Miki Ando won the championship, exceeding 200 points for the first time

[Akira Andrea]

This is an article in “Sports Hochi” in Japan.
Translated from Japanese
In the 4 Continents, Miki won the championship, exceeding 200 points for the first time at her personal best score
February 21st, 2011 JST

The photo:
Photography: by Kyodo
Miki Ando who won the championship and hug each other with Mao Asada, in Ladies in the 4 Continents.
http://hochi.yomiuri.co.jp/photo/201...431596-1-L.jpg

In the last day in the 4 Continents (in Taipei in February 20th), the free skating of Ladies was held and Miki Ando (23, Toyota Motor) who was the first place in the short place won the championship for the first time at 201.34 points of her personal best score.

While aiming to recover the throne after an interval of 4 years, Ando got her hands on the big medal. The score of the free skating is the second place on the history of Ladies Single of ISU. The score of the free skating is 134.76 points of the second place on the history of Ladies Single of ISU.

Reference:
The persona best scores of the free skating of Ladies of ISU
http://www.isuresults.com/isujsstat/pbslfs.htm

As for her total score, too, it is the high score of the 4th place on the history and she got the score which exceeds 200 points as the 4th person on the history, following to “Yu-Na Kim, Mao Asada, and Joanni Rochette who stood on the podium in the Vancouver Olympics”.

Reference:
The personal best score of the total score of Ladies of ISU
http://www.isuresults.com/isujsstat/pbslto.htm

On the podium, she strewed the smiling face in which the dignity of queen hangs in the air, while saying, “I feel I can think it positively because I could do such an acting although my body was not the best condition. I got wonderful evaluation, but I think that I would like to practice so as to be able to get the personal best score once again”.

She was taking medicine because she was out of sorts from previous day, but her body regained the power much better than the time of the short program, she said. Appearing to the rink with the black costume which there is a big opening in the back, she danced to the timbre of violin.
She avoided the jump combination of the two consecutive triple jumps of big skill, but she succeeded the 5 kinds of jumps in succession in the second half of the program. As for the spin, she got the evaluation of Level 4 which is the best Level in all of three spins.

As for this season, she got the 4 titles with summing up "2 events of GP series" and the "Japan Nationals". In the 2007 Tokyo Worlds where she won the championship for the first time, she had injured the right leg under the influence of having changed the skates just before the event, but, in this time, she faces to the event as the favorite for the championship, under the impeccable condition. After returning to Japan, she plans to go to Moscow and to tune herself up finally.

She said, “My goal is to do the best acting both in SP and in FS, in this season. I am happy if I can get the medal as that result. I would like to become more the skater who remains in the memory of the people than the result”. She might get hold of the ideal opportunity which regains a queen.

The article
In the 4 Continents, Miki won the championship, exceeding 200 points for the first time at her personal best score
http://hochi.yomiuri.co.jp/sports/wi...OHT1T00270.htm


Reference:
Miki Ando at Four Continents on YouTube
FS “Piano Concerto in A minor, Mov.3, Op. 16” by Edvard Grieg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXJD4...layer_embedded

The Judges Details of FS in Ladies in Four Continents.
http://www.isuresults.com/results/fc..._FS_Scores.pdf

[Lainerb]

Miki's score is remarkable considering the change in GOE values and now the ChSp1 taking place of the SpSq.

[wonderlen]

Miki's score is remarkable considering the chance in GOE values and now the ChSp1 taking place of the SpSq.

Wow didn't notice that before. So right now, all the ladies will the get same level no matter what (except the GOE). Actually its a good thing, im sick of seeing ugly spiral and always thought they are too long.

[Macassar88]

I always liked having the long spirals, but only for skaters like Sasha Cohen and Mao Asada who had amazing flexibility. At the same time, ladies figure skating has always had spirals, and now, it seems like one of the defining parts of ladies figure skating is going away.
I will miss having the three positions since many people are just doing one long one.
Also, I may have been hallucinating, but did anyone notice that Miki Ando smiled at 1:50?

[Triple Butz]

I always liked having the long spirals, but only for skaters like Sasha Cohen and Mao Asada who had amazing flexibility. At the same time, ladies figure skating has always had spirals, and now, it seems like one of the defining parts of ladies figure skating is going away.
I will miss having the three positions since many people are just doing one long one.
Also, I may have been hallucinating, but did anyone notice that Miki Ando smiled at 1:50?

Call me crazy, but I think they should have kept the spirals in the SHORT program as a required element, but made a Choreographed Spiral sequence or even a Choreographed MITF option for the free program.


Congrats to Miki for skating consistently well this season. I hope she can add more emotion and power to her free skate at worlds.

[Macassar88]

Call me crazy, but I think they should have kept the spirals in the SHORT program as a required element, but made a Choreographed Spiral sequence or even a Choreographed MITF option for the free program.


Congrats to Miki for skating consistently well this season. I hope she can add more emotion and power to her free skate at worlds.

Agreed. After all, the short program is the closest we have to compulsories, and is supposed to show the basics. Isn't flexibility a basic of figure skating? And I think that keeping the levels but making it optional in the free skate would be nice.
Any idea whether Miki will bring back her triple lutz triple loop?

[Akira Andrea]

This is an article in “Sankei Sports” in Japan.
Translated from Japanese
February 22nd, 2011 JST
Miki might remove the ban on her big skill! (1/2 Page)

The photo:
Photography: by Sanspo Com
Miki Ando who returned to Japan at Haneda Air Port.
http://www.sanspo.com/sports/images/...0504001-p1.jpg

By Takashi Yamada
Miki might remove the ban on her big skill!? Miki Ando (23, Toyota Motor) who won the championship for the first time with 201.34 points as the 4th person who got the score beyond the 200 points on the history of Ladies of ISU, in the Four Continents (at Taiwan) which finished in the previous day, returned to Japan in February 21st. Aiming at the comeback to the queen after an interval of 4 years, in the Worlds (Tokyo) in March which is getting close, she showed the intention to challenge the 2 consecutive triple jumps which she has continued a seal as for.

The article:
Miki might remove the ban on her big skill! (1/2 Page)
http://www.sanspo.com/sports/news/11...0504001-n1.htm


This is an article in “Sankei Sports” in Japan.
Translated from Japanese
February 22nd, 2011 JST
Miki might remove the ban on her big skill! (2/2 Page)

By Takashi Yamada
She has no time for enjoying the lingering atmosphere after the brilliant achievement. Ando who achieved the brilliant achievement exceeding 200 points which is the 4th person (following to Yu-Na Kim, Mao Asada and Joannie Rochette) in the history in the 4 Continents spoke of the secret "ambition", saying, “Because the Worlds is a special event, I would like to attempt triple Lutz-triple Loop (Basic Value 11.1points)”.
In the short program (SP) in the 4 Continents, because she was under the influence also of anemia during the event, she avoid instantly the combination jump of "triple Lutz-triple Loop" which had been planned in the program and changed it to triple Lutz-double Loop (Basic Value 7.8 points).
She earned a point by "the acting to fascinate" like the spin and the step than the jump. And she could exceed 200 points at the total score by the skating without being deducted even one point in "the Grade of Execution" (GOE) in SP and in FS. Thereupon, her inborn "jump fever" caught fire.

In the practice, she lands "the two consecutive triple jumps" under the high probability. But, even in the Japan Nationals where she won the championship in the end of last year, they had adopted the strategy to degrade the degree of the difficulty by the intention of Nikolai Morozov coach, because they have the anxiety that Loop jump of the second jump is easy to be evaluated as lack of rotation. Because 3.3 points are added even by only the Base Value if changing "double Loop" of the second jump to triple Loop, she seems to be thinking to persuade the coach, saying, "I am going to consult with a coach neatly in Russia of the training base". She said, "In the Worlds (She won the championship there) 4 years before, I was surprised at the result. But now I am conscious of the medal. I am excited with expectation".
She (23) is the eldest in Ladies in Japan Representative. She is going to compete by the jump which attained maturity.

The article:
Miki might remove the ban on her big skill! (2/2 Page)
http://www.sanspo.com/sports/news/11...0504001-n2.htm

[Sasha'sSpins]

Miki's score is remarkable considering the change in GOE values and now the ChSp1 taking place of the SpSq.

Wow-that is amazing indeed!

Like some others here I had forgotten about the CHSP1 taking the place of the SpSq (unfortunate imo but it is what it is).

Ot but it's interesting Sasha Cohen is still in the top five on the list.

I like what Miki said about wanting to remain in the memory of people, rather than the results.

Btw I think it's total awesomeness that Miki is now 23 and still hasn't seemed to have hit the peak of her powers. I like that-longetivity with good success rather than some teen phenom that comes along, wins a couple of big championships, then disappears from eligible skating i.e. Baiul, Lipinski.

[Japanfan]

I always liked having the long spirals, but only for skaters like Sasha Cohen and Mao Asada who had amazing flexibility. At the same time, ladies figure skating has always had spirals, and now, it seems like one of the defining parts of ladies figure skating is going away.
I will miss having the three positions since many people are just doing one long one.

I usually don't see the point of short spirals, some are held for less than second - they rarely add anything to the choreography at all.

However, I'm happy that the spiral sequence has been eliminated from the SP as a required element. They were becoming really tiresome and all the ladies did the same (often unattractive) positions.

At least now those who can do beautiful long spirals can do so as part of the choreography/interpretation and don't need to ruin the effect by changing positions.

[Jenny81]

I'm worried about Sandra Bezic's response regarding this result.
She's a big fan of Miki, isn't she??

[Akira Andrea]

This is an article in “Sankei sports” in Japan.
Translated from Japanese.
The highlight of Ando's performance is the eight jumps in the second half of the free skating
February 20th, 2011 JST

The photo
Photgraphy: by AP
Miki Ando who is smiling, having a Gold medal in the hand.
http://www.sanspo.com/sports/photos/...2048014-p1.htm

The photo
Photography: By Kyodo
The free skating of Miki Ando who won the championship in the 4 Continents (At Taipei in February 20th)
http://www.sanspo.com/sports/photos/...2048014-p2.htm

The photo:
Photography: By AP
Miki Ando who won the championship
http://www.sanspo.com/sports/photos/...2048014-p3.htm

http://www.sanspo.com/sports/photos/...2048014-p4.htm

http://www.sanspo.com/sports/photos/...2048014-p5.htm

http://www.sanspo.com/sports/photos/...2048014-p6.htm

The photo:
Photography: By Kyodo
Miki Ando who hugs each other with Mao Asada
http://www.sanspo.com/sports/photos/...2048014-p7.htm

The photo:
Photography: By AP
Mao Asada, Miki Ando and Mirai Nagasu who are on the podium
http://www.sanspo.com/sports/photos/...2048014-p8.htm

By Kyodo
In the last day of the 4 Continents (at Taipei in February 20th), it was the 4 minutes and 8 seconds of the highlight which it was difficult to find a defect in whichever it takes as for the jump, the spin and the step.
In the free skating of Ladies which became the competition of high level, the player who emitted the most dazzling brilliance was Ando who wore the black costume.
The highlight of her program is the second half of her performance which the score of jump become 1.1 times in. She performed and showed us very easily the aggressive composition which continues to jump the eight jumps of "the big skill like the double Axel-triple Toeloop" etc in succession.
While winning an applause which pours on with a comfortable look, she threw out the chest, saying, "I apt to make a mistake if the feeling becomes negative, but I think that I has grown as the player because I can control my feeling now". At both the score of FS and the score in total, she renewed "her personal best score in 2007 Worlds" which had decorated her first victory. It is a brilliant achievement which is the 4th person in the history in Ladies, to have gotten the score which exceeds 200 points in total.

She can greet the Worlds in March in the best condition.

The article:
The highlight of Ando's performance is the eight jumps in the second half of the free skating
http://www.sanspo.com/sports/news/11...2048014-n1.htm

[Macassar88]

I usually don't see the point of short spirals, some are held for less than second - they rarely add anything to the choreography at all.

However, I'm happy that the spiral sequence has been eliminated from the SP as a required element. They were becoming really tiresome and all the ladies did the same (often unattractive) positions.

At least now those who can do beautiful long spirals can do so as part of the choreography/interpretation and don't need to ruin the effect by changing positions.

I liked it when they had three positions to hold for three seconds each. If it were optional and goe was more punishing, I think that we would see better ones.

[stillalive]

Isn't flexibility a basic of figure skating?

ehm, actually no?

[ponta1]

Gorgeous pictures of Miki!

[wonderlen]

I'm worried about Sandra Bezic's response regarding this result.
She's a big fan of Miki, isn't she??

Well its a good thing neither CBC or ABC covering the 4CC. Who knows what will come out of that women mouth!!

[Akira Andrea]

The interview of Miki Ando in the venue of 4CC (in English)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=esVR5peKafs

[Macassar88]

ehm, actually no?

I meant ladies figure skating. Considering all the things they are expected to do, I'd say flexibility is a basic.

[VALuvsMKwan]

I meant ladies figure skating. Considering all the things they are expected to do, I'd say flexibility is a basic.

Figure skating is NOT gymnastics, thank goodness - and I always thought that skating is supposed to be about edges and movement on them, not how much of an elastic band one can be.

[Sasha'sSpins]

I meant ladies figure skating. Considering all the things they are expected to do, I'd say flexibility is a basic.

Figure skating is NOT gymnastics, thank goodness - and I always thought that skating is supposed to be about edges and movement on them, not how much of an elastic band one can be.

No it's not gymnastics, but flexibility is becoming more, and more prevalent in figure skating imo. Moves that require exceptional flexibility like the I-Spin which Cohen popularized seem here to stay. And I think elements like the layback look much nicer with a certain degree of flexibility.

[Macassar88]

Figure skating is NOT gymnastics, thank goodness - and I always thought that skating is supposed to be about edges and movement on them, not how much of an elastic band one can be.

I know it isn't gymnastics, but there is still an element of flexibility on many skills such as the layback and some variations on upright and camel spins.