Miki Ando

[figure8fan17]

Yes, here we go, another one of Miki Ando...but I really admire her. Japanese skaters are getting better and better....



" I think there's a lot to learn from the japanese skaters...they are very hard workers."
-Sasha Cohen

 

[sashasbeau]

I don`t know and I don`t care

 

[Jaana]

Although I don´t think that "Michelle rules" anymore (at least did not in 2003-2004 season), I voted that, because Michelle deserved the bronze medal in Dortmund. If Miki had been faultless, she would have gotten the bronze, I believe.

Marjaana

 

[euterpe]

Miki has a long way to go on the presentation side, and she underrotated her 'money' jumps. Her "Firebird" had no spark and she is relentlessly unmusical. I would have placed Miki 6th in the FS, after Suguri and Sebestyen, with Kostner 7th.

 

[shine]

I thought there could have been no better example for "skating with background music" than Ando's SP to Chopin. As grand as the music was she managed to make it completely uninteresting.

 

[Fossi]

Didn't Michelle almost win the LP? I think this means that she is still one of the top guns, like it or not.
Michelle deserved the bronze. She had the second best LP of the night, and not a bad SP either.

 

[BronzeisGolden]

I actually thought Miki's SP was far better than her LP. "Firebird" was unimpressive. Michelle was very solid and performed an elegant LP that deserved nothing lower or higher than second in that phase of the competition. Miki deserved 4th, but I think Kostner was the lucky one...I would have had her in 7th or lower. She does absolutely nothing for me.

 

[VIETgrlTerifa]

I actually thought Miki's SP was far better than her LP. "Firebird" was unimpressive. Michelle was very solid and performed an elegant LP that deserved nothing lower or higher than second in that phase of the competition. Miki deserved 4th, but I think Kostner was the lucky one...I would have had her in 7th or lower. She does absolutely nothing for me.

Miki should have been sixth in the LP. If anyone was robbed, it was Suguri...both in the SP and LP.

 

[Chrystia Mee]

Yes, here we go, another one of Miki Ando...but I really admire her. Japanese skaters are getting better and better....



" I think there's a lot to learn from the japanese skaters...they are very hard workers."
-Sasha Cohen

I respect Miki for her accomplishments and do think she has a good place to rule the post 2006 era with the other Japanese ladies. However I think 4th place was a very generous gift in the lp at Worlds this last season. I gave her 6th. I know a lot of people are going to think I'm insane but this is how I placed skaters in the lp, 1. SHizuka, 2. Michelle 3. Suguri 4.Cohen, 5. Sebestian, 6. MIki. Shizuka definitely won the lp for me that evening. Michelle got bonus points for sheer determination/focus and I admit bias because she's my favourite. FUmie I think outskated Cohen. Cohen's program was as empty as they come for me. There was an initial ick factor since I didn't like the new Swan Lake, but additionally I felt zero presentation/artistry other than pretty positions and her technical stuff was iffy. Whereas Suguri skated to the best of her abilities and gave such a beautiful emotional performance, To me JUlia S. gave a stronger performance presentation wise. But technically Miki probably was ahead. However I think Miki using Firebird for her music was a bad move because the music is so strong and powerful and she doesn't have the presentation and presence for it just yet. Someday possibly. But not yet. Either way it was a great debut for Miki and we'll see how she challenges Shizuka this season.

 

[Ptichka]

I am not a Michelle fan, but her technique alone is so far superior to Miki's, that she has a definite advantage.

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

Didn't Michelle almost win the LP? I think this means that she is still one of the top guns, like it or not.
Michelle deserved the bronze. She had the second best LP of the night, and not a bad SP either.

Indeed she did almost. Had she executed one triple combo she would have won the competition. And she is the last skater at Worlds to have garnered two perfect 6.0s. Like Amanda Beard, whe ain't done yet.

Joe

 

[Jaana]

Indeed she did almost. Had she executed one triple combo she would have won the competition. And she is the last skater at Worlds to have garnered two perfect 6.0s.
Joe

Maybe, as the judging is what it is concerning the reputation... And if she had been a little bit better in 1998 Olympics, she would have won the Olympic gold, hadn´t she, LOL?

Well, I have to agree with those that have mentioned on forums that the judges were giving gifts in this competition as it was the last one with 6,0s. I would say that generally speaking Michelle always gives a good presentation, but in this competition I personally had a very strong impression that she started to interpret the music only in the footwork before the final spins. In my opinion, if somebody would have deserved 6,0s for presentation, it would have been Shizuka that interpreted her music during the whole programme. Unfortunately she was the first to skate in the final group and got only a 6,0 in technical scores.

Marjaana

 

[hockeyfan228]

I would say that generally speaking Michelle always gives a good presentation, but in this competition I personally had a very strong impression that she started to interpret the music only in the footwork before the final spins. In my opinion, if somebody would have deserved 6,0s for presentation, it would have been Shizuka that interpreted her music during the whole programme. Unfortunately she was the first to skate in the final group and got only a 6,0 in technical scores.

Marjaana

ITA on both points. That a single judge was willing to give a first place ordinal to Cohen or Kwan in the LP over Arakawa is beyond me.

 

[rtureck]

In my opinion, if somebody would have deserved 6,0s for presentation, it would have been Shizuka that interpreted her music during the whole programme. Unfortunately she was the first to skate in the final group and got only a 6,0 in technical scores.

IF Arakawa skated behind Cohen or Kwan she would have more 6.0s. The judges did not just inflate the 6.0s, also the 5.8s and 5.9s. People complain about Kwan's 6.0s, but IMO they inflated Cohen's marks more. Cohen's lifeless yawning lp from begin to end did not merit 5.9s or even 5.8s for presentation. BTW, the world 03 judges at Dortmund at least gave the correct placement for Arakawa. OTOH the judges who placed Cohen ahead of her in Skate Canada last year were totally out to lunch.

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

Maybe, as the judging is what it is concerning the reputation... And if she had been a little bit better in 1998 Olympics, she would have won the Olympic gold, hadn´t she, LOL?

Well, I have to agree with those that have mentioned on forums that the judges were giving gifts in this competition as it was the last one with 6,0s. Marjaana

1. The reputation didn't stop the European Officials from deducting for skating overtime. Did they, LOL?

2. And if Irina and Maria and Chen Lu skated a little better they would have either won or been second. Hadn't they, LOL?

3. For some of us who saw the competition, she was excellent and deserved the 6.0s, and certainly the 5.9s. I can imagine what forums are saying it was a gift. Am I correct, LOL?

Joe

 

[diamondqueen]

Who should have won

For me Kwan rules. Michelle has grace, line, beauty, all the connecting moves that flow from one element to another and she does it with great dignity and love.

Ando is a jumper and as I have said before you need artistry to. It goes hand in hand to make a performance complete. After the jumps are done what do you have left,. Artistry is as important as jumps, but if you don't have it, your performance lacks a lot. When your skating you need all the elements to be successful. Artistry, good choreography, good line, speed flow from on element to another and jumps are all important. Watch great skatesr like Boitano, Fleming, Hamilton and Kwan they have it all the above and more.

diamond

 

[hockeyfan228]

I had Kwan in 4th, with Ando in 7th overall.

My standings were:

Arakawa: 5.0 (1,6,1)
Cohen: 5.2 (1,3,3)
Sebestyen: 6.4 (3, 2, 4) This was luck of the Quali draw, because I don't think she should have been higher than 5th or 6th in the other Quali)
Kwan: 8.2 (5,7,2) (Edited to change from "5" to "2" in the LP)
Poykio: 10.6 (2,9,5)
Rochette 10.6 (4,5,6)
Ando: 11.0 (4,4,7)

My reasoning for Kwan's SP placement vs. Rochette and Arakawa is: Kwan had travels on two spins and a flutz, and I personally don't consider taking the short end of the rink on two feet and flicking the wrists choreography. Arakawa had better overall flow and amplitude, but cheats on the 3T in combo and the 3F. Rochette did an equivalent program technically to Kwan and had much more speed, a true lutz, a gorgeous camel spin, and wonderful steps into the 3F.

 

[chuckm]

I never would have put Ando before Kwan. She placed ahead of Kwan in the SP only because of the time deduction.

Ando is the most unmusical skater I have ever seen. She did not even skate in time to the music, let alone attempt to interpret it. Her speed was fine at the beginning of the FS, but she got slower and slower as the program progressed. The last minute or so, she was moving like molasses and had gotten further and further behind the music.

I didn't see any improvement in this regard at Campbell's. She had to nearly stop a spin just to get back with the music. That is going to hurt her under CoP.

 

[qoo]

Ando is the most unmusical skater I have ever seen. She did not even skate in time to the music, let alone attempt to interpret it. Her speed was fine at the beginning of the FS, but she got slower and slower as the program progressed. The last minute or so, she was moving like molasses and had gotten further and further behind the music.


Hmmmm. why do you have to put Ando down that much? You must be really afraid of her I assume. How do you know she didn't try to attempt to interpret it? Ando's spin got slower and sloppier later in the program but your favorite kwan's spin has not always been that great either. I think Ando can be very musical some day.. she has nice flow on the ice and her movements are very natural and not "forced"....

 

[chuckm]

If a skater is innately unmusical, it's going to be very, very difficult for her to develop a musical sense. It's rather like a person with no sense of rhythm trying to learn how to tap dance, or a tone deaf person trying to learn how to sing.

Ando is a fine jumper. She will no doubt be able in time to bring her spins and spirals up to a higher level, but they will probably never be at the same level as her jumps. Her overall presentation will also improve, but I believe that she will always be lacking in the musical interpretation area.