 Ando at the2009 World Championships | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | (1987-12-18)December 18, 1987 (age 37) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.62 m (5 ft 4 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Figure skating career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country |  Japan | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Discipline | Women's singles | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Began skating | 1995 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Retired | 2013 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Miki Ando | |
|---|---|
| Japanese name | |
| Kanji | 安藤 美姫 |
| Kana | あんどう みき |
Miki Ando (安藤 美姫,Andō Miki; born December 18, 1987) is a retired Japanesefigure skater. She is the2007 and2011 World champion,2011 Four Continents champion,2004 World Junior champion, and a three-time (2003, 2004 & 2010)Japanese national champion.
Ando is the first female skater to complete aquadruple jump successfully in competition. She accomplished this at the2002–03 Junior Grand Prix Final inThe Hague, Netherlands.
Ando was born on December 18, 1987, inNagoya,Aichi Prefecture.[1] Her father died in a traffic accident when she was eight years old.[2][3] In 2006, Ando joinedToyota and also enteredChukyo University as anadult learner, from which she graduated in March 2011.[4][5] She learned English during her time training in the U.S.[3] In January 2013, she left Toyota Motor.[6]
Ando gave birth to a daughter, Himawari ("sunflower" in Japanese), in April 2013.[7][8][9][10]
Ando began skating in 1996 at the age of eight.[11] Her first coach was Rina Horie.[2] Yuko Monna, whose students at that time includedMao Asada andMai Asada, soon began teaching Ando. Beginning in the 2000–01 season, she was coached byNobuo Satō, and her program already featured a 3Lz-3Lo.
Making her junior international debut, Ando won both of her2001–02 ISU Junior Grand Prix (JGP) assignments and qualified for the JGP Final, where she also won gold. Nationally, she became theJapanese junior champion andsenior bronze medalist. She concluded her season with bronze at the2002 World Junior Championships.
Ando won both of her2002–03 JGP assignments. At the JGP Final, she became the first female skater to land a quad jump of any kind in a competition, performing a quadruple Salchow jump on her way to the bronze medal.[12] She remained the only woman ever to perform this feat until January 2018, when junior skaterAlexandra Trusova ratified the same jump in competition.[13] That season she defended her national Junior crown and took silver at theWorld Junior Championships.[14]
Ando was prominent in 2003–04, winning all her junior competitions including theJunior Grand Prix Final, her third consecutive national junior title, and theJunior Worlds. She also won theJapan Championships (senior) and placed 4th at her first seniorWorld Championships.[14]
The 2004–05 season was her first full season as a senior skater. She won two medals in theISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating series and qualified for theGrand Prix Final, where she placed fourth. She won her second national senior title and placed sixth at2005 Worlds.[14]
Ando relocated to the United States to train withCarol Heiss Jenkins in preparation for the 2005–06 season which included the2006 Winter Olympics in Torino. The season began well, when she won the silver medal at the2005 Cup of Russia, but she finished 4th at the2005 NHK Trophy and narrowly qualified for theGrand Prix Final, where she placed 4th. AtJapanese Nationals, she placed 6th.
Ando was named to theJapanese Olympic team in accordance with the criteria that were to include two seasons into consideration. At the Olympics, she placed 15th, after falling three times in her free skate, once on her quad attempt.[12] She was not placed on the team to the World Championships the following month.
Ando changed coaches again for the 2006–07 season. Training with her new coach,Nikolai Morozov, Ando won gold at the2006 Skate America and silver at the2006 Trophée Eric Bompard. She qualified for theGrand Prix Final, where she placed 5th.[15] It was later revealed that Ando, along with the rest of the Japanese team, competed in Saint Petersburg while suffering stomach flu.
At theJapanese Nationals, Ando dislocated her shoulder while performing a spin in her free skate but skated on to place second overall behindMao Asada.
At the2007 Worlds, Ando placed second in both the short program and the free skate, and scored a total of 195.09 points to win the World Championship by less than one point over Asada.[12] Ando set new personal bests in both the short program and the free skate, and a new personal best total score. She was named one of Vogue Japan's "Women of the Year for 2007"[16] and received six other awards including the "most valuable mention" from the Japanese Olympic Committee.[17][18]
Ando's 2007–08 season began with a silver medal at the2007 Skate America but placed fourth at the2007 NHK Trophy, where she fell three times in her free skate. She did not qualify for theGrand Prix Final. At theJapan Championships, she won the free skate to place second overall, again behind Asada.
In the following February, Ando competed for the first time atFour Continents, where she attempted a 4S but popped it to a double. She won the bronze medal.[14] AtWorlds, Ando was 8th after the short program and was forced to withdraw during her free skate due to a leg muscle strain she had been suffering since that morning.
In the 2008–09 Grand Prix season, Ando placed third afterYuna Kim andYukari Nakano atSkate America and placed second, behind Kim, again, at theCup of China. At theGrand Prix Final, Ando stayed on her foot after an attempted 4S in her free skate program, the first time in competition since 2004, though the rotations were not considered enough and the jump was downgraded. Despite her last place finish, Ando stated that she was very happy with her performance, and that she would continue to work on her 4S.[19][15]
At theJapan Championships, she was in 3rd place after the short program. During the free skate warm-up, she collided withFumie Suguri, and injured her knee. She placed third and earned one of Japan's three spots at the2009 World Championships. Before the event, the Japanese skating federation wanted her to leave Morozov.[3] There, she won the bronze medal with a total of 190.38 after placing fourth in the short program and second in the free program.[12]
Ando represented Japan in a team competition,2009 ISU World Team Trophy, in Tokyo, Japan, where she placed 3rd at the short program, 6th at the free skate and 5th overall. Team Japan was placed 3rd, winning the bronze medal.
The Japan Skating Federation set, as one of its criteria for choosing the skaters to send to the2010 Winter Olympics, the highest Japanese medal finisher at theGrand Prix Final. With this in mind, Ando competed atRostelecom Cup; she placed third in the short program and won the free skate to win the competition overall. At theNHK Trophy, she placed second in both segments and first overall. The two wins qualified Ando for the Grand Prix Final.[20]
At thisGP Final in Tokyo, Ando placed first in the short program, 0.56 points ahead of second-place finisherYuna Kim, and second in the free skate. She was awarded the silver medal behind Kim but ahead of the bronze medalistAkiko Suzuki. With this result, she earned a spot in Japan's Olympic team despite placing fourth at theJapanese Championships.
In February 2010, Ando competed at the2010 Winter Olympics inVancouver, British Columbia, Canada. In the short program, she executed a 3Lz-3L combination but the 3L was downgraded. She earned levels 3 and 4 on spins. Ranked fourth in the short program and sixth in the free skate, she finished fifth overall.[12] Although she originally intended to miss the 2010–11 season, she changed her mind following the Olympics.[3]
At the2010 World Championships, she finished fourth overall after placing eleventh in the short – having fallen on her opening 3Lz – and third in the free.
Ando was assigned toCup of China and theRostelecom Cup for the2010–11 Grand Prix season. In August, shortly before the beginning of the season, she changed her training base while abroad from Hackensack, New Jersey, USA, toDaugavpils,Latvia.[21] She was originally said to have intended to move to Russia, but this plan had to be changed due to the smog and heat wave in Moscow.[21]
AtCup of China, Ando attempted a 3Lz-3Lo combination in the short program, but the loop was deemed underrotated by the technical panel, and she placed third in this segment. She won the free skate segment with a clean performance and won the event overall, ahead of silver medalistAkiko Suzuki and bronze medalistAlena Leonova.
Ando competed with a back injury atRostelecom Cup after a collision withAbzal Rakimgaliev, fromKazakhstan, earlier in the week in practice.[22] An underrotated 3F in the short program left her in 5th place after the short program but she placed first in the long program, winning the gold medal ahead of silver medalist Suzuki and bronze medalistAshley Wagner.
With two gold medals in the Grand Prix circuit, Ando qualified for theGrand Prix Final inBeijing, where she performed her renewed short program that was completed only a week prior. Mistakes on two jumps left her in 5th place following the short program. She ranked first in the free skate but it was not enough to make up the gap from the short program, and she stayed 5th overall.
On December 26, Ando won her thirdJapanese National title over silver medalist Mao Asada and bronze medalist Kanako Murakami, and these three were nominated into the Japanese team for theWorld Championships, which at the time were scheduled to be held in Tokyo in March 2011. At theFour Continents Championships in February, Ando placed first in both the short program and free skating segments to win the competition overall. Her total score of 201.34 was a season's and personal best.
Ando won the gold medal at theWorld Championships inMoscow,Russia, beating silver medalistYuna Kim by 1.29 points and bronze medalistCarolina Kostner by 11.11 points.[23]
In June, it was reported that Ando would sit out the 2011–12 Grand Prix series.[24] She later decided not to compete all season, and in ISU events she appeared only once as an invited skater in the exhibition of theWorld Team Trophy. Instead, Ando participated in numerous shows worldwide, and among them, a benefit event for the victims of the earthquake and tsunami of March 11, 2011, called "Reborn Garden",[25] was planned, co-choreographed and co-produced by Ando herself.[26] The characteristic choreography by Ando and Tsurutani is to a non-stop sequence of various music assembled into one story scene, similar to a ballet program.[27][28]
Ando was assigned to the2012 Cup of China and2012 Trophee Eric Bompard.[29] In May, Ando said she was uncertain if she was ready to return to competition but she had to sign a commitment.[30] In October, she withdrew from both events because she was unable to find a permanent coach.[29] At the end of the same month, Ando learned she was pregnant. She gave birth in April 2013 to a baby girl and resumed training a month later.[7]
After two years away from competition and five months after giving birth, Ando appeared at the2013 Nebelhorn Trophy and won the silver medal behind Russian senior debutantElena Radionova. Following her seventh-place finish at the2014 Nationals, Ando announced her retirement from competitive skating and said that she intended to pursue a coaching career.[31]
Ando has worked for Japanese television and begun coaching.[2] She was also a main cast member at the annual touring ice showFantasy on Ice, having participated in all editions from 2010 to 2019. In 2013, she performed in a live music collaboration with singerAi to the song "To mama", after giving birth to her daughter Himawari.[32]
She joined SASUKE 39 at 28 December 2021. She failed Stage 1 at Dragon Glider.[33]
| Season | Free skating Pro-am events | Exhibition |
|---|---|---|
| 2014–16 [34][35] |
GP:Grand Prix; JGP:Junior Grand Prix
| International[49] | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Event | 99–00 | 00–01 | 01–02 | 02–03 | 03–04 | 04–05 | 05–06 | 06–07 | 07–08 | 08–09 | 09–10 | 10–11 | 11–12 | 13–14 |
| Olympics | 15th | 5th | ||||||||||||
| Worlds | 4th | 6th | 1st | WD | 3rd | 4th | 1st | |||||||
| Four Continents | 3rd | 1st | ||||||||||||
| GPFinal | 4th | 4th | 5th | 6th | 2nd | 5th | ||||||||
| GPBompard | 2nd | |||||||||||||
| GPCup of China | 4th | 2nd | 1st | |||||||||||
| GPCup of Russia | 2nd | 1st | 1st | |||||||||||
| GPNHK Trophy | 2nd | 4th | 4th | 1st | ||||||||||
| GPSkate America | 3rd | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | ||||||||||
| Golden Spin | 2nd | |||||||||||||
| Ice Challenge | 2nd | |||||||||||||
| Nebelhorn Trophy | 2nd | |||||||||||||
| International: Junior[49] | ||||||||||||||
| Junior Worlds | 3rd | 2nd | 1st | |||||||||||
| JGPFinal | 1st | 3rd | 1st | |||||||||||
| JGPCanada | 1st | |||||||||||||
| JGPChina | 1st | |||||||||||||
| JGPCzech Rep. | 1st | |||||||||||||
| JGPJapan | 1st | |||||||||||||
| JGPMexico | 1st | |||||||||||||
| JGPSweden | 1st | |||||||||||||
| National | ||||||||||||||
| Japan Champ. | 3rd | 5th | 1st | 1st | 6th | 2nd | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 1st | 7th | |||
| Japan Junior | 7th | 3rd | 1st | 1st | 1st | |||||||||
| Team events | ||||||||||||||
| World Team Trophy | 3rd T 5th P | |||||||||||||
| Japan Open | 1st T 4th P | 1st T 1st P | 1st T 2nd P | 3rd T 6th P | ||||||||||
| WD: Withdrew T: Team result; P: Personal result. Medals awarded for team result only. | ||||||||||||||
| Pro-am events[50][51] | ||
|---|---|---|
| Event | 2014–15 | 2015–16 |
| Medal Winners Open | 3rd | 3rd |
Small medals for short program and free skating awarded only atISU Championships.
| 2013–14 season | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Event | SP | FS | Total |
| December 20–23, 2013 | 2013–14 Japan Championships | 5 64.87 | 9 106.25 | 7 171.12 |
| December 5–8, 2013 | 2013 Golden Spin of Zagreb | 2 62.81 | 2 114.01 | 2 176.82 |
| November 19–24, 2013 | 2013Ice Challenge | 1 56.78 | 2 94.12 | 2 150.90 |
| September 26–28, 2013 | 2013 Nebelhorn Trophy | 2 59.79 | 4 103.07 | 2 162.86 |
| 2011–12 season | ||||
| Date | Event | SP | FS | Total |
| October 1, 2011 | 2011Japan Open | – | 6 88.11 | 3T |
| 2010–11 season | ||||
| Date | Event | SP | FS | Total |
| April 25 – May 1, 2011 | 2011 World Championships | 2 65.58 | 1 130.21 | 1 195.79 |
| February 15–20, 2011 | 2011 Four Continents Championships | 1 66.58 | 1 134.76 | 1 201.34 |
| December 24–26, 2010 | 2010–11 Japan Championships | 2 64.76 | 1 137.58 | 1 202.34 |
| December 8–12, 2010 | 2010–11 Grand Prix Final | 5 50.45 | 1 122.70 | 5 173.15 |
| November 19–21, 2010 | 2010 Rostelecom Cup | 5 54.00 | 1 120.47 | 1 174.47 |
| November 5–7, 2010 | 2010 Cup of China | 3 56.11 | 1 116.10 | 1 172.21 |
| October 2, 2010 | 2010Japan Open | – | 2 115.02 | 1T |
| 2009–10 season | ||||
| Date | Event | SP | FS | Total |
| March 22–28, 2010 | 2010 World Championships | 11 55.78 | 3 122.04 | 4 177.82 |
| February 14–27, 2010 | 2010 Winter Olympic Games | 4 64.76 | 6 124.10 | 5 188.86 |
| December 25–27, 2009 | 2009–10 Japan Championships | 3 68.68 | 4 116.76 | 4 185.44 |
| December 2–6, 2009 | 2009–10 Grand Prix Final | 1 66.20 | 2 119.74 | 2 185.94 |
| November 2–5, 2009 | 2009 NHK Trophy | 2 56.22 | 2 106.33 | 1 162.55 |
| October 22–25, 2009 | 2009 Rostelecom Cup | 3 57.18 | 1 114.75 | 1 171.93 |
| 2008–09 season | ||||
| Date | Event | SP | FS | Total |
| April 15–19, 2009 | 2009 ISU World Team Trophy | 3 62.08 | 6 105.44 | 3T/5P 167.52 |
| March 23–29, 2009 | 2009 World Championships | 4 64.12 | 2 126.26 | 3 190.38 |
| December 25–27, 2008 | 2008–09 Japan Championships | 3 65.02 | 4 109.07 | 3 174.09 |
| December 10–14, 2008 | 2008–09 Grand Prix Final | 5 55.44 | 5 102.81 | 6 158.25 |
| November 5–9, 2008 | 2008 Cup of China | 2 59.30 | 2 111.58 | 2 170.88 |
| October 23–26, 2008 | 2008 Skate America | 2 57.80 | 3 110.62 | 3 168.42 |
| 2007–08 season | ||||
| Date | Event | SP | FS | Total |
| March 17–23, 2008 | 2008 World Championships | 8 59.21 | WD | – |
| February 11–17, 2008 | 2008 Four Continents Championships | 2 60.07 | 3 117.59 | 3 177.66 |
| December 26–28, 2007 | 2007–08 Japan Championships | 2 68.68 | 1 135.50 | 2 204.18 |
| November 29 – December 2, 2007 | 2007 NHK Trophy | 2 60.52 | 7 85.29 | 4 145.81 |
| October 25–28, 2007 | 2007 Skate America | 2 56.58 | 1 105.31 | 2 161.89 |
| 2006–07 season | ||||
| Date | Event | SP | FS | Total |
| April 29, 2007 | 2007Japan Open | – | 1 112.65 | 1T |
| March 19–25, 2007 | 2007 World Championships | 2 67.98 | 2 127.11 | 1 195.09 |
| December 27–29, 2006 | 2006–07 Japan Championships | 2 69.50 | 3 116.15 | 2 185.65 |
| December 14–17, 2006 | 2006–07 Grand Prix Final | 2 67.52 | 6 89.80 | 5 157.32 |
| November 17–19, 2006 | 2006 Trophée Eric Bompard | 2 65.02 | 2 109.42 | 2 174.44 |
| October 26–29, 2006 | 2006 Skate America | 2 66.74 | 1 125.85 | 1 192.59 |
| 2005–06 season | ||||
| Date | Event | SP | FS | Total |
| March 14, 2006 | 2006Japan Open | – | 4 104.56 | 1T |
| February 10–26, 2006 | 2006 Winter Olympics | 8 56.00 | 16 84.20 | 15 140.20 |
| December 23–25, 2005 | 2005–06 Japan Championships | 6 60.24 | 6 113.12 | 6 173.36 |
| December 16–18, 2005 | 2005–06 Grand Prix Final | 3 56.70 | 4 100.60 | 4 157.30 |
| December 1–3, 2005 | 2005 NHK Trophy | 4 54.56 | 4 99.78 | 4 154.34 |
| November 24–27, 2005 | 2005 Cup of Russia | 2 60.76 | 2 111.54 | 2 172.30 |
| 2004–05 season | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Event | QR | SP | FS | Total |
| March 14–20, 2005 | 2005 World Championships | 2 27.66 | 7 59.30 | 7 106.18 | 6 193.14 |
| December 24–26, 2004 | 2004–05 Japan Championships | – | 3 63.23 | 1 109.24 | 1 172.47 |
| December 16–19, 2004 | 2004–05 Grand Prix Final | – | 5 51.06 | 3 100.04 | 4 151.10 |
| November 11–14, 2004 | 2004 Cup of China | – | 4 49.76 | 4 100.56 | 4 150.32 |
| November 4–7, 2004 | 2004 NHK Trophy | – | 3 50.90 | 1 119.46 | 2 170.36 |
| October 21–24, 2004 | 2004 Skate America | – | 1 53.64 | 6 89.00 | 3 142.64 |
| 2003–04 season | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Event | Level | QR | SP | FS | Total |
| March 22–28, 2004 | 2004 World Championships | Senior | 2 | 3 | 4 | 4 |
| March 1–6, 2004 | 2004 World Junior Championships | Junior | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| December 25–26, 2003 | 2003–04 Japan Championships | Senior | – | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| December 12–14, 2003 | 2003–04 JGP Final | Junior | – | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| November 22–23, 2003 | 2003–04 Japan Junior Championships | Junior | – | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| October 16–19, 2003 | 2003 JGP Mexico | Junior | – | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| September 25–26, 2003 | 2003 JGP Japan | Junior | – | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2002–03 season | ||||||
| Date | Event | Level | QR | SP | FS | Total |
| Feb. 24 – March 2, 2003 | 2003 World Junior Championships | Junior | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| December 20–22, 2002 | 2002–03 Japan Championships | Senior | – | 2 | 6 | 5 |
| December 12–15, 2002 | 2002–03 JGP Final | Junior | – | 5 | 2 | 3 |
| November 23–24, 2002 | 2002–03 Japan Junior Championships | Junior | – | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| October 17–20, 2002 | 2002 JGP China | Junior | – | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| September 26–29, 2002 | 2002 JGP Canada | Junior | – | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| 2001–02 season | ||||||
| Date | Event | Level | QR | SP | FS | Total |
| March 4–10, 2002 | 2002 World Junior Championships | Junior | 1 | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| December 21–23, 2001 | 2001–02 Japan Championships | Senior | – | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| December 13–16, 2001 | 2001–02 JGP Final | Junior | – | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| November 23–24, 2001 | 2001–02 Japan Junior Championships | Junior | – | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| November 1–4, 2001 | 2001 JGP Sweden | Junior | – | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| September 27–30, 2001 | 2001 JGP Czech Republic | Junior | – | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
