2012/13 - A make or break season for Mao Asada? | Page 2 | Golden Skate

2012/13 - A make or break season for Mao Asada?

Pepe Nero

On the Ice
Joined
Dec 11, 2011
I hope Asada keeps going for the triple axel. Success or not, I think this jump is what makes her significant in figure skating history. If she won the 2014 Olympics (entirely plausible at this point, IMO) without the 3A, I think that would be sad in a way -- a sad compromise. I wouldn't deny that it would help her PCS to abandon the 3A; the judges seem to give preference to the women who don't try to be "too" athletic. Still, the triple axel is why Mao Asada is part of figure skating history -- hope she doesn't give up on it.
 

skateluvr

Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 23, 2011
I love Mao. I think she has achieved greatness and has peaked in 2010. I love to watch her do anything. I find her qualities make her one of Japan/Worlds greats. Japan has given us Midori Ito, Yuka Sato, Shizuka Arakawa, Mao Asada. And other special ladies. But these four WC's are in the great club. Yuka Sato narrowly missed Oly podium, but she's world class.

I am happy with Mao with or without the 3 axel. She has Miki, Akiko, Kanako to battle. And others. So if she struggles I am with her. She skates with her heart like MK. I'm happy she goes on.
 

mskater93

Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 22, 2005
I hope Asada keeps going for the triple axel. Success or not, I think this jump is what makes her significant in figure skating history. If she won the 2014 Olympics (entirely plausible at this point, IMO) without the 3A, I think that would be sad in a way -- a sad compromise. I wouldn't deny that it would help her PCS to abandon the 3A; the judges seem to give preference to the women who don't try to be "too" athletic. Still, the triple axel is why Mao Asada is part of figure skating history -- hope she doesn't give up on it.
I hope she DOES give up on it as it hasn't been anywhere near clean in the last two years except maybe on happy accident (she was less than 50% with full rotation in competition since the Olympics). Her jumps seem to have lost a lot of spring and many of them look borderline rotated, even her 3Lo which was her money jump. PCS has nothing to do with women who "don't try to be too athletic". Kim got HUGE PCS and she looked all kinds of athletic - her programs were designed to showcase her speed and jumping prowess. Rochette, once she established herself, also got fabulous PCS and I don't think anyone would ever say Joannie went the pretty princess route. Leonova's programs don't look particularly "girly" and she stood on the World podium this year. Suzuki added to her technical arsenal this year and also stood on the podium and her programs aren't balletic. Wagner also looks VERY athletic in her programs and people who didn't like her Black Swan program complained the balletic arms look unnatural on her. Mao would get all kinds of huge PCS if she went clean and likely even more with a 3A.

Unfortunately, I also don't know if you can really say that Mao winning Sochi is entirely plausible with the way she skated near the end of the season (and even earlier). She hasn't been the dominant force one would have expected being the reigning OSM.
 

sky_fly20

Match Penalty
Joined
Nov 20, 2011
Mao is still on a journey and is reworking her technique
no doubt she will peak again, the question is when ?

Mao does have 3-3 I think she still has her reliable 3F-3Lo
but I agree she needs to RID of her 3A obsession

Sotnikova is getting < and << on her 3+3 now, Lipnitskaia hasn't attempted one in a program yet (and she's the youngest of this bunch), and the Polinas seem to have other issues. Only Tuktamysheva has been getting hers called in 2011-12 season but she hasn't really hit a growth period yet.

Lipnitskaia does 3T-3T
 
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Pikachuusb

On the Ice
Joined
Sep 27, 2005
Mao needs to stop attempting to put in the 3axle. She puts herself in such a hole everytime she does it. I understand the point value of it, however it she is more than a one trick pony. I love her & find it very frustrating to have every performance marred by her failed attempt at it.

Heres to a new season of perfect performances by her :)
 

Jammers

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 4, 2010
Country
United-States
Mao has been declining for the most part since 2009. She came back a bit during the Olympic year but has been sliding down again.
 
Joined
Aug 16, 2009
Oh, I hope you're wrong.

I've seen too many skaters prematurely "buried" by fans and journalists who bounced back. I never say never.
 

skateluvr

Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 23, 2011
Mao has been declining for the most part since 2009. She came back a bit during the Olympic year but has been sliding down again.

Jammers, I am always left agape at your commennts. Mao was WC in 2008 and 2010. "SHe came back a bit in Olympic year." WTH????? She won the silver medal. Coming back a bit would be placing 3rd or 4th or 5th. All those placements were great performances, BTW. She did 3 triple axels, landed them, who cares if not perfect. She is tiny...most senior men can't do a good triple axel never mind three. She was undermarked while Yuna was overscored. She could not have done any better given the music and those Tarasova programs where Yuna was packaged as perfectly with the world's best choreographer doing her programs. Wilson is a genius and Tarasova has her Russian tastes which were awful for Mao. Mao wasn't Mao but she still beat amazing ladies from 3-7th place. Best ladies Olympics ever with amazing skating, 1-7-no falls in LP.

Geesh. She is up against losing her mother. Give her time. If she can find her motivation, she will be back on the Olympic podium. Mao Asada is a skater you see every 20 years. She knows and Sato knows the points and she wants to do the triple axel. She has courage. And she has a vision of who she is in Japan's history and that is very important to her. She is not a quitter. To come back from crushing defeat in her eyes without the gold medal and to win the WC a month later shows how feirce she is. She is an iron butterfly.
 

Li'Kitsu

Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 29, 2011
skateluvr, I just love that post. All true, and all very beautifully said.
People are way too fast in writing skaters off. Mao has a lot to work on, but I still believe she'll manage it. Except for worlds, this season was better than the last one, and both were tough for her for private reasons.

Besides, any skater who manages to skate a Ex programm like Jupiter that beautifully is still easily world class for me.
 
Joined
Aug 16, 2009
Thanks, skateluvr.

Besides her beautiful buoyant movement and smooth-as-silk skating skills, Mao has two indispensable traits that many other skaters only wish they had: the willingness to work hard and an absolute mental toughness that won't let her give up, even in high-pressure situations. (That Olympic long program, for example!) This girl will not give up, and so I'm not going to give up on her.
 

Skater Boy

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 24, 2012
Two years before the Olympics is big for everyone. I do find her lack of consistency an issue though. Most skaters don't retire though now as the Olympics are so close.
 

hikki

Final Flight
Joined
Dec 18, 2007
Country
Japan
I watched Worlds in Nice live and I have to admit she was "skating small", however beautiful she was.

But a video clip like this gives me hope :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0agSMqE_-Gw
(Mao practicing 3axel and 3flip/3loop at 4CC last year)

And a very interesting interview with the Satos by a JSF official Ms Shirota on Mao
http://hochi.yomiuri.co.jp/column/shirota/news/20120519-OHT1T00176.htm

<Rough summary>
The Satos really hesitated taking such a big star. Shirota feels her skating got a lot better, albeit being still slow. They say, "only recently has she started to really listening to us (lol)". They're thinking a 3-year span. Mao didn't use to be interested in other skaters, but now she watches the men practice, absorbing a lot. She once asked Mr Sato why a certain skater didn't try a quad in short, and he explained the maths. In that competition she decided not to go for the 3axel after that conversation, symptomatic to her "changes".

Then they talk heart-warmingly about her mother, Mao's immense strength, the media, how "special" (implying that they're unusual and a bit eccentric) stars like Mao and Miki are, how they sometimes worry if they can really handle a big thing like Mao yet they're committed to devote everything they've got to her, etc.

There is a series of really interesting interviews by Ms Shirota if anyone's interested!
 
Joined
Aug 16, 2009
That sounds like wonderful insights from the Satos. I retain my high hopes for Mao. Someone that splendid doesn't just fade away.
 
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