Ice rivals

Figure Skating requires both personal focus and relentless practices. Miki Ando was deserved to win the Gold medal. Kim Yuna had her chance in the Canada Champion.

What a sore loser! She peaked at the last Olympics and so having the Olympic gold should be enough.

@tigerguy I agree. Oh well...

Congratulations to Miki! GOLD medalist and World Champion! After all your hard work you deserve it, without the need for elevated scoring and favoritism from judges. Otsukare sama!

Excellent photo!

Wow talk about unprofessional sportsmanship. Heck I'd be happy enough to even rank in the top 3, could always end up with nothing.

Congrats to Ms. Ando! She has shown great resiliency throughout her career. She has often been overshadowed by the "cute" (but less talented?) Mao Asada and yet has never thrown in the towel. Kim Yuna has a lot she could learn from the Champ!

wow such a quaint medal. like the ones they handed out on field day in grade school back in the day.

yeah what a sore loser... she doesnt do much to break out of the usual stereotypes.

I didn`t know that she (KIM YU NA) was a real sore loser. She should pick up the broken pieces, congratulate Miki Ando and move on. By crying, she just makes herself look worse. So sad..

JT should be ashamed to run this photo.

Moderator: Please explain why.

Mmm why does crying make somebody a sore loser ? We see it all the time right in athletes performing at this high level. Take a look at the Japanese High School Championships (Koushien).. both losing / winning teams cry all the time. And those are guys. I think these athletes just have so much at stake that when they see their efforts come to fruit (or in this case fall apart) mentally its hard to control.

btw don't get me wrong, I'm actually glad Kim Yuna got a kick in the butt. And agree good to see its not Mao Asada.

Oh well, I guess now she can relate a bit to Mao-chan, who cried after getting second at the Olympics. I thought they both (Kim and Ando) skated very well, though, head and shoulders above the rest of the competition.

JT should be ashamed to run this photo.

Why?

Congratulations to Ms Ando!! Both ladies are world-class athletes. There will be another day for Ms Kim. I hope both push each other to become even better!

I don't see how crying makes her a sore loser. Do we know what she's thinking of? Athletes put their whole being at a high level into a sport, so how are you going to know the different between personal regret?

If Brian Orser was still her coach it may have turned out differently, but her mother is in charge. She could even be crying about that. Much of her life is under control. Ms. Ando by comparison seems rather collected and congrats to her. Emotional strength is also sometimes a winning condition. Yu na's talent alone can't get her there if she can't concentrate on her efforts.

So there's lots of possibilities on her emotional state

Queen Yuna has become Queen Drama. Miki seems to feel bad about this scene. Anyway, Miki really deserves this medal. She has been working so hard for years now and it is about time she gets recognition. Mao is way overrated and hopefully she won't be in the spotlight anymore. Miki transmitted a lot of feelings with her performance. It was really well coordinated with the music. Way to go Miki and I can only wish you the best.

So what do you see in Ando's expression? She does not seem to be gloating or anything. Why isn't she at least smiling? Kim fell during prelims. Maybe it just wasn't her day.

I don't think Yu Na is a sore loser, she is just a 20-year-old girl who was overpowered by her emotions, just like Mao last year. In contrast, though, look at Miki Ando, who has gotten her nerves firmly under control and skated just 4 points under her season's best at this event.

You can't always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, you get what you deserve.

Anytime you look at a photo, you're going to get the wrong impression of someone.

Sore loser?? Kim Yuna's a world championship silver medalist. Most here can only dream of losing like that. Good on her.

It's not only women and it's not only Koreans who cry. Several Olympics ago, I saw Japan's male Judo heavyweight champ (named Saito if I recall correctly) crying while on the stand to receive a silver medal. His arm was in a sling. The Korean who defeated him for first place won by using the technique of falling on top of the man's extended arm with his full weight. Since he wasn't disqualified, I guess "intentionally breaking your opponent's arm" is a legitimate judo technique. Sort of dampened my enthusiasm for international competitions of this sort. Women's volleyball, in which a net separates rival teams, is more fun to watch.

Kudos for Miki Ando. She's been my fave for years. After choking in the clutch so many times before, it was great to see her win the worlds.

I don't think Kim is crying for losing, btw.

They both scated well, but the pressure got to Kim, and to Asada, for what matters.And to most of these girls, in my opinion. I see compassion in Ando's expression, probably she understands very, very well how Kim feels.By the way, in her interview Ando mentioned that the usual scater's routine has been broken, since in May a scater usually begins to work at a new program, new furitsuke, and a competition in the beginning of May is highly unusual.

People, people. Kim Yuna's crying because this was her first and last competition for the year. She has some regrets that's all. Also, Miki's thinking 'I know how you feel' in that picture. Miki's eyes look like they are about to cry too.

I don't see how crying makes her a sore loser.

Bebert61 -- agree. Talk about a bunch of hypocrits. Are all those Japanese high-school baseball players "sore losers" when they cry when they lose at Koshein? Or the guys on the Japanese soccer team who cried when they lost at the World Cup? This is a country of athletes who cry when they lose, and yet folks are dumping on Kim. That is ironic to say the least. That aside, Ando deserved to win. She skated better last night.

Congrats to Ando, and to Yu-na as well. The former has proven over the past two years to get better and better, and while the latter didn't do badly considering she came out for the first time in a year, she was beaten fair and square.

Agree that crying doesn't make her a sore loser, any more than it made Mao Asada (where did she place in this?) a sore loser for crying at the Olympics.

it's me or Ando head-face looks a little like stewie griffin? i wonder what she thinking

This is definitely in the top 5 pictures of the day!

Kim Yuna, you do not have to be #1, but did you do your best?

It's a greart pic. Kim is just showing her disappointment at not winning. Nothing strange about that if you consider they practice for hours and hours every day. Of course there is a lot of pressure on her to win. Simple as that.

herefornow, I agree with you, but I don't think the people who are calling Kim a "sore loser" on JT are Japanese ;)

Last time when Miss. Kim Yuna was on the gold podium, the others medalists were not crying. Professionalism, emotion, and composure are difficult to maintain sometime; especially on the world stage like this. They all should celebrate their great accomplishments for the moment, and may the best performer win the competition. Better result to all, next time; and still only one can stand on the gold podium.

Well actually Miki's facial expression looks more like a smirk than empathy.

Ando is probably thinking Yuna's reaction is a bit OTT. 'But I was sure I'd get the gold medal! Kuyashiiiiiiii !!!'...sob

Also 'Homage to Korea'??? Personally, I thought it was out of place.

"Miki's facial expression... looks more like a smirk"

It does not. Miki never smirks. She's not smiling here because Yu-na's crying is making her uncomfortable.

Yu-na's crying because she knows what she faces when she returns home after her failure to beat this Japanese woman.

Yu-na's crying *because she knows what she faces when she returns home after her failure to beat this Japanese woman

WoW a firing squad?

Kim is still more beautiful, even if she isn't a great ice-skater. Just wish they showed a nicer pic of her...

The look of the japanese skater redefines a lot the conception of the "Remi's eye"

In Mexico we called this to the eyes that grow bigger and brighter as if the girl or boy is about to cry. Remi was a very famous anime in the 80s in Mexico... and was very tragic.

Yuna's makeup consists of two black blurs over her eyes, how original lol. Nah, Costner should have gotten the gold.

Ando should also get rid of the false eyelashes or at least make them believable.

The picture says less about Kim and more about Ando. She looks genuinely sorry for Kim. I hope that sympathy never costs her a medal. Its nice to see Ando get the gold.

Well I will take a stab at this & guess she is crying because she didnt win gold, pretty easy to figure out since those that win gold seldom shed a tear.

Does that make her a sore loser.......I dont know, dont care, just wish there wud be less whimpering when the medals are given out.

The only excuse wud be if they were robbed of a medal then I could understand it more but if you made 2ns or 3rd just wait till your off the podium to start bawling puuuuleeeze!

Most of the athletes are actually friendly outside the competitions and know what it takes to compete and how much hard work each puts into it. They also know how easy it is to fail and there is more sympathy than anything for their rivals.

Kudos to both, as for being 1st place takes way more effort to remain there than to get there.

Kim Yu-na will donate all of the silver prize money ($27,000 US) to the Japanese quake victims, which is good to know.

You can see five centuries of totalitarianism in the Japanese gal's face.

Miki Ando's performance was nothing short of spectacular. She deserved this Gold medal every bit.

Yu-na's crying behavior is absolutely embarrassing. She should be thankful and happy for a silver medal and be congratulating Ando San for her Gold, what a sore looser - Not a true sportswomen.

You can see five centuries of totalitarianism in the Japanese gal's face

The most melodramitic people really are drawn to these contests.

A note to Yu-na: This what you end up looking like when the hype off the ice doesn't match who you can be on the ice.

Miki Ando, champion has a wonderful ring to it. Congratulations !

I don't follow skating and didn't see this one, but Miki Ando is a true model of un-give-upedness.

She's come close and been defeated by her own nerves in public more than once, something that once recurrs can jsut become that much more hard to get over and control. Many fall off the horse at that point. She's born the pressure of others expectations and failed, been scorned/half forgotten, but she always came back to the plate. Now she is coming into her own. Showing us how its done.

Should've stuck with Orser!

A note to Yu-na: This what you end up looking like when the hype off the ice doesn't match who you can be on the ice.

I may be wrong - but I think Kim is the Olympic champion. Miki would swap this medal for Olympic Gold I reckon. Anyway - they both have beautiful legs - thats the most important thing.

they look terrible even though they are gorgeous . A bad pic.

A note to Yu-na: This what you end up looking like when the hype off the ice doesn't match who you can be on the ice.

Um, she just won Olympic gold last year.

I saw the tournament on TV. Yu-na just didn't perform like she did at the Olympics, e.g. deciding to do a single jump instead of a triple, also the choreography in general just was not exciting. She's just crying at herself for her own poor performance, and not much to do about her not winning a gold.

So, everyone here seems to think that Kim Yu-na is crying because she lost... I see... it couldn't possibly be about something else... I know one thing, if I were competing for the first time in a long time, I would be emotional as well just making it to the podium... She's still the Olympic gold medalist, and in my opinion, still the favorite to win it again in Russia...

Haha, look at that look! Miki was looking at Kim, smirking, "How does it feel like to fall from your perch?" Too funny!

"Kim Yu-na will donate all of her silver prize money to the Japanese quake victims"

My respect for her just went up a notch.

"Miki was looking at Kim, smirking"

She was not smirking. Actually, Kim may have cried even if she won the gold medal, sometimes the pressure and excitement of competitions is a bit overwhelming.

Wow, I have to say all the hate here is really getting a bit too much. As a fan of Kim, I am disappointed, but at the end of the day, she didn't perform the best, and, as the best skater that day, Ando rightly won. Why on earth would she be called a 'sore loser'? The sore posters here seem to have forgotten that Kim cried when she was on the podium receiving the Olympic gold medal. Oh, that's right, selective memory. She'd been away from competition a year - maybe she was just overwhelmed or perhaps she was just happy to make it to the podium. She, just like Ando and Asada, is only human and you can't expect them to win every single time.

I really do wish the Japanese media would stop all this Asada vs Kim stuff. They end up with egg on their faces when Asada is nowhere in sight. They're all young and if Ando can come back, so can Asada sometime. But for now, Asada is out of the picture.

The one thing I will say about Kim is that she's the most consistent of them all, hardly ever missing the podium since she burst onto the scene.

And my definition of a sore loser is someone like Plushenko, who belittled the American Olympic winner, saying he didn't deserve it because he didn't attempt a quad. I'd like to know what exactly Kim said about Ando's performance. If she sais something bad, then I'll call her a sore loser.

This is a very good but laden picture. Kim is not a sore loser (with 1 'o'), she is overcome by emotions. Very much human. Miki is definitely not smirking. She knows exactly how her rival is feeling. She's been there and she's not reveling in her opponent's loss. Suggesting otherwise is done by those who have not followed Ando's efforts to the top throughout the years. The interviews she's given along the way. The decency and humanity she's brought into the rink and beyond, in addition to the sheer hard work and dedication.

Pukey2 at 09:11 PM JST - 1st Mayshe didn't perform the best, and, as the best skater that day, Ando rightly won. Why on earth would she be called a 'sore loser'?

Yes you're right, I take my words back. My bad! I read more about this and discovered she was crying purely through emotion because of her getting back and not because she came 2nd place for silver.

Why on earth would she be called a 'sore loser'?

I think it's just many posters who are finally getting their chance to express the same thing that other posters have said when Mao Asada has been shown shedding tears on the podium. I remember when people would bash Mao for doing it and so I guess what's good for the goose would be good for the gander as well. IMO, Kim has a right to shed her tears. She has shown she is human after all and can't win em all. Miki in my opinion is now at the top of her game and has come a long way. If only Miki could always do a good short program, she would be perfect, since she always places first in the free skate.

Keep posting pics of Ando Miki. I'm glad she won and not Mao. I had enough of Mao and her overexposure, and the Japanese media for not showing Miki more. Just because she won, NOW they focus on her. Give me a break.

Keep posting pics of Ando Miki. I'm glad she won and not Mao. I had enough of Mao and her overexposure, and the Japanese media for not showing Miki more.

Agreed 100%, I enjoy watching Miki much more than Mao, who is so uptight. Miki has a grace and maturity that is a pleasure to watch. I hope we'll see more of her.