Mao wants to do a quad at Sochi in 2014 | Page 2 | Golden Skate

Mao wants to do a quad at Sochi in 2014

Maribelle

On the Ice
Joined
Jan 13, 2007
Country
United-States
I hope Mao finds a great coach

Mao should train with someone over the next few years who can help her get the most out of the COP system. Evan and Yu-Na were examples of how to maximize every point available. I think that Frank Carroll, Brian Orser, Schpilband/Zueva and also the choreographers did an excellent job.
If I were a top level skater, I would want to go to one of these coaches.
Belbin/Agosto, the other Russian ice dancers, and Mao Asada certainly did not benefit from the smartest strategies, which are really needed in the increasingly demanding system.
 

Sk8n Mama

Final Flight
Joined
Jan 23, 2004
The exact wrong way to approach her skating in the next four years. She needs to move away from jump, jump,, jump and spend some time working on her basic skating skills, edges and expression. I hope she finds a coach who will help her to skate freely and joyously. TaT was the wrong coach for her. I posted in another thread, Is aw both Yu-Na and Mao at J. Worlds 4 years ago. I don't think Mao has improved much since then (she did the 3 ax then, too), but Yu-Na has polished her skills over the past 4 years. I hope Mao finds a coach who can help her to do that because God knows the girl is an amazing talent.
 

miki88

Medalist
Joined
Dec 28, 2009
The exact wrong way to approach her skating in the next four years. She needs to move away from jump, jump,, jump and spend some time working on her basic skating skills, edges and expression. I hope she finds a coach who will help her to skate freely and joyously. TaT was the wrong coach for her. I posted in another thread, Is aw both Yu-Na and Mao at J. Worlds 4 years ago. I don't think Mao has improved much since then (she did the 3 ax then, too), but Yu-Na has polished her skills over the past 4 years. I hope Mao finds a coach who can help her to do that because God knows the girl is an amazing talent.

She did improve in her expression though. She used to have the same serious expression throughout the programs. Her footwork, spirals, and spins have also gotten better because she is getting higher levels for them. She just needs a good technical coach to help her with her jump issues. I think the quad is mostly just talk though.
 

Mafke

Medalist
Joined
Mar 22, 2004
I think Asada needs:

1. a good technical jump coach that will work on getting her a full set of six functional triples, something she's never had (at the same time at any rate).

2. a team member to concentrate on how to utilize her strengths and minimize her weakness in CoP (it seems like her team this year was thinking in 6.0 terms).

3. to lighten up a little, how on earth did overblown gloominess and despair turn into her comfort zone? She needs to work on light and airy. She could use a fun SP to start with (well maybe work up to that with a fun exhibition piece).
 
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Tinymavy15

Sinnerman for the win
Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 28, 2006
Well it is pretty crazy to make that kind of statement four years away, i highly doubt she will have her 3 axels then never mind a quad. Her body is not a machine.
 

prettykeys

Medalist
Joined
Oct 19, 2009
3. to lighten up a little, how on earth did overblown gloominess and despair turn into her comfort zone? She needs to work on light and airy. She could use a fun SP to start with (well maybe work up to that with a fun exhibition piece).
Paradoxically, I think Mao is somehow most comfortable when she is pushing her comfort zone, and that is why she tackled "dark and gloomy." "Light and airy" is her natural element! ;)
 

FlattFan

Match Penalty
Joined
Jan 4, 2010
Well it is pretty crazy to make that kind of statement four years away, i highly doubt she will have her 3 axels then never mind a quad. Her body is not a machine.

To be fair, people "highly doubted" she would be able to put 3 axels in her Olympics even after she got 2 ratified in the 2008 GPF. If Mao said she can do it, I believe she can do it.
On the other hand, if Sasha said she can do a triple flip in Sochi, I would laugh so hard.
 

janetfan

Match Penalty
Joined
May 15, 2009
To be fair, people "highly doubted" she would be able to put 3 axels in her Olympics even after she got 2 ratified in the 2008 GPF. If Mao said she can do it, I believe she can do it.
On the other hand, if Sasha said she can do a triple flip in Sochi, I would laugh so hard.

Sasha could always do the wonky 3Flips we have seen from Rachael lately.
And Sahsa had enough ability to keep the US Ladies Olympic medal streak going.

I think Flatt's disappointing 7th place finish speaks for itself. It is the worst showing by a US Lady champion in almost 50 years. I wish her well at college and am happy we have Mirai, the skater Button has pegged as a future world champion.
 
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hurrah

Medalist
Joined
Aug 8, 2009
The thread title is really misleading.

The original news source never said Mao said she will do a quad at Sochi.

However, it's an attestment to how much people actually think that it might be possible for her to accomplish this feat, given the reaction it's getting here.
 

SXTN

Final Flight
Joined
Jun 5, 2008
she is?????

yessssssss, according to another board... but tat will continue to choreograph her programs and be kind of a consultant.. which sucks! i want lori to create her programs again..

i wonder what it would be like if she skated to nocturne after she has matured over the past years.. this one should break records
 
Joined
Jul 11, 2003
I can't think of her Tech as being the problem. Her 2 3As were perfect. Adding the risky Quad, would mean more points, if she needed more Tech points. We are all aware that Yuna, and indeed Mirai, entertained the audience, and I daresay the judges. Mao as well as Rachael skated in the "lackluster mode" although their programs were well thought out. I would suggest they have a long talk with the choreographer on how to put together a program that would have Mao and Rachael smiling and "selling it" to the audience. (and please, nothing jazzy just some Lerner and Lowe, eg).

That's not easy with CoP when worried about the points. The other suggestion is to practice clean and clear takeoffs and clean and clear landings so that they are part of the Dance you present, and not just tricks for the points. That's what Mirai did, and she was arguably considered the most enjoyable skater.
 

janetfan

Match Penalty
Joined
May 15, 2009
yessssssss, according to another board... but tat will continue to choreograph her programs and be kind of a consultant.. which sucks! i want lori to create her programs again..

i wonder what it would be like if she skated to nocturne after she has matured over the past years.. this one should break records

Watching a rerun of the Gala this morning Scott commented about Mao's exhibition program and said something like "if only she skated like this in competitions with the joy we are seeing now."

I love the choreo Tat has done for Mao's exhibitions - but not so much for her competitve programs.
Like many, I miss the Mao who was light, joyful and exquisite. I don't really care much for "Russian Mao."
 

miki88

Medalist
Joined
Dec 28, 2009
I can't think of her Tech as being the problem. Her 2 3As were perfect. Adding the risky Quad, would mean more points, if she needed more Tech points. We are all aware that Yuna, and indeed Mirai, entertained the audience, and I daresay the judges. Mao as well as Rachael skated in the "lackluster mode" although their programs were well thought out. I would suggest they have a long talk with the choreographer on how to put together a program that would have Mao and Rachael smiling and "selling it" to the audience. (and please, nothing jazzy just some Lerner and Lowe, eg).

That's not easy with CoP when worried about the points. The other suggestion is to practice clean and clear takeoffs and clean and clear landings so that they are part of the Dance you present, and not just tricks for the points. That's what Mirai did, and she was arguably considered the most enjoyable skater.

She needs a good tech coach to help her in her other jumps such as her 3-3, lutz, and Sal, which will help balance out her layout more. Well, I think Mao has better presentation than Rachel. She wasn't lacklaster at all at these games. She fought and she showed passion.
 
Joined
Jul 11, 2003
Oh how people read! I suggested that Mao and Rachael work on the presentation, and implied their Tech was satisfactory (for the time they have been skating competition). I stand by my take on "the music" which didn't excite me for either of the two. Youna's Gershwin and Mirais Bizet worked much better for them.

As to the Tech, I suggested text book jumping for the points, and make the presentation more like a joyous occasion and not a struggle for points.

I never compared Mao to Rachael. I compared Mao and Rachael to Yuna and Mirai.

If Mao needs more work on some of her jumps, she has 4 years to get that and practice what she is taught. I'm saying things constructively - not abjectively.
 

yunasashafan

On the Ice
Joined
Jan 22, 2010
yessssssss, according to another board... but tat will continue to choreograph her programs and be kind of a consultant.. which sucks! i want lori to create her programs again..

i wonder what it would be like if she skated to nocturne after she has matured over the past years.. this one should break records

woohhhhhhhoooooo that is amazing news!! although I agree about the choreography. But maybe in the presence of a direct coach, Tat would not have as much power anymore!!

I am starting to think that not winning the Olympics may turn out to be the best thing that could have happened to Mao! If she had won, she may not have been motivated to make the change!
 

christinaskater

Medalist
Joined
Mar 21, 2005
I love Mao so much and I admire all her beautiful qualities

But she needs to think smart

Get a coach who is a master of the COP like Brian Orser

She should focus on correcting her technique! She can do the triple axel and fix her triple triple technique and really focus on the artistry

She has become the technician on the ice!

Mao should also know music that would play to her strengths! Had she chosen better music (winning music) or a better arrangement things would have been more closer.

Hopefully she would learn her lessons! She is so beautiful and so gifted!


A lot of us thought when we heard her music that it was so wrong! But she sticked to the plan and she did the best that she could do, but had she skated to music that would fit her strengths she would have done so much better.
 
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silverlake22

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 12, 2009
Sasha could always do the wonky 3Flips we have seen from Rachael lately.
And Sahsa had enough ability to keep the US Ladies Olympic medal streak going.

I think Flatt's disappointing 7th place finish speaks for itself. It is the worst showing by a US Lady champion in almost 50 years. I wish her well at college and am happy we have Mirai, the skater Button has pegged as a future world champion.

Didn't Emily Hughes come in 7th in 2006? And 7th place is hardly dissapointing for a 17 year old who's been to World's only once. Plus, the points between 4th and 7th were very close. Rachael should be proud of herself!
 

yunasashafan

On the Ice
Joined
Jan 22, 2010
Didn't Emily Hughes come in 7th in 2006? And 7th place is hardly dissapointing for a 17 year old who's been to World's only once. Plus, the points between 4th and 7th were very close. Rachael should be proud of herself!

I agree that 7th place in arguably the best Ladies competition in a while is nothing to sneez at, and Rachael should be very proud. I think, however, that janetfan was referring to the worst finish for a US champion. Emily was the US bronze medalist in Torino.
 

janetfan

Match Penalty
Joined
May 15, 2009
Didn't Emily Hughes come in 7th in 2006? And 7th place is hardly dissapointing for a 17 year old who's been to World's only once. Plus, the points between 4th and 7th were very close. Rachael should be proud of herself!

Emily was not the US Champion. Do you already forget how Alissa was crucified here for a year because as US champion she didn't do well enough at Worlds?

Emily was a last minute replacement for Michelle and our third skater in Torino.
So yes, when our champion can't do better than 7th it is disappointing.
7th place is what we expect from a second or third Lady.

It is interesting that it was Mirai who has apologized for letting the medal streak end. She said she plans to start a new one in 2014.
 
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