Miki Ando of Japan performs on her way to winning the silver medal at the ISU Grand Prix Final (AP Photo/Itsuo Inouye)
Posted: Feb 15, 4:01p ET | Updated: Feb 15, 4:22p ET
Vancouver (AFP) Japan's Miki Ando vowed to make up for past failures as she arrived in Vancouver ahead of her bid for women's figure skating gold at the Winter Olympics.
Looking tanned and relaxed, the 2007 world champion flew in late Sunday with her coach Nikolai Morozov from their training base in Connecticut as her teammates Mao Asada and Akiko Suzuki remained in Nagoya training.
"I'm looking forward to standing on this big stage again," said Ando.
"I don't feel tense in a bad way like four years ago and I don't have any bad pressure on me at this time.
"I'm in a very calm frame of mind to execute the best performance I can. This year I want to live up to the expectations of the people who support me."
Ando is heading to one final Winter Games determined to put past disappointments behind her and emulate her idol, Shizuka Arakawa, the reigning women's champion, who was also coached by Russian Morozov.
The 22-year-old struggled to stay on her feet in Turin, placing just 15th as Arakawa surged to Japan's first Olympic figure skating gold.
The 2004 world junior champion can, however, take heart from the fact that the legendary Arakawa also had an up and down career before finally claiming the most coveted crown in figure skating.
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It was the performance of Arakawa, six years her senior, at the 1998 Nagano Games that inspired Ando to take up the sport despite the later Olympic champion finishing just 13th.
Since Turin Ando, who was the first and only one to land a quad in competition back in 2002, has finished twice on the world podium, winning gold the following year and bronze at last year's world championships.
Despite a fourth at nationals she has shown her form by winning the Cup of Russia and NHK Trophy and placing second behind South Korean Olympic favourite Kim Yu-Na at the final in Tokyo to seal her Olympic ticket.
Her gold-medal challenger teammate Asada is expected to arrive in Vancouver on February 20 just three days before the women's event gets underway.
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