Asada shows improvement

[gsk8]

Excerpt: Asada’s performance to Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake at the GPF was a major improvement over her performance at 2012 NHK Trophy a couple of weeks ago. Unfortunately, the Olympic silver medalist was still not perfect. Two out of six triple jumps in her routine were called underrotated (including the back end of the double Axel-triple toe loop combination), her triple Lutz received an edge call, and she doubled her planned triple Salchow.

“Going into today’s free program, I wanted to make sure I had all the elements right without any mistakes,” said the 22-year-old. “Going over my performance, there weren’t any mistakes, and that is what I want to take away from today. I need to work on the level of accuracy, though. I want to show this is a good program and to skate the best I can.”

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[seniorita]

Her swan lake is not one of the same old, I really love the second part and the end, even if she falters in jumps all the in between are wonderful.

[Olympia]

I'm glad to see she's moving in the right direction! I hope this will give her confidence.

[gmyers]

True but her jumps have never been worse. never in her career have her jumps been so bad. But she isn't losing events now. But no world champion has ever displayed such jump regression in history. Her jumps are atrocious and awful. She basically has one or two triples a competition.

[Melon]

True but her jumps have never been worse. never in her career have her jumps been so bad. But she isn't losing events now. But no world champion has ever displayed such jump regression in history. Her jumps are atrocious and awful. She basically has one or two triples a competition.

so true.... she really needs to have more than 2 or 3 triples. So ridiculous how a skater can win GPF with only 2 clean different triples.

[drivingmissdaisy]

True but her jumps have never been worse. never in her career have her jumps been so bad. But she isn't losing events now. But no world champion has ever displayed such jump regression in history. Her jumps are atrocious and awful. She basically has one or two triples a competition.

I'm a big Mao fan and while I think your evaluation sounds a bit harsh, I do agree. She does great on PCS, which I suppose is fine because she has the best footwork and transitions of any woman. I do think she is given too much leeway on her UR calls and GOE on doubled jumps.

[Skater Boy]

I agree. Her jumps are a major problem. She has been rebuilding them for three years and really it is a white hot mess. And sadly that has affected the jumps; i was hoping she had time to grieve her mother's loss and move on. She is good but she is beatable. Yuna clearly can beat her as well as a clean Ashley not to mention Suzuki. She needs to do something and fast or she will be passed by Kim and a bunch of improving baby ballerinas.

[Mirunna]

I agree. Her jumps are a major problem. She has been rebuilding them for three years and really it is a white hot mess. And sadly that has affected the jumps; i was hoping she had time to grieve her mother's loss and move on. She is good but she is beatable. Yuna clearly can beat her as well as a clean Ashley not to mention Suzuki. She needs to do something and fast or she will be passed by Kim and a bunch of improving baby ballerinas.

I don't know what to say about the baby ballerinas, so far they all stumbled and have their own issues to deal with. I do agree about the rest, she really needs to rotate those jumps. It's good that for now, except NHK trophy LP, she was more or less consistent. I think her major problem is that she slows down before the take off which might be a confident issue. In her GPF LP this is obvious on her first 3Flip. The second one was was way better and she had much more speed going into the jump. The only good think abut reworking her jumps is that the hammer toe is gone

[Nadia01]

I think some of the comments were harsh, but more or less accurate on Mao's regressing jumps. It's shocking to believe that she's the reigning Olympic silver medalist and has 3 WC medals, the most recent one from 2010. It's been 3 seasons since she started working on her jumps, and I'm just not seeing any significant improvement. I highly doubt she's going to get her 3As back in time for Sochi.

[Taan]

Mao was awesome in 2004!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGTM6pVq8Nc
love this performance with 3axel, 3flip3toe and 2 3lutzes WOW!

[Blades of Passion]

I think her major problem is that she slows down before the take off which might be a confident issue. In her GPF LP this is obvious on her first 3Flip. The second one was was way better and she had much more speed going into the jump. The only good think abut reworking her jumps is that the hammer toe is gone

Slowing down before the jumps is definitely a problem and she never used to do that. She didn't really have a hammer toe in the past either. Look at how good her Flip used to be:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1GfZW03lM4

Her Flip is more inconsistent now than it ever was and the quality hasn't improved at all. She has been working on the Lutz for a long time now and she still flutzes every single time. At least she used to go into the Lutz with total confidence, speed, and incredibly difficult transitions (as seen in her 2008 programs). Her immaculate Triple Loop even went drastically downhill last season, although it thankfully seems to be back in place this season.

I think continuing to focus on this different technique is wrong for Mao. It hasn't done anything but make her skating worse. She should do what comes naturally to her. Speaking of which, it's really annoying how she hasn't been going for 3Loop on the back-end of combinations in the SP. She used to do that so well and there's no reason why she shouldn't still be doing it, since getting a < call doesn't kill you anymore. 3Loop-3Loop< and 3Flip in the SP is worth more than the current 3Flip-2Loop and 3Loop she has been doing. She's going to NEED those points against Yu-Na and perhaps other emerging skaters too.

[Nadia01]

Mao was awesome in 2004!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGTM6pVq8Nc
love this performance with 3axel, 3flip3toe and 2 3lutzes WOW!

But that's the problem, isn't it? She WAS awesome, as you said.

She needs to be awesome NOW.

[mary01]

But that's the problem, isn't it? She WAS awesome, as you said.

She needs to be awesome NOW.

lol, she IS awesome, if it wasn't for Mao I would long have lost interest in the sport, she and SHE ALONE is what makes me love and appreciate the sport so much! what she brings out on the ice is soo special, makes me go through every emotion, in a way that no other skater has done.

so what you feel is your thing, but I and MANY others absolutly ADORE her and her beautiful skating, discovering her was one of the happiest and greatest moment in my life!

[creme cup]

I think her improvement is more on mentality and focus to perform a clean program.
BUT, she has a long way to go in technical aspects.
Actually I never really recognized any difference between her flip and lutz from a long ago.
The entrance of flip seems like mohawk at first but there is long delay like typical lutz entrance, and she does this when she jumps 'lutz', too.
It seems like she skipped details when learning mechanisms of jumps and that now it's what causes hardship in jump qualities.

About programs I don't have much to say. Mao surely have certain range of music that works for her and it hardly ever fails.

[l'etoile]

lol, she IS awesome, if it wasn't for Mao I would long have lost interest in the sport, she and SHE ALONE is what makes me love and appreciate the sport so much! what she brings out on the ice is soo special, makes me go through every emotion, in a way that no other skater has done.

so what you feel is your thing, but I and MANY others absolutly ADORE her and her beautiful skating, discovering her was one of the happiest and greatest moment in my life!

What are you saying? Nadia says no sorts of "not adoring" Mao. Mao is adored, surely, but the issue here is that even though she poured more than two seasons on her "reworking technique project," there doesn't seem to be that much of difference in her technique. Her musicality and grace haven't gone anywhere, though, THANK GOD. You really don't need to use those exclamation marks to assert your love for Mao. Everyone knows who you "adore."