Midori Ito 伊藤 みどり (JPN) - 1994 World Professionals, Ladies' Technical Program

Landover, Maryland, USA - 1994 World Professional Figure Skating Championships, Ladies' Technical Program - Midori Ito of Japan edged out Kristi Yamaguchi of the United States to place 1st after this skate. Despite a slight leg wrap on her triple Axel, you truly see the power and wonderful technique she has in performing this jump from the height, distance and the speed (in both the take off and landing), all of which are lacking in those of Mao Asada.

[@masapk8169]

3A着地の時思わず自分で拍手したみどりさんは可愛い！表現力が素晴らしい！この頃のみどりは綺麗！このへやスタイル、コスチュームも似合います、素敵です！

[@user-kohaku]

ほんとかわいい。 明るくて朗らかな感じがにじみ出ていて良いですね。

[@momoa4964]

今見るとジャンプの高さが現在の選手達とは比べものにならないほど凄い😳今現役だったら軽々高さのある4回転飛ぶだろうなあ😲見てみたかったなあ😊

[@gmenshide]

全てにおいて格が違う！！ さすが100年に1人と言われた逸材！

[@milkpot0422]

もう本当に凄いです。 みどりちゃんの演技、今でも日本一になれます！ もっと評価されてもいいと思います

[@Tenchan-Marichanfamily]

この頃はまだ、見た目の社交ダンスの観念が拭いきれていなかったので、過小でしたがその後の選手の荒川静香さんや浅田真央さん、鈴木明子さん、今は解説専門の八木沼さんもみどりさんの技術には興奮されてますよ✌️ 決してメディアに出てないけど、実力は一般も専門家にも認められてるとは思います☺️

[@user-ke6hd1yt5u]

いまだに みどりを越える選手が出てこない凄さ‼️ 日本での 評価が 低いのが残念でたまらない

[@akiomatsumoto7923]

そうですね。海外での試合では観客が総立ちで、どよめきが何度もありましたね。不遇な部分がありました。

[@user-dw2rz2tt5e]

全くです。この動画をみられてとても幸せです。大変のびのびとした演技で、スケートをする喜びにあふれているみどり。大好き！

[@user-ks3sy1yx8u]

ファンの気持ちを裏切らない演技をする選手。 なんて素晴らしい選手だろう。

[@Tenchan-Marichanfamily]

この演技は永久保存ですね💝 美しく優雅で力強い‼️

[@akiomatsumoto7923]

伊藤が跳ぶ度にどよめきが起きる。海外での評価は大変なものだ。ビューティフル、ワンダフル、素晴らしい。リンクから飛び出しそうになる場面はご愛敬か？伊藤はリンクをいっぱいに使いハイスピードの演技。そのスピードがあるから、まるで走り幅跳びのように高く飛べる。これにはリスクもあり、危険もあるが、彼女はそれを乗り越えている。100年に一人の逸材といわれるゆえんである。

[@user-vw6he8ww3h]

女王……今見ても別格

[@kah4825]

や〜、すごいの一言。現役の時、なんでもっと評価されないんだろうと思ってた。滑りもあの頃から綺麗だったよ〜　現役引退後にこの3Aは凄すぎて笑うレベルよ。みどりちゃんを超えるスケーターはいないよ〜

[@user-dq2il6wx5w]

みどりちゃんが、やっぱり一番すごい！

[@warren1564]

Her Triple axel was a beast, and is still unmatched by any woman in skating today

[@user-sw1rv6ir6i]

圧巻のジャンプ力とスピード！ 滑らかさも加わって、演技力にも磨きがかかった感じがしました！ 何よりも、スケートを本当に楽しく滑ってるのが伝わって、見ているこっちも自然と笑顔になります☺️✨

[@masaakihori1133]

みどりこそ最強

[@user-mq7vj2mi6f]

今の4回転を見ても全然感動しないのはみどりさんのトリプルアクセルを知ってるからだと思う

[@misa6e6930]

音との一体感が半端ない

[@user-bs4ze2co7r]

今観ても素晴らしい演技とジャンプ！元気がもらえます〜💖金メダル〜⭐

[@MM-yu7nr]

すごい！ トリプルアクセルも他のシャンプも、安定感と高さがズバ抜けてると思う。この人のこと、あまり知らなかったのが恥ずかしい…

[@Tenchan-Marichanfamily]

みどりちゃん、最高‼️ レジェンドは自分の成功を拍手で喜ぶところが素直でこちらも幸せになりますね✨

[@usagiyo2007]

見ているだけで爽快感を感じる。今の選手の格好つけ演技よりも、大画面で彼女の力強い演技を見たい。今の技術なら簡単にできるはずだ。

[@jmahrky]

no one can do a triple axel like midori, the speed, the height, and the flow, the attack and control, you just don't see that from anyone else!

[@nekonochiisandaisuki]

ジャンプは勿論だけど滑らかさとスピード感が凄い！

[@blueearth5000]

She is so beautiful here. She became a lady from a lovely girl. Her smile is priceless. My lifetime favorite skater.

[@RE-ly8sl]

3A凄すぎて笑っちゃう

[@magyomagyo]

解説はもう当たり前のように安心して3A飛ぶんだろうなって感じで笑ったw

[@baritonebynight]

She's SOOOO cute and fun to watch. I loved how she applauded herself after landing her signature move.

[@varmiiii]

Her triple axel is simple breathtaking and I think it will be a long time before we see another skater like her (if ever)

[@ts7424]

彼女が今の時代にいないのが惜しい

[@quiddy]

I think her leg wrap is what makes her jumps better and more exciting. It goes against the tight-legged convention, but it is harder. It requires more height and force to rotate 3.5 revolutions in that position. It is so much easier to rotate when your legs are tight together but not as exciting to watch. Midori's jumps are more exciting to watch because the cross-legged position creates more movement visually while in the air

[@user-ek5ef8pk5y]

久しぶりにみどりさんのスケートを拝見出来て嬉しいです。これからも気を付けて素晴らしスケートを魅せて下さいね🎵

[@ayumingpeko]

表現力がほんとバカ伸び

[@TheGenta80kg]

幸せだー　日本人でいれて😊

[@magyomagyo]

音ハメ完璧すぎwww

[@Kreatures100]

She has a spark and that triple Axel is amazing. Her body type didn’t allow for elegance and line but she had charisma and breathtaking jumps.

[@Tenchan-Marichanfamily]

スポーツは技術が実力ですが、フィギュアスケートはエレガント や見た目も評価対象になりますね💡 でも、この演技はエレガントで、優しく柔らかだけど、ダイナミックで今でも歓声を上げてしまいます😍💞

[@muscleboi4use]

She is a JOY to watch!!! Such charm and what an athlete!

[@mt9460]

本人は怪我なんかで大変なんだろうけれど、素人目にはまだまだ現役の最前線でいけそうなんだよな!!

[@kourobou]

Midori Ito's performance and personality always give me power and smile. I am happy to see her.

[@rppn6987]

I still think... she was robbed of gold 🏅 Albertville!!! She landed triple axel... and don't tell Yamaguchi beat her on artistic talent.. that's bull!! Yamaguchi can't land triple axel... judges have to give credit where it is presented. Yamaguchi skated not to lose.. no guts!! Ito.. has courage and athletic artistry... it's proven...

[@user-kohaku]

すんげえーーーー 3アクセルどころか5くらい回れんじゃないかってくらい余裕の着氷！

[@菩提那蒂]

My Idol

[@starhorse36]

キレッキレの3A、腰抜かしそうになったわ (^^;

[@NashfanVash]

Thank you for this. I had never seen this performance by Midori. She was an incredible jumper and her smile was so uplifting.

[@trufau23]

The Midori's 3Axels were amazing but i like Mao's 3A too. Both are incredible skaters and have unique styles to jump a 3A.

[@baritonebynight]

Tonya Harding's were the most exciting. Midori Ito's were the most consistent. Mao? She landed it , but not comparable to Harding or Ito.

[@iomoon3608]

Midori overrotates... Mao underrotates

[@lsrasr158]

@@baritonebynight - Tonya's were wild, tilted, off axis, very inconsistent. She only landed them in competition in 1991. Scott Hamilton rated Tonya at the 92 Albertville Olympics as the 2nd best technical skater in the world behind Midori. Midori's 3A to today (Nov 10 18) is still unmatched.

[@sargeminus1727]

@@lsrasr158 I think Tonya had the best triple lutz and triple flip in the world though, including Midori. Especialy the triple flip since Midori often got too close to the boards on hers, not just her, and as a result had an unsteady or marred landing. Midori has a way better triple axel and is a better jumper overall though.

[@lsrasr158]

@@sargeminus1727 you may be right at least of Tonya in 1991. Midori though did an amazing triple lutz at the beginning of her 1988 Calgary olympics LP which all 3 american commentators marveled at. Watch Midori's 1988 calgary LP. Pre triple axel but her athleticism was incredible. Her triple lutz at the 1990 world's in Halifax was beautiful but close to the boards. Scott Hamilton commented on how close to the boards she was and that Midori had complained that the north american rinks were smaller than those in asia and europe and were causing her problems with her jumps as she was running out of real estate when doing them. Her 1989 world's win she did not have the same problem as the rink in Paris was bigger. You are right about Midori's triple axel and her jumping ability. I have never seen anyone in the ladies event close to her, even today. The men back in her day were relieved they did not have to skate against her. Search youtube "tonya midori". you will see a TV interview Tonya did watching Midori skate at the lalique tournament a few months before the albertville olympics. Tonya comments on Midori's skating, compares both of them, and explains why she did not compete at the tourney against Midori and Kristi.

[@user-ss8pf3ci9s]

素晴らしい🎉🎉❗

[@misssakuracherry]

I never saw this game till now but she looks so grown up and became a beautiful lady in short hair in this game. sparkling *** Triple A is OMG just perfect ..... even better than the one at Olympic . She is a legend skater whom no one will be able to take over forever ! Hope you are doing well now Midori xxx

[@Tenchan-Marichanfamily]

お元気で、毎日子供達にスケートの基本を楽しさを地元の九州で教えてます🙆 インスタグラムもされてますので、観てください🙆

[@annecohen8927]

She’s superhuman !

[@sheriffburfordt.justice4488]

She looks so cute with short hair.

[@acuison1]

She actually does a better layback spin compared to Kristi.

[@rogerchen7116]

If she competed in the 94 Olympics, she could win the gold easily.

[@izzykiechel1712]

Andromeda Kalogeropoulou Yagami she retired after the 92’ olympics

[@lsrasr158]

@@izzykiechel1712 - she retired as an amateur right after albertville olympics. she did not compete in the 92 Worlds. My guess is 2 reasons. one, she probably wanted to start earning money since she lived full time with her coach and two, she probably did not want to go thru the media circus that enveloped her at the albertville olympics. I saw an interview Kristie gave and when she was asked why she did not compete in 94 in lilihammer she said she did want to go thru the media circus that would have followed her every move. A direct reference to what Midori went thru in 92.

[@sargeminus1727]

@@lsrasr158 I always thought kristi chose not to come back since she was Harding and her friends club Kerrigan, and knew the same would probably happen to her if she went to the Games, especialy since Harding was allowed to go.

[@lsrasr158]

@@sargeminus1727 Kristie in the interview never made any reference to the Tonya Nancy incident in her decision not to skate in LIlihammer in 94. I am sure Kristie wanted to start earning money as well and figure skating was at its peak around this time. The US economy was not doing so well and Kristie was not getting the endorsement deals that usually come with winning an olympic gold medal. Maybe her japanese heritage affected her getting endorsement deals from US corporations as well. Don't know. In any respect Kristie turned pro and she went head to head wth Midori for the 1993 pro figure skating championship which Midori won.

[@sargeminus1727]

@@lsrasr158 Yeah you are probably right. Do you think if Kristi had chosen to compete at Lillehammer after the Nationals in Detroit which i had kept hearing before the Nationals in Detroit might happen, they could name her to team without competing at Nationals? That was the era they gave athletes medical byes, and they named Kerrigan to the team without competing so I guess it is possible. The difference is she wouldnt have been injured, and simply chose to forgo Nationals which is entirely different, I dont know how they would handle that. And Kristi must have assumed she could simply be given a spot if she simply chose to compete at the Games, given that there was still talk in the media of her choosing to compete at the Games around the time of Nationals when it was known she wouldnt be competing there. Then again that may have been the stupid and often false media, and not Kristi herself.

[@user-no1bw7lj9r]

スケーティングおばけ、こんなのみたことない

[@user-qm6mt8lr2l]

ジャンプの人！のイメージはもちろんですが、 みどりさんのスピン、とくにレイバックスピンが大好き❤

[@kourobou]

空前絶後

[@roufuyou]

やはり、みどりさんは素晴らしい。何年たっても変わらない。決してスタイルは良くないのに、みんなそこに悪意ある発言は聞いた事がない。 なので、今、新葉のスタイルを悪意ある発言で批判する人はみどりさんも否定する事になるし愚かだ。悲しい事に、日本人が多い。

[@user-lj7rw7dm8p]

悠由宇 いやいや、何処からどう観ても非常にバランスの取れた良いスタイルだと思います。

[@puu851]

話が飛躍しすぎ、笑

[@tn1810]

9.8？？ 絶対ただの嫉妬だわ。おかしい！

[@user-dw2rz2tt5e]

観客のブーイング。あれがよく表してるよね。

[@user-uh8gg2zh7e]

気持ちイイー！ダイナミック❤

[@3Axel1996]

@Chalkare With regard to the Axel jump, that goes for every lady these days. They just don't seem to attack the jump with speed and power as they used to in the 80s and 90s, whether it's a double or triple Axel. The worst culprit being Caroline Zhang.

[@RrkmMr]

これだけの技術レベルをキープできてたのに94年のリレハンメルオリンピックに出なかったのは何故なんだろう。絶対優勝できたと思うんだけどなぁ

[@tomj2711]

自分がカルガリー当時の新聞記事を見た感じだと、元々彼女の家庭が裕福でなく、早くからプロへの転向を考えていたらしい。自分をこれまで支えてくれた人達へ恩返ししたいと。当初はアルベールビルまで現役を続けることも考えていなかったそう。アマチュアとしてスケート選手をやるにはお金がかかるから。

[@user-gk5yj1pk8k]

92年の次は僅か2年後に冬季五輪。体力的にはいけたと思いますし、あれだけ注目される存在でスポンサーも多く着いたはず。でもその一身に注目される中での五輪はもう精神的に限界だったんでしょうね。 まだ佐藤もメダル圏内では無かったし、、、 今のように世界レベルの選手が数名いれば変わっていたのかも？！

[@TooKiss2010]

94年の五輪ではプロが復帰することが許された大会で、各カテゴリーで過去大会の金メダリストの復帰が話題をさらっていました。そんな中、新聞のインタビューでみどりさんも復帰する気がなかったのか尋ねられていました。 みどりさんいわく、アルベールビルでやりきれたという思いが当時は強かったそうですよ。女子史上初の五輪での3回転半の成功者になれて、メダルも取れたので。 女子シングルの元金メダリストのカタリナ・ヴィットの復帰も年数が経っていたから復帰する気になったのでは？とも言ってましたね。 それだけみどりさんにとって、アルベールビルでの極度の緊張感と重圧をもう一度経験しようと思うには、2年という時間ではまだその感覚が生々しく残りすぎていたのかもしれません。アルベールビル五輪期間中（特にOPまで）のみどりさんの表情はいつも強張っていてかわいそうなほどでした。

[@takeru3214]

山田コーチが西武のオーナーにスポンサーになって下さいと会いに行ったくらいですからね。 現役時代は大変だったのではないでしょうか？金銭的にも。

[@user-qm6mt8lr2l]

"90〜95年はリーマンショックから立ち直ることに財界も懸命で、スポンサーになる思考が薄れていたのかな。 富を手にし社員をハッピーに出来たあとは社会貢献をうたう企業があるけれど、この時は日本ささえる大企業も階段の昇りなおしで周りみる余裕なかったのかも。 西武はホッケーチーム持っていたりホテルにリンクあったり当日めずらしくてスポーツでも世界に🇯🇵と考えたら少ない会社だと思います。

[@quiddy]

god i dont know why they think her cross legged technique is bad.... i think its better than straight legged because 1) it looks more dynamic in the air and 2) it's freaking harder!!! don't they realize that? then why are they penalizing something that is harder to do? and who said it's not proper form? the only reason why they say it's proper form is because back when people were not as athletic, the only way they could rotate 3 times in the air is to be more aerodynamic and straighten their legs in the air. This de facto mentality is not right.

[@pueraeternus111]

it's easier to jump with a wrap...it means you are not in full alignment with your axis. to achieve the air position of say sasha cohen is the closest thing to technical perfection. but there are other facets to a jump aside from air position, like entrance, height, distance, landing, flow out, etc. so, despite the wrap, Ito's triple axle was still amazing. Also, not all her jumps had wraps, like her triple toe loop and salchow. I bet if she didn't wrap her triple axel, she could've landed a quad axel because the wrap actually dragged her rate of rotation... that famous jump of hers was truly more a testament to her talent and willpower than to the imperfect technique taught to her. back then, the understanding of physics was just not as advanced as it is today in the skating world.

[@quiddy]

+Masaki Hirama you are so right. Her wrap is very obvious on the salchow, lutz, and loop, which I believe with her gifted high twitch muscles and timing, tends to have too much height and power for her and thus the risk for overrotating - after all if you jump too high you can't simply adjust your rotation speed to slow down and compensate for the height. So yes, I truly believe that she uses the high leg wrap as a way to prevent her from over-rotating her jumps, similar to how any other skater would slightly leg wrap a double jump in a triple-double jump combination to avoid over-rotating.

[@quiddy]

+Tress Braga I think it's a testament to Midori and her coach's intuitive knowledge of physics, as they used the wrap - or rather her coach saw Midori by instinct would sometimes wrap her leg on certain jumps and instead of correcting it actually saw it as a technique and allowed it. It is not harder to jump with tight legs. On the contrary it is easier and to rotate with tight legs is our body's natural inclination to move towards. So this is my complaint with these figure skating rules. They simply downgraded something that could have been seen as a technique. They labeled it as incorrect position when in fact the reality was simply that its counterpart - tight leg rotation - is not a choice that skaters consciously make to achieve perfect technique. Rather it is a compensatory reaction of our body to our intent to complete a lot of rotations mid-air. See the difference? If you compare a layback spin's lazy technique of the lazy leg, it is clear that it's inferior to high leg

[@quiddy]

+Masaki Hirama I can see where you're coming from in trying to explain how the wrap would basically compensate for the knee to hip area to slow down to allow the upper body to catch up and ultimately allow for the 3 parts' synchronized rotation. However this would fail to explain the men's side. Why do they still jump with tighter legs even though there could be the same issues as Midori's ( after all she's always being compared with male jumpers ). Secondly , it doesn't explain Midori's leg wrap during her later years (1993-96) when she was noticeably thinner than her old self?

[@jondavwal13]

This is completely wrong. Tight legs are the easiest to jump with. Midori wraps her leg because she has too much height for tight legs. She does not land with a wrap however. They teach you when you skate (and yes I can skate), single jump open leg, double jump a bit more closed and if you have enough height no need to cross your leg, triple jump, crossed leg at ankle and tight position to facilitate rotation. Sasha Cohen got two inches off the ground, thus the need for the completely tight leg position.

[@ivanlavouras]

She could have won the gold at lilehammer for real!

[@legendarywinds]

What is the name of this music, and whom is the performer/composer?

[@GlidingArt99]

@3Axel1996 true about Caroline, but you can notice she doesnt place high...basicly because of her lack of speed and proper technique on her jumps... (nontheless I love her grace and performing abilities)

[@jindasukbunma9657]

Music is off,

[@lyann1213]

Once she does a 3A she defeats anyone easily

[@mk-pu5hj]

今こんな大きな会場ないよね😅

[@user-qm6mt8lr2l]

スピンが😍

[@user-en6qy2bv7j]

す・ご・い😂

[@jindasukbunma9657]

But she is tough skating,