Mira Leung

[iloveaxel]

Just watched Mira Leung's short program. She is great with another clean performance. The program is very refresh and edgy although I'm not sure if i like this style. Her coach and she are obviously working on her artistry. Her weird jump technique seems to have changed a bit. She has gorgeous knees that's why her jump landings are so soft and secure. It reminds me of Oda. I will try to upload the video when it's available.

Obviously, Mira has a lot of enemies and detractors. But she is the only Canadian lady who can get the job done when it counts. It will be suicidal if Canadian federation wants to push her out and send in Cynthia or Hawker instead.

I don't understand the fuss over Cynthia. Her spirals are horrible. She popped a lutz, did a 3toe and 2A but still scored 49 points. However, there's no way the international judges will reward her with such high PCS when her jump arsenal is left with 3sal and 3toe. I doubt she'll get other jumps back.

Joannie is still the typical Joannie. 3flip+2toe, 2lutz, 2A, nothing is exciting about her. She will make to the top 10 at worlds, but medal is definitely out of reach...

Hawker is too old and boring...

Am I the only one who actually like Mira Leung?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zR0y4E3fpMg

 

[slutskayafan21]

Leung was overscored in comparision to Hawker and Samson and it was a travesty. Hawker and Samson's performances were superior in almost every aspect except the spiral sequence perhaps. Consistency is usually the only thing that keeps Mira as high as she is, with skaters with cleaner technique and more polished presentation then she skating error free as well tonight, no way should she be scoring up with them like she did tonight.

As for Phaneuf unfortuante she made a mistake tonight but the quality of her skating and elements itself is still tops of any Canadian women outside of Rochette, and there are some qualities in her skating that are unique from Rochette's as well although obviously Rochette is the class of Canadian women right now. Phaneuf in every conceivable way is more pleasing to watch skate then Leung.

You think international judges are impressed by Leung? Think again. Even if she delivers she has almost no shot of a top 10 at Worlds. Hawker and Samson dont either, but there is no difference really in that case, if they outskate her, and both certainly did last night they deserve to go over her. Phaneuf is the wild card, if she somehow puts it all together she has much more potential on the international stage then Leung. You say international judges would not have been so generous, the same could be said of Leung so no difference. I am surprised after her fiascos off the ice and at Skate Canada the judges made a concerted effort to hold her up and help her get that 2nd spot to Worlds. If she earns it in the free program then I dont have a problem with her getting it, but she has done nothing to warrant a vested interest in holding her up IMO.

 

[iloveaxel]

Canada

Mira Leung has improved a lot.

Canadian federation will be committing suicide if they send out Cynthia or Hawker. Hawker's skating is so boring, to think her PCS will be higher than Mira, you'd better check what marks she got for her two GP events, both in the low 5s or higher 4s.

Cynthia will have no future, there's no way her lutz, loop and flip will come back, she may consider ice dance instead.

 

[chuckm]

Iloveaxel, you sound an awful lot like tonyamorin on FSU--very few people over there agree with you either.

Mira Leung is a reasonably good jumper, but that's where she begins and ends. Her jumping technique is horrid, and her presentation is lacking in every way. I agree with slutskayafan: Mira is a top 10 wannabe who has little or no chance to get there because the ISU judges don't much like skaters who jump but have little else to recommend them.

I would much rather watch Hawker or Phaneuf or Samson than Leung. When Leung is shown on TV, it's time to go to the kitchen and grab a snack. When you've seen her once, you aren't anxious to relive that experience again.

 

[slutskayafan21]

When Leung is shown on TV, it's time to go to the kitchen and grab a snack. When you've seen her once, you aren't anxious to relive that experience again.

That pretty much sums up perfectly my feelings in a nutshell of watching Leung skate as well.

Nothing about her is particularly pleasing to the eye.

 

[blue dog]

Mira could have a future in skating if she corrected a lot of the things that judges have probably told her to correct for years. Unfortunately, she hasn't done that. Then again, people used to say that there was nothing special in Torvill and Dean...and we all know what happened there.

Just as people were ready to join Erin Perl's bandwagon years ago when she finished 5th in her first try at US Senior nationals--and, well, we never heard from her again.

 

[Ladskater]

Hey, I am with iloveaxel on this one. There is something about Mira that grabs my interest and holds me there while she is skating. No Mira may not have the presentation of a Joannie or a Cynthia, but what she lacks in artistry she makes up for in her gutsy performance. What I like best about Mira is that she attacks her jumps and I know she will pretty much nail them, unlike Joannie or Cynthia or Leslie. I can see a vast improvement in Mira's presentation and artistry over last season. Even Tracy commented that Mira can hold her own against the other skaters because of her jumps and her determination. I would not count Mira out for the future.

 

[antmanb]

Am I the only one who actually like Mira Leung?

Yes she is out of shape...

 

[Mathman]

Mira is the designated whipping girl of Canadian skating fans on the Internet. For some reason, the judges like her better.

She finished twelfth at the Olympics, ahead of fan favorites Poykio, Sokolova, and Korpi and also ahead of veterans Sebestyen (speaking of whipping girls) and Liashenko. She must be doing something right.

 

[iloveaxel]

Mira is the designated whipping girl of Canadian skating fans on the Internet. For some reason, the judges like her better.

She finished twelfth at the Olympics, ahead of fan favorites Poykio, Sokolova, and Korpi and also ahead of veterans Sebestyen (speaking of whipping girls) and Liashenko. She must be doing something right.

The vicious attack against her is quite bizarre.

 

[chuckm]

Mira is the designated whipping girl of Canadian skating fans on the Internet. For some reason, the judges like her better.

Mira finished twelfth at the Olympics, ahead of fan favorites Poykio, Sokolova, and Korpi and also ahead of veterans Sebestyen (speaking of whipping girls) and Liashenko. She must be doing something right.

I don't think for one minute it's that the judges 'like her better', and the only thing right Mira is doing is landing most of her jumps.

Mira finished ahead of the skaters you mentioned (Poykio, Sokolova, Korpi, Sebestyen and Liashenko) because the Finns, Sokolova and Sebestyen laid huge bombs on the ice, and Liashenko's back injury was so bad that she called it a career right after Torino.

Mira herself laid one huge bomb at Skate America 2006, so she doesn't even land her jumps every time out.

 

[Mathman]

Still, to me, the vitriol seems out of proportion. This is a skater who legitimately can land in the range 10th -15th in the world. Is that so awful?

 

[Kwanford Wife]

Still, to me, the vitriol seems out of proportion. This is a skater who legitimately can land in the range 10th -15th in the world. Is that so awful?

Of course it is... Mira isn't "pretty" therefore she deserves to be the object of ridicule & scorn on-line... Whatever. I like her and feel that she's one of the best talents Canada has & if they were smart, they'd work WITH her and not against her to ensure a stronger program... Joanine is good, but not that good...

 

[mylastduchess]

Hey, I am with iloveaxel on this one. There is something about Mira that grabs my interest and holds me there while she is skating. No Mira may not have the presentation of a Joannie or a Cynthia, but what she lacks in artistry she makes up for in her gutsy performance. What I like best about Mira is that she attacks her jumps and I know she will pretty much nail them, unlike Joannie or Cynthia or Leslie. I can see a vast improvement in Mira's presentation and artistry over last season. Even Tracy commented that Mira can hold her own against the other skaters because of her jumps and her determination. I would not count Mira out for the future.

Mira underotates some of her jumps, and her other elements is not very pleasant to look at!

 

[chuckm]

What turned me off Mira was her behavior towards her coach at her GP events.

Mira was "fired" by her coach Joanne McLeod because she refused to follow McLeod's directions and instead trained the way Mama Leung ordered her to. So the Leungs had to hire a new coach, since Skate Canada would not allow an uncredentialed coach (Mama Leung) to accompany her to international events. But Mira ignored her new coach and in fact pointedly told her, loudly enough for the audience to hear, to be quiet and not to talk to her (Mira).

After that Skate Canada intervened and Mira went back to McLeod.

 

[SeaniBu]

What turned me off Mira was her behavior towards her coach at her GP events.

Mira was "fired" by her coach Joanne McLeod because she refused to follow McLeod's directions and instead trained the way Mama Leung ordered her to. So the Leungs had to hire a new coach, since Skate Canada would not allow an uncredentialed coach (Mama Leung) to accompany her to international events. But Mira ignored her new coach and in fact pointedly told her, loudly enough for the audience to hear, to be quiet and not to talk to her (Mira).

After that Skate Canada intervened and Mira went back to McLeod.

This is really interesting to me about Mom's involvement in her Daughters skating. And the fact she wont even let her wax or wear make up???? Did she even want her in FS or was she looking to have a weight lifting child???? Or is it Mira who has chosen this direction / distinction in FS?

Iloveaxel, you sound an awful lot like tonyamorin on FSU--very few people over there agree with you either.

What is up with this stuff? I will leave it to the mods, but I for one get tired of listening to posts that degrade others - specifically by name - and particularly when it is a "drag over." The vendetta against someone on another forum even??? Can't there just be a comment of, " well I just don't agree with THAT again" and leave it at that??? - even though I have noticed the same thing with that poster on FSU and the ones who seem to pick them out (not like Toni does with me, I think that is meant more in fun) - and to add the comparison of someone like the afore mentioned, a poster???, not even a public figure. Is it necessary to bring it here too - if at all? Sorry, it really is not my place, but sometimes (hardly ever but stuff like this) I am surprised when the Mods say something and then other times they don't?

 

[scorekeeper]

This sounds like the Canadian version of Surya and Mama Bonaly.

 

[blue dog]

Mira reminds me of a young Lu Chen, or a very young Michelle--but unlike those two skaters, Mira doesn't seem to have control of her own skating--her mother controls it. Not to mention, SC doesn't seem to support her. If she skated her short as well as you said she did, and Lesley Hawker did not, then perhaps SC is sending Mira a message that her mother needs to comply with--or else be faced with the possibility of being left off the world team.

Mira needs to work with the best--great choreographers, and someone who will update her look. She doesn't necessarily need to wear makeup to look more mature--just a different hairstyle that doesn't make her look 8 years old.

Then again, maybe the way she is doing it--she is standing out. In her own way.

 

[chuckm]

A very young Michelle? Mira isn't that young--she will turn 18 right after Worlds 2007. By the time Michelle was that age, she had already won two US and World Championships.

 

[gio]

Lu Chen? She became an artist on ice. Maybe Mira will become too, but years run and she is already 18. Her artistic side is still "childish". I don't know how to express this. Juniorish, maybe. Yu Na, Mao and Kimmie all look more mature, artistic and they are younger than Mira. Caroline Zhang (13 or 14 years old) is also more artistic than Mira.
Who can make understand Mira's mother, that the artistic side is important too? I think that Mira focuses too much on jumps. She reminds me to a young Surya rather than Lu Chen and Kwan.