Mao Asada: Olympic Gold Medal Favourite? | Page 2 | Golden Skate

Mao Asada: Olympic Gold Medal Favourite?

CarneAsada

Medalist
Joined
Sep 17, 2011
One competition? It's 3 convincing wins out of 3 for Mao this season. Winner of the Japan Open. Winner of Skate America with a score of 204.55. Winner of the NHK Trophy with a score of 207.59. She is performing consistently well, is getting better and better, and the momentum is with her

She had the "momentum" last year leading up all the way to 4CC but didn't get it done at Worlds. I love her but I will only call Mao a favorite when I see her land 8 triples in a free skate. Getting the 3A and the 3F-3Lo landed (and credited) in the same competition would also convince me.
 

andyjo24

Medalist
Joined
Feb 16, 2010
People here have a tendency to put way too much weight in such few competition results.

I completely agree with you! That is why I do not believe in the hype people have for Julia (i.e., Julia having the killer instinct, etc). She has been doing very well in recent competitions, but Skate Canada and Finlandia are just two competitions. There are a lot more competitions to go. In addition, we don't know how Julia will perform in the big stage (Worlds, Olympics). She hasn't had that experience yet.
 

CanadianSkaterGuy

Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 25, 2013
Mao is doing considerably well but I would hate for her to win the Olympics with the wins she has had this year. It's great that she's going for the 3A but until we see Yu Na skate, Kim is still the overwhelming favourite. But without Kim, Mao is the clear favourite for gold.
 

Krislite

Medalist
Joined
Sep 22, 2010
One competition? It's 3 convincing wins out of 3 for Mao this season. Winner of the Japan Open. Winner of Skate America with a score of 204.55. Winner of the NHK Trophy with a score of 207.59. She is performing consistently well, is getting better and better, and the momentum is with her

What did her unbeaten streak and momentum in 2012 do for her at Worlds 2013 against Kostner who skipped the Grand Prix and Kim who didn't compete since 2011?
 

minze

Medalist
Joined
Dec 22, 2012
What did her unbeaten streak and momentum in 2012 do for her at Worlds 2013 against Kostner who skipped the Grand Prix and Kim who didn't compete since 2011?

It got her back on the world podium. And moved up from 6th to 3rd.
 

CarneAsada

Medalist
Joined
Sep 17, 2011
What did her unbeaten streak and momentum in 2012 do for her at Worlds 2013 against Kostner who skipped the Grand Prix and Kim who didn't compete since 2011?

Exactly what I've been saying this entire time. It's nice that she was improving all season, but you need to do more than that to beat Kim.
 

Shayuki

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 2, 2013
I completely agree with you! That is why I do not believe in the hype people have for Julia (i.e., Julia having the killer instinct, etc). She has been doing very well in recent competitions, but Skate Canada and Finlandia are just two competitions. There are a lot more competitions to go. In addition, we don't know how Julia will perform in the big stage (Worlds, Olympics). She hasn't had that experience yet.


You really shouldn't forget Lipnitskaia sweeping the junior 2011-2012 season with clean skates all over the place.
 

Li'Kitsu

Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 29, 2011
No, Yuna is still the favorite, Mao didn't beat her scores from worlds 2013.

That said, this thread might just invite the ubers in. Smells like another battle field for fan wars.
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
Actually, the whole situation could work out great for the TV people who want to hype the Olympics. If Asada continues her run, sweeping everything in sight including the Grand Prix final, that will set up the Ultimate Sochi Smackdown, Monster Mao versus Krusher Kim! :rock:
 

Krislite

Medalist
Joined
Sep 22, 2010
It got her back on the world podium. And moved up from 6th to 3rd.

You didn't answer the question directly. What did it do for her against Kostner and Kim, both of whom skipped the Grand Prix that season, while she was winning all her Grand Prix events, Japanese Nationals and 4CC?
 

Barb

Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 13, 2009
Yuna is the favorite, she is more consistent, with their record is more likely Yuna will get a clean program or less mistakes, but Mao even has a big chance, and if both go clean I would give the gold to Mao
 

prettykeys

Medalist
Joined
Oct 19, 2009
A lot of us YuNa fans are anxious to see her new programs and the shape she's in. If she has any decent showing, she and Mao will be co-favourites. If YuNa has a great debut for this season (e.g. 5-6 triples landed clean in the FS and other things being alright) and a FS score of at least 135, she will be The Favourite (which isn't an enviable position for the Olympics, really.)

Mao would certainly be the one to watch for an upset, though.

I wonder if Carolina is crashing. :( If she has another poor outing then there will probably be another skater marked as likely to be on the podium.
 

Srin Odessa

On the Ice
Joined
Jan 23, 2012
Thanks to the magic powers of COP, we now know that skating is like an arcade game and the person with the highest score is the winner. So the question is whether or not Mao can get a higher score than Yuna at the Olympics. We saw Yuna score about 218 at Worlds with clean skates except for an edge deduction in the SP. Mao's PB recent NHK Trophy with 207.59. Assuming Yuna is free of major injuries and skates clean, Mao will have to make up over ten points from her PB to secure the gold.

We previously established that a clean Mao should out BV a clean Yuna but GOE and PCS are major wildcards.

Just digressing: I still kinda wish Yuna had skated to The Terminator for the 2012-13 season SP. That would've made a perfect memorandum to mark the year.

Couldn't hurt to have the Imperial March from Star Wars as her FS. I wonder if the other skaters think Yuna competing is like Darth Vader visiting the Death Star.
 

TheCzar

On the Ice
Joined
Mar 30, 2013
Someone has already pointed out that we can't base our judgement on one competition, but for me personally, I would factor out Kostner and put in Lipnitskaia for now for the podium mix. Carolina's SP is nice but her Scheherazade is awful and empty. We'll have to see how she fares in her next GP event but I wouldn't call Kostner's free programme Olympic worthy.
 

minze

Medalist
Joined
Dec 22, 2012
You didn't answer the question directly. What did it do for her against Kostner and Kim, both of whom skipped the Grand Prix that season, while she was winning all her Grand Prix events, Japanese Nationals and 4CC?

Not avoiding your question, just putting it in perspective. Maybe to some people it did nothing for Mao But I think, JMO: it reminded the judges that Mao is one of the best skaters in the world. (just in case they had forgotten) Sure, she got bronze, but it was a very successful season. She was on the podium the whole season
 

minze

Medalist
Joined
Dec 22, 2012
Someone has already pointed out that we can't base our judgement on one competition, but for me personally, I would factor out Kostner and put in Lipnitskaia for now for the podium mix. Carolina's SP is nice but her Scheherazade is awful and empty. We'll have to see how she fares in her next GP event but I wouldn't call Kostner's free programme Olympic worthy.

Julia should be in the conversation about the podium, but I think people are factoring out Carolina too early. Julia is very good, but her skating does not the quality of Carolina's skating. Caro had one bad outing, she is not an early season skater. I think she can do it
 

MiRé

Match Penalty
Joined
Nov 12, 2012
Too early to tell. Maybe after GPF and Yuna's Senior B comp, we'll be able to tell if she's a gold favorite.
 
Top