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- Jun 9, 2014
Fumie Suguri had some kind words for Mao Asada after the 2016 Japanese Nationals where Mao unfortunately did not make the 2017 World/4CC team.
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Suguri on Mao Asada: A love of skating
- Thread starter shiroKJ
- Start date
I'm crying lmao I'm so weak. Fumie's so kind. Admittedly these days whenever Mao skates I've been getting flashbacks to Fumie's loooong grandma-esque career, and I've been hoping Mao would retire so she won't go through that path. But then Fumie has a point -- retiring is the choice of the skater. And obviously Mao loves to skate.
All the best to Mao! Rest, recover, heal! You are still the queen of step sequences!
All the best to Mao! Rest, recover, heal! You are still the queen of step sequences!
- Joined
- Nov 21, 2014
i wish she would say this to kanako too, i think she's the one whose getting more "you should retire!" comments.
I would love to see Mao retire and maybe create memorable programs for something like Medal Winners Open. It would be interesting to see more pro-am competitions because I am so sad for Mao but I know just because she can't get the jumps anymore, doesn't mean she doesn't have more to offer the figure skating world. Her exhibition really is a piece of art. Someone once said this to me: there is no room for a level 4 spin in Bach; it needs to follow the music, not the scoresheet. I think it's true for many pieces of music and I would like to see it more on the international stage without a medal or national pride at stake.
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- Feb 11, 2007
Not sure if I get the wording by this translator right (as English isn't my native language) but what Fumie actually wrote is ending on a high note isn't the only thing that is deemed splendid.
It was very kind and generous of Fumie to say these words and save Mao the pain. It's true and its something I have said time and time again. After his knee injury, Rafael Nadal has never been the same, yet he still competes because he's an athlete who loves the sport he's in. Carolina, Federer, Venus Williams. It's always going to be the case with veterans who are still in the field. I often feel like people (i.e. Simon and Chris of Eurosport) assume Mao still competes because of the money. And they have said it. Others have questioned why she's still skating when technically she isn't at her peak anymore- which is fair enough. The rest write her off because she's not the bright new thing anymore and none of the younger skaters can shine thoroughly because Asada is still the face of Japanese figure skating. It's the story of Margot Fonteyn all over again.
Whatever the reason is, I'm glad Mao is still competing because she genuinely wants to and that she's aware of the consequences of staying. At the very least, she isn't at all deluded that she's still the 15 year old who could have won the gold in Turin. She's allowed to dream, but she's very much doing it for herself now.
Whatever the reason is, I'm glad Mao is still competing because she genuinely wants to and that she's aware of the consequences of staying. At the very least, she isn't at all deluded that she's still the 15 year old who could have won the gold in Turin. She's allowed to dream, but she's very much doing it for herself now.
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- Feb 16, 2014
It is easy for people to sit behind a keyboard and try to tell a stranger what to do with their life. But their opinions are irrelevant. I am glad that Mao wants to continue...and Alena and every other skater who still feels like continuing. You only live once and you can only be an active athlete for so long, so why not make it last as long as possible if that's what you want? Not everyone competes only because they expect medals.
Wow, remember how vicious some people were about Suguri not retiring? I'm glad she came out of all that whole and happy.
It really is rare for skaters to end their careers as well as they would want but gosh, I hope Mao can finish her own terms :sad46:
It really is rare for skaters to end their careers as well as they would want but gosh, I hope Mao can finish her own terms :sad46:
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- Joined
- Jul 9, 2014
So Do I!!!! I saw Fumie perform and I think the only skater who as fast as fumie was Elena Liashenko. Fumie did not have a good layback but it was so freakin' fast. I'll look for the program that really had an impact on me. She didn't score very well with but, I loved it. I think her Paint It Black SP might have been her most successful.
Here's her 2001 SP which is the first time I saw Fumie. This commentary is in Japanese:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPJMNJgA65M
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Nikkan Sports article today speculates that Mao's only path to the Olympics is to win Nationals next year...but, with the very good chance that she falls outside of the ISU Top 24 next year, she would have to start all the way down at the Chubu Sectionals to get to the Western Japan competition just to get to Nationals next year.
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- Apr 23, 2014
It's so painful to see Mao this sad, but I think she shouldn't be. She is not a disappointment to her fans! She came back in a stacked field domestically and internationally showing a lot of courage and love for the sport. Since her comeback she has produced 4 beautiful programs and reminded us what Skating really can be. Everybody is free to do what they want with their lives, but Mao will always have my respect and admiration for staying in the game for so many years despite all the success, all the money, all the difficulties and all the tough moments. Not many skaters have endured through such highs and lows! She is an inspiration and a legend, and whatever she decides for the future I hope it is 100% her choice.
- Joined
- Dec 3, 2014
Was going to bring tennis into it myself, until I saw your post. And not just tennis but in other sports too like in racing, athletics, football and so on. It's quite strange how some viewers feel like they have a divine right to tell people when they should retire, especially when many of those athletes at the receiving end usually are within the top 10 of their league (like, Nadal, Venus and Federer), while they themselves will probably never be in the top 1000, let alone top 100, of their own professions.
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- Jan 13, 2014
I'm just gonna leave this here: http://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/.../time-mao-change-direction-give/#.WGKBRmTys35
Please Mao. Make that call!!! Time for Borser to make his magic. Give him that chance.
Please Mao. Make that call!!! Time for Borser to make his magic. Give him that chance.
I don´t know, Brian needs concentrate on Yuzu and Javi, both fighting for the gold at worlds and olympics. Same reason I am not so happy about Marina having Patrick and Nathan, Shibs finally got some of her attention and then she got other two top skaters
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- Jan 11, 2014
I don´t know, Brian needs concentrate on Yuzu and Javi, both fighting for the gold at worlds and olympics. Same reason I am not so happy about Marina having Patrick and Nathan, Shibs finally got some of her attention and then she got other two top skaters
TBH this Orser's greed chill me to the bone, as I see it like a double-edged blade. Part of a coach's strategy with his/her top pupil is to understand his/her opponents, punctuating what sets him/her apart, knowing how to enlighten the mistakes of others by shadowing his/her pupil's flaws. And that takes full commitment of the coach to his/her pupil, now when you're coaching the top 2 in the world, that can only be nasty.
I don't think he's greedy. When Mr Fernandez was with him, he wasn't a top contender. When Mr. Hanyu asked Mr Orser to accept him, Mr. Hanyu was just 17 years old and no one knew if he could do well in the future. Mr. Orser asked Mr. Fernandez and he agreed to have a new teammate. I doubt that any of them at that time would predict both to become top skater after these years. In this case it's more like Mr Orser was lucky that good skaters with potential came to him and they're getting great results.
As for Miss Asada, it is too late for her. Even if she change coach now, her technique would not become more stable. She will always be a chronic UR. She should just focus on skating clean. Her jumps can not be fixed at this point. It's her mentality that should change.
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