Ladies - Short Program- Fri. Nov. 26: 12:45 pm EST

[Nadine]

Mao forsook a full aresnal of triples and huge GOE during the season she needed them most, although the established rules made the advantage obvious. She was about to fix her flutz (didn't get a call on her lutz at Worlds 09) & claimed the 3S was an easy jump she avoids as a matter of preference. Their omission, then, must have been guided by her own will, not ISU slamming new rules into her face from behind. GOE was always what it was. No rule changes up till 2010. It's just that her jumps lost the quality & consistency to garner huge points. Edge calls and UR? I wouldn't say Mao was "blindsided" since other skaters knew early enough to start fixing their technique during the off season before 07-08, something Mao opted out of. Again, a matter of choice.

I also don't see how Mao bombing because she tried to bite more than she could chew a single season is related to ISU's rule changes since the new rules would reward her 3A-centric layout handsomely. The rule changes give little incentive to go for a spectacular 3S instead of a lousy 3A.

Mao was never cheated by the ISU. She's making all these sudden changes because her goal is Sochi gold & the Russian phenoms are growing to be heavy, 7-triple, GOE-garnering threats (and there's so much talent that at least one will break through). This season will be difficult, but it's something she's enduring because she has a clear goal & the determination to push through. Enough with all this ISU-attacking-innocent-skaters prattle. It really annoys me (those stupid Youtube clips )

And you annoy me by trying to tell me how to post. Enough of nothing, as I will continue to post my honest thoughts on here whether you like it or not. That's what a message board is after all, a collection of peoples' opinions.

And on that score I hold firm with my opinion of the ISU and how it has negatively affected Mao Asada (& the same goes for Kimmie Meissner).

Yet my hat is off to Mao for choosing to re-work technique issues when she could've easily & simply won everything in sight with her old technique. But honor & doing it correctly seems to be her motto, which impresses me greatly. In fact her personality, humility, and calm aura have always impressed me, especially last season. She truly is a role model for her country, and for other skaters in general. I just hope it all works out in the end.

***Note: and it doesn't hurt that her entire approach to her skating, Mr. Sato, et al, brings to mind the lead character in the book "Dreams of Gold" by Maynard F. Thomson. I think I'll read it again for the 1,000th time because it reminds me so much of Mao (crossing my fingers that the ending will mirror Mao's in the future). ***

Btw, as far as the Russian prodigies go, I put them in the same category as all the pretenders to Michelle Kwan when she was skating. Every season it was this or that newbie was going to knock her off ~ Sasha Cohen, Naomi Nari Nam, Jennifer Kirk, Ann Patrice McDonough, and the list goes on & on & on ad infinitum ~ literally. Potential means nothing unless one can bring it on when it counts the most. It doesn't mean it couldn't happen, but I choose not to drink all the kool-aid (same goes for the ISU).

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO USA!!!!!!!

[miki88]

I don't know why I am such a slow learner this season, but -- in spite of everything -- I still think Mao is going to win the LP.

Yay for believers!

[burntBREAD]

Mirai's spins looked so slow today. Also her free leg position in the layback spin (which had centering problem at the beginning) was bent down in 90 degrees.
She never had turn outs in her spins before but she used to stretch more.
Anyways, I hope she's on the podium tmr. If she does it will be her first medal from a senior international competition.

Yeah, she had bobbles going into her last two spins, and the layback lost speed so I think she had to put the leg down.

And she did get "e", it was on a barely inside edge

[Johnnnn]

And you annoy me by trying to tell me how to post. Enough of nothing, as I will continue to post my honest thoughts on here whether you like it or not. That's what a message board is after all, a collection of peoples' opinions.

And on that score I hold firm with my opinion of the ISU and how it has negatively affected Mao Asada (& the same goes for Kimmie Meissner).

Yet my hat is off to Mao for choosing to re-work technique issues when she could've easily & simply won everything in sight with her old technique. But honor & doing it correctly seems to be her motto, which impresses me greatly. In fact her personality, humility, and calm aura have always impressed me, especially last season. She truly is a role model for her country, and for other skaters in general. I just hope it all works out in the end.

***Note: and it doesn't hurt that her entire approach to her skating, Mr. Sato, et al, brings to mind the lead character in the book "Dreams of Gold" by Maynard F. Thomson. I think I'll read it again for the 1,000th time because it reminds me so much of Mao (crossing my fingers that the ending will mirror Mao's in the future). ***

Btw, as far as the Russian prodigies go, I put them in the same category as all the pretenders to Michelle Kwan when she was skating. Every season it was this or that newbie was going to knock her off ~ Sasha Cohen, Naomi Nari Nam, Jennifer Kirk, Ann Patrice McDonough, and the list goes on & on & on ad infinitum ~ literally. Potential means nothing unless one can bring it on when it counts the most. It doesn't mean it couldn't happen, but I choose not to drink all the kool-aid (same goes for the ISU).

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO USA!!!!!!!

What was ISU supposed to do? just recognize flutz as lutz? do you think that is fair? Too bad it affected her negatively but it did becuase she opted out of learning a proper and harder technique. She could have corrected it long time ago and everyone knew that the rule was going to change for 07/08 season. Now she feels like she has to fix her jumps becuase she realilzed that even with three triple axels she can't beat Yuna Kim with her wrong edges and low quality (relatively) and low GOE jumps. After the olympics she said she's going to beat Yuna's scores and unless she fixs her jumps (and improve her presentation) i don't see that happening.
You can cover up this whole attemp for fixing jumps all you want but it is pretty damn clear to me why she's doing all this.

[burntBREAD]

What was ISU supposed to do? just recognize flutz as lutz? do you think that is fair? Too bad it affected her negatively but it did becuase she opted out of learning a proper and harder technique. She could have corrected it long time ago and everyone knew that the rule was going to change for 07/08 season. Now she feels like she has to fix her jumps becuase she realilzed that even with three triple axels she can't beat Yuna Kim with her wrong edges and low quality (relatively) and low GOE jumps. After the olympics she said she's going to beat Yuna's scores and unless she fixs her jumps (and improve her presentation) i don't see that happening.
You can cover up this whole attemp for fixing jumps all you want but it is pretty damn clear to me why she's doing all this.

In defense of Mao, she did learn her technique in the era where wrong edges weren't really punished, and she did try to fix it throughout 07-09 until it finally got to the point where the jump sometimes was actually on the outside edge (why she and TAT decided to drop it and the sal last year is really beyond me)- it's hard to change technique that works, when you're winning so much so young, look at Caroline Zhang. Yuna happened to have the right mindset and right coach to get the correct jump technique when in 6.0 you could get away with flutzing/lipping, she reaps the benefits now. Now you see most young skaters trained to have correct edges because they grew up in COP.

BTW, Where does it say that Mao wanted to beat Yuna's scores? I've never actually like read it, I've just heard it. I only know her goal is Sochi, so I don't think that she needs to be defended-- she knows. She's fixing these jumps now because she knows she's going to need them to be good if she wants to win again.

[R.D.]

I don't know why I am such a slow learner this season, but -- in spite of everything -- I still think Mao is going to win the LP.

I think so too. In any case it's DEFINITELY not going to be Czisny

[burntBREAD]

I think so too. In any case it's DEFINITELY not going to be Czisny

Watch it happen now

Though I still want Mirai to make the GPF!

[herios]

In defense of Mao, she did learn her technique in the era where wrong edges weren't really punished, and she did try to fix it throughout 07-09 until it finally got to the point where the jump sometimes was actually on the outside edge (why she and TAT decided to drop it and the sal last year is really beyond me)- it's hard to change technique that works, when you're winning so much so young, look at Caroline Zhang. Yuna happened to have the right mindset and right coach to get the correct jump technique when in 6.0 you could get away with flutzing/lipping, she reaps the benefits now. Now you see most young skaters trained to have correct edges because they grew up in COP.

BTW, Where does it say that Mao wanted to beat Yuna's scores? I've never actually like read it, I've just heard it. I only know her goal is Sochi, so I don't think that she needs to be defended-- she knows. She's fixing these jumps now because she knows she's going to need them to be good if she wants to win again.

The youtube links started to pop up and guess whichroutine has been posted a gazilion of time? You guessed, Mao's. Like it was that good!

[R.D.]

Watch it happen now

Hey, hey now, not like I'm gonna complain or anything if she did.

(as long as it was fair, of course)

[herios]

Yeah, she had bobbles going into her last two spins, and the layback lost speed so I think she had to put the leg down.

And she did get "e", it was on a barely inside edge

This morning when I said I would nail Nagasu with an edge call, many jumped on my back...

What have to say NOW?

[burntBREAD]

This morning when I said I would nail Nagasu with an egde call, many jumped on my back...

What have to say NOW?

Well, you said you'd nail her because she wobbled onto the outside edge, not because she wasn't even on the outside edge...

[skfan]

I don't know why I am such a slow learner this season, but -- in spite of everything -- I still think Mao is going to win the LP.

what's the saying? your word to god's ear?

if i wanted to be cynical i'd say somebody jinxed mao so that AC can win

[Olympia]

I haven't seen any of the skating. Purely on hope and sentiment, I want to see Mao, Mirai, and Alissa on the podium. But what will be will be.

[R.D.]

Personally, it would be nice if Nagasu could pull it together and win this one. Alas, she only has 8 points on Asada. Czisny has already won one but I wouldn't be opposed to odd things occurring and her winning another one (when was the last time an American won more than 1 GP in a single season??). Any other result- bleh, sadly.

[Spun Silver]

We had a flood in the basement just when the SP was about to start. Haven't seen any of the programs yet but Mao's 6th place finish makes me sick. She is an amazing talent but how can anyone's ego withstand such roller-coaster results? The pressure she puts herself under, to say nothing of what is heaped on her by her country, is fearsome. I wish her every victory but this is painful. I hope Mathman is right.