29 Facts About Midori Ito

Midori Ito is the 1989 World champion and the 1992 Olympic silver medalist.

Midori Ito is the first woman to land a triple Axel in competition.

Midori Ito is widely recognised as one of the best figure skaters of all time.

Midori Ito went to live with her coach after her parents' divorce when she was 10.

Midori Ito made her first appearance at a major international competition at the 1981 World Junior Championships.

Midori Ito placed 20th in the compulsory figures but won the free skating with a triple loop, a triple salchow, and two triple toe loop combinations.

Midori Ito was nicknamed the "Jumping Flea" due to her diminutive size and powerful jumps.

At the 1982 World Junior Championships, Midori Ito won both the short program and free skating, but again weak compulsory figures kept her off the podium, in 6th place overall.

Midori Ito did not compete at the 1983 World Junior event, which took place in December 1982, having broken her ankle earlier that year.

Midori Ito finished second to Katarina Witt, who went on to win the Olympic title a few months later.

Midori Ito competed at the 1984 World Championships, where she finished 7th.

Midori Ito won her first national championship in the 1985 season, but was unable to compete at that year's World Championships after again breaking her ankle.

Midori Ito placed 5th at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Midori Ito received the best technical scores given, two 5.8 and seven 5.9 marks, despite skating before the final flight.

Midori Ito became the first woman to land it in international competition at the 1988 NHK Trophy.

Midori Ito then repeated the feat at the World Championships in 1989.

Midori Ito thus became the first woman to execute all six possible triple jumps in World competition: Axel, Lutz, flip, loop, Salchow, and toe loop.

Midori Ito was 6th in the compulsory figures but made up for it.

Midori Ito won the gold medal with a flawless free skating when she received 6.0s for technical merit from five of the nine judges, receiving 5.9s from the rest.

At the 1990 World Championships, Midori Ito was 10th after the compulsory figures but placed first in both the short program and the free skating and won the silver medal, second to Jill Trenary.

Midori Ito landed seven triple jumps in the free skating, including the triple Axel.

Midori Ito planned to perform the triple Axel combined with a double toe loop for the jump combination requirement in the short program but changed it to a triple Lutz combination.

Midori Ito placed fourth in the short program when she fell on her triple Lutz jump.

Midori Ito was nearly hit on the head and was obviously shaken.

Midori Ito won the silver medal, and apologized to her country for not winning the gold.

Midori Ito turned professional afterwards, bringing the triple Axel for the first time to the professional ranks, and performed with ice shows in Japan.

Midori Ito was the first ladies' skater to perform a triple-triple jump combination and the first to perform the triple Axel.

Midori Ito competed at the ISU Adult Figure Skating Competition and placed second in her category, Ladies' Masters Elite II.

In 2024, Midori Ito won the ISU Adult Figure Skating Competition's Masters Elite Women III + IV Artistic Free Skating category.