Midori Ito 1989 Worlds LP (UKTV)

[GutterGirlGina]

My fave all-time skater. So talented!



[npe1]

Still not bettered by anyone else 21 years later. THE best female skater of all time.

[hamabo1212]

Her skating excite me.

[lounu777]

When I want to be inspired. I think of Midori Ito!

[wellywog]

height AND distance...nobody has jumps like these even now...

[tonytani1964]

Amazing. she is just amazing !

[Chutson353]

I love the camera angle on this post (as opposed to the USA version) - you really see the height and distance she gets on her opening jumps - especially the coverage of the ice on that opening Lutz - awesome!!

[1win1win1]

この日、会場にいた人達は幸せだな

・女子選手として世界選手権で初（伊藤みどりとしては国外初）の­トリプルアクセル成功！

・女子選手として世界選手権大会初の6種類の3回転ジャンプ成功­！

・伊藤みどりにとって二大大会（オリンピック・世界選手権）唯一­の金メダル！

これを生で見た人は、未だに伊藤みどり以上の選手は存在しないと­思ってるだろうね

[lutz84]

she seems to be able to change her rotation speed depending on how much height she gets ... sometimes her 3 lutzes can be SO high and she seems to be able to easily delay the rotation and land perfectly.

[Chutson353]

The only skater in the history of the sport who created art out of pure athleticism.

[fireefliee]

I love her triple axels! And she looks so happy as she lands them :)

[lutz84]

she could have beaten kurt browning haha

[mlc2005]

"The highest art is being natural." That's a keeper!  Beautiful!!!!!!!!

[arsoys]

It's not just the jumps. It's the exuberance and the liveliness.

The highest art is being natural. And I don't think anyone's come close since.

[utubejunkiepig]

the highest art is being natural... never heard it put that way but absolutely agree

[glamourskates]

Midori Ito, the greatest female jumper of all time. Legend.

[kaisersweeta]

Even now,more awesome jump than now ladies's!

[naprdel]

How could anybody compare this with Jill Trenary? Is it possible?

[wata1192]

すごい！

（天才ここにあり）

[1wearbear]

she is awesome.

[mlc2005]

I always read that Ito struggled with figures because she had vision issues, and the photos I saw of her doing them, she was wearing really thick glasses. If this is true, I think it's really unfair that vision would be a factor in a competition.

[RedbeardNC]

The whole compulsory figures thing reminds me of the piano exams we had to take in college....we played our 3 planned pieces but first we had to demonstrate that we could play certain scales and such. I always played the pieces well but the scales were so terrible that I had a hard time making a good grade on my exam.

[TheOblivionfan123]

@RedbeardNC good god that makes me the Jill Trenary of piano AHHHHH!!!!! the shame the shame

[jeevesandbertie]

This is true. I'm U.S. , discovered her in1988. The rest of the Olys competition was ridiculous after what she did. Everyone skating fan I know knows her and loves her.

[timbertimer]

Thanks for posting!  What is the music?

[floskate]

It's Rondo by Frank Mills

[indiatree]

This program and the scores she got for artistic impression prove how manipulated the scores were back in the 1980s and 1990s. Here the judges gave her 5.8s and 5.9s for artistic impression......in 1988 at the Olympics, they were giving her 5.5s and 5.6s for artistic impression. Yet the two programs, artistically, were almost identical. The difference was that in 1988 the judges wanted Witt to win, and they knew if they gave Ito higher artistic scores, Ito would win. It was all manipulated.

[clarriona]

This is soo true!!!

[kaoruzinha]

"This program and the scores she got for artistic impression prove how manipulated the scores were back in the 1980s and 1990s."

They still are.

[kaoruzinha]

Yeah, and downgrading too.

[grafgirl27]

Ito was never in contention for any medal at the 88 Olympics even if she got all 6.0s for her Calgary LP. Unfortunately her 14th in figures which were then 30% meant no chance for a medal . I think what the judges were scared of was Ito placing 2nd in the long over Witt which would cause Manley to pass Witt overall for the gold. So yes in a way I agree they lowered Itos marks to protect Witt but not based on Ito ever winning.

By the way Itos artistry was much better in 89 than 88 too.

[indiatree]

I wonder to what extent Midori placed 14th in figures in 1988 because of lack of competency in those figures. The public saw very little of those figures and the judging was never scrutinized the way it was for the free skating. They judges could have buried her in 14th place just to keep her out of contention regardless of how good or bad her figures were. No one would ever know.

[grafgirl27]

That is true. The figures were often kept in secrecy to everyone, perhaps for a reason. Although to be honest the clips they ever showed of Ito doing figures she really struggled with them. I think figures should not have been around by 88 anymore anyway. They had their place in the sport at one time but once Fleming and Lynn emerged they were way too SLOW in getting rid of them.

[schulz1]

I agree. I started skating quite late and figures always held me back whereas had I been allowed to just concentrate on my free skating things might have been a lot different. There was always the cost element too in terms of ice time and tuition

[ShamusMacGuffin]

Thank you for these comments, they were quite useful. I think when people speak of "artistry" they should consider what the skater is capable of. Midori was never an artistic skater, but in spite of being the best jumper in the history of the ladies field, her presentation skills were lacking. Here in 89 they improved ten-fold, and a year later they were even better. Consider presentation, not artistry. The way she presented this program was marvelous.

[grafgirl27]

I think that is an excellent accessment. :)

[Darkangel127]

I totally agree. Artistic doesn't necessarily mean balletic. It's important to be able to sell a performance to the audience and she excelled at that, because the crowd loved her. Besides, there's a sense of excitement in her skating that very few skaters have been able to match since. To me, she'll always be a legendary performer who was years ahead of her time.

[kev7978]

@indiatree yea, the judges were so biased back then, just like rhythmic gymnastics.

[silanthaler]

@kev7978 they still are...!

[AmusedChild]

How many skaters other than Midori Ito received 6.0s in TECHNICAL MERIT? I'm not aware of anyone else. I've adored her since I saw her Olympic debut in 1988. Skating today just doesn't compare.

[fgr8sktrfn]

I recall Shizuka Arakawa received 6.0 for her technical merit at the 2004 Worlds

performance of "turandot".

remember Sasha switched coach from Tarasova to Robyn Wagner.

I belive Shizuka switched to coach TAT form Richard Callaghan?

BTW, that was Shizuka's best free skate performace,IMO.

I loved uncle Dick's commentary and Peggy.

[kev7978]

but she only has ONE 6.0, Midori has FIVE.

[xlutskaya]

Irina Slutskaya received in 2000 GPF on technical merit as well

[cantabile91]

midori ito lands jumps with such ease, it's just amazing! jumps come to her as naturally as walking comes to us. spectacular!

[mlc2005]

It really is unbelievable to watch this performance. It is SO ahead of its time... And it wasnt just what she landed, but also how she landed them.. I watch skating today and i cant tell a lutz from a flip.. its so sad... Ito was like a walking textbook on how to do jumps perfectly... Plus she's the nicest person you'll ever meet.

[schulz1]

Still the greatest ...even 20 years later and nobody can question that!

[lutz84]

she would probably have won the men's event!

[mec441]

This was truly one of the greatest figure skating performances ever. Not only was it historical(first triple Axle by a woman) it was also pretty and inspiring. For all the attention given to the 3Axle, the highlight for me was that 3Toeloop-3Toeloop combination jump. Awesome!

[fgr8sktrfn]

"mec441"

I agree fully as so many of the commentators focused on her 3Axel jump and they tend to forget about her 2 other supreme jumps.

I loved Midori's 3T/3T as well, just watch how she just explode on her 2nd 3toeloop, the elevations and the distance she covers.

just a spectacular combo!

also,so many people don't realize how great Midori's 3Lutz jump was.

I remember Scott Hamilton compared Midori's 3Lutz is as good as Brian Boitano's(1988 Olympic Gold Medalist).

[castor22pollux]

She was not only one of the best in women´s competition in history, she was THE BEST, ever! Such ease in the jumps, incredible rotation, she was incredible! Which girl was able to show such jumps with such ease? Nobody! If figures hadn´t existed in the past, no ice-skater would have had any chance to beat her, I think she would have won nearly all competitions! Midori was a gift for us and for the ISU. No wonder that she had the nickname: Tsunami girl! One word: Legend!

[kaisersweeta]

still most fantastic!!!

[tomie1956]

I remember watching Mordi on TV. I was a skater in the 70's and have continued to watch all that I can. She was truely remarkable.

[chia1123]

I assume you are not Japanese, but how did you discover Midori? I'm from Japan so I know she was a star there! Many non-Japanese people know about Midori, which is amazing to me. All of the positive comments on Midori make me happy...

[diskplaying]

So what on earth is supposed to reward pretty positions then. Artistic sports like gymnastics and figure skating are supposed be aesthetically pleasing with pretty positions, especialy the girls. Your disregard for it explains why you like athletes like Retton and Ito, but it doesnt mean it shouldnt be a part of sports that are supposed to be pretty looking sports.

[floskate]

How on earth does MLR get a freaking mention on a discussion of Midori Ito?

Can we just get back to Midori or I'm gonna close all comms for this vid.

[iceprincess4evr]

whoa this is amazing!!!

how old is she here?

[fgr8sktrfn]

Midori is 19 years old here(born Aug. 13,1969)

These are some of the comments I heard.

Simon Reed, Nicky Slater of BBC/Euro Sport

the finest technical performance by a woman figure skater, Ever!!!

Toller Cranston, Canadian Broadcasting,himself a victim of Compulsory Figure, "Midori is a Skating Virtuoso"

Harland Burge(U.S Figure Skating Team Leader)

"the finest athletic performance he has ever seen by a woman skater"

[fgr8sktrfn]

It must took some efforts to come up with such a profound statement. LOL

Ignorance is Bliss, isn't it !!!

[fgr8sktrfn]

What was the significance of this particular performance? It has taken the woman figure skating 83 years(1906~1989) for what Midori, all of 5 feet and 98 lb of Dynamo,was able to accomplish that night.

Midori set 2 World records at this event in the 1989 Worlds.

Midori not only became the 1st woman to land 3 axel but also completed all 6 major triple jumps. Midori landed, 3/T3/T..3 Sal..3 Loop..3Flip..3 Lutz & 3 Axel.

Perhaps, one of the greatest jumper in the woman figure skating history!

[calexsif]

uh, I thought she won world's?? in 1989, as a matter of fact, in this very video she won world's.

[littlebrit2007]

You are amazing, beckerbombs, because you obviously don't think Midori would dominate lady's field today. Who could beat this performance? Slow and boring Mao? Miki, Miss Inconsistency Personified? Or Yu-na, who's middle name is Frailty? No way. Midori would beat them every time pretty much. Maybe Irina at her peak could've been a good adversary, but she's no more. All the top ladies today would complain "It's so unfair that we have to compete against this out-of-the-world monster!" lol

[Scissorhands999]

Beckerbombs, you are an idiot. Midori peaked whilst compulsory figures were still in existence, not after. Try looking into her skating history instead of just looking at her most famous competitions (try 1984 Skate Canada, for starters). Delivering one of the best moments in sport (88 Olympics), followed by Gold in 89 and Silver in 90 is what I call a good career. Browning & Kwan never even won Olympic gold. There's nothing "mere" about Midori Ito's talent,so go elsewhere with your sarcasm.

[nomads77]

She was just so awesome, so exciting to watch. Also so gracious on her achievements, what a lady.

[rickram1961]

Midori Ito was one heck of a powerhouse when it came to the jumps. Her artistry was very refined as well.

[flipdrumma311]

Does anyone know what song this is?

[TwoBoatsVideo]

Frank Mills　(canadian pianist)

"Concerto No.1 for Piano"

[waddleduckie1]

Also she had a lot of speed. I bet her skating can tip the speed radar!

[ste3021878]

Midori, like Katarina and Michelle, transformed the sport by sheer force of personality and athletic skill. A powerful, clean triple lutz (not a flutz). A breathtaking triple axel with almist too much height. Beautiful and fast spins. Energy that never stopped. AND a triple-triple combination toward the end of her program. Midori was brilliant but also humble, gracious and remarkably free of some of the drama/diva antics we saw later on in skating.

[smenne67]

No comment!just lookin' at the clip...Simply marvellous!

[npe1]

Its nonsence to say she had poor artistry. Artistry is'nt just about playing to the crowd and doing pseudo artistic movements, its also about skating style, flow over the ice, nice landing positions etc. Midori had all that. Plus, her layback is gorgeous. Any skater can just go around, play to the audience and prance around and it can be interpreted as "artistry" (look at Candeloro - a showman for sure, but awful, ugly style), not all skaters have style and flow, Midori did.

[Chutson353]

I agree - "presentation" is a better word that "artistry" - she wasn't a ballerina but had an amazing presence on the ice nevertheless - and catch the hight and distance on her jumps.

[littlebrit2007]

I agree too. Take Kat Witt's 1988 Olys Carmen for instance, which some people still foolishly praise to the death as "The" most artistic program ever. D'uh. It's just laughable. Is it "art" when a pretty girl in gaudy costume stops skating altogether, frails her arms and gives the audience that "sexy seducing look"? Midori's artistry comes from her superb skating, not her pseudo playing/dancing. Now that's art in its real sense.

[gmpafos]

Legend, an absolute legend!

[StewNWT]

I can't believe anyone would say her transitions weren't good. LOOK AT HER she's a freaking whirling dervish across the ice, constantly whipping footwork and carrying incredible speed. Both her marks under the COE would be through the roof. I think this would have beaten Mao Asada last year personally (Midori would have tacked on the extra combos to rack up points).

[Greatass4]

Midori would have won the Olympics actually. She completed all the triple jumps (except her well known axel) AND a triple triple combination. Liz Manley also had a shot at the title, given her good jumps (including the lutz) and great artistry.

[Scissorhands999]

Midori never benefited from the old scoring system. She suffered with the compulsory figures & under the new scoring system would have at won the worlds in 90 & would have medalled at the 88 Olympics, at least. Nobody was skating anywhere near Midori's tech marks and they would have needed to have perfect artistry marks to compete--which they never. The judges also held back the marks for the earlier groups, so when she skated at the 88 Olympics, she suffered again. No, she didn't "benefit".

[sschimel]

here's the perfect example of someone who really benefitted from the old scoring system. Under the new system, she could never win, because she had little artistry. I will say this, though... she was a much better skater than Surya Bonaly, who could barely glide across the ice between jumps.

[drsarcasmus]

With the current system, she'd actually have been much more dominant, because none of the other skater even came close to her technically. Artistically, I don't see much of a difference between her and other contemporaries.

[sschimel]

She would have lost a lot of points on the transitions and choreography. She would have gained points technically. But I think Sasha Cohen (whom I don't even like), Mao Asada, Irina Slutskaya, et al, would have beaten her every time.

[dmu277]

The new scoring system would've awarded her big bonus points for her technical skill, which is remarkably competitive even 15 years later. While artistically not as strong, it's not an appropriate analysis to say that she benefited under the old scoring system. Her program was designed with the old scoring system in mind where the transitions and choreography weren't as closely examined.

[floskate]

Actually Midori was one of the only skaters who included transitions back then at all. She was capable of 3t-3t out of an Ina Bauer fer crissakes!!!! Who can do that now??? Her skating skills, transitions and Peformance execution would all be excellently rewarded. Her + GoE on jumps would be out of this world, plus she always had difficult steps and complex fast spins. If anyone from the old days could win under CoP it's Ito!

[StewNWT]

Sorry but you're out of your gourd. Her transitions and speed between the jumps were superior to anyone else. I don't buy the artisty argument because her presentation was excellent, she just didn't prance around like Kat Witt. She would have dominated under the new system because her technical score would have been nearly twice anyone else's. Plus her spins were excellent.

[bcollins2007]

Sasha Cohen - the choke artist? She never skated to her true potential, and when she messed up, it was because she was too timid. Midori's mistakes happened when she went for things too much.

[sschimel]

The only skater I can think of who choked more than Sasha was Nicole Bobek, whom I adored artistically, but who had trouble with jumps. I think her spiral is still one of the best I've ever seen. WHen I compared Sasha to Midori, it was purely on artistic terms. I think Midori was a great athlete, but I didn't care for her artistically. On the other hand, at least she could skate across the ice, unlike a certain French skater who shall remain nameless (Surya Bonaly).

[bcollins2007]

Don't mention Bonaly - politics caused her to be rated above Midori at Albertville after the short program, and she should have been tossed from the Olympics that year for doing a back flip right in front of Midori as she was warming up on the ice.

That might have been the difference between a gold medal and the silver for Midori. Of course, she did fall on the Lutz in the original, and that cannot be discounted. However, Kristi didn't skate a clear long program, either.

[sschimel]

I've been watching skating since about 1972. I have never seen anyone on the international level who couldn't do basic crossovers. Her basic skating skills were just awful. And I agree with you.. she should have been tossed right than and there.

[MTVMANN]

Didn't Surya do the back flip in practice? I always thought it was practice. At any rate, Midori shouldn't blame anything on that back flip.

[diskplaying]

Actually the fact Midori fell in the short program caused Bonaly to be rated above her. Also remember Midori even with that huge mistake which cost her atleast .5 still only lost on a 5-4 split to a clean Bonaly with the same jump difficulty in the short.  I am not complaining it was that close even with the fall since Midori is WAY better then Bonaly I agree, but your reasoning is off.

[bcollins2007]

A clean Bonaly skating without falling with all of her box turns and looking backwards before she jumps - that is just not unpleasing artisticly but technically as well. Just because she didn't fall didn't make her technically better than Midori.

[sergioayala]

I know it's not what you meant, but i read your opinion and you're right, i agree with you, personally i think of Surya Bonaly as a phony skater.

[OapostropheC]

Are you sure Midori fell in the '89 worlds sp?

[bcollins2007]

She fell into the camera pit 2 years later, at the 1991 Worlds, when jumping too close to the edge of the rink hurt her.

[kev7978]

hmm... do did surya's back flip pressurized Midori during practice?

[yngtxtopbear]

yes, so did the japanese media

[Taan123]

UNBELIEVABLE!

[Scissorhands999]

My apologies - my computer went a bit wrong !

Thanks for uploading the UK version.

[Scissorhands999]

What's happened to the music - it's the wrong music. You've got her 1988 Olympic LP music playing..........!?