Mao Asada | Page 186 | Golden Skate

Mao Asada

Thanks for this wonderful post! Very refreshing after reading a lot of criticism in the event section. I expected to see it if Mao's comeback didn't go smoothly, but reading some of the posts it felt like 2014 and Sochi free skate never happened.
 
chapis said:
I rewatched her FP and is really exqusite, even with the mistakes in the jumps.
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After knowing her placement at the FS, I had expected her disaster performance but what I watched is that it was quite exquisite other than some mistakes in her jumps, even that she was a bit off day and compared to other top ladies, still better in some aspects. Not to mention her SP was much better than she performed at Finlandia.
I come to more feel like the scoring system will never reward her true value.
(ok maybe Mao needs to add her 3A or 3-3 in her LP even though TES shouldn't be reflected in the PCS.)

Look on the bright side, I recommend that you guys would watch her performances without music (mute the sounds) still they looked exquisite.
I never got bored until the end, I was overwhelmed by her steps. :yes:
 
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Her Cello Suite Ex is reminiscent of 6.0 era program! I'll forgive any frilly costume for that kind of skating<3
 
According to the article,

Mao said that (considering the injury of her left knee) at this point, she still isn’t confident if it’s the proper timing to challenge difficult jumps,
but she is willing to do a 3A and 3-3 at the next GP (France).

She also said about the result at the SA that it was all her fault as the lack of technique and the lack of her will that various factors mixed.
She has nothing to lose more so she will do her best, as much as possible at France, then that will lead to Nationals.


Oh Mao, recovery the first. do not be so hard on yourself :cry:
 
I have something that I've been wondering for a while: does Mao's 3T technique make it more difficult for her to do +3T combinations? Her 2A is gorgeous, so huge and flowy, but her 3T (as a second jump) doesn't carry much distance, which I think contribute to UR calls. This was true earlier in her senior career as well (e.g. 2A+3T in Worlds 2007, 3F+3T in Worlds 2008). To my untrained eye, it looks as though she doesn't prerotate as much on the 3T.

Don't get me wrong - I love Mao, and I love those +3Lo combinations that she does so smoothly. I just really wish she could get more consistency on her 2A+3T combinations. I hate seeing her PCS being held down when her hard work doesn't translate in competition.
 
lishazard said:
I have something that I've been wondering for a while: does Mao's 3T technique make it more difficult for her to do +3T combinations? Her 2A is gorgeous, so huge and flowy, but her 3T (as a second jump) doesn't carry much distance, which I think contribute to UR calls. This was true earlier in her senior career as well (e.g. 2A+3T in Worlds 2007, 3F+3T in Worlds 2008). To my untrained eye, it looks as though she doesn't prerotate as much on the 3T.

Don't get me wrong - I love Mao, and I love those +3Lo combinations that she does so smoothly. I just really wish she could get more consistency on her 2A+3T combinations. I hate seeing her PCS being held down when her hard work doesn't translate in competition.
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I am not sure why but it seems she avoids the 3F-3T because she prefers loop combos. I always felt that she should work on that combo instead. Mao did some of her best jumps at 2008 Worlds. There was the axel fall but both of her 3-3 combos were the best she ever did, and the plus GOE are there to prove it. Sadly, it was also the last time she tried 3F-3T in competition. I also wish she could be more consistent with 2A-3T. She used to be more consistent with it before her comeback. Getting some ratified with good GOE, even one with a panel that included Shin Amano! I feel it is perhaps it requires too much stamina for her at this point to do jumps in the second half. Maybe she could land jumps more if they moved them to an earlier part. While I think Mao needs to increase her difficulty, I am worried that she will try those jumps in her present condition, when she might not be ready. :sad21:
 
lishazard said:
I have something that I've been wondering for a while: does Mao's 3T technique make it more difficult for her to do +3T combinations? Her 2A is gorgeous, so huge and flowy, but her 3T (as a second jump) doesn't carry much distance, which I think contribute to UR calls. This was true earlier in her senior career as well (e.g. 2A+3T in Worlds 2007, 3F+3T in Worlds 2008). To my untrained eye, it looks as though she doesn't prerotate as much on the 3T.

Don't get me wrong - I love Mao, and I love those +3Lo combinations that she does so smoothly. I just really wish she could get more consistency on her 2A+3T combinations. I hate seeing her PCS being held down when her hard work doesn't translate in competition.
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I think Mao is often unfairly criticized and has unfair urs called on ther backend 2A / 3T because of the lack of pre-rotation you mention in the jump. So essentially, Mao is rotating the jump as much or more than other skaters with a lot more pre-rotation but is getting calls because the tech crew doesn't look at take off and only the landing and even then she is called on jumps that are borderline under the ISU's present system of only looking at the landing. This is the way I see it in the instant replays I have seen. There is another feature of Mao's backed triple toe. Mao keeps her back and legs extended on landing which I prefer because it is more aesthetically pleasing as is her tight wrapping of her legs to create a more symmetrical appearnce, but this makes the rotation slightly less (though usually still more than those not getting calls with much more pre-rotation) and the fact that she doesn't bend her legs on landing causes there to be a slight shake in her skate since she weighs more than younger skaters and since she doesn't absorb the impact of the landing by bending. Furthermore, I think these unfair calls cause Mao to not only lose on the base value of the combo but also GOE on her huge double axel and the fine aesthetic qualities already mentioned in her 3T. Mao also has flexible joints which could contribute a little to the slight pivot in the skating boot. In my view, it is only fair to count total rotation along the entire circumference of the circle by looking at the take off and landing instead of only the landing because it gives an unfair advantage to skaters with excessive pre-rotation over 180-270 degrees compared to Mao who has less than 180 degrees of pre-rotation on her triple toe. In effect, she has to jump as much as 90 degrees more to have the jump counted as rotated, which is a profound injustice especially since excessive pre-rotation distracts considerably from the aesthetics of a jump and only about 180 degrees is supposed to be permissable.
 
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yuki said:
On the plus side, she got the lutz edge ratified and this was a very strict tech panel.
ETA: https://youtu.be/1JgJtY4f70g?t=369
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:rock::rock::rock: WELL DONE, Mao! A BIG step forward. :yes2:

No worries about the results at SA, because the way she looked exhausted in the KnC, she must've a fever or something.
The season's just got started. Advancing to the final seems difficult now, but it means she can do a-la-Shizuka-route in Torino season; to have a good rest first then have good enough time to prepare herslf for the Nats in late December. :yes:
I wish that Mao doesn't rush anything, thus a FULL recovery on her health and left knee injury. :)
 
jenm said:
This EX perfectly shows the difference between Mao and the others in SS. Just absolutely beautiful! :)
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I remember one of the BESP commentators said this during her Scheherazade SP in Rostelecom Cup in 2011, and I am gonna quote from him in describing Mao's EX this season,


"This is the sheer class"
 
Mao's gala exhibition at Skate America...! I don't think there is any other skater could give such a performance. So nuanced, so sophisticated... with such delicate effortless lightness, elegance, smooth flow and polished movements... It was sublimely beautiful...
 
jenm said:
This EX perfectly shows the difference between Mao and the others in SS. Just absolutely beautiful! :)
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Not just that, but her perfect timing, speed doing pirouttes and spins, flexibility, and always complete controls. This is timeless skating, and sheer class. This is the kind of program you never see anymore. The music is something you never hear anymore, the costume, music and choereography kind of gives you a timetravel and all fit sooo perfectly together

All three of Mao's programs this season look like masterpieces, and really stand out from all the other skaters generic choreography, music, costume, and of course skating.
 
mary01 said:
All three of Mao's programs this season look like masterpieces, and really stand out from all the other skaters generic choreography, music, costume, and of course skating.
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And so I am crossing my fingers the judges will award her the PCS in competition she deserves. :dev2:

EX: Her EX was really nice, indeed SS at best. :hap10:
 
I like all of her programs this season: short, free and ex. I love that she took the time to stretch in her free and even simple movement like spiral, spread eagle accentuated the nuances of the music. Her makeup and dresses are also on point. Lori has indeed gave her best material to Mao.
 
I may have posted these before I can't remember. Bur, here are a couple of high quality photos from Mao's SP performance at Skate America and Finlandia. Regardless of her deflated scores in both the SP and LP, Mao gave my favorite SP performance by far. Some of Mao's jumps were off in her LP, but I still like her freeskate the best. Considering she most likely had an illness and a knee injury, I think it took a lot of guts to put herself on the line like that: a noble warrior going into battle wounded and still showing so many sublime moments of transcendent beauty and a flash of great passion in her final dance. Her classical refinement mixed with such genuine depth and complexity of expression are a very rare breed that eclipses any vain attempts to quantify her on a scoring sheet. But, I do hope she watches after her health better from now on.

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/sp-skate-a-20161008.jpg

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/sp-skate-b-20161023.jpg

http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/R...S1AEUFLYRHAA_RTRMADP_3_ICESKATING-FINLAND.JPG

http://media.gettyimages.com/photos...-program-at-the-finlandia-picture-id613072848

LP dress Finlandia : https://www.pinterest.com/pin/545005992390616237/
 
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