As the last post in the Tribute to the People of Japan, Part 2, I'd like to highlight the 2-time and reigning World Champion, Miki Ando. Miki is currently ranked first in the ISU World rankings. Miki is one of the world's most talented female jumpers. She is the only female skater to have landed a quadruple jump in competition, a feat she accomplished at the 2002-2003 Junior Grand Prix Final. When Miki combined her tremendous jumps with a new artistic packaging in the 2006-2007 season, a result of work with world renowned coach Nikolai Morozov, she became the World Champion at the 2007 Worlds in Tokyo, Japan. Miki was named Vogue Japan's 2007 Woman of the Year.
This season, Miki skated beautifully at the World Figure Skating Championships in Moscow,Russia, and defeated reigning Olympic Champion, Yu-na Kim, who was heavily favored to win, in the process.
Though Miki has never been my favorite skater, as I sometimes don't think she listens to the music, and skates disconnected to it, I certainly admire her technical precision, and her tenacity as an athlete. She also appears as a genuine, likable person in interviews. I saw her skate last year on the Stars on Ice tour in Wilkes Barre, PA, and was impressed with the speed, flow, and technique.
In her short program this season, to music from "The Mission" by Ennio Morricone, Miki seems to feel the music, and skate with it, as opposed to skating to it. Her connection to the music and choreography enhances the beauty of her skating in this program. This is a positive improvement that really made me enjoy her skating in this piece. This is the best Miki has ever looked!
Congratulations to Miki Ando for a well-deserved second World Championship title!
I hope you enjoy Miki's "The Mission":
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