i was 15 watching this in the living room with my parents, when she threw in and nailed that second triple axel, I jumped into the air screaming and accidentally broke the glass coffee table in the process. I was laughing and crying and my parents were staring at me in disbelief. The next day I had to confess to them that I was gay. Midori made coming out real easy...
have you noticed that when she fell on her first triple axel the music was kind of sad, or unhappy, and when she lands her second triple axel the music become happy again? The timing of it, in other words, was magnificent. I was so pleased for Midori despite getting the silver. Go Ito! :)
THis really is an inspiring program... I can't believe she landed a triple axle late in the program after not having landed it at all during the practices... She's incredible.
As an international sport, the word's different forms of artistry should be considered. Midori never used a womanly european sexual style.(exagerrated hip movements and sultry eye contact with audience/judges). Her performances were very asexual.....which is very Japanese! Her greatest artistry was the beauty of her athletic performance. I think figure skating is too often judged by a western perspective of beauty. But the judges are also old, and not born to this international world.
I think you are mistaking slutty style for western. Elaine Zayak and Tonya Harding were both Americans who were very athletic skaters too who were judged poorly.
very well said. Christopher Dean (of Torvill and Dean) said the same thing about Midori at the 1988 Olympics in Calgary when she gave her incredible long program. He said her skating is the artistry. He also predicted she would be the first woman to successfully land a triple axel in competition. How right he was.
It’s because of Midori Idori ladies figure skating is what it is today. She was the first lady to land a 3lutz, a 3/3 combination, and a 3axel. She was absolutely fearless. Scott Hamilton said one time that it will be another 50 years before we will someone the likes of Midori Ito.
Ito's game in the ice was a completely different universe than the rest of her competitors. she was a rocket. Marks ultimately don't matter. Remember how Jill Trenary won the world's in 1990? I bet her face melts a little when says today "I was the world champion in 1990". Did Kristi win this meet? yes. Does Midori Ito transform into an eagle when she jumps? yes. Yamaguchi was a fine, world class skater and will always be remembered as such. Ito was a superhuman phenomenon.
Midori lost the Olympics more than Kristi won it. the pressure of the japanese press affected her to the point that she lost her concentration and focus and hence fell in short program when she changed triple jumps. Midori's greatness on the ice is now being celebrated on the Olympic Channel. There a 30 one minute videos on impossible moments at the Winter Olympics. Number 11 is Midori's incredible triple axel she landed at Albertville at 3 minutes and 10 seconds of her long program. you can even hear Scott Hamilton yelling "unbelievable" in the background.
you know..i never got why Midori was docked for her artistry.. through out her skating career she's had one of the best laybacks..foot work sequences..and yes she lacked a tad with extension..so did alot of ladies.. she had the whole package..including of course incredible jumps..really a rare talent..
I always thought her artistic was underrated more than Surya Bonaly more smoothness surya had a lot of personality which kind of distracted the performance and better than Tonya
She had a tough life. She was abandoned by her parents and her coach took her in. She didn't have the body type or natural artistry to create the elegant line. She did have charisma, and you couldn't take your eyes off of her. She was spectacular in the end.
I know she didn't plan to do so but it looks like her performance was a well written drama! The timing she chose to do her second triple axel! It was just perfect. This woman surely knew how to win over her audience!!!
actually she hit a triple axel in 1989 when she won the world championship. i agree...to think that katarina witt has so many world titles and ito only one...the unfairness of judging at that time
We needs more skaters like Midori! I miss watching her perform. I always hated how the judges scored her artistic ability. I found the energy in her movements on the ice exciting and energizing.
starting at 3:23, her soul joins hands with fate. if that is not art, I dont know what is. Scott Hamilton's freak out speaks for the world. Thank you Midori!
WTF!!!! the judge from Great Britain gave technical merit of 5.6 !!!!!!!!!!!! Are you serious, i would have given 6.0 even with the fall. And i personally thought she had great artistic impression here, i would have given 5.9. I like kristi, but Midori still should have won
it's so unbelievably amazing to see Midori actually added another triple axel by HERSELF. And she landed that one! That was actually not part of her choreography was it?
1992 olympics is a face off between two japanese girls Midori Ito and Kirstie Yamaguchi albeit Kirstie represent USA. Midori is like Olga Korbut of gymnastics. They both set the bar in their respective sports. Legendary ladies! ❤
I absolutely concur. Very rare and even though Mao is also able to pull off that specific jump, Midori's appears to be much more athletic don't ya think? In my opinion, she's the best on the ice thus far.......? I love Michelle Kwan as well.............. :)
Yes. I wonder what jump was scheduled there. What a sportswoman! I've watched this again, and it is a lovely program and still the British judge 5.6 and 5.5?! I agree WTF!?!?!
Actually, she planned TWO triple axles in the program already. However, the coach let Ito to decide whether to do the second one or not. Since she failed the first one (if she landed it, she would've done a triple axle-triple toe loop), she decided to attempt the second one.
I heard the same story. I wonder had she made the 1st (she was very close) triple axel and then triple toe loop, would she have gotten 6.0 across the board and would that have been enough for the gold medal.
No, because of 2 factors - first, someone ELSE IN addition to Midori had to beat Kristi in the long program, just like in the 1990 Worlds with Trenary. And, second, because the artistic mark was the tiebreaker, and the judges preferred Kristi.
I really think Vern and Scott is one of the top 5 announcing/commentating duos ever. They were the perfect combination. It's a shame the Winter Olympics were moved to CBS. I hated to see them not working together anymore. :(
She surely landed the triple lutz/triple toe comb?? She is an amazing performer and charming person. Personally, I think she has amazing presentation. I really think even the judges mix up 'artistry' and 'presentation'. WHAT was the British judge watching?? SO wrong! And, I am British!
@agators212 someone in the CBC coverage of this routine said this, which I think sums up it all up: "Flawed, desperate, and unspeakably thrilling. The breakneck pace just leads up to the second triple axel which is done so beautifully and so in perfect time with the music that the breath chokes off." about the girls today we will continue to disagree.
@skaterdude1962 no way, this is an inspired program. She wasnt very emotive in her face (particularly at the beginning, all nerves). but I think after the fall, when all is lost, right as she enters the adagio section, the program and her become one to the point that I swear, the music inspires her to do the second 3A.
it was her now-or-never moment i guess. but i'd say she made a wise choice because without the triple axel even without falling for the second time, she might not be able to make it to the podium.
@Shakeshack78 I agree and disagree with you. Midori WAS like shoushunova, but both were artistic, it was just a different body type and they focused on different strengths. Look at shoushunova's 1988 AA FX. That is dramatic, artistic, and severe (like her hair). If you compare her to TODAYs gymnasts, Shoushunova was an artist and so was Midori. I think Midori was a singular artistic and athletic phenomenon. just look at the true heart that takes place as she prepares the second 3A. That's art!
@CIBHO Yes I can identify all the jumps. But it might be a double since she already tried her triple. But I guess they have program notes so they know it's not where a 2A is coming plus the way she set up for it looks like it's going to be a triple. That's is also interesting since Scott said it seems she's waiting for the next jump.
@kamwrites Midori had fantastic edges, very good spins and steps, mediocre spirals, unbelievable speed and ice coverage. Thus she was and still is the best skater in termns of technique.
You mean the second one? Scott Hamilton was right there and called it-she threw a second triple axel and landed it-that took all kinds of guts after the first one.
@agators212 i disagree with you (and thats fine, i bet we use different detergents too. Tide forever!). Ito may have lacked FINESSE but she was very sincere and straight forward in her artistry. She's a ballerina next to Bonali and Tonya Harding (now, THEY were trucks). In her jumps, the speed and position in the entries and landing are exemplary and have aesthetic value, fluidity contributing to the arc of movement. as to your last statement: only Ito will surpass ito. none like her today.
I believe the judge was Vanessa Riley. She was notoriously low-marking. Accused of being unfair, yet CONSISTENTLY low-marking, at least for a certain kind of stater, i.e. one who has great strengths yet also significant weaknesses, so Yamaguchi (less jumping ability but better overall skating quality) gets better marks than Ito. I agree that Riley's technical mark was low but, combined with the lower artistic mark, shows that she really just judged differently (but consistently) from others.
@kazzicup she didn't, looks like they changed the her program to do a double-lutz-triple toe, seeing the issues she had had in practices with the 3lutz after her short program fall.
GB has historically went down as an a-hole. Really upsetting; s/he was so obsessed with judging that s/he completely missed the point of having the privilege of giving an appropriate mark to a historic performance. The only possible thing I can imagine someone so out of touch saying to themselves is...Triple axel at 3 mins...and by a woman? eh, no biggie...she fell on the first attempt, must deduct = I am a good Olympic judge. FAIL.
@ViardotVSGrisi yes in that aspect i agree. ito will go down for her jumping ability and ahead of her time. but the current japanese girls right now can outclass her because they have managed to put not just phenominal jumps together but actually have grace, flexibility, great spins, and musicality
@Karosanyo Don't put everything on the jumps. There are a lot more technical issues to consider other than jumping, which is where the 5.9's come from. Midori has the strongest jumps, yes, but weaker spins, spirals, and edge quality.
@ViardotVSGrisi true we dont have to agree but i think we both have a great appreciation for this skater. never was a fan of harding other than the height of her jumps but she always lacked control/smoothing out of them. bonali, i only like her layout stepout backflip. but again arakawa, asada, and ando are on a whole different level compared to ito. they are more of a complete package
Sorrt for midori to be born that time. If she was under new judging system, she would have been unbeatable. Stupid old judging system..
スケートを観ていていて感動を与えてくれるのはみどりさんしかいません。このときどんな気持ちで滑っていたかを想像するだけで泣けてきます。彼女にはプレッシャーなしで思いっきり滑ってほしかった。そして金を勝たせてあげたかった。私の心の中では、みどりさんはいつも勝者です。
同じく、現在まで一番のスケート選手と思います。この大会は調子が悪く、最初転倒、祈るような気持ちで見ていたところ、音楽も最高潮のところで三回転半、スポーツで涙を流したのは、後にも先にもこのときだけです。
ひとつめの期待されていたトリプルアクセルを失敗したあとの会場のザワザワに、心揺れてしまっても…のなか、
ラストふたつめのトリプルアクセルの体制に入った時にはびっくりしました。
そして成功させてしまう😭‼️
こんな最後にトリプルアクセル跳ぶ！！
後にも先にも唯一無二です！
i was 15 watching this in the living room with my parents, when she threw in and nailed that second triple axel, I jumped into the air screaming and accidentally broke the glass coffee table in the process. I was laughing and crying and my parents were staring at me in disbelief. The next day I had to confess to them that I was gay. Midori made coming out real easy...
haha, nice story. Actually Midori have got lots gay fans.
Midori Ito triple axel'ed you into coming out! That's fantastic ;)
あのタイミングでトリプルアクセルに再挑戦するなんて、アスリートとして本当に素晴らしい。
涙出る…この勇気は本当にすごい。
Anyone else come here because of Ice Princess ;)
haha i came here because of ice princess!
+realazn10is yep
realazn10is you read minds gu
Guilty lol
haha, i just caught the scene and heard Midori Ito and had to check.
I like other skaters, but I LOVE Midori Ito. Pure joy.
She is very beautiful woman.
Strong, Challenge, Effort, Humility
These four words reflect her personality.
She is №１！
Midori is NO 1 sketer !!!
I love Midori…‼︎‼︎‼︎
I love how she and the music came to life just as she landed the second triple Axel.
20 years!! A proven timeless performance!
have you noticed that when she fell on her first triple axel the music was kind of sad, or unhappy, and when she lands her second triple axel the music become happy again? The timing of it, in other words, was magnificent. I was so pleased for Midori despite getting the silver. Go Ito! :)
後半の3Aはもう鳥肌
THis really is an inspiring program... I can't believe she landed a triple axle late in the program after not having landed it at all during the practices... She's incredible.
LOVE her!
I get goosebumps every time after that 3A
She nailed a triple axel well into 3:00 in her LP. What a great champion.
As an international sport, the word's different forms of artistry should be considered. Midori never used a womanly european sexual style.(exagerrated hip movements and sultry eye contact with audience/judges). Her performances were very asexual.....which is very Japanese! Her greatest artistry was the beauty of her athletic performance. I think figure skating is too often judged by a western perspective of beauty. But the judges are also old, and not born to this international world.
I think you are mistaking slutty style for western. Elaine Zayak and Tonya Harding were both Americans who were very athletic skaters too who were judged poorly.
very well said. Christopher Dean (of Torvill and Dean) said the same thing about Midori at the 1988 Olympics in Calgary when she gave her incredible long program. He said her skating is the artistry. He also predicted she would be the first woman to successfully land a triple axel in competition. How right he was.
I sure miss Midori Ito! She's the sweet queen of grace and charm!
アメリカの実況の方が アンビリーバブル と叫ぶほど凄かったんですね…私は当時、涙涙…でしたが…改めて今見ても感動しますし素晴らしい！
It’s because of Midori Idori ladies figure skating is what it is today. She was the first lady to land a 3lutz, a 3/3 combination, and a 3axel. She was absolutely fearless. Scott Hamilton said one time that it will be another 50 years before we will someone the likes of Midori Ito.
Denis Bielman was the first lady to land a triple Lutz.
Carrie T whoops...you are right. 1978 European championships.
wow her triple axel is huge and she enters and exits with so much speed! of course she skates with amazing speed throughout as well!
Awesome! She is a legend. A perfect triple axel at the end of the program!
The best long program in Albertville! The most pleasing to the eye!!!
Anyone else look for this after watching Ice Princess...
omg guilty...
After I woke up.. lullaby vs we will rock you. Go for the Gold = exciting skate, win or loose, Midori elevated this sport forever
Ito's game in the ice was a completely different universe than the rest of her competitors. she was a rocket. Marks ultimately don't matter. Remember how Jill Trenary won the world's in 1990? I bet her face melts a little when says today "I was the world champion in 1990". Did Kristi win this meet? yes. Does Midori Ito transform into an eagle when she jumps? yes. Yamaguchi was a fine, world class skater and will always be remembered as such. Ito was a superhuman phenomenon.
Midori lost the Olympics more than Kristi won it. the pressure of the japanese press affected her to the point that she lost her concentration and focus and hence fell in short program when she changed triple jumps. Midori's greatness on the ice is now being celebrated on the Olympic Channel. There a 30 one minute videos on impossible moments at the Winter Olympics. Number 11 is Midori's incredible triple axel she landed at Albertville at 3 minutes and 10 seconds of her long program. you can even hear Scott Hamilton yelling "unbelievable" in the background.
you know..i never got why Midori was docked for her artistry.. through out her skating career she's had one of the best laybacks..foot work sequences..and yes she lacked a tad with extension..so did alot of ladies.. she had the whole package..including of course incredible jumps..really a rare talent..
I agree. She wasn't balletic. But she had lovely speed, edges and positions. There was attention to detail.
I always thought her artistic was underrated more than Surya Bonaly more smoothness surya had a lot of personality which kind of distracted the performance and better than Tonya
Fast powerfull amazing perfomance. The ice princess!
泣いた(;o;)
She had a tough life. She was abandoned by her parents and her coach took her in. She didn't have the body type or natural artistry to create the elegant line. She did have charisma, and you couldn't take your eyes off of her. She was spectacular in the end.
1つの誤解があります。
みどりさんの両親は彼女を捨ててはいません。
経済的にスケートを続けさせる事が出来ないと知った際に、指導者側が自分の家に招いてコーチを続けたのです。
みどりさんは本当の家族のように受け容れられ、ケンカもしたし我儘も言ったし、
考えられる最高の環境の中で練習に励む事が出来たのです。
それと同時にスケートは大好きだけれど、自分にはスケートをやり続けなければ将来がないという厳しい現実も幼い心にのしかかっていたはずです。
I know she didn't plan to do so but it looks like her performance was a well written drama!
The timing she chose to do her second triple axel! It was just perfect.
This woman surely knew how to win over her audience!!!
so beautiful...
she always smile like a happy-go-lucky person. that's why we love her too :)
her face is always to nice to look at. her smile brightened up the whole rink arena.
That smile was everything. I was cheering for her the moment she landed on the 2nd triple axel.
Love Midori--her speed, her power and her exuberance.
I think because she was SO ahead of her time technically, she was never noticed for her beautiful artistry... really undermarked on that.
actually she hit a triple axel in 1989 when she won the world championship. i agree...to think that katarina witt has so many world titles and ito only one...the unfairness of judging at that time
I think she would have rather gotten the 6th after failed attempts on 3As than to do a safe performance and get a bronze. What a woman.
We needs more skaters like Midori! I miss watching her perform. I always hated how the judges scored her artistic ability. I found the energy in her movements on the ice exciting and energizing.
She was so trained. You can tell
starting at 3:23, her soul joins hands with fate. if that is not art, I dont know what is. Scott Hamilton's freak out speaks for the world. Thank you Midori!
I love this comment... I hadn't quite thought of things from this angle. Thank you for making me look at life from a different perspective.
Eso es crecerse ante la adversidad. Es una clara muestra de bravura, coraje y valor, gran lección de vida.
What the hell Great Britain
Midori ito was ROBBED still a godess!!
I agree totally. Well said. Verne Lundquist adds so much intelligence and insight into his commentary and it's awesome.
WTF!!!! the judge from Great Britain gave technical merit of 5.6 !!!!!!!!!!!! Are you serious, i would have given 6.0 even with the fall. And i personally thought she had great artistic impression here, i would have given 5.9. I like kristi, but Midori still should have won
Midori would not have won even winning the long program since she was 4th in the short where she fell.
5.6 is dumb, but so is 5.9 and 6.0 with fall (so WTF to that).
it's so unbelievably amazing to see Midori actually added another triple axel by HERSELF. And she landed that one! That was actually not part of her choreography was it?
The sheer raw SPEED of this skate - every thing is flying across the ice. Compared with Kristi who was stand around and pose a lot
You go midori
I think the music wasn't big enough yet at 1:19. Just pick it up at 3:19 and let the music build to one of the greatest jumps ever.
5.6???
watching this kind of girls competing just makes my day perfect (:
1992 olympics is a face off between two japanese girls Midori Ito and Kirstie Yamaguchi albeit Kirstie represent USA. Midori is like Olga Korbut of gymnastics. They both set the bar in their respective sports. Legendary ladies! ❤
I absolutely concur. Very rare and even though Mao is also able to pull off that specific jump, Midori's appears to be much more athletic don't ya think? In my opinion, she's the best on the ice thus far.......? I love Michelle Kwan as well.............. :)
Best skater on the planet.
やっとみれたーヽ(^0^)
いとうさんすごいなぁ
Yes. I wonder what jump was scheduled there. What a sportswoman! I've watched this again, and it is a lovely program and still the British judge 5.6 and 5.5?! I agree WTF!?!?!
Wow
she was the best
Actually, she planned TWO triple axles in the program already. However, the coach let Ito to decide whether to do the second one or not. Since she failed the first one (if she landed it, she would've done a triple axle-triple toe loop), she decided to attempt the second one.
I heard the same story. I wonder had she made the 1st (she was very close) triple axel and then triple toe loop, would she have gotten 6.0 across the board and would that have been enough for the gold medal.
No, because of 2 factors - first, someone ELSE IN addition to Midori had to beat Kristi in the long program, just like in the 1990 Worlds with Trenary. And, second, because the artistic mark was the tiebreaker, and the judges preferred Kristi.
wow ... scott knew it was going to be a triple axel before she got into the air!
I really think Vern and Scott is one of the top 5 announcing/commentating duos ever. They were the perfect combination. It's a shame the Winter Olympics were moved to CBS. I hated to see them not working together anymore. :(
yes, the height was 20 times higher than asada's triple axel.
Wow,
She surely landed the triple lutz/triple toe comb?? She is an amazing performer and charming person.
Personally, I think she has amazing presentation. I really think even the judges mix up 'artistry' and 'presentation'.
WHAT was the British judge watching?? SO wrong! And, I am British!
WOW!! So her triple axel 3 minutes into the program was improvised???
@agators212 someone in the CBC coverage of this routine said this, which I think sums up it all up: "Flawed, desperate, and unspeakably thrilling. The breakneck pace just leads up to the second triple axel which is done so beautifully and so in perfect time with the music that the breath chokes off." about the girls today we will continue to disagree.
@skaterdude1962 no way, this is an inspired program. She wasnt very emotive in her face (particularly at the beginning, all nerves). but I think after the fall, when all is lost, right as she enters the adagio section, the program and her become one to the point that I swear, the music inspires her to do the second 3A.
Midori Ito is a goddamn powerhouse. phenomenal 3A. (what was the GBR judge smoking??)
Midori did a great Axel. At least she snuck ahead of Kerrigan.
it was her now-or-never moment i guess. but i'd say she made a wise choice because without the triple axel even without falling for the second time, she might not be able to make it to the podium.
@Shakeshack78 I agree and disagree with you. Midori WAS like shoushunova, but both were artistic, it was just a different body type and they focused on different strengths. Look at shoushunova's 1988 AA FX. That is dramatic, artistic, and severe (like her hair). If you compare her to TODAYs gymnasts, Shoushunova was an artist and so was Midori. I think Midori was a singular artistic and athletic phenomenon. just look at the true heart that takes place as she prepares the second 3A. That's art!
worst than failure, is not to try.
@CIBHO
Yes I can identify all the jumps. But it might be a double since she already tried her triple. But I guess they have program notes so they know it's not where a 2A is coming plus the way she set up for it looks like it's going to be a triple. That's is also interesting since Scott said it seems she's waiting for the next jump.
@kamwrites Midori had fantastic edges, very good spins and steps, mediocre spirals, unbelievable speed and ice coverage. Thus she was and still is the best skater in termns of technique.
You mean the second one? Scott Hamilton was right there and called it-she threw a second triple axel and landed it-that took all kinds of guts after the first one.
@puaalaaumoe no, he meant three, one in short and two in long, and she´s the first to accomplish it
Personally, I would have given her the win in this free skate over Yamaguchi, but Yamaguchi deserved gold since only Ito came close.
Most of the subsequent girls were from Tokyo. Much of the criticism for
Midori was the simple fact she's a Nagoya girl.
@nicashi Sry, I stand corrected. I just meant in the long program she landed 2 and overall she landed 3 in the whole competition. Oops .. ;)
음
..대단하네요.저렇게 높이 뛴다는게....
@gabbaman77 Yes that's right-that's why I said in my original post that she threw it WELL into (I meant after) the 3:00 mark.
@agators212 i disagree with you (and thats fine, i bet we use different detergents too. Tide forever!). Ito may have lacked FINESSE but she was very sincere and straight forward in her artistry. She's a ballerina next to Bonali and Tonya Harding (now, THEY were trucks). In her jumps, the speed and position in the entries and landing are exemplary and have aesthetic value, fluidity contributing to the arc of movement. as to your last statement: only Ito will surpass ito. none like her today.
Did the British judge even watch the program??
I believe the judge was Vanessa Riley. She was notoriously low-marking. Accused of being unfair, yet CONSISTENTLY low-marking, at least for a certain kind of stater, i.e. one who has great strengths yet also significant weaknesses, so Yamaguchi (less jumping ability but better overall skating quality) gets better marks than Ito. I agree that Riley's technical mark was low but, combined with the lower artistic mark, shows that she really just judged differently (but consistently) from others.
@USAGymnast not really, her total score with Yamaguchi is only 0.6 lesser than Yamaguchi. So, if she didn't fall, she would've won.
This is a dumb thing to say but SHE'S SO FAST
naesuke1224 I was thinking the same, but I know nothing about it
@kazzicup she didn't, looks like they changed the her program to do a double-lutz-triple toe, seeing the issues she had had in practices with the 3lutz after her short program fall.
GB has historically went down as an a-hole. Really upsetting; s/he was so obsessed with judging that s/he completely missed the point of having the privilege of giving an appropriate mark to a historic performance. The only possible thing I can imagine someone so out of touch saying to themselves is...Triple axel at 3 mins...and by a woman? eh, no biggie...she fell on the first attempt, must deduct = I am a good Olympic judge. FAIL.
@muscleboi4use i know! i mean wtf? 5.5????
Wasn't Emi Watanabe the first Japanese world threat?
@ViardotVSGrisi yes in that aspect i agree. ito will go down for her jumping ability and ahead of her time. but the current japanese girls right now can outclass her because they have managed to put not just phenominal jumps together but actually have grace, flexibility, great spins, and musicality
@Karosanyo Don't put everything on the jumps. There are a lot more technical issues to consider other than jumping, which is where the 5.9's come from. Midori has the strongest jumps, yes, but weaker spins, spirals, and edge quality.
Midori Ito..compete..Jun claim for Japan..geisha wife.. prescription..Olympics..the brothers Grimm..🧙♀️💤💤..🐺..wolf!
I think he said Mao was the first to land 2 triple axels in the Olympics. :)
oh. meh. bawlz.
@ViardotVSGrisi true we dont have to agree but i think we both have a great appreciation for this skater. never was a fan of harding other than the height of her jumps but she always lacked control/smoothing out of them. bonali, i only like her layout stepout backflip. but again arakawa, asada, and ando are on a whole different level compared to ito. they are more of a complete package