If Mao Asada fails to win Gold in Sochi, should she carry on for another quad? | Page 2 | Golden Skate

If Mao Asada fails to win Gold in Sochi, should she carry on for another quad?

Ven

Match Penalty
Joined
Mar 17, 2013
How about Fumie?

I think she will keep skating. From an outsider's perspective, she doesn't seem at peace with her career.

If she keeps the same mentality, obviously she never will be, because her serious competitive days are over. She claims she must continue skating until she has that one magical skate she longs for, hopefully the process will prove cathartic for her and somewhere in some practice rink one day she will have that magical skate and finally be able to move on with her life.
 

miki88

Medalist
Joined
Dec 28, 2009
Has Mao given any indication of what she might like to do after her skating career is over? Like Michelle Kwan, she will start her post-competitive life with a lot of opportunities to head off in many other directions, if that is her wish.

There was a mention in an interview a while ago that she would like to open a restaurant. She loves food. :)
 

pangtongfan

Match Penalty
Joined
Jun 16, 2010
I think she will keep skating. From an outsider's perspective, she doesn't seem at peace with her career.

If she keeps the same mentality, obviously she never will be, because her serious competitive days are over. She claims she must continue skating until she has that one magical skate she longs for, hopefully the process will prove cathartic for her and somewhere in some practice rink one day she will have that magical skate and finally be able to move on with her life.

What is she not at peace with though? That maybe she didnt quite reach her competitive goals. She never quite won a Worlds, but won 3 medals. She never quite won an Olympic medal, being placed 4th despite skating well in the poorly skated 2006 event must have stung something fierce. She never posted her first win over her idol Michelle Kwan, coming close at the 2005 Worlds when Michelle was on the downside of her career.

Or is it something more deeply rooted.
 

Ven

Match Penalty
Joined
Mar 17, 2013
What is she not at peace with though?

The speculation is that it's between her and Shizuka.

:rock: A skating themed restaurant! Triple Salchow Sashimi with Flying Camel Chazuki. :yes:

Here in the States there are outdoor restaurants where sexy girls in roller skates bring out your food. They're all closed in the winter, but sexy girls in ice skates ... that's an idea!
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
Here in the States there are outdoor restaurants where sexy girls in roller skates bring out your food. They're all closed in the winter, but sexy girls in ice skates ... that's an idea!

!!!!!! I am going to shoot off an email to A&W right now!
 

pangtongfan

Match Penalty
Joined
Jun 16, 2010
The speculation is that it's between her and Shizuka.

She had a far more consistent career with many more medals and World level appearances than Shizuka. She can take heart in that, even if Shizuka's shines brighter due to the two huge wins.

I guess she feels in a way her arch rival and enemy Shizuka won and she lost, but in a way that is reality and she has to just accept it; but skating forever wont do anything to change that. Is she chasing the World and Olympic Golds that Shizuka won at this stage, lol!
 

Ven

Match Penalty
Joined
Mar 17, 2013
!!!!!! I am going to shoot off an email to A&W right now!

Yes!

I guess she feels in a way her arch rival and enemy Shizuka won and she lost, but in a way that is reality and she has to just accept it

I think that sums up the situation. Most of us face disappointing outcomes in life that we must eventually make peace with, and move on.

For instance, there was a mother in Spain last year whose baby fell out of her arms onto the luggage rack. It was an accident, but within a second the baby was crushed to death between the conveyor belts. What a horrific, horrific thing the mother will always live with for the rest of her life. But she too must one day make peace with that tragedy if she's ever to move on and make sense of her life.

Winning or losing figure skating competitions pales in comparison ... but look at someone like Fritzi Burger. As good as she was, I don't think she ever beat Sonja Henie ever in her entire career. I'm sure that was difficult for her to come to terms with as a competitor, but years later in old age she was able to laugh about those days of yore. She was often quoted as saying ... "I had two husbands. Sonja had three. She even beat me at that!"
 

Skater Boy

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 24, 2012
The young generation is coming hard and fast. None of Kim, Kostner, or Asada are advised or wise to stay on a moment longer IMO. Suzuki and Wagner maybe could only since they probably have different goals in mind.

Suzuki though might be pushing the age thing which affects the body. Maria Butyrskaya stayed at it but at the end she really was past her prime (still top six or so though)
 

Skater Boy

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 24, 2012
She had a far more consistent career with many more medals and World level appearances than Shizuka. She can take heart in that, even if Shizuka's shines brighter due to the two huge wins.

I guess she feels in a way her arch rival and enemy Shizuka won and she lost, but in a way that is reality and she has to just accept it; but skating forever wont do anything to change that. Is she chasing the World and Olympic Golds that Shizuka won at this stage, lol!

Well it is over for Fumie. She won`t be competing with Shizuka and she sadly, if not oddly, has gotten some negative publicity and or negative reaction to her staying around with huge costs to her and her family etc. Y es, it is her life but she has affected so many around her. Olympic medals don`t make you happy - remember Kira Ivanova- penniless, turned to alcohol, stripped and her hair hacked off and stabbed to death. Count your blessings, Fumie.
 

Mao88

Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 9, 2011
New article on Mao Asada entitled: "Asada seeks to show maturity on Sochi stage." Reads:-

Nearly four years have passed since figure skating star Mao Asada, 23, shed bitter tears with a silver medal in her hand. Asada is determined to use her second and final Olympic appearance to overcome the regret that has long tormented her.

“I was upset about my performance,” Asada said.

At the Sochi Games, Asada will skate again to Rachmaninov, this time Piano Concerto No. 2, one of his most famous works.

Asada is now making her final preparations for the Sochi Olympics, aiming to once again nail three triple axels. “I know the level of my [best] performance in the past, so I won’t be satisfied with a lesser effort,” she said, explaining the reason behind her focus on training.

Having decided to end her competitive career this season, Asada is determined to win. “I want my last skate to be my best at the Olympics, which is the big stage,” she said.

If she can realize the highest level of her performance, Asada will surely be able to capture the gold medal she has longed for.

Sounds like she is committed to retirement at the end of the season regardless of the outcome of the Olympics. Nevertheless, looks like she is determined to win the Gold in Sochi, or at least ensure that if she does lose, that she only loses having skated her very best. If she does skate to her maximum potential and still loses, then the only skater that can beat her is Kim
 

Manuel Pablo Arnao

Figure Skating Fan & Real Estate Agent in LA!
On the Ice
Joined
Jan 15, 2014
no offense, but i think mao may have peaked too early this season. just a hunch.

everyone should stick around, especially carolina, nobody created more beautiful programs than her. i fan myself everytime i see bolero (that step sequence).

anyway, sooooo many skaters plan on retiring which makes the next few years dull.
 

Sasha'sSpins

Medalist
Joined
Apr 2, 2009
Country
United-States
no offense, but i think mao may have peaked too early this season. just a hunch.

everyone should stick around, especially carolina, nobody created more beautiful programs than her. i fan myself everytime i see bolero (that step sequence).

anyway, sooooo many skaters plan on retiring which makes the next few years dull.

No offense, but between Mao, Yuna and Carolina, Kostner is the one who has looked awfully vulnerable this Olympic season. She was beaten at Cup of China by two Russians, Pogorilaya and Sotnikova, beaten by yet another Russian, Lipnitskaya at Cup of Russian and now, more recently, beaten again at the European Championships by Lipnitskaya and Sotnikova who won gold and silver respectively to her bronze. I think Carolina can medal in Sochi but she's going to have to hope from mistakes from at least one of the Russians. Yuna and Mao even with a mistake between them imo are still going to make the podium. I'm certain home ice advantage is going to play a part too in a Russian on the Olympic podium - not that they might not deserve high scores. All are great skaters.
 

pangtongfan

Match Penalty
Joined
Jun 16, 2010
no offense, but i think mao may have peaked too early this season. just a hunch.

everyone should stick around, especially carolina, nobody created more beautiful programs than her. i fan myself everytime i see bolero (that step sequence).

anyway, sooooo many skaters plan on retiring which makes the next few years dull.


I think the opposite. The rise of skaters like Gold, Sotnikova, Osmond, Lipnitskaya, hopefully Murakami is exciting to see, and it will be even more exciting seeing them battle it out and fight to create a new World pecking order of sorts post Sochi. I am looking forward to the retirement of the old guard, while appreciating their great careers and all the great moments they have given us. Just wish they had more of a pro circuit for us to see them more, but there are signs that might be coming back.
 

Manuel Pablo Arnao

Figure Skating Fan & Real Estate Agent in LA!
On the Ice
Joined
Jan 15, 2014
I think the opposite. The rise of skaters like Gold, Sotnikova, Osmond, Lipnitskaya, hopefully Murakami is exciting to see, and it will be even more exciting seeing them battle it out and fight to create a new World pecking order of sorts post Sochi. I am looking forward to the retirement of the old guard, while appreciating their great careers and all the great moments they have given us. Just wish they had more of a pro circuit for us to see them more, but there are signs that might be coming back.

what are the signs?
 

hippomoomin

Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 30, 2012
I don't see Mao would continue full-time. She may take a year off and come back half-time to see where she stands.
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
It must be a tough decision. Here you are, the best in the world at what you do. Whatever you decide to do afterward, the chances are remote that will will be anywhere near as good at it.
 
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