Mao Asada and Kim Yuna Junior Years? | Page 2 | Golden Skate

Mao Asada and Kim Yuna Junior Years?

Joined
Jun 21, 2003
As an American, I am still wating for the next Michelle Kwan. How long will I have to wait?.......

Well, it was 66 years between Mirabel Vinson and Michelle for winning 9 U.S. championships, and it was 45 years between Carol Heiss and Michelle for winning 5 world championships. So...
 
Joined
Aug 16, 2009
...so we take the long view, right, Math?

That's the thing about once-in-a-generation talent. It doesn't come around that often. YuNa and Mao are the same way. This is why I don't try to decide which of these two ladies is better than the other. I like and admire each of them for different things and savor the careers of both because, folks, in a few years we'll be sorry if we turned our gaze away from either one of them in favor of the other.
 

jaylee

Medalist
Joined
Feb 21, 2010
That's what is sad about it. If the ISU had lowered the age requirement so that Mao would have been eligible, then Yu-na probably would have competed in seniors that year, too. It could have been the greatest Olympics ever, with the two new kids on the block trying to knock off the wily veterans.

They would have had to lower it the season before, so that Yu-Na could've tried to earn a spot at the Olympics for Korea at a qualifying competition. As it was, South Korea did not have a spot at the 2006 Olympics, so if the age requirement had been changed mid-season, then Yu-Na and Korea would've been out of luck.

Yu-Na never lost to Kimmie Meissner in her entire career (Mao did, actually), so 2006 Worlds would have also been interesting.
 

minze

Medalist
Joined
Dec 22, 2012
:popcorn:
Hahaaaaaaaaa. I hope I am around for the next American Superstar
Well, it was 66 years between Mirabel Vinson and Michelle for winning 9 U.S. championships, and it was 45 years between Carol Heiss and Michelle for winning 5 world championships. So...
 

minze

Medalist
Joined
Dec 22, 2012
I agree with you. And I do the same. When I look back at the 2010 olympics I watch both programs and I admire both of them without the commentary from NBC comparing both of them during their programs. The commentary from Hamilton during the olympic was so one sided I hated it. I felt some people did not give Mao the credit she deserved for her amazing skating. Kim Yuna was AMAZING but so was Mao.
I love watching both of them

With that said, the reason I am a bigger Mao fan is because that smile she had after nailing her jumps at 14 and 15 was so contagious. For some reason, she seem so sweet and happy.



...so we take the long view, right, Math?

That's the thing about once-in-a-generation talent. It doesn't come around that often. YuNa and Mao are the same way. This is why I don't try to decide which of these two ladies is better than the other. I like and admire each of them for different things and savor the careers of both because, folks, in a few years we'll be sorry if we turned our gaze away from either one of them in favor of the other.
 
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aftertherain

Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 15, 2010
That's what is sad about it. If the ISU had lowered the age requirement so that Mao would have been eligible, then Yu-na probably would have competed in seniors that year, too. It could have been the greatest Olympics ever, with the two new kids on the block trying to knock off the wily veterans.

Yeah, but age limits are there for a reason. :frown: If they allowed Mao an exception, why bother with an age limit in the first place?

I think the 2006 ladies' event at the Olympics had the potential to be pretty awesome regardless, but both Shizuka and Irina (World champions) didn't feel the need to execute any triple-triples. :disapp:
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
Does anyone compare to Asada and Kim during their junior years. For example, when you see Mao skating at 14 at the GPJF you know this girl will be a force to reckon with. Kim Yuna also you could see she was going to be a star. Do you feel this way about anyone in the junior circuit now?

To get back to the original question (sort of), I looked at the first and second place winners of all the junior worlds competitions, and asked, "Where were they four years later?" Obviously, no duo compared to Kim and Asada who finished 1-2 at 2005 and 2006 junior worlds and four years later went 1-2 at the Olympic games and the senior world championships. But here are some other notable duos.

1990 junior worlds. Yuka Sato and Surya Bonaly finished first and second. Four years later they repeated the feat at senior worlds.

1994 juniors. Michelle Kwan won gold and Irina Slutskaya bronze (Irina won in 1995). Four years later (1998) they won gold and silver at senior worlds (and did it again in 2000 and 2001).

At 2003 World juniors Miki Ando and Carolina Kostner took second and third. The next year Ando and Kimmie Meissner were first and second. All later became world champions.

2011 world juniors. Adelina Sotnikova (1st) and Elizaveta Tuktamysheve (2nd). Future senior worlds and Olympics...?

2012 World juniors. Julia Lipnitskia (1st) and Gracie Gold (2nd). Flashes in the pan or future champions? Radionova?

Edited to add: Here is the junior skater that I thought (in 2002) would be world champion by 2006.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lcUcvHpPQM
 
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Joined
Aug 16, 2009
I didn't realize that there were that many Junior World medalists who did well in senior competitions. That's reassuring. Interesting statistics to look up. I notice that Kristi Y. won both singles and pairs in 1988, and she turned out pretty well, didn't she.

Yukina Ota was indeed a lovely skater. Man, Japan has had an astonishing bevy of great singles skaters, both men's and ladies', and they show no sign of fading. (Go Daisuke and Mao!)
 

woshisunnya

Rinkside
Joined
Nov 2, 2006
As we're talk to Olympic here, I just went back and found some interesting numbers. In 2005-2006 season, Mao was the GPF champion who beat the entire Olympic podium in that season while Yuna was the JGPF champion.
Below are the marks they received in both completeion:
Mao: SP: 64.38=36.30+28.08 LP:125.24=65.80+59.44
Yuna: SP: 57.51=32.11+25.40 LP:116.61=63.66+53.93 (-1, time violation)

In that season, Junior SP only allowed to do 3-2 instead 3-3 and Junior Lady's LP has one less spin then senior lady.

Yuna's TES is second among both Junior and Senior lady even with one less element so I think She would also be quite completive if she chose Senior GP that year.

Still I think age request is good for the sport because young girls may always have better jump and flexiability then mature women due to the weight different, they may simply be the best of world at age 14 or 15 by technique side, but it needs time for girls to reach a level to better understand the music, improve the details of the skating which matured sakters are better then young girl most of the time.

We may feel sad for both girls who just missed 06 Olympic by every few days but to have them for the next four years and saw their improvment every year is also a great joy for a fan like me.
 

EricRohmer

On the Ice
Joined
May 31, 2010
I don't think we have ever seen two more talented Ladies come up at the same time who were also the same age and made their debut at Worlds in the same year.

The fact that Yuna & Mao have the same birth month(1990-9) and the similar height(around 165cm) amazes me as well. :)
 
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