- Joined
- May 2, 2015
Midori Ito
- Thread starter invisiblespiral
- Start date
- Joined
- Oct 31, 2014
Reposting, since video is good quality and she's worth it!
The height of her jumps
Every time I watch her 3A, my face just automatically goes like :eeking:
. May be just one class to know her.
- Joined
- Dec 3, 2014
I'm glad that this thread exists. I was going through one of those days where one ends up on a youtube watching marathon of skaters, and I felt ashamed how limited I had kept myself despite thinking of myself of a big fan of Midori, by only watching videos mostly post- 88 Olympics.
Especially amazed how much of a person born in the wrong time that she truly was. If one wasn't aware of the difference in the judging system now and then I think one would be left baffled how she did not fare as well as one would have thought she would....World 87 for example ( SP, LP), Or even Worlds 1986 (SP, LP)...to name a few. Even more baffled how good she already was in Skate Canada '84.
Truly a woman ahead of her time (not that one needed mentioning it), who truly got damned by the figures and the scoring system.
Especially amazed how much of a person born in the wrong time that she truly was. If one wasn't aware of the difference in the judging system now and then I think one would be left baffled how she did not fare as well as one would have thought she would....World 87 for example ( SP, LP), Or even Worlds 1986 (SP, LP)...to name a few. Even more baffled how good she already was in Skate Canada '84.
Truly a woman ahead of her time (not that one needed mentioning it), who truly got damned by the figures and the scoring system.
Last edited:
- Joined
- Mar 7, 2015
I'm glad that this thread exists. I was going through one of those days where one ends up on a youtube watching marathon of skaters, and I felt ashamed how limited I had kept myself despite thinking of myself of a big fan of Midori, by only watching videos mostly post- 88 Olympics.
Especially amazed how much of a person born in the wrong time that she truly was. If one wasn't aware of the difference in the judging system now and then I think one would be left baffled how she did not fare as well as one would have thought she would....World 87 for example ( SP, LP), Or even Worlds 1986 (SP, LP)...to name a few. Even more baffled how good she already was in Skate Canada '84.
Truly a woman ahead of her time (not that one needed mentioning it), who truly got damned by the figures and the scoring system.
still the best jumper ever in ladies
- Joined
- Dec 3, 2014
Definitely. Seeing her do the 2T-3T at Worlds 87 SP, just like she did 2L-3L at Olympics 88 SP, was truly great to watch. Didn't know it was her thing even before the Olympics year.
- Joined
- Dec 3, 2014
Especially knowing that she could do 3A-3T in practice and warm up.
And also the fact that those 3A-3T weren't "maybe she did"/ "maybe she didn't" moments like in the case of many ladies who try 3A and 4T/4S at practice. Truly one of a kind.
- Joined
- Dec 3, 2014
Also, I think I forgot to mention what an underrated spinner she was and still is. People compare her positions to today's ladies who are virtual contortionists, but fail to recognise how much of a pioneer or a competitor of sorts she was in that department too. The speed, the centering and the grace of it all too.
I still remember how the commentators were excited about her doing a flying sit spin (let alone the fact that it was a death drop entry).
Also, her foot work, which I thought too were very underrated. The stuff she does with the toe pick and the quickness of her feet is just awe-inspiring.
The only thing that came out maybe not of a good standard was probably her spiral when compared side by side to Yamaguchi and maybe the occasional low leg on her camel spin. But still, like Yuna's arabesque which improved every year in the lead up to Vancouver, I thought the same for Midori in lead up to Albertville. Not great, but much much better. This was '88.....and this was 92
As much as I might be extolling about Midori today, I still feel it's not enough. :hopelessness:
I still remember how the commentators were excited about her doing a flying sit spin (let alone the fact that it was a death drop entry).
Also, her foot work, which I thought too were very underrated. The stuff she does with the toe pick and the quickness of her feet is just awe-inspiring.
The only thing that came out maybe not of a good standard was probably her spiral when compared side by side to Yamaguchi and maybe the occasional low leg on her camel spin. But still, like Yuna's arabesque which improved every year in the lead up to Vancouver, I thought the same for Midori in lead up to Albertville. Not great, but much much better. This was '88.....and this was 92
As much as I might be extolling about Midori today, I still feel it's not enough. :hopelessness:
Yup, video footage shows it clear as day. I have seen that video before. I was a big fan of hers back in the day. The 6.0 system was not kind to her when you look back at the skaters who defeated her, with the jumps they had. I can only imagine the huge scores her Halifax free program would have garnered compared to eventual winner Jill Trenary under the current system. She would have leapfrogged everyone to win, no doubt.
As time goes by and still no one comes close, you realize how special she truly was. I am beginning to think there will never be anyone who can jump like she did.
I find that younger generations see the older era skaters through the lenses of today ( to be expected), without realizing how these legends were compared to their peers. I think you have to watch an entire competition to understand exactly why they are touted so highly. It us because of these pioneers that today's skaters do what they do now.
As time goes by and still no one comes close, you realize how special she truly was. I am beginning to think there will never be anyone who can jump like she did.
I find that younger generations see the older era skaters through the lenses of today ( to be expected), without realizing how these legends were compared to their peers. I think you have to watch an entire competition to understand exactly why they are touted so highly. It us because of these pioneers that today's skaters do what they do now.
Last edited:
- Joined
- Jan 9, 2017
Midori Ito was a queen. I was always more of the artistry side of things with my skating, but I idolized her jumping skills, and became quite a decent jumper with that motivation. 
Finally it was okay to not be a fancy, fragile princess skater.
Finally it was okay to not be a fancy, fragile princess skater.
To think, 25 years later after Midori hit that astonishing 3A in Albertville, no one in the Helsinki ladies' competition landed a 3A. Yes, absolutely, Midori was the best jumper & technician ever. And as someone else mentioned, the height of her jumps relative to her height was and will forever remain unequaled.
- Joined
- Jan 17, 2014
i think if the current scoring system were adapted in her years, how high tes would be.
Oh if it was CoP scoring in Albertville 1992, she would have won the FS over Yamaguchi. I don't think Yamaguchi's smallish jumps would have scored well in GOEs and Midori's transitions and strong edges would have gotten her much higher SS and TR. Ito was virtually the prototype CoP skater who came too early. None of the 3A ladies can match her for the jumps and the only other lady who came close to her jump wise was Tonya Harding.
- Joined
- Jan 29, 2007
Nice you had also thread for her. I was just some weeks ago thinking about it. My all time favourite number 1 and I won't live so long nobody will beat it. Somebody had written to some of the youtube video's comment field "it is not jumping, it is flying". Artistic scores were always too low. World was not ready to a lady who had both. And how she behaved after the programs, lovely. And this famous fall (well, she was human): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFeo-jMJSlg After the program she goes to find out if the cameraman is ok.
Edit: I had forgotten those nasty compulsory figures, which skaters had to do those times. The best skaters were off the podium because of them. I never really understood the meaning, rules or anything else about them, but well, it was the old times.
Edit: I had forgotten those nasty compulsory figures, which skaters had to do those times. The best skaters were off the podium because of them. I never really understood the meaning, rules or anything else about them, but well, it was the old times.
Last edited:
- Joined
- Dec 3, 2014
One of the comments I saw on the video from her junior days, sort of implied that she may have had eye sight problems which may have contributed to the poor Figures. While it may or may not be true, I too am glad it's gone. Not simply because of the strange podium placements but also I can't imagine how dull of a sequence it must be to have to go through that, or to watch.
Also, another strange thing I heard when watching Midori's video was how one of the commentator (I think British), claimed that she would sort of telegraph the jumps before hand, compared to the other girls. Funny because, most other girls only did toe loops and Salchows, but even more ridiculous when Midori would throw the transitions that she did into her jumps, like the counter before the 2A, and the spread eagle before the 3L. :disapp:
Midori is my favourite lady figure skater, I still watch her programs all the time, her jumps were amazing, she really enjoyed skating, and her smile was so contagious, I sometimes wonder what would happen if she was born in this generation with the current system, but I guess is ok, she was incredible in her time and very unique, and a legend no matter what
- Joined
- Nov 30, 2017
I just saw this and I thought it was the cutest thing ever! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dADmi7CXAO0
Her falling in the end is adorable!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dADmi7CXAO0Her falling in the end is adorable!
Midori will take part to an adult competition https://mobile.twitter.com/Iron_Klaus/status/994830472445415430?p=v
I wonder what kind of jumps she can still land at 48yo.
I wonder what kind of jumps she can still land at 48yo.
Similar threads
