Please don't retire, Mao and Carolina!

[Skater Boy]

I bet Mao won't retire, she will chase the elusive Olym gold.
Caro is just happy at the moment. I wish she could stay as long as her heart tells her so.

IF Mao skates on she should do it because she loves skating; I think come 2018 there will be newbies challenging for OGM. By then age and trying the 3A will take its toll on the body.

 

[ks777]

Mao will likely retire after this season. I just don't see her continuing for 4 more years. She seems to be satisfied with how she skated(FP) at the Olympics. You could just see how happy she seems to be. I don't think the gold medal was her goal. Skating her very best was and I think she did that at Olympics.

 

[sky_fly20]

while they are skating their very prime at Worlds
I am hoping Mao and Carolina finally call it a career after Worlds

I want the new blood for next quad to dominate , Gracie and the other new girls

 

[mary01]

Mao is just to young to leave skating, she brings soo much excitement everywhere she goes, I just can't imagine skating without her, I know the time will come when she has to leave, I just really can't accept it to be so soon

 

[RABID]

I know one federation that would like them to go away; the same federation that would be embarrassed and humiliated if Carolina and Mao made a habit of continually beating one certain Olympic champion.

 

[hyperinflation]

i hope mao takes a break for a little while and then makes a comeback for 2018, she deserves an ogm

 

[Jammers]

It's time for the younger girls to take over. They have shown this season that they are ready. There comes a time when you need to step away and let the new generation have their day.

 

[hyperinflation]

It's time for the younger girls to take over. They have shown this season that they are ready. There comes a time when you need to step away and let the new generation have their day.

i never got this line of thinking. if the 'old generation' want to continue competing, then they should keep competing. if the new generation want to beat them, then they should beat them on merit, not because the older skaters stepped away to be polite

 

[MaiKatze]

^Exactly. I remember watching a video of GPF where Mao first burst onto the scene. Irina Slutskaya was like (not in a mean way) "She is so young more of a girl, not a woman skater" Funny if you look at the scene now. If Mao would fall behind the "new generation" than I would understand. But she just skated a World Record in the short. She is STILL improving. It would be interesting to see where she could go, which heights she could reach.
Mao I'd love to see for one or two more seasons, but only if she really wants to and is able to motivate herself. If she wins Worlds I don't see any reason why she should continue other than her love for the sport. If she decides to do that, she has got my respect, if she doesn't she remains as one of the greatest in this sport and will be missed but it is perfectly understandable to call it quits now.

I'm pretty sure that's it for Carolina, she seemed to have made peace with her career. I think because she decided to retire she is actually getting better, because the pressure is gone (to a certain degree). I think it is pretty telling that she lost earlier this season and was only third at Euros behind Julia who she now overtook again. Everyone kind of wrote her off already. This form won't translate into next year, she is not 18. It is the perfect time to retire.

 

[noskates]

i never got this line of thinking. if the 'old generation' want to continue competing, then they should keep competing. if the new generation want to beat them, then they should beat them on merit, not because the older skaters stepped away to be polite

However.....there is something to be said for the "hyperinflation" for the old generation! And the fact that the younger generation is supposed to pay their dues before they start winning medals. For example, I thought Polina Edmunds was very underscored in the ladies short at Worlds. And I thought Ashley Wagner was given a pass on some of her bobbles. So in a perfect world they would be judged entirely on merit - and I bet some of the old generation wouldn't be as successful. Having said that, I thought Mao was fantastic today!

 

[hyperinflation]

However.....there is something to be said for the "hyperinflation" for the old generation! And the fact that the younger generation is supposed to pay their dues before they start winning medals. For example, I thought Polina Edmunds was very underscored in the ladies short at Worlds. And I thought Ashley Wagner was given a pass on some of her bobbles. So in a perfect world they would be judged entirely on merit - and I bet some of the old generation wouldn't be as successful. Having said that, I thought Mao was fantastic today!

thats a good point but figure skating isn't nearly as hierarchial as it used to be back in the day. say what you will about CoP, but that's one thing that's gotten better. selfishly, i just want mao and carolina to continue skating. yuna's gone i don't really like any of the new kids coming up

this is the third time this week someone's made a pun out of my username, should've gone with my gut and signed up as 'satan's butthole'

 

[cooper]

carolina and mao.. they can do whatever they want.. if they want to continue then it's good.. i will rather see them skate than watching this so called young generation...

Both skated so well today. Carolina has such an ease about her and her focus on the performance, rather than the result, has led to some of her best skating ever. Mao is also skating better than ever; her Sochi LP was so shocking because I didn't even think she could skate that well in practice! Her new WR was so impressive today and I'd love for her to be the first skater to top 80 points in the SP, perhaps by including a 3-3 at some point in the future. If they retire there will be such a huge void.

After watching these champions skate, the idea of Gracie and Julia dominating the next quad is depressing.

did you just omit the inclusion of your favorite skater??

 

[drivingmissdaisy]

did you just omit the inclusion of your favorite skater??

While I love Adelina, I don't see her being consistent enough to dominate like Julia and Gracie can. I also think it is going to be hard for her to get pumped up for a GP event when she already has an OGM.

 

[Barb]

Yes, if Mao and caro want to continue they should to do it, it is soooooo obvious they both love to skate, and it is no like they are taking the place of another figure skater, the japanese field is not like before, no akiko, no miki, may be Kanako retire and Satoko is not ready, and Italy the same. But personally I would love Mao retire and enjoy her life, I feel like skating is for her as a boyfriend that is terrible with you but you to continue with him and forget the bad times because the very few but super good moments

 

[cooper]

While I love Adelina, I don't see her being consistent enough to dominate like Julia and Gracie can. I also think it is going to be hard for her to get pumped up for a GP event when she already has an OGM.

but we don't know how growth spurt will hurt julia..

as for gracie.. i want her to succeed.. though i'm not looking forward to sky_fly's insanity..

 

[Bonnie F]

I like Mao and wouldn't mind seeing her continue but I really won't miss Carolina. She has never been "my cup of tea." I have never responded as well to her artistry as most, and as result i have always found her overscored. One of my pet peeves about her and other skaters is this: I believe to contend for a gold you need to do the harder triples in the SP, I think you should have perform the 3 lutz (preferably in the 3x3) or 3 axel (in Mao's case). Now I know others will disagree but this is just my opinion. I do think Carolina would make a wonderful show or professional style stater however.

 

[usethis2]

@Risa: I agree with you. I cannot deny Carolina's success story, but she was held up for too long. Gosh I still remember her crazy crossovers across the ice doing practically nothing in 2009 ("single again.." per Scott Hamilton) . She is beautiful and graceful, and will be remembered as a tale of perseverance. But if I were in her shoe I would go out on a high note. It seems like she is nearly universally loved at this point, so why risk losing that adulation? The judges will keep holding her up if she continues and that will affect the standings of the other skaters, which is another side effect.

 

[Nocturne]

I like Mao and wouldn't mind seeing her continue but I really won't miss Carolina. She has never been "my cup of tea."

It's the same for me. I really never loved her skating, I was never as excited about her as everyone else. And I still dont see why she constantly gets the highest PCS! I mean, she's lovely and wonderfull, but why are her PCS always a point or two better than others, who are as good as her in these areas?
I will probably never understand it and in my opinion, caro(althoigh she as great) was scored too close to Mao today.

 

[noskates]

Awww! Hyperinflation! I wasn't making fun of your name. It just fit into what I was trying to say in my post. I haven't a clue how I would fit Satans Butthole into any conversation with reference to figure skating!!!

Risa you summed up my feelings for Carolina. I was shaking my head when everyone was gushing over her Oly programs. To me she's always looked like a gawky colt or something.

But just a comment about out with the old and in with the new. I would hazard a guess that this isn't the first time there's been such a discrepancy in age and the new kids never look as good or as interesting, for the most part, than the skaters we're used to. I think it's wayyyy too early to get despondent over anyone retiring and no one that will catch your fancy coming up!!! I think a skater should retire when they're ready but we've seen too many instances of those who stayed around for too long.

As I always say - I'm glad I had a rugby player in the family and not a figure skater!!! There's usually no question when it's time to retire.

 

[Meoima]

as for gracie.. i want her to succeed.. though i'm not looking forward to sky_fly's insanity..

Don't worry, just another several threads about how her Hollywood looks is a bonus to the PCS score.