arty:kozuka and mao!
Well, sure it would be better if the jump passes were spread out, but you have to consider the fact that Mao is going for a 3-axel rather than a 2-axel, and most women usually only have their 2-axel in the 2nd half of the short. You also have to consider that this is the first time skaters will be choreographing with new rules on spins and step sequence, making it more difficult for them to hit levels on these components.
Seriously, Mao's track record with different coaches is atrocious (Monna, Higuchi, Yamada, Arutunian, Folle, Tarasova), and now Sato (that's 7 different coaches in the 5 yrs. she's been a senior).
Read the news this AM, but though delighted, am wondering how long will this one last? Hmmm...
Seriously, Mao's track record with different coaches is atrocious (Monna, Higuchi, Yamada, Arutunian, Folle, Tarasova), and now Sato (that's 7 different coaches in the 5 yrs. she's been a senior). Yes, he is the very best coach not only in Japan, but the entire world, when it comes to technique. But Mao & her Team are the ones that I worry about. After all, is it her calling all the shots, really? Or her federation? Whichever, all this coach changing never works out good imho, and I'm not talking about changing once or twice, I'm talking about making it a habit (and I'm sure you all know a skater that has done this, so I won't list examples).
In fact all this change makes me appreciate the great ones that never left their coaches ~ stayed with them through thick & thin throughout their amateur careers ~ Evgeni Plushenko/Alexei Mishin, Sarah Hughes/Robin Wagner, Oksana Baiul/Galina Zmievskaya, Brian Boitano/Linda Leaver, Midori Ito/Machiko Yamada, Katarina Witt/Jutta Muller, Kristi Yamaguchi/Christy Ness.
I do not want Mao Asada to end up like Michelle Kwan, whom left her long-time coach Frank Carroll right before the 2002 Olympics only to never truly recover her former greatness after that, imho. And the same thing happened to Mao Asada before the 2010 Olympics. Went coachless basically throughout the past two seasons, only to end up with a silver medal at the Olympics, just like Michelle.
My sincere hope is that Mr. Sato remains as Mao Asada's coach until at least the next Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia, 2014. Just like Yuna Kim stayed with Mr. Orser for four long years leading up to the 2010 Olympics. Smart thinking.
p.s. as far as her new SP, this is a new quadrennial, a time to work on fixing her jumps and adding new 3/3 combos., etc., therefore I don't expect much either way. Time to start all over again, and build each season, until the next Olympiad.
Anyway, I love that Mr.Sato will be coaching her. Best wishes to both. I hope Mr. Sato will get his first student OGM in 2014
It was her decision to go coachless that was the problem.
All never forget when people were saying that Mao mentioned once in 2008 that it was nice not having a coach because than you can practice whatever you want , when you want. I remember hearing this and shuddering about what it could do for her long term. And seriously with Tarasova in Russia, and Mao in Japan, you have to wonder how coached she truly was. If Mao now realizes that she needs someone to push her, and yes make decisions on what she trains, and how she'll train, I think we will see her skating improve. Sometimes some coaches don't work out, and I dont think coaching changes can be the big problem some are making it out to be, it can be, but at times it isn't. I really think her biggest issue was frankly (I wonder how coached she even was for the last two years)
Whoa! Mao actually said that?! No wonder her skating (or at the very least, her consistency) seemed to be on a downward slump since she left Rafael.
Anyways, I'm excited that Nobuo Sato is Mao's new coach--his emphasis on speed and basics should help Mao regain her old effortless fluidity (which unfortunately has sometimes been missing for the past two seasons) back. Plus it'll be great seeing Mao get the lucky back-pat that Kozuka gets from Sato...