@jayawr That's an interesting perspective! It is so true, though... Hamilton never had a 3L, his 3F was inconsistent, and he didn't spin quite as well (besides the scratch spin, for which he was known). Although he was a great skater, Midori would have been right up there with or above him...
I SO agree with you StewNWT. Not only a technician with the jumps. Her poise, charm, grace, music choice & presentation skills were always unjustly criticised, imho.
She always performed to the best of her ability and, when she didn't skate clean (rare times in 1992, Olympic short, for example) she apologised to her country and her fans!! SO gracious as a competitor.
A truly wonderful lady and sportswoman to make Japan and figure skating proud.
@muscleboi4use Well said! The skating world, I suppose, was not ready for someone like Midori back then, and they needed an excuse to keep her below Witt, Chin, Kondrashova, etc. Now I look at her skating almost 30 years later, her edging, speed, spins, and the excitement she brings, etc. etc. are all quite impressive--even by today's standards.
I love how they're complimenting her here on her grace, poise and music choice and yet later they'd tear her down for that. Honestly, she should have annihilated Witt at the 1984 games as a 14 y/o never mind at Calgary
She was not only one of the best in women´s competition, she was THE BEST, ever! Such ease in the jumps, incredible rotation, she was incredible!
This video is from 1984. Which girl was able to show such jumps with such ease 1984? Nobody!
If the figures hadn´t existed in the past, every skater wouldn´t have had any chance to beat her! She would have won nearly all competitions with her incredible smile on her face! One word: Legend!
I thinks so, too. I am a 53 year old Japanese.I am living in Nagoya city in Japan. Midori also is living in Nagoya. I am very proud of her.She especially was incredible as jumper! No such woman will appear forever even comparing with Mao Asada of Japan.
Midori Ito was THE BEST jumper in the history of ice-skating!
She was incredibly talented and simply incomparable but was suffering from "Compulsory Figures" as many good skaters before her. Without figures, she would have been on the podium for at least 10 years and great winners would have been struggled!
I don´t understand why she didn´t participate in the 1994 Olympics again due to the allowed "come back" of the skaters.
Still nowadays no one has her talent! Ito the best!
I said: If figures hadn´t existed in the past as nowadays, then she would have won nearly all competitions very easily, because she is the most talented ice-skaters in history of ice-skating. No one (men and women) had or has her talent. She was inbelievable, the best skater ever! All competitors were afraid of her but they were lucky that figures existed, without figures they would not have any chance! There will be no other skater in future with this extraordinary talent, Midori Ito LEGEND
composed for her.（Maybe by YAMAHA young composers contest winners. They were as young as Midori) However, I think she had better use popular music everyone knows.
Wow! I don't think people realize (even me) how insanely gifted Midori was. She just did 3t/3t, 3f, 3z, 3l, 3s and three 2x. This level of program would have been technically good from 1984 all the way to 1996. Maybe even 1997 but Tara had a 3l/3l at the time, but damN daMN dAMN. Ito was a true gift.
Compulsory figures (drawing figure 8's in the ice) gave her trouble, and back then a lot of talented and more technically-superior skaters were pushed back because of Compulsories. Some think she would have won the 88 Olympics without the figures.
Midori Ito did not compete at the Olympics in 1984. At her national championships she actually fell in the short program on of all things a double axel and she thus did not earn a spot on the team. If she had gone she would have likely finished in the top ten because of her compulsory figures. This performance at Skate Canada however was first rate and she would probably have placed very high in the freeskating portions of that event.
I honestly think this program would have been good enough to beat Scott Hamilton's program in 1984, even had he skated it cleanly.
jayawr 2 years ago 9
@jayawr That's an interesting perspective! It is so true, though... Hamilton never had a 3L, his 3F was inconsistent, and he didn't spin quite as well (besides the scratch spin, for which he was known). Although he was a great skater, Midori would have been right up there with or above him...
nondescriptnyc 9 months ago
I SO agree with you StewNWT. Not only a technician with the jumps. Her poise, charm, grace, music choice & presentation skills were always unjustly criticised, imho.
She always performed to the best of her ability and, when she didn't skate clean (rare times in 1992, Olympic short, for example) she apologised to her country and her fans!! SO gracious as a competitor.
A truly wonderful lady and sportswoman to make Japan and figure skating proud.
muscleboi4use 2 years ago 11
@muscleboi4use Well said! The skating world, I suppose, was not ready for someone like Midori back then, and they needed an excuse to keep her below Witt, Chin, Kondrashova, etc. Now I look at her skating almost 30 years later, her edging, speed, spins, and the excitement she brings, etc. etc. are all quite impressive--even by today's standards.
nondescriptnyc 9 months ago
I love how they're complimenting her here on her grace, poise and music choice and yet later they'd tear her down for that. Honestly, she should have annihilated Witt at the 1984 games as a 14 y/o never mind at Calgary
StewNWT 2 years ago 6
この頃、一番ジャンプの空中姿勢がきれい。
companybosta 3 years ago
She was not only one of the best in women´s competition, she was THE BEST, ever! Such ease in the jumps, incredible rotation, she was incredible!
This video is from 1984. Which girl was able to show such jumps with such ease 1984? Nobody!
If the figures hadn´t existed in the past, every skater wouldn´t have had any chance to beat her! She would have won nearly all competitions with her incredible smile on her face! One word: Legend!
castor22pollux 3 years ago 28
I thinks so, too. I am a 53 year old Japanese.I am living in Nagoya city in Japan. Midori also is living in Nagoya. I am very proud of her.She especially was incredible as jumper! No such woman will appear forever even comparing with Mao Asada of Japan.
nobuyuki68 3 years ago 4
Hello again:)
Midori Ito was THE BEST jumper in the history of ice-skating!
She was incredibly talented and simply incomparable but was suffering from "Compulsory Figures" as many good skaters before her. Without figures, she would have been on the podium for at least 10 years and great winners would have been struggled!
I don´t understand why she didn´t participate in the 1994 Olympics again due to the allowed "come back" of the skaters.
Still nowadays no one has her talent! Ito the best!
castor22pollux 3 years ago 3
"If the figures hadn´t existed in the past" shame! :( she is VERY VERY VERY GOOD, for me, the BEST EVER!! she may beat any men in competition!! :D
ggd210 2 years ago 4
I said: If figures hadn´t existed in the past as nowadays, then she would have won nearly all competitions very easily, because she is the most talented ice-skaters in history of ice-skating. No one (men and women) had or has her talent. She was inbelievable, the best skater ever! All competitors were afraid of her but they were lucky that figures existed, without figures they would not have any chance! There will be no other skater in future with this extraordinary talent, Midori Ito LEGEND
castor22pollux 2 years ago 8
今で言う浅田真央みたいな
子だったんだね。
すごすぎるわ。
mamahinamako 3 years ago
中学校時代の神か。
nobuyuki68 3 years ago 2
これはｗ飛びすぎだろう。
彼女は生まれてくるのが早すぎたな。
この頃のフィギュアスケートは芸術が重視されてたから。
kujoutsukiko 3 years ago 8
When she was young, she used original music
composed for her.（Maybe by YAMAHA young composers contest winners. They were as young as Midori) However, I think she had better use popular music everyone knows.
NyYangMinh 3 years ago
Wow! I don't think people realize (even me) how insanely gifted Midori was. She just did 3t/3t, 3f, 3z, 3l, 3s and three 2x. This level of program would have been technically good from 1984 all the way to 1996. Maybe even 1997 but Tara had a 3l/3l at the time, but damN daMN dAMN. Ito was a true gift.
amexred 4 years ago 16
@amexred - Yeah, but Tara's jumps were cheated....and tiny compared to Midori's. NO ONE compares to Midori.
officeaddict33 9 months ago 3
I really feel her soul in her skating!
daisyrobster 4 years ago 4
Just amazing! So underrated.
bryan21tx 4 years ago 5
みどりさんの演技は今みてもなんだかわくわくしてしまうね。
yumeyoi 4 years ago 6
My favorite program!
agenteayana 4 years ago 5
Agree. They have scrapped it long time ago but the judging may never be utterly fair for figure skating.
skatespiral 5 years ago
Magnificent. Olympic Medal worthy. why didn't she win Gold at the 84 Olympics? WTF?!
Got2Sk8 5 years ago
Compulsory figures (drawing figure 8's in the ice) gave her trouble, and back then a lot of talented and more technically-superior skaters were pushed back because of Compulsories. Some think she would have won the 88 Olympics without the figures.
rosepetalessence 5 years ago 3
Hope they have scrapped compulsories now. They sound so stupid! Midori should have won gold at both 84 and 88!
Itheraene 5 years ago 3
they have, they scrapped compulsories back in 1991, they held back several skaters
coppertop1 5 years ago
Figures also doomed the talented jumper prior to Midori - Elaine Zayak.
bcollins2007 3 years ago
Midori Ito did not compete at the Olympics in 1984. At her national championships she actually fell in the short program on of all things a double axel and she thus did not earn a spot on the team. If she had gone she would have likely finished in the top ten because of her compulsory figures. This performance at Skate Canada however was first rate and she would probably have placed very high in the freeskating portions of that event.
ft192 5 years ago