Midori Ito returning to competition!

[Skittl1321]

Apparently Midori is 144cm tall.

Wow! That is tiny.

Finally a figure skater I'd be taller than I was surprised how tall Alissa Czisny was when I met her, and most people think she's short.

Can't wait to see how this competiton goes, if she really does compete- that's just so cool.

[Doubletoe]

I thought this meant a return to amateur competition lol

Well, this is an ISU-sanctioned competition, so it is technically a return to amateur competition.

The standard can be pretty high.

I know a few years ago, an American skater, Natalie Shaby, skated on the adult / masters level with double jumps up to and including the double axel. She reminds me a lot of Lisa Marie Allen. Natalie, I believe, is in her 40s as well. So, that makes her achievements even more impressive.

Here's a clip of her in action.

Yes, at 47, Natalie is still landing two 2A's in her program. She is originally from Canada, where she was a national silver medalist at the Junior level.

[aliceanne]

I didn't knew that former "international" skaters had the right to take part in the ISU Adult circuit?

I thought age was the only requirement for adult competition.

In the U.S. adult skaters have 2 categories adult and masters. Adult is aimed at skaters who actually start testing as adults (the levels pre-bronze to gold are equivalent to pre-preliminary to juvenile in the standard series). The adult series has limitations on the moves that can be done in competition (no triple jumps for one thing). This is where recreational skaters would compete.

The masters category is for people who have already or want to take the standard tests (pre-preliminary to senior). I saw an article in the USFSA magazine recently about a former national competitor who is now a coach and competes as an adult in the masters category. He still has triple jumps. Lloyd Eisler was planning on doing adult competition. Doesn't Donald Jackson also do it?

Midori would be competing against former competitive skaters not recreational skaters. It's possible that a younger skater could have a competitive advantage due to age and more recent training at the difficult elements. I'm sure they'd love the chance to find out.

[ks777]

Go Midori!! Yes Midori Ito is a very common name in japan.

[steve skater]

This ISU adult event has a "Masters Elite" category for former elite competitive skaters.
In 2008 Michael Hopfes competed.
In 2007, Luc Bradet competed. IIRC, he initially entered the master elite category for singles but was told that since he had competed only at the pairs level, he did not qualify for the master elite category for singles!
In 2006 Shin Amano competed.
And Natalie Shaby, former Canadian junior silver medalist as mentioned, has competed here several times.

In 2006, Don Jackson (who supplied the Team Canada jackets to his country's competitors) performed an exhibition program (which was great to watch!).

[aliceanne]

I'm remembering too that there was a former international medalist at pairs (Canadian) who actually got sponsorship to go to adult worlds in Oberstdorf. If money gets involved this could open up a whole new direction for professional skating.

I think right now so few adults go (at least in the U.S.) that you don't have to qualify, just sign up.

[overedge]

I think right now so few adults go (at least in the U.S.) that you don't have to qualify, just sign up.

That's right, but there are also a significant number of adult skaters who would like to keep it that way, so that it's an event that's accessible to all skill levels.

[aliceanne]

That's right, but there are also a significant number of adult skaters who would like to keep it that way, so that it's an event that's accessible to all skill levels.

It would be nice to see professional opportunites grow with masters competition but I would hate to see it squeeze out the recreational competition for adults. It seems like that is what has happened to the kids. USFSA competition is so expensive that most kids do the whole route, testing, private coaching, freestyle sessions, maintaining Olympic eligibility, or they just quit. There is ISI and synchro, but a lot of coaches (in my area) are reluctant to participate.

[victoriajh]

I didn't knew that former "international" skaters had the right to take part in the ISU Adult circuit?

we are equal opportunists in adult skating- it is not about earning the opportunity to come it is about WANTING to be there- lloyd eisler was registered last year in us adult comps ( but did not compete due to injury) and one year we had a few former senior level skaters at canadaian adult nationals!! fun to watch!

[orbitz]

we are equal opportunists in adult skating- it is not about earning the opportunity to come it is about WANTING to be there-

Then we should never hear any complaints about sandbagging at AN, right ?

[blue_idealist]

Does anybody know the story on the Japan documentary that forced Midori Ito to lie about something? I found that on youtube, but I couldn't understand any of it as I don't understand any Japanese. I also couldn't find any good non-Japanese articles on what happened, so if anyone has any info, please tell because I'm really curious now.

[MacMadame]

I think right now so few adults go (at least in the U.S.) that you don't have to qualify, just sign up.

Not exactly.

There are two types of competitions at AN. Most of the events are open. You sign up if you are interested and meet the testing requirements for a particular event.

Then there are the Championship events. These are ones that you must qualify for via your placement at Adult Sectionals. You can't just sign up and compete at them at AN. These events are open to anyone who meets the testing criteria including ones who would qualify for a Master event because of having skated as a kid.

The Masters events are new. I'm not sure if they are also qualifying events or if they are like the open events that anyone can enter. I'm sure someone here knows though.

[manleywoman]

The Masters events are new. I'm not sure if they are also qualifying events or if they are like the open events that anyone can enter. I'm sure someone here knows though.

Do you mean Masters at the ISU event or Masters at Adult Nationals?

[MacMadame]

Do you mean Masters at the ISU event or Masters at Adult Nationals?

I was talking about AN.

[aliceanne]

Not exactly.

There are two types of competitions at AN. Most of the events are open. You sign up if you are interested and meet the testing requirements for a particular event.

Then there are the Championship events. These are ones that you must qualify for via your placement at Adult Sectionals. You can't just sign up and compete at them at AN. These events are open to anyone who meets the testing criteria including ones who would qualify for a Master event because of having skated as a kid.

The Masters events are new. I'm not sure if they are also qualifying events or if they are like the open events that anyone can enter. I'm sure someone here knows though.

I was referring to the World Championships in Oberstdorf. Do you have to qualify for that? Most of the skaters that I know who have gone to U.S. Adult Nationals or to Worlds did the bronze or silver freestyle or they enter interpretive events. I didn't think they had to qualify, but I have been seeing "adult sectionals" advertised...

The only masters I have ever known were college students, does that overlap with collegiate championships?

Whew skating is complicated!

[overedge]

I was referring to the World Championships in Oberstdorf. Do you have to qualify for that? Most of the skaters that I know who have gone to U.S. Adult Nationals or to Worlds did the bronze or silver freestyle or they enter interpretive events. I didn't think they had to qualify, but I have been seeing "adult sectionals" advertised...

The qualifying events are for US Adult Nationals. Other than writing a cheque that doesn't bounce, you don't have to qualify for the Oberstdorf event. And technically it is the ISU international adult event, not Adult World Championships.

[manleywoman]

The only masters I have ever known were college students, does that overlap with collegiate championships?

It used to. There was one year where a skater competed in both Collegiates and Adult Sectionals in one year. That loophole was closed.

The Masters event has always been in ANs, but it was recently split by levels. It used to be that anyone who had passed Intermediate/Novice/Junior/Senior tests were all lumped together in "Masters" because there just weren't enough Adult skaters to separate them out into the four groups. Now it's been split into Masters Intermediate/Novice and Masters Junior/Senior, because the numbers are there to support it.

There is still a loophole that a person who has passed the Novice Free Test can compete in Championship Intermediate/Novice at Sectionals (ie: the Qualifying event), but compete up to Junior in the Non-Qualifying event. And a person who has passed no higher than the Junior Free Test can skate down in the Championship Intermediate/Novice event. Personally I think the loophole should stay, since for right now as we all age, I think it's nice to provide a way for skaters to skate more to their comfort level, and not what they passed on a test they may have taken 20 years ago.

[LilJen]

It used to. There was one year where a skater competed in both Collegiates and Adult Sectionals in one year. That loophole was closed.

The Masters event has always been in ANs, but it was recently split by levels. It used to be that anyone who had passed Intermediate/Novice/Junior/Senior tests were all lumped together in "Masters" because there just weren't enough Adult skaters to separate them out into the four groups. Now it's been split into Masters Intermediate/Novice and Masters Junior/Senior, because the numbers are there to support it.

There is still a loophole that a person who has passed the Novice Free Test can compete in Championship Intermediate/Novice at Sectionals (ie: the Qualifying event), but compete up to Junior in the Non-Qualifying event. And a person who has passed no higher than the Junior Free Test can skate down in the Championship Intermediate/Novice event. Personally I think the loophole should stay, since for right now as we all age, I think it's nice to provide a way for skaters to skate more to their comfort level, and not what they passed on a test they may have taken 20 years ago.

Or more. We have a triple gold medalist in our club (sr dance, figures, FS), but she's now in her 40s and did all that in her teens. She's fairly hamstrung if she wants to be "competitive," but I keep telling her to just compete and not worry about the results. In spite of injuries and the stiffness that creeps upon you with age, her skating skills are MARVELOUS. Unfortunately USFS has no "can I petition down because so much time has passed?" option. ISI does have some sort of option to petition downward due to age or medical conditions, but then ISI isn't the "elite" organization that USFS is.

Anyway, on topic: YAY for Midori!! I think it would be splendid if more former elites returned to the sport. It is supposed to be FUN, after all, no matter your age.

[Skittl1321]

I was referring to the World Championships in Oberstdorf.

It's not technically Worlds or a Championship... though many skaters will say they went to World's. I think using either of these two terms is misleading- because as has been explained, you don't qualify for it...it's an open competition (and I think you actually can just pick what level you want to skate at on an "honor policy")

I think it's just called the "International Adult Skating Competition" which has a very different connotation than World's.

Here is the announcement:http://www.isu.org/vsite/vfile/page/...-0-file,00.pdf


(ETA: oops, didn't read all of overedge's post... that it's not a championship was covered. I recall in the past message board fight's over people calling themselves "World Medalists")

[MacMadame]

The Masters event has always been in ANs,

In some disciplines, but having it for ice dance is recent (and I'm not sure it stuck as my friends haven't been talking about it recently).