Mao has REALLY improved in the expression dept.

[demarinis5]

Thank you for the link. What a delightful performance. Mao skating is much more mature and her movements were timed perfectly with the music. Her growth spurt has not hindered her at all. She had me mesmerized..

 

[feraina]

That was a great performance from Mao! She really matured a lot in the musicality/presentation department. This program, like her SP last year, really suits her and highlights her wonderful, smooth basic skating skills. But I feel like there's more softness, depth, and subtlety to her movements now.

But where is the solo 3R? I only see a 3Z, 3F, and 2A. Great flow into/out of all of them, though her lean in the 3Z made me worried momentarily.

Mirai does a wonderful 2A in the finale. Great height and I feel like a better checked exit/flow than even Mao's 2A. Made me wonder whether Mirai's practicing the 3A has been helping her 2A to get more height/flow as well.

 

[carolinefan177]

Anyone else think Mao is going to get rid of her flutz next season? I do!!

 

[Justlooking]

But where is the solo 3R?
/QUOTE]

Near the end of her program, a little bit after 3:00.

 

[Fossi]

Why would Kwan fans care? Don't both girls idolize Michelle anyhow? Seems this would make it harder for Kwan fans to pick one over the other.

 

[feraina]

Yes, both Yu-na and Mao idolize MK. And some hand/arm movements at the start of Mao's new exhibition number are definitely reminiscent of some signature MK "embellishments". I don't know that Yu-na skates any more like Michelle than Mao does. Both girls are amazingly talented and have been improving on both athletic and artistic aspects of their skating. I don't doubt that it is both of their dreams (as well as those of other talented, ambitious young skaters) to be both powerful and beautiful skaters, and these two are leading the pack.

 

[mirai_asada]

SO GLAD that Mao's improving in her artistry. This has got to be her best exhibition yet!

 

[blue dog]

Mao reminds me not of Midori (as some people have compared) but of Lu Chen. Her expression is a lot softer that Midori's, and like when Lulu first started, it seems that Mao drops expression when going into a jump--but she will work on that. She has TT on her side.

 

[Tinymavy15]

Anyone else think Mao is going to get rid of her flutz next season? I do!!

i have just watched Mao's LP and worlds. I really do not see what all the fuss about her flutz is. true, her outside edge is not as defined as some skaters, but it is not such an obvious flutz as sasha ofen had. Cut the girl some slack. You try doing a triple lutz-3 loop and then say how it should be done!

 

[Wrlmy]

iit is not such an obvious flutz as sasha ofen had. Cut the girl some slack. You try doing a triple lutz-3 loop and then say how it should be done!

But Sasha was never known as jumper. Since Mao is already established as "the jumper", expectation upon her is pretty high jump-wise.
And I believe triple lutz-triple loop should be done like Miki Ando's with a bit more tightness in the air.

 

[mizu_iro]

Mao's flutz doesn't seem that blatant when you just watch it, but she rocks REALLY heavily from the outside edge to the inside edge. She does seem to be working really hard to get rid of it, though, so I wouldn't be surprised to see her doing both true lutzes and flips by sometime this year.

 

[rutinia]

Mao doesn't seem trying to fix "flutz" seriously. I predict this is a sign of brave 3A attempts in SP. She's already announced including two 3As in FS. Eventually 3Lz is needed only once. In past, her 3Lz in FS have received zero to slightly minus GOE. Even if some "penalities" are imposed (probably -1 maximum), they are easily recovered by the GOE from the improved spirals and spins. When the only 3Lz is used in a 3-2-2 combo (no one else can do), some judges may give her a benefit of doubts. After all, Mao is the de facto standard of the new era. Don't expect too much from the "flutz" issue.

 

[bekalc]

Mao doesn't seem trying to fix "flutz" seriously. I predict this is a sign of brave 3A attempts in SP. She's already announced including two 3As in FS. Eventually 3Lz is needed only once. In past, her 3Lz in FS have received zero to slightly minus GOE. Even if some "penalities" are imposed (probably -1 maximum), they are easily recovered by the GOE from the improved spirals and spins. When the only 3Lz is used in a 3-2-2 combo (no one else can do), some judges may give her a benefit of doubts. After all, Mao is the de facto standard of the new era. Don't expect too much from the "flutz" issue.

Rutinia, the new rules say that the flutz must be penalized. So if the technical caller says it's a fluz, she gets an automatic deducation. And if Mao gets away with it, there will be huge outcrys.

 

[rutinia]

Rutinia, the new rules say that the flutz must be penalized. So if the technical caller says it's a fluz, she gets an automatic deducation. And if Mao gets away with it, there will be huge outcrys.

I expect only Koreans will cry out, as they're fussing already.
Most of the Americans don't care. They have many "flutzers" too.
Don't you think only lippers (as Yuna Kim and Ando) are penalized?
I think that's a real possibility.

 

[fumie_fumie]

I think Mao can afford to go for flutz and some marks downgraded. She will get so many points with 3A and her presentation has improved markedly, so it won't be much of a big deal to lose a fraction of points doing flutz. Funny thing is Yu-na's major advantage over Mao used to be in the presentation. It would be interesting to see how Yu-na can fare in her competition with Mao with less technically difficult jump elements and presentation that is not much better than Mao's.

 

[feraina]

When the only 3Lz is used in a 3-2-2 combo (no one else can do), some judges may give her a benefit of doubts. After all, Mao is the de facto standard of the new era. Don't expect too much from the "flutz" issue.

Was this a typo? Caroline Z also does a 3Z-2-2. And there must be others too?

 

[bekalc]

I think Mao can afford to go for flutz and some marks downgraded. She will get so many points with 3A and her presentation has improved markedly, so it won't be much of a big deal to lose a fraction of points doing flutz. Funny thing is Yu-na's major advantage over Mao used to be in the presentation. It would be interesting to see how Yu-na can fare in her competition with Mao with less technically difficult jump elements and presentation that is not much better than Mao's.

Actually Yu-na's advantage has always been GOE. At Trophey Bombard in the short program, Miki had a higher base value, and she got higher PCS, but Yu-na still finished ahead of Miki because Yu-na received high GOE scores for her jumps.

It's not true that Yu-na lips, I read on another board that Yu-na's jumps are considered so impressive, that the ISU is currently using her jumps as a video textbook to show what jumps should look like.

So, the fact is if Mao does 3 triple lutzs in a competition, and gets a point taken of for each lutz, that's a 3 point loss right there. But then, let's say that Yu-na gets a point added on to all three of her triple lutzs, and you have just had a six point difference right there.

Besides, Mao isn't the only one who is improving so is Yu-na in things like presentation as well. Reports are as well, that Yu-na is getting the triple loop under control, and it might be back in this season.

As for the triple axels. I think the question is can Mao land 2 triple axels consistently.

 

[mizu_iro]

I think that Yu-Na needs to skate clean to make things close between her and Mao. Because she relies on GOE's, falls can hurt her score really badly. At the same time, her PCS marks should be very high, probably higher than Mao's, with a clean skate. Even with two falls at Worlds, her PCS score was only 2 points lower than Mao.

As far as lips being penalized, I think it's lips that are generally ignored. American commentators used to remark that Sasha Cohen flutzed, but I don't think they've ever mentioned Miki's lip. Yu-Na generally doesn't lip, though. She's on a flat edge sometimes, but it never rolls over heavily like Elena Sokolova or Miki.

 

[Justlooking]

Here's an article about Mao, Mai, and Tarasova in english http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/sp20070815a1.html

"I didn't know much about her and thought she looked a bit scary," said Mai. "But as I got to know her, she taught me really well. Her training sessions were really hard, but taught kindly. She told me that I always have to give it my all."

"When I saw her (Tarasova) for the first time, I felt some aura from her," said Mao.

"The music for my short program is totally different from my previous ones, so I want to show how I perform differently from my previous performances," said Mao.

"In my short program (to the music of Tchaikovsky's "Romeo and Juliet" — also choreographed by Tarasova) there are parts I skate with strength, unlike my previous program, so I want to show it," said Mai.

 

[carolinefan177]

^
I am very happy with Mao's selection of music for her sp and lp!