"Mao Hype" Begins in Earnest - new AP story (Dec. 28)

Just look at the last 3 young teenage winners.

Only Oksana is still skating (if you can call what she does on the ice skating), after nearly destroying herself. Tara is too injured to ever skate again. Sarah competed at World 2003 and was 6th. After a year of college, she toured with SOI for a year, but was completely out of shape and could barely clear the ice on her two double jumps and single axel. This year she's gone back to college and talks vaguely about competing again....someday.

The previous two OGM winners (who were both 19 when they won) had long and distinguished pro careers. Kat Witt skated all the way to her 40th birthday, and Kristi will likely return to the ice when she has recovered from the birth of her 2nd child. Nancy Kerrigan, who at 23 was 2nd to Oksana in 1994, has also had a successful pro career and is still skating after the birth of her second child.

Could there possibly be a CURSE of the OGM? Not a good trend set by the Oly winners of ladies skating of the past.

But it's almost what one HAS to do to get the OGM. Imagine if Mao COULD go to the Olys. Her jumps ALONE would be enough to win the thing. Not being able to go to the Olys may actually be a blessing in disguise for her, and we don't know it.

So this year, I would expect the OGM winner to last longer than a year or two.

Remember the 'Meow Mix' commercial?

I think all of her fans/supporters should stand outside the ISU headquarters,and sing "Mao-Mao-Mao-Mao/Mao-Mao-Mao-Mao/Mao-Mao-Mao-Mao-Mao-Mao-Mao-Mao....."

Red Dog said:

So this year, I would expect the OGM winner to last longer than a year or two.

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RD do you mean will actually remain Olympic eligible or will just continue skating as withSOI/COI? Which of the ladies who you think have a chance of winning do you think will stay eligible if they win? I can't think of any.

Rules are rules, and they should be abided by. IMHO, it is totally ridiculous to change the age rule so that THIS ONE SKATER (however excellent she is) can compete in the Olympics! Next, you'll be seeing rules changed for other sports to accommodate extraordinarily talented athletes who, for one reason or another, are not qualified to compete in the Olympics.

A 15-year-old girl is still a developing young woman. She hasn't reached her physical maturity, for the most part.

Look at what happened at the last three Olympics, in which young teenagers won the gold medal. Oksana Baiul left the eligible ranks shortly after her Lillehammer win, Tara Lipinski won the gold medal while competing with a seriously injured hip, and she has long departed from the sport, and Sarah Hughes, although she did return for one more competitive season, clearly was not the techincally sharp skater who blew into Salt Lake City and won.

I understand Joe's point that the skater who does win at Tornio might be known as "the skater who won because Mao wasn't there". However, I disagree with this logic. We do not know whether or not Mao would win, or even medal, had she been eligible to compete at the Olympics. She did not win the Japanese national title, as she made several errors in both her short and long programs. For all we know, she might have wiltered under the pressure and skated badly at the Olympics. Perhaps she would have skated brilliantly, but we will not know. The rules are the rules, plain and simple.

Mao is only 15 years old. If she stays in the game, she could well have one or two Olympics and numerous World championships to compete in.

Piel said:

RD do you mean will actually remain Olympic eligible or will just continue skating as withSOI/COI? Which of the ladies who you think have a chance of winning do you think will stay eligible if they win? I can't think of any.

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I'm referring to Olympic eligibility. If you win the Olympics- where's the motivation to stick it out for another grueling four years?

Hmm...To answer your question, I think no one. I really think the OGM winner is gone after this year. Most of the contenders are quite "old" (by skating standards), and already have National and/or World titles. Irina wants to start a family, Shizuka just seems uninterested, Kwan has physical limitations, Cohen wants to do something else with her life, etc. If a teenager (like Kimmie) should sweep in (rather unlikely), she's gone too.

The only one I see staying maybe for another year is Carolina.


SkateFan4Life- ITA.

I don't think the Olympics or the medalists are going to seem less than worthy because Mao wasn't there. Can you picture Irina talking to the press after winning the gold medal (if she does) and saying "this medal would have meant so much more if only Mao had competed" or turning down the ticker tape parade from Moscow to St. Petersburg with a "please don't go to all of that trouble just for me, after all I didn't defeat Mao" . The only person who will be harping about this will be Mao's fans, and the fan's of whoever doesn't win in Turino who want to discredit the winner.

Piel said:

I don't think the Olympics or the medalists are going to seem less than worthy because Mao wasn't there. Can you picture Irina talking to the press after winning the gold medal (if she does) and saying "this medal would have meant so much more if only Mao had competed" or turning down the ticker tape parade from Moscow to St. Petersburg with a "please don't go to all of that trouble just for me, after all I didn't defeat Mao" . The only person who will be harping about this will be Mao's fans, and the fan's of whoever doesn't win in Turino who want to discredit the winner.

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Not only that- I don't think even Michelle of all people would do that.

I'm starting to think there MIGHT be a few newspapers that may wonder what the outcome might be (have been) had mao been there. But overall, I think the feud will just be among skating fans and limited to here on the forums.

Red Dog said:

I'm referring to Olympic eligibility. If you win the Olympics- where's the motivation to stick it out for another grueling four years?
.

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Good question and good point.

Now come to think of it, I conclude that the Skating God diddn't want Kwan won in previouse two Olympics because HE knew she'd still stick it out for another four years. HE does not want break the chain of "OGM retiring". -- It was a dream/wish of very young Michelle Kwan that she'd like to compete in FOUR Olympics. (She said this recently after her serious injury, when questioned why she needs to do this to herself.)

Piel said:

I don't think the Olympics or the medalists are going to seem less than worthy because Mao wasn't there. Can you picture Irina talking to the press after winning the gold medal (if she does) and saying "this medal would have meant so much more if only Mao had competed" or turning down the ticker tape parade from Moscow to St. Petersburg with a "please don't go to all of that trouble just for me, after all I didn't defeat Mao" . The only person who will be harping about this will be Mao's fans, and the fan's of whoever doesn't win in Turino who want to discredit the winner.

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Cmon Piel - No Oly winner is going to say that but they will think it.

Joe

Are you kidding? If anything, the skaters are probably smiling. (Especially Irina.) And they don't even have time to think about all this. A OGM is an OGM, no less. Just like a World or National title is a World or National title, no less.

Slutskaya feels she's won fair and square when she loses so I hardly think the thought will cross HER mind if she wins without Mao there, LOL.

Piel said:

IIRC the purpose of the rule is to prevent younger skaters from injury caused by practicing those difficult jumps. Obviously Mao has been practicing those jumps as was Kimmie. So not being able to go to Worlds or the Olympics has not stopped them. As long as they are allowed to compete at any competition where they can gain an advantage by doing the jumps I don't see any of them holding back. I want to see a ladies competiton not a baby ballerina revue and am surprised that posters who had previously voiced that same opinion are now in favor of Mao going to the Olympics. Does this mean BBs are OK IF they have a 3A or quad? I agree with the intent of the rule but the rule is not obtaining it's intended purpose. What is the ISU to do? I still think the only way to enforce it is to make the age limits the same for all national and international competitions. If not someday you are going to have national champs who can't represent their countries at Worlds/Olympics.

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I think if it were not for the COP allowing triple axels, girls like Mao and Kimmie would not even be tempted to try those jumps. I think the COP should STOP at the triple lutz. Not many ladies can perform the 3z properly, anyway.

Another thing that is making these girls practice those jumps is the lack of a unified age limit (as someone else previously mentioned). why not keep them in juniors until they're 16?

So what's the next step? Banning triple axels? Quads? Triple jumps altogether? If skating is to be taken seriously as a sport, the envelope NEEDS to be at least enabled to be pushed like this. That's what sport is all about. Those who take risks are the ones who will come out victorious.

Of course, we could always ban said jumps. But skating will already be kicking itself in the foot by removing the challenge and evening the playing field. Don't think it would be such a popular move.

If it's a 'hype', she is far more worth than USFSA they did to Kimmie last season.

We just had a disscussion about her on dinner table last night. My hubbie and daughter both marvled about her jump ability. And complainning she can't go Olympics....You know in a sense it was not 'fair' to her, 4 years late who knows if she still can jump like this, I for one very much doubt it. Give another two years, it will tell the story. Many (include me) believed if any girl unlikely going through the purberty monster it's Mao, just looking at the body type of her sister, Mai......But look at Ando, when her last quad landed, most of fans thought she was already passed her purberty period. But look now, where is her quad? Or even 3/3s (which has not being consistant ratified this season). The pounding of 3/3, 3A, and Quads caused the damage to girl's body could be cruel........Maybe ISU shall study Mao and Yuna Kim for couple of years then make their decision if the age rule and jump rules (imposed on junior skaters) need to be modified.