Does Mao have right strategy?

[propronia]

Asada's interview on GPF
http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20081201-00000019-nks-spo

Mao says she wants to go for two 3A's with strong determinations. She will make sure to land a 3-3 combination and replace the 3T by the lutz. Suppose all jumps are successfully done and a level 4 call on footworks given, maximally 13.4 points could be added to the base value. As for 200 mark, she says "that is one goal for me. I want to do better than this time with agressive minds."

Sorry, she doesn't say anything about YuNa.

 

[bethissoawesome]

Asada's interview on GPF
http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20081201-00000019-nks-spo

Mao says she wants to go for two 3A's with strong determinations. She will make sure to land a 3-3 combination and replace the 3T by the lutz. Suppose all jumps are successfully done and a level 4 call on footworks given, maximally 13.4 points could be added to the base value. As for 200 mark, she says "that is one goal for me. I want to do better than this time with agressive minds."

Sorry, she doesn't say anything about YuNa.

LOL I was right. I think this season will be very experimental for Mao... she will be putting in and taking out jumps, swapping things around, probably all to see what is the most difficult performance she can manage by the time the Olympics roll around.

I think she has a great strategy right now... she has time to work on her lutz in practice and get the edge right before adding it to the program. After all, doing a clean 3T or 3S with +GOEs can get her more points than a 3Lz with an edge call and -GOEs. I think the final program we will see for Mao will be something like (no specific order) 3A, 3A+2T (or 3T, if she can pull it off), 3F+3R, 3Lz, 3Ro+2Lo+2Lo, 3F or 3Lz, 3S or 2A

 

[Luciana]

It's OK, YuNa won't have worlds or olympics in her country anyway. The tech panel of NHK trophy (ladies only) was very strict comparable to last year's SA. Fortunately all skaters are equally treated. I sincerely wish that at GPF.

Oh, Do you really think so? Ye, I agree with you partly. The tech panel of NHK was very strict but not to Japanese, especially Asada.

Did you see her accepted 3s and 3A? Did you see Nagasu's downgraded 3Lz?
It's very unfair. Ye, I know it's not good idea to compare other jumps but Asada's 3s was not good. And Wagner got ! and e but Asada didn't get even !.

The tech panel was not only strict but also unfair.
All skaters are equally treated in Korea and in Japan, too.
I sincerely wish that at next NHK and other competitions held in Japan..

 

[propronia]

Oh, Do you really think so? Ye, I agree with you partly. The tech panel of NHK wasa very strict but not to Japanese, especially Asada.

Did you see her accepted 3s and 3A? Did you see Nagasu's downgraded 3Lz?
It's very unfair. Ye, I know it's not good idea to compare other jumps but Asada's 3s was not good. And Wagner got ! and e but Asada didn't get even !.

The tech panel was not only strict but also unfair.
All skaters are equally treated in Korea and in Japan, too.
I sincerely wish that at next NHK and other competitions held in Japan..

Did you see Nagasu's FS? They didn't broadcast here but many people saw it live (on Russian WebTV?) was saying all triples would be gowngraded. They were right about that. Mao's 3S was perfect. If you don't know how to count rotations of jumps, please refrain from useless accusations. The tech panel of NHK ladies was undoubtedly the most strict one among GP series. Nevertheless they were fair on everyone.

 

[mycelticblessing]

Don't you know SBS (Seoul Broadcasting System) is the title sponsor of this years' Final? Officially it's called SBS ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final 2008. The ISU must have made a good deal with them. Mao is exactly like Slutskaya going to SLC Olympics.

Isn't that the way official titles usually go? Like the one at Japan is 'NHK', and NHK is also a broadcasting channel. The Skate Canada one is called 'HomeSense', after a furniture store. Most of these Grand Prix competitions are named after a sponsor, so nothing surprising about 'SBS' I suppose.

I think Mao does have the right strategy. This is the season to try things out if they work. Next season would be too late. It's the same thing as Kozuka trying the quad and Dube/Davison trying the triple twist. They want to get their elements strong by next season, and this season is where they start.

 

[propronia]

NHK trophy started in 1978 -- well before GP series were organized. Unlike private SBS, NHK doesn't need to care about attracting viewers by whatever means. NHK is not a sponsor of NHK Trophy. I don't know there was a title sponsor for GPF until this year. Skate Canada has shown some blatant home biased judgings. I don't know anything about "HomeSense" but we can't rule out sponsorship factors in it.

 

[Luciana]

Did you see Nagasu's FS? They didn't broadcast here but many people saw it live (on Russian WebTV?) was saying all triples would be gowngraded. They were right about that. Mao's 3S was perfect. If you don't know how to count rotations of jumps, please refrain from useless accusations. The tech panel of NHK ladies was undoubtedly the most strict one among GP series. Nevertheless they were fair on everyone.

Ye, I saw it. and I think Nagasu's all triple was not good and should be downgraded. Even though I am fan of Nagasu, I admit it. But I don't think Asada's 3S is perfect. It wasn't fully rotation and it looked like a loop jump for me.

And are you the only person who can count rotations of jumps? Are you the only expert about jump here?


Before blaming Korean, just look yourself first Japanese.

 

[Okami]

But I don't think Asada's 3S is perfect. It wasn't fully rotation and it looked like a loop jump for me.

It was fully rotated. It looks like a loop jump? Well, they are both jumps, and they are both edge jumps. There the similarity ends - the salchow takes off from a different leg.

As for 3A - Nicky and Chris from the British Eurosport said that the first one was textbook. They even said that the second one was just about rotated and they would have had it ratified after watching it in slow-motion.

Cheers from Poland.

 

[Luciana]

It was fully rotated. It looks like a loop jump? Well, they are both jumps, and they are both edge jumps. There the similarity ends - the salchow takes off from a different leg.

As for 3A - Nicky and Chris from the British Eurosport said that the first one was textbook. They even said that the second one was just about rotated and they would have had it ratified after watching it in slow-motion.

Cheers from Poland.

I know the difference between salchow and loop. However, I can distinguish other skaters' salchow and loop but I can't Asada's. She is so similar.

And Do you believe casters? Most of the casters said Kim has perfect flip even though she got 'e' and '!' at Coc even Japanese caster(Is she Ito or Arakawa? I don't know exactly). And at that time some of the guys here including me, we can't always believe the casters. I thought Kim was slightly lip.

From that time, I can't alwasy believe casters. Some of them said she had perfect 3A when she got downgraded last season.

 

[Okami]

I know the difference between salchow and loop. However, I can distinguish other skaters' salchow and loop but I can't Asada's. She is so similar.

Similar to whom? Seriously, if you have trouble seeing the difference between the right leg takeoff and the left foot takeoff, it's your problem, not Mao's,
I assume you are talking about the free leg assistance, or lack of thereof... However, the free leg assistance is not necessary. Salchow is, quite simply, a jump that "takes off from a back inside edge and lands on the back outside edge of the opposite foot." There were many other skaters who used this technique.

I don't know any "casters", but I find the British commentary really impressive this season. They are really good at catching wrong edges, underrotations, spin and footwork levels. I think they really studied CoP. Of course, no one is perfect. Some things might get overlooked if you are not looking for them. But they did look for the underrotation, in the normal speed Nicky mentioned that 3A was maybe underrotated. Then they watched the slow-mo and said they would have given it to Mao.

 

[frozenhell]

Is it really possible for female skater to achieve level 4 in step seq? I know Kostner got level 4 in NHK last year but I guess most ppl take it as evidence that judges are trying to hold her up in every possible way rather than take it as evidence of her skating skill ( though she is actually great in that area).
Step seq is taking up lots of time in Tarasova programs (45 seconds in Masquerade) but is it really worth for that much time and effort?

 

[Luciana]

Similar to whom? Seriously, if you have trouble seeing the difference between the right leg takeoff and the left foot takeoff, it's your problem, not Mao's,
I assume you are talking about the free leg assistance, or lack of thereof... However, the free leg assistance is not necessary. Salchow is, quite simply, a jump that "takes off from a back inside edge and lands on the back outside edge of the opposite foot." There were many other skaters who used this technique.

I don't know any "casters", but I find the British commentary really impressive this season. They are really good at catching wrong edges, underrotations, spin and footwork levels. I think they really studied CoP. Of course, no one is perfect. Some things might get overlooked if you are not looking for them. But they did look for the underrotation, in the normal speed Nicky mentioned that 3A was maybe underrotated. Then they watched the slow-mo and said they would have given it to Mao.

I already told I could distinguish other skaters', not only ladies' but also men's.
I only can't distinguish Asada's.
Ye. she is so similar .. this sentence was my mistake.
My intention is Her jumps are so similar.

I am so sorry about my poor standard English.
But my friends and I sometimes use caster instead of broadcaster.
If you don't have intention of laughing at me and my English, please don't behave like that.
I am getting angrier and angrier at some rude Japanese and their sides.

 

[Bennett]

I have no idea if she has a right strategy or not. But it is wonderful that she has a lot of options in her jump layout with newer jumps that she has incorporated lately. When she did not have as many jumps, the possible elements that could be included in the permutation set was pretty limited. Now the number of possible sets of elements is growing towards infinity. How wonderful that is:agree:

 

[Okami]

My intention is Her jumps are so similar.

Yes, indeed they are so similar to the texbook examples presented in the ISU videos.

If you don't have intention of laughing at me and my English, please don't behave like that.
I am getting angrier and angrier at some rude Japanese and their sides.

If you don't want to be insulted, do not insult others. Frankly speaking, I find it hilarious when people go out of they way to attack others, then suddenly wail like a hurt baby when someone dares to speak a bad work against them. I feel most horribly sorry that I've hurt your delicate sensibilities, but I would feel no inclination to do so had you acted like a sensible person from the start. And no, not being able to tell jumps apart when they by definition have a different leg take-off, then implying that this visual impairment is a good enough reason to consider the jump to be of subpar quality, is not particularly sensible.

And, for your information, I'm Polish, not Japanese. Wałęsa chciał uczynić z Polski drugą Japonię, ale mu się to jednak nie udało...

 

[Tinymavy15]

Is it really possible for female skater to achieve level 4 in step seq? I know Kostner got level 4 in NHK last year but I guess most ppl take it as evidence that judges are trying to hold her up in every possible way rather than take it as evidence of her skating skill ( though she is actually great in that area).
Step seq is taking up lots of time in Tarasova programs (45 seconds in Masquerade) but is it really worth for that much time and effort?

Kostner's footwork at that event certainly looked like a level 4. It wasn't pretty, but it was difficult. But I don't believe for a minute that no other lady ever did footwork as difficult or more difficult. If Mao's footwork from her SP last year never got level 4 i will eat my hat.

 

[yhhh2001]

Mao showed that she had enough stamina to put two 3A in the long program. Now the most critical issue is the second triple jump of 3-3 combination. Both 3Lo and 3T are often underrotated. Since this season judges are stricter about underrotation, she need to fix it in order to win the World.

Thanks to physical training, her jumps are getting higher and higher, so I expect that she can increase the probability of fully rotating the second 3Lo or 3T. If Mao can do better 3T as the second triple jump, 3-3 combination becomes a more secure weapon.

Mao has a good teacher of 3T. It’s Midori.

 

[antmanb]

Kostner's footwork at that event certainly looked like a level 4. It wasn't pretty, but it was difficult. But I don't believe for a minute that no other lady ever did footwork as difficult or more difficult. If Mao's footwork from her SP last year never got level 4 i will eat my hat.

*Offers hat and salt and pepper*

SA: http://www.isufs.org/results/gpusa06/sa06_Ladies_SP_Scores.pdf

NHK: http://www.isufs.org/results/gpjpn06/gpjpn06_Ladies_SP_Scores.pdf

GPF: http://www.isufs.org/results/gpf0607/gpf0607_Ladies_SP_Scores.pdf

Wrolds: http://www.isufs.org/results/wc2007/wc07_Ladies_SP_scores.pdf

All the straightline steps were called level 3.

Ant