The JSF, Japan and their media has mishandled Mao's talent

Mao Asada will go down in history as a great skater no doubt about that. But looking back I think the Japanase federation, some fans and media have harmed her. This precious 15 year old with a big smile came and won the GPF and then she became 'japan's only hope for gold", whe was carrying the federation on her shulders (according to japan times), she is the athelete with more sponsors, if she does not do well tv ratings go down. I think this was too much pressure for one person. As if JAPAN did not have other skaters who could also carry the burden. It must be so hard for an athlete to live with the presure of your "country is couting on you for gold from such an young age". Mao annouce she will retire and people are writing articles about her sponsors not happy with that. Who cares?

If we look at other top skaters they have not have to deal with this presure. Kim Yuna does not feel that presure because her country does not view skating as a religion (maybe they do know but is only because they have produced one the greatest skaters of this generation) However Japan has a long skating history with Midori Ito----- and I know they only have one gold medal and they want more, but nevertheless, they put an inhumane presume on Mao Asada. I think Mao felt this pressure during last olympics.

Caro Kostner does not have that much pressure because I think Italy is very happy with a having a top rated skater

With that I am not saying that Mao should not been Japan's skating superstar, what I am saying is why put all your eggs in one basket (Miki Ando super star, Akkiko superstar why put all the pressure in one skater)

Mao will be ok no matter what the girl has more sponsors thant Tiger Woods in Japan, so I assume she will be finncially secure). So if I were Mao I will go to this Olympics not with the goalo of beating Kim or win gold, but the goal to have the skate of my life. If Japan does not win another gold medal. well....

By the way I suppor team japan

Mao should have worked on her basics. Instead what she did was pushing herself for more and more difficulty, and it did not work as well as the enormous expectations people had had. It is her own technical instability that caused her problems.

Moment said:

Mao should have worked on her basics. Instead what she did was pushing herself for more and more difficulty, and it did not work as well as the enormous expectations people had had. It is her own technical instability that caused her problems.

Click to expand...

The girl could never win. Easy layout. Outcry Mao has water down her programs. More difficult. why is she trying a difficult program. And the reason she pushed for difficulty is because it was expected for her. Watch any Japanese broadcast. Fans want to see the famous triple axel. Watch the 4cc when she got it right in sp see reaction.

My post was about Mao in the previous quad, but whatever. What Mao tried was never that easy. She had a seven triple layout repeating flips and loops with a 2A+3T combination. How is that easy? The problem was it was never skated clean.

But who has? it is nature of this sport I think. You dont skate clean 100 percent of the time. After winning 2010 world my opinion is that she should have skipped the next season while re-working her jumps (working on her basics like you called it) without the presure of competition. But it seems to me that because of sponsors, tv ratings and obligations or because she and her team did not want she chose to compete when she was not ready.

Minze2001 said:

Caro Kostner does not have that much pressure because I think Italy is very happy with a having a top rated skater

Click to expand...

Carolina doesn't have much pressure because nobody actually knows what she's doing unless it's the Olympics. I doubt the general public knows about what she has accomplished in her career besides that. She's more popular for being in a relationship with Alex Schwazer.
But she has been treated very badly from the media, after the Olympic games in Torino especially, because she'd been hyped so much. So she has her own kind of problems.
Figure skating is a minor sport that gets very little attention from the media in Italy; there can't be a comparison with Japan and South Korea in terms of media exposure

honestly, I'm hard to believe that Japan Federation like not Mao Asada. I have never thought so, and when we remind last year's NHK Trophy ...

Also, you said that Kim Yuna has not been feel that presure from her country and federation, media? No, absolutely not.
When she was younger skater(before 07-08 season), she couldn't received enough training condition, enough support from federation, - b/c before she, In korea, figures skating was not only non-population sport, but was even not known sports at all, so It was surprise thing that suddenly she is shown, and get medaled where all she participated, and became a big star as a figure skater in korea. At that time, she had considered to leave the figure skating many times since injuries and money problems - although she was already top skater, get medaled in all competitions where she participated. At that time, some fans support her by giving skate shoes, or some moneys..etc. like in this fan meeting.. http://youtu.be/_8kCgKKxxgU

Even though there is not much that federation did for her, they have always so many orders to her. when she(and other sports stars) shows not good competitive... she received a lot of attack from media.

before vancouver olympic, in one interview, she said the biggest fear for her is her country because when she doesn't show good competitive, she get too much attacks from medias.. and people
Although after 2010 olympic, such things are a little decreased

If we look at other top skaters they have not have to deal with this presure. Kim Yuna does not feel that presure because her country does not view skating as a religion

Click to expand...

Ummm... I think you are wayyy off base if you think that Yuna somehow felt less pressure than Mao. Here's the thing: speaking as a Korean, we put a LOT of emphasis (more than we should IMO) and attention on people who bring us "glory" on an international stage. Why? It's complicated. But we tend to be insecure about how we're perceived by the rest of the world. So if someone has a shot at bringing us ~honor, by god, we're gonna latch on to it and never let go! Did you know that men who medal at the Olympics actually receive an exemption from South Korean military conscription? That's how much stock is placed on this sort of thing.

So... you take one South Korean girl who is a superstar in what happens to be the Olympics' marquee event, and you take a country that cares too deeply about how the rest of the world sees them, and that has never won a medal outside of speed skating, AND has an ongoing rivalry with Japan... and you have the perfect recipe for a pressure cooker environment. I'm amazed that Yuna hasn't had a complete meltdown tbh. Sometimes I feel like I only want her to win because I'm afraid of the fall-out if she doesn't.

I think the pressure she felt is comparable to the pressure that Midori Ito must have felt; they were essentially trailblazers in their sport which adds an additional level of pressure right there.

I do agree with you though that the JSF mishandled Mao...sometimes it felt like they were putting all of their eggs in one basket with her, which was a mistake. With Yuna, that sort of attention was inevitable because she's really the only decent skater SK has. But Japan doesn't have the same dearth of good skaters; why not lighten up on Mao and make the poor girl feel like she's carrying less of a load on her shoulders?

sporkwhatspork said:

Ummm... I think you are wayyy off base if you think that Yuna somehow felt less pressure than Mao. Here's the thing: speaking as a Korean, we put a LOT of emphasis (more than we should IMO) and attention on people who bring us "glory" on an international stage. Why? It's complicated. But we tend to be insecure about how we're perceived by the rest of the world. So if someone has a shot at bringing us ~honor, by god, we're gonna latch on to it and never let go! Did you know that men who medal at the Olympics actually receive an exemption from South Korean military conscription? That's how much stock is placed on this sort of thing.

So... you take one South Korean girl who is a superstar in what happens to be the Olympics' marquee event, and you take a country that cares too deeply about how the rest of the world sees them, and that has never won a medal outside of speed skating, AND has an ongoing rivalry with Japan... and you have the perfect recipe for a pressure cooker environment. I'm amazed that Yuna hasn't had a complete meltdown tbh. Sometimes I feel like I only want her to win because I'm afraid of the fall-out if she doesn't.

I think the pressure she felt is comparable to the pressure that Midori Ito must have felt; they were essentially trailblazers in their sport which adds an additional level of pressure right there.

I do agree with you though that the JSF mishandled Mao...sometimes it felt like they were putting all of their eggs in one basket with her, which was a mistake. With Yuna, that sort of attention was inevitable because she's really the only decent skater SK has. But Japan doesn't have the same dearth of good skaters; why not lighten up on Mao and make the poor girl feel like she's carrying less of a load on her shoulders?

Click to expand...

ok so you disagree with my opinion, but it is an opinion after all. but since you are Korean I am sure you have a better sense than me of the presure Yuna is under. I was basing my opinion on the fact that does not feel the presure to enter all major competitions and after she acomplished her olympic gold medal JMO I feel she has called the shots of her career. I compete because I want to type of thing

There was Emi Watanbe, Fumie Suguri, Miki Ando, shizuka Arakawa, Murakami, Suzuki, Nakano et al so Japan has been rich in competitive ladies. But as for Mao she was a victim of bad tiiming as to when she was on top at 15 years old and unable to compete. However, her recent problems seem less to do with pressure than technique. Part of her problem is she obviously isn't confident on technicque and thus she keeps changing her jump focus - lutz, flip and axel. Some years it is the axel others it is the lutz combo or flip combo Add to that edge calls and incomplete axels. People forget in 2010 she barely beat the mourning Rochette. She was far closer to bronze than gold.

venlac said:

honestly, I'm hard to believe that Japan Federation like not Mao Asada. I have never thought so, and when we remind last year's NHK Trophy ...

Also, you said that Kim Yuna has not been feel that presure from her country and federation, media? No, absolutely not.
When she was younger skater(before 07-08 season), she couldn't received enough training condition- b/c before she, In korea, figures skating was not only non-population sport, but was even not known sports at all - enough support from federation. At that time, she had considered to leave the figure skating many times since injuries and money problems - although she was already top skater, get medaled in all competitions where she participated. At that time, some fans support her by giving skate shoes, or some moneys..etc. like in this fan meeting.. http://youtu.be/_8kCgKKxxgU

Even though there is not much that federation did for her, they have always so many orders to her. when she(and other sports stars) showes not good competitive... she received a lot of attack from media.

before vancouver olympic, in one interview, she said the biggest fear for her is her country because when she doesn't show good competitive, she get too much attacks from medias.. and people
Although after 2010 olympic, such things are decreased

Click to expand...

Actually that was not the point I was trying to make. JFS loves mao becasue as the writer from Japan times said she is a waling conglomerate. She brings money for the sport. So it could be a case of too much love (which she does deserve because she is the best Japanese lady) but it could be a case of her feeling the presure to compete all the time because of sponsers, tv rating and so on.......

since you are Korean I am sure you have a better sense than me of the presure Yuna is under. 

Click to expand...

Yeah, it's really, really unfortunate.

I don't know how either Yuna or Mao has been able to handle all the pressure over the years. I would have run screaming for the hills a long time ago. But that's probably why I'm not a champion athlete like those two, haha. Well, that and the total lack of any discernible talent.

sporkwhatspork said:

Ummm... I think you are wayyy off base if you think that Yuna somehow felt less pressure than Mao. Here's the thing: speaking as a Korean, we put a LOT of emphasis (more than we should IMO) and attention on people who bring us "glory" on an international stage. Why? It's complicated. But we tend to be insecure about how we're perceived by the rest of the world. So if someone has a shot at bringing us ~honor, by god, we're gonna latch on to it and never let go! Did you know that men who medal at the Olympics actually receive an exemption from South Korean military conscription? That's how much stock is placed on this sort of thing.

So... you take one South Korean girl who is a superstar in what happens to be the Olympics' marquee event, and you take a country that cares too deeply about how the rest of the world sees them, and that has never won a medal outside of speed skating, AND has an ongoing rivalry with Japan... and you have the perfect recipe for a pressure cooker environment. I'm amazed that Yuna hasn't had a complete meltdown tbh. Sometimes I feel like I only want her to win because I'm afraid of the fall-out if she doesn't.

I think the pressure she felt is comparable to the pressure that Midori Ito must have felt; they were essentially trailblazers in their sport which adds an additional level of pressure right there.

Click to expand...

I completely agree with you. As a YuNa fan I am very protective of her, even against other Koreans who don't truly understand how tough figure skating as a sport is--not just in terms of the physical and mental challenges, but how difficult it is to get access to the right resources and training, especially if one does not live in a country with a strong history of the sport.

I was very mad at a fellow Korean friend when he said he didn't like YuNa because he felt she was "wasting" her talent by retiring after Vancouver...saying something to the effect of it being a weak move, not taking advantage of the opportunity to bring Korea more reputation/standing in the sport. :disapp: I'm just glad that she has managed to thrive despite all these expectations from her.

As for Mao, I do think she has made some questionable decisions in her career (the ol' hindsight is 20/20 thing...) and I don't think it was the JSF/Japanese media so much. Some of the jump layouts, choreography, etc. leading up to Vancouver made more than one skating fan scratch their heads.

Minze2001 said:

And the reason she pushed for difficulty is because it was expected for her. Watch any Japanese broadcast. Fans want to see the famous triple axel. Watch the 4cc when she got it right in sp see reaction.

Click to expand...

Interesting thing is that people not figure skating fans know the word "triple axel" and they do expect Mao to do it, but they almost can't tell the jump. I don't blame them because I am not an expert either, but sometimes I am frustrated.

I can't forget that Mao was crying after getting silver medal at Olympics. Mao could hardly talk but the announcer kept asking and asking and asking...I know that was her job as an announcer, but it was SO painful to watch for even a casual fan like me. All I thought was "LEAVE HER ALONE!!". (I don' know what people said about it in this forum.)

Being famous and popular is very tough in various fields and countries. I just wish her happy smiles at Sochi whatever the result would be.

yude said:

I can't forget that Mao was crying after getting silver medal at Olympics.

Click to expand...

I know, and she looked so crushed on the podium. I just wanted to hug her.

I think I read somewhere that bronze medalists tend to be happier in general than silver medalists, because silver medalists are thinking, "If I had only done this or that, I could have gotten gold," whereas bronze medalists are thinking, "If I had done this or that, I would be off the podium entirely."

Pfffffffffbbt. Mao is still a multi-World Champ, Olympic medalist, multi-millionaire who has broken all kinds of records in figure skating. Would she be happier if there was less pressure and scrutiny? Probably. But I don't get the impression that she can't handle it. There are plenty of examples of athletes who crash and burn in the wake of a bit of success and fame, but Ms. Asada is assuredly not one of them. If she doesn't win that Olympic gold this time, she'll still go down in history as one of the most influential and beloved skaters of all time. And while I don't doubt there is immense lobbying from all the people who made an industry of her for her to continue competing, I think by now, Mao has enough confidence and power to say no when she wants to.

Minze2001 said:

Watch any Japanese broadcast.

Click to expand...

If you did, you would know that it's not even a half of pressure of what Daisuke with quad-rants and even Hanyu had to deal with. It's basically eaten them both up last season and the result you know. Ever heard about Plu and what some morons from Russian TV say about him? Mao is actually in a quite fine situation here. Unless you wanted to create one more thread to bash her up.

Serious Business said:

And while I don't doubt there is immense lobbying from all the people who made an industry of her for her to continue competing, I think by now, Mao has enough confidence and power to say no when she wants to.

Click to expand...

What is the exact meaning of it?

let`s talk said:

If you did, you would know that it's not even a half of pressure of what Daisuke with quad-rants and even Hanyu had to deal with. It's basically eaten them both up last season and the result you know. Ever heard about Plu and the what some morons from Russian TV say about him? Mao is actually in a quite fine situation here. Unless you wanted to create one more thread to bash her up.

Click to expand...

You missed my point I know Mao is beloved but I was talking about the presure becauce of ther talent they expected so much of her. By the way look me up in this forum I am a Mao fan I will never bash. She is the reason I am a skating fan, so no me bash Mao imposible. I have not posted that much here but the little that I have posted has been about my love for Mao.

Serious Business said:

Pfffffffffbbt. Mao is still a multi-World Champ, Olympic medalist, multi-millionaire who has broken all kinds of records in figure skating. Would she be happier if there was less pressure and scrutiny? Probably. But I don't get the impression that she can't handle it. There are plenty of examples of athletes who crash and burn in the wake of a bit of success and fame, but Ms. Asada is assuredly not one of them. If she doesn't win that Olympic gold this time, she'll still go down in history as one of the most influential and beloved skaters of all time. And while I don't doubt there is immense lobbying from all the people who made an industry of her for her to continue competing, I think by now, Mao has enough confidence and power to say no when she wants to.

Click to expand...

excellent point