becoming champion in March '07.
The syndrome is of course related to the sense of accomplishment, but in Miki's case the accomplishment meant, mostly, overcoming the trauma she got from Torino.
It was such an incredible amount of slanders and hate-posts that Miki already in trauma had to see and ignore; such was the situation she fought against.
To add to the syndrome, private losses, which she herself never disclosed, seem to have brought her blue minds living in NJ.

However, in this period she succeeded in fixing her Lip to Flip, which was one of the main achievements of Miki last season.

Her syndrome ended after the NHK. She succeeded in getting rid of being conscious of the burden of her crown and in concentrating to be Miki Ando on the ice and to enjoy herself.

She did enjoy herself in the Nationals and the 4CC, and her LP performance at Nats became something to be remembered in her whole career, so brilliant, and this is another of the chief achievements of the season.

She was happy all along this period, be it silver or bronze that she earned, saying what matters is how she can express the maximum under the condition she faces.
She did improve her elements, especially spins, in spite of the condition of her shoulder. These I think are her underrated achievements of the season.

(To be cont'd to about this coming season.. bit lengthy I must apologize.)

 

[DragonPhoenix]

She did enjoy herself in the Nationals and the 4CC, and her LP performance at Nats became something to be remembered in her whole career, so brilliant, and this is another of the chief achievements of the season.
She was happy all along this period, be it silver or bronze that she earned, saying what matters is how she can express the maximum under the condition she faces.
She did improve her elements, especially spins, in spite of the condition of her shoulder. These I think are her underrated achievements of the season.

:agree:

I love her LP performance at Nats !!

 

[chuckm]

It may have been a mistake for her to put off surgery on her shoulder. Rehab can help only so much. The stress of jumps and spins on her shoulder is great, and it would be a shame if she found herself missing the 2010 Olympics because the shoulder got worse.

 

[sorcerer]

My very personal view continues --------

Miki this coming season may face two difficulties:

As chuckm points out, she will have to cope with her shoulder.
In every practice session she will most likely keep it heavily taped up, and iced with a jell pack after each training. Fuji-TV showed how she does this icing by herself.
She may also keep on doing the rehab.

The other difficulty would be the possibility of the negative image from the Worlds causing the judges unconsciously subtract her PCS, especailly in the earlier period of the season.
In this sense, how she does in summer exhibitions and cheesefests would be interesting to watch.

But other than that, Miki has nothing to lose:

This time she will most likely be motivated full season....in her own way....and the style of Miki motivating herself has always been a mystery even to her enthusiastic fans.
Unlike Mao who is always on the track in quest for "competing and winning it", it has been like a jazz improvisation that Miki displays in this area; she never has any score that her future is written in.
However, though improvisational, she has always set her performance sessions in unit of one season. And like the past seasons, she will most likely aim her apex on the Nats.

Miki is said to have a long-term contract with her coach till the end of the 2009/10 season.
I hope from my heart that this collaboration will be even more fruitful this season, and also, with more initiative on the side of Miki herself.

She recenty often expresses her wish as "to be Miki Ando" on the ice.
I take it as her aspiration to elaborate her skating style with more character and story in it.
Yes, DragonPhoenix, I too think that the point will be how she can be in love with the music. That definitely is the key for being "Miki Ando".

 

[fairly4]

i wasn't there, but I think Mike is doing great with this injury.

She is milking it for all its worth. she is definetly getting her fame off the injury/. This way she can say she on the comeback and use it as an excuse to win. lets see.
tenely missed a year due to injury --won the next
carol missed a year due to inury won the next
it seems if you miss due to injury you win the next.
but because of the hullaboo over the injury --i just can't get into it. the gushing over injuries.
it is overly hyped by the fans --feel sorry for her. okay maybe but it is what the injury actually happened in october of last year since she got hurt. and fans are still feeling sorry for her in june of this year. yep, fans milking for all its worth. a little too much for me. i bet she will milke it for all its worth this coming season.
time to get over it.
yu-na by the way great injury the same time the last two years--interesting.
don't win==use injury as an excuse. instead of it just didn't work.
i am totally over this sorry excuses for injury bit by fans and atheltes, coaches

by the way --evans excuse for getting out of worlds --to me was bogus.
he never let michelle get out. he even made timothy skate when he was visible sick. go figure. times have changed, but Not for the better.

 

[Bennett]

I do not expect that her Worlds showing would affect judges' PCSs. Judges gave her good PCS after the Olympic season.

I wonder if having Fumie joining the team would affect her relationship with Morosov. Some skaters seem to care about this issue to the extent that they change their coaches whereas others seem not.

 

[vlaurend]

i wasn't there, but I think Mike is doing great with this injury.

She is milking it for all its worth. she is definetly getting her fame off the injury/. This way she can say she on the comeback and use it as an excuse to win. lets see.
tenely missed a year due to injury --won the next
carol missed a year due to inury won the next
it seems if you miss due to injury you win the next.
but because of the hullaboo over the injury --i just can't get into it. the gushing over injuries.
it is overly hyped by the fans --feel sorry for her. okay maybe but it is what the injury actually happened in october of last year since she got hurt. and fans are still feeling sorry for her in june of this year. yep, fans milking for all its worth. a little too much for me. i bet she will milke it for all its worth this coming season.
time to get over it.
yu-na by the way great injury the same time the last two years--interesting.
don't win==use injury as an excuse. instead of it just didn't work.
i am totally over this sorry excuses for injury bit by fans and atheltes, coaches

by the way --evans excuse for getting out of worlds --to me was bogus.
he never let michelle get out. he even made timothy skate when he was visible sick. go figure. times have changed, but Not for the better.

Let me guess. . . You are not an athlete, are you? Have you ever considered that there might be some correlation between the very hard training it takes to compete in this sport at the world level and the incidence of injuries in those athletes? If you know any skaters, you should know that they think like athletes, not like daytime TV characters.