Miki Ando made her appearance as a model in the latest Japanese version of Vogue, the famous monthly fashion magazine, sold in bookstores here starting today. In its separate-volume supplement called "Vogue Sports", she is the cover girl along with 3 more full-page shots in various clothings, constituting the main feature.
In this there is a page called "cutting edge" in which Shizuka interviews Miki.
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"As for now, it's the the Grand Prix series." -- Miki's prospect this season --
For Miki Ando, Shizuka Arakawa is an idol skater. At the same time they were comrades representing Japan, together competing in the Worlds '04 and in the Olympic games '06.
Such Shizuka is the interviewer here, bringing us some inside view of the honest mind of Miki, the current world champion.
S-- Have you got accustomed to your life in this New Jersey?
M-- I'm glad I can go out feeling free (from the media) here. But everything is in English and that isn't easy for me.
S-- Looks to me you have no difficulty communicating in English, though?
M-- (I can communicate) Only to a certain extent.(embarrased smile)..But when I'm back in my country and hear everyone speaking Japanese, it makes me relaxed.
S-- You really proved yourself by winning the Worlds, and expectations from your surroundings are getting high again. Are there times when you find some gap there compared to your feelings?
M-- I learned in Torino that it is important not to lose yourself, not to be swayed around by what others are saying about you, (so I'm okay now.)..I will keep my heart that says I skate for the love of skating.
S-- In the season starting this fall, you are to compete in Skate America that starts the GP series.
M-- By being in the earliest game of the season, I would know the level I'm on and where I must improve, so I would like to profit from what I learn in Skate America for my later games.
S-- And aiming the GP Final (where the top six go), no?
M-- I aim to do a good performance in each game, one by one.
S-- And it's Torino where the Final takes place this year.
M-- Can't be!! That Olympic rink?
S-- Yes. Didn't you know? (laugh)
M-- No, I didn't. I'm the type that get blue when you go to places of bad memories.....I'm in a kind of shock now......
S-- But it may be a chance to change such an image (of Torino).
M-- Though Torino doesn't bring me good images, it's also a place where I had a precious experience, so...... There seems to be no other way than to think of it like that. (bitter smile)
S-- And you would be on that rink as a world champion this year.
M-- Oh well. After all, you compete in the GP series because you want to go to the Final. I haven't any medal from the GP Final yet, so I'll put a goal in being able to skate there and get a medal.
S-- The rink of Torino is where you attempted the quad. Will you go for it this season?
M-- Speaking only of my heart, I wish to attempt quads even if I fall. But what I found out in Torino Olympics is that you won't be forgiven by your surroundings if you just think it that way. I think that I must bring out good results pulling my whole performance together, well enough as a representative of Japan.
S-- You do have the Vancouver Olympics in your vision, don't you?
M-- For me, the (main) theme is to have something strong by which I can tell myself who I am as a skater, and have confidence in it. F'rinstance in Torino, the competitor Arakawa you had your own color and aura that no one could compare with. ...You participated in the Nagano Olympics, you couldn't in the next one, but you revived to go to Torino and won the gold.....and did it so beautifully. How did you feel at that time?
S-- I went to the Nagano Olympics when I was 16, and sort of felt the height of the world level as a wall. I thought without reason that I couldn't compete against this wall, and I ended up lowering down the level of my own goal. And this made me unable to improve. ...But one day there happened an instance that I could feel I can compete in the world level. From that day, it became fun to climb that wall. ...(Since then) I tried to concentrate only on the very next thing coming, in a way that I would always feel that I'm not leaving any regret behind even if I were to quit skating anytime. And that seemed to have done me good.
M-- Maybe I felt the same way last season. I've been telling myself to put my effort into each one of the games that are in front of me. ...I'd like to be able to do my best in every game, taking each of them alike, be it the Grand Prix series or the Olympic games.
S-- Every year your birthday comes around the last day of the Grand Prix Final. This year you are turning 20, and how would you like to have your birthday?
M-- Since my birthday comes in mid-season, I do get something different (from skating itself) every year. I've been reaching my birthdays all along gifted with good experiences, and I hope it'll be the same this year, capturing something new by that day.
S-- Gee, you've become somewhat mature!
M-- Fufufu...(giggles in Japanese, with a smile.)
In this there is a page called "cutting edge" in which Shizuka interviews Miki.
---------------------------------------------
"As for now, it's the the Grand Prix series." -- Miki's prospect this season --
For Miki Ando, Shizuka Arakawa is an idol skater. At the same time they were comrades representing Japan, together competing in the Worlds '04 and in the Olympic games '06.
Such Shizuka is the interviewer here, bringing us some inside view of the honest mind of Miki, the current world champion.
S-- Have you got accustomed to your life in this New Jersey?
M-- I'm glad I can go out feeling free (from the media) here. But everything is in English and that isn't easy for me.
S-- Looks to me you have no difficulty communicating in English, though?
M-- (I can communicate) Only to a certain extent.(embarrased smile)..But when I'm back in my country and hear everyone speaking Japanese, it makes me relaxed.
S-- You really proved yourself by winning the Worlds, and expectations from your surroundings are getting high again. Are there times when you find some gap there compared to your feelings?
M-- I learned in Torino that it is important not to lose yourself, not to be swayed around by what others are saying about you, (so I'm okay now.)..I will keep my heart that says I skate for the love of skating.
S-- In the season starting this fall, you are to compete in Skate America that starts the GP series.
M-- By being in the earliest game of the season, I would know the level I'm on and where I must improve, so I would like to profit from what I learn in Skate America for my later games.
S-- And aiming the GP Final (where the top six go), no?
M-- I aim to do a good performance in each game, one by one.
S-- And it's Torino where the Final takes place this year.
M-- Can't be!! That Olympic rink?
S-- Yes. Didn't you know? (laugh)
M-- No, I didn't. I'm the type that get blue when you go to places of bad memories.....I'm in a kind of shock now......
S-- But it may be a chance to change such an image (of Torino).
M-- Though Torino doesn't bring me good images, it's also a place where I had a precious experience, so...... There seems to be no other way than to think of it like that. (bitter smile)
S-- And you would be on that rink as a world champion this year.
M-- Oh well. After all, you compete in the GP series because you want to go to the Final. I haven't any medal from the GP Final yet, so I'll put a goal in being able to skate there and get a medal.
S-- The rink of Torino is where you attempted the quad. Will you go for it this season?
M-- Speaking only of my heart, I wish to attempt quads even if I fall. But what I found out in Torino Olympics is that you won't be forgiven by your surroundings if you just think it that way. I think that I must bring out good results pulling my whole performance together, well enough as a representative of Japan.
S-- You do have the Vancouver Olympics in your vision, don't you?
M-- For me, the (main) theme is to have something strong by which I can tell myself who I am as a skater, and have confidence in it. F'rinstance in Torino, the competitor Arakawa you had your own color and aura that no one could compare with. ...You participated in the Nagano Olympics, you couldn't in the next one, but you revived to go to Torino and won the gold.....and did it so beautifully. How did you feel at that time?
S-- I went to the Nagano Olympics when I was 16, and sort of felt the height of the world level as a wall. I thought without reason that I couldn't compete against this wall, and I ended up lowering down the level of my own goal. And this made me unable to improve. ...But one day there happened an instance that I could feel I can compete in the world level. From that day, it became fun to climb that wall. ...(Since then) I tried to concentrate only on the very next thing coming, in a way that I would always feel that I'm not leaving any regret behind even if I were to quit skating anytime. And that seemed to have done me good.
M-- Maybe I felt the same way last season. I've been telling myself to put my effort into each one of the games that are in front of me. ...I'd like to be able to do my best in every game, taking each of them alike, be it the Grand Prix series or the Olympic games.
S-- Every year your birthday comes around the last day of the Grand Prix Final. This year you are turning 20, and how would you like to have your birthday?
M-- Since my birthday comes in mid-season, I do get something different (from skating itself) every year. I've been reaching my birthdays all along gifted with good experiences, and I hope it'll be the same this year, capturing something new by that day.
S-- Gee, you've become somewhat mature!
M-- Fufufu...(giggles in Japanese, with a smile.)
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