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..Originally Posted by yunasashafan
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
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.
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."
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.
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.
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!
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.
Last edited by christinaskater; 02-28-2010 at 03:43 PM.
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.
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.
Oh good point. But you know, I thought Mirai's URs were bogus at nationals and that's what cost her the championship, so seeing Rachael be the one to get bogus URs here was kinda the same thing, so she finished 7th instead of 4th or 5th. So at least she won the US championship instead of being 3-time US silver medalist which would have just been aggravating for her, and even if she had gotten credit for those triple flips here, she wouldn't have medaled at the Olympics anyway, and while 4th is pretty exciting because it's just shy of a medal, being 5th or 6th is hardly different than being 7th. Mirai skated great but coming into the Olympics before the competition started I thought Rachael would be 5th or 6th and Mirai would end up like 8th or 10th - I was pleasantly surprised when Mirai was 4th
Just when I was feeling kinda down on skating, Mao (as always) picks me up, and picks me up big time!
My God, if I was a skater, I would want to be Mao Asada. She embodies such determination & strength of will that it makes me wish I could capture it in a jar & use it whenever I needed it most. As with the two 3axels she landed in the FS, this latest statement makes me want to become SuperWoman (ala Lynda Carter from the 70's). Living through Mao Asada vicariously is an amazing experience, lol.
She's a great role model for women everywhere, proving that women can do anything men can do, and with beauty & joy! I have no doubt whatsoever that whatever Mao sets her mind to do she will, and thus I see her becoming the first woman in history to land *both* a triple axel & a quad in the FS, and that's not even taking into account what she has up her sleeve when it comes to the SP.
Now I see that there is meat behind one of her tweets wherein she said that she talked to The King at the Gala about wanting to learn the quad, and EP said she could train with him anytime.Now she talks with him at the Olympic Gala to learn the quad, and as with the 3axel, I know she will master it. Just keep following in The King's footsteps, Mao-Chan, and one day your name will be written alongside theirs ~ Gillis Grafstrom, Sonja Henie, Evgeni Plushenko, Mao Asada ~ The Immortals.
So you think Asada will win medals in 2014 and 2018? If not, I really don't get your criteria for classifying someone as immortal.
Yeah, but beating Rachael for that is not very fair. Neither Sasha nor Wagner could beat her anyway and they would have placed lower. Better thank your champion for getting 7th.
I thank Evan for wining the OGM.
Mirai is the #1 American Lady and I thank her for finishing 4th at her first big Intl event. Very impressive as she beat Miki, Laura, Rachael, Akiko and the others.
So you thank who you want - and I will thank who I want.
Last edited by janetfan; 02-28-2010 at 07:52 PM.
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