Mao Asada: Olympic Thread

CarneAsada · Feb 23, 2014

Mrs. P said:
Glad you brought that up. Mao was penalized SO heavily in 2007-2009 for her flutz that she had to leave the jump out all together in Vancouver and depend on having three triple axels to make up the gap and then deciding to strip down and redo her technique in the last few years.

And yet our Olympic champion had a flutz and won anyway.

Yes, she was getting around -1.5 GOE on every flutz (basically turned her 3fLz into a 3S) so she tried to fix it under Tarasova. It became inconsistent while still occasionally getting '!' calls, and she had to drop it altogether because she started having issues with her flip! Meanwhile Adelina instead of trying to rework her technique just did her usual 3Flutz-3T (with an uncalled < on the toe loop to add insult to injury) and Putin bribed her way to victory. It's infuriating when you think about it.

Mrs. P said:
In hindsight, it makes sense why Mao was so stubborn to keep that 3A. It was basically the one jump she didn't have to re-do....but then the jump started to fail her for whatever reason.

She redid it anyway. That's why it failed her for the better part of 3 years and was still inconsistent in the last year. Her 3A back then had a longer glide, she shortened the entry a bit when relearning it for 2013.

Del · Feb 23, 2014

I'm a Yuna fan to the core but I thought Mao Asada was the best in the Long program. She's the one who should have got the huge scores. I'm sure it's been said many times already but I had to add my thoughts. Those saying that Kostner ranked with her are just being silly.

pangtongfan · Feb 23, 2014

Del said:
I'm a Yuna fan to the core but I thought Mao Asada was the best in the Long program. She's the one who should have got the huge scores. I'm sure it's been said many times already but I had to add my thoughts. Those saying that Kostner ranked with her are just being silly.

Mao should unquestionably have won the LP. Her scores made me puke, even before the final flight and fiasco to unfold came.

Maybe I was overrating Kostner a bit. So perhaps the fair results would have been:

LP:

1. Mao
2. Yu Na
3. Carolina (I previous had her 1st or 2nd and winning overall but reviewing her skate a bit I probably got a bit caught up in the excitement of a clean 7 triple Carolina skate)

-----huge gap----

4. Sotnikova
5. Gold

and overall:

1. Kim
2. Kostner
3. Asada or Sotnikova

Layfan · Feb 23, 2014

I finally watched Mao's LP, oh my lord. I think she and Carolina were my favorite of the night for sure. I loved Yuna too but Mao - she was the only ballerina i n the competition and then when you combine it with her gutsy technical content, it's just thrilling. It was just about the most heartbreaking Olympics performance since Michelle Kwan's Fields of Gold exhibition. I don't know point by point, but for me, Mao had the best LP.

Mrs. P · Feb 23, 2014

Layfan said:
I finally watched Mao's LP, oh my lord. I think she and Carolina were my favorite of the night for sure. I loved Yuna too but Mao - she was the only ballerina i n the competition and then when you combine it with her gutsy technical content, it's just thrilling. It was just about the most heartbreaking Olympics performance since Michelle Kwan's Fields of Gold exhibition. I don't know point by point, but for me, Mao had the best LP.

Had they scored her correctly in PCS, she would have won the FS.

JayW · Feb 23, 2014

Mrs. P said:
Had they scored her correctly in PCS, she would have won the FS.

Yes, that LP should have won!

vegarin · Feb 23, 2014

pangtongfan said:
Mao should unquestionably have won the LP. Her scores made me puke, even before the final flight and fiasco to unfold came.

Maybe I was overrating Kostner a bit. So perhaps the fair results would have been:

LP:

1. Mao
2. Yu Na
3. Carolina (I previous had her 1st or 2nd and winning overall but reviewing her skate a bit I probably got a bit caught up in the excitement of a clean 7 triple Carolina skate)

-----huge gap----

4. Sotnikova
5. Gold

and overall:

1. Kim
2. Kostner
3. Asada or Sotnikova

Seeing all Mao, Yuna and Caro up there in whichever order would've been such a wonderful send off to our last generation's finest.

Li'Kitsu · Feb 23, 2014

Ambivalent said:
I still can't believe that with a clean SP Mao would still not have been champion. It makes me sad that her skate was not duly awarded. It was beautiful and Yuna had some very kind words to share about Mao's wonderful performance.

Would you care to say what Yuna said? I don't think I've read those comments until now

Mao's LP was magical. It had everything I ever hoped to see in a skate. And even if it crushed her medal chances, I kind of liked the way her overall competition went. Mao had so many struggles this last 4 years, it's like they all showed in her SP. But Mao improved and fought so much, and it all showed and paid off in her LP. How much more poetic does it get?

Plus, it keeps her out of the whole scandal around these Olympics a little, and I'm very glad for that. She should definitly have been 4th in front of Julia and Gracie, but in the end, it doesn't matter. She made history, she gave a skate I (and I'm sure many others) will remember as one of the best of all time for all their lifes, and in all of her interviews now she looks so satisfied and calm. I'm happy for her, and I'm so proud of being a Mao fan

chloepoco · Feb 23, 2014

Li'Kitsu said:
Would you care to say what Yuna said? I don't think I've read those comments until now

Mao's LP was magical. It had everything I ever hoped to see in a skate. And even if it crushed her medal chances, I kind of liked the way her overall competition went. Mao had so many struggles this last 4 years, it's like they all showed in her SP. But Mao improved and fought so much, and it all showed and paid off in her LP. How much more poetic does it get? Plus, it keeps her out of the whole scandal around these Olympics a little, and I'm very glad for that. She should definitly have been 4th in front of Julia and Gracie, but in the end, it doesn't matter. She made history, she gave a skate I (and I'm sure many others) will remember as one of the best of all time for all their lifes, and in all of her interviews now she looks so satisfied and calm. I'm happy for her, and I'm so proud of being a Mao fan

I believe Mao herself said, in an interview with Shizuka, that had it not been for her SP, she may not have had the LP that she did.

CarneAsada · Feb 23, 2014

Li'Kitsu said:
Plus, it keeps her out of the whole scandal around these Olympics a little, and I'm very glad for that.

That's this competition's silver lining. Had she won, it might be Mao receiving all the hate. Instead, she retires as this underscored angel :laugh:

and a newly minted legend without the OGM, a fitting successor to her idol Midori Ito.

StellaCampo · Feb 23, 2014

Li'Kitsu said:
Would you care to say what Yuna said? I don't think I've read those comments until now

Mao's LP was magical. It had everything I ever hoped to see in a skate. And even if it crushed her medal chances, I kind of liked the way her overall competition went. Mao had so many struggles this last 4 years, it's like they all showed in her SP. But Mao improved and fought so much, and it all showed and paid off in her LP. How much more poetic does it get? Plus, it keeps her out of the whole scandal around these Olympics a little, and I'm very glad for that. She should definitly have been 4th in front of Julia and Gracie, but in the end, it doesn't matter. She made history, she gave a skate I (and I'm sure many others) will remember as one of the best of all time for all their lifes, and in all of her interviews now she looks so satisfied and calm. I'm happy for her, and I'm so proud of being a Mao fan

You put it very beautifully.

JayW · Feb 23, 2014

The fact that Mao's PCS in LP was so low just makes me mad! :bang:

Her second mark should be the highest of the night.

Li'Kitsu · Feb 23, 2014

chleopoco said:
I believe Mao herself said, in an interview with Shizuka, that had it not been for her SP, she may not have had the LP that she did.

It would suit her. She's that kind of an honest person (for the lack of a better word) towards herself and others

JayW said:
The fact that Mao's PCS in LP was so low just makes me mad!

But Mao is happy. Her marks are crap, but no PCS in the world could have made her as happy as her skating to her full potential anyway. Happy Mao is the most important part about this

(And CarneAsada is right, looking at everyones popularity right now, Mao was never so high up :laugh:

)

And thanks, StellaCampo!

aa456 · Feb 23, 2014

Li'Kitsu said:
Would you care to say what Yuna said? I don't think I've read those comments until now

Mao's LP was magical. It had everything I ever hoped to see in a skate. And even if it crushed her medal chances, I kind of liked the way her overall competition went. Mao had so many struggles this last 4 years, it's like they all showed in her SP. But Mao improved and fought so much, and it all showed and paid off in her LP. How much more poetic does it get? Plus, it keeps her out of the whole scandal around these Olympics a little, and I'm very glad for that. She should definitly have been 4th in front of Julia and Gracie, but in the end, it doesn't matter. She made history, she gave a skate I (and I'm sure many others) will remember as one of the best of all time for all their lifes, and in all of her interviews now she looks so satisfied and calm. I'm happy for her, and I'm so proud of being a Mao fan

I don't remember her exact words but I think she said that Mao has been the most memorable competitor for her since they've been competing for so long. She watched Mao's long program when she was getting ready for hers and she choked up when she saw Mao crying after her skate.

JayW · Feb 23, 2014

miki88 said:
You know what annoys me most about the judging? It is that Mao was criticized so much for her edges/UR issues throughout most of her career. In 2007, there was a whole section dedicated to her flutz, when she skated at Skate Canada. Yet, some Russian skaters were given a pass this season over the flaws in their jumps. I remember in an interview with Julia's coach, she talked about Mao's underrotation issues and Carolina's lack of transitions. I never liked coaches criticizing other skaters to the media, but this one irked me because Julia has a poor 2A and a borderline flutz.

Yes! Mao has to swallow those harsh scrutiny on flutz and UR all by herself, and she worked on those jumps for years. Now the Olympics just selectively gives Russian skaters free passes.

How unfair!

Olympia · Feb 23, 2014

aa456 said:
I don't remember her exact words but I think she said that Mao has been the most memorable competitor for her since they've been competing for so long. She watched Mao's long program when she was getting ready for hers and she choked up when she saw Mao crying after her skate.

How lovely to hear that from YuNa.

I agree that Mao might not have had that astonishing free skate if she had done well in the short program. It's a paradox. but maybe the old song "Me and Bobby McGee" was right: freedom's just another word for "nothing left to lose." Would she have been too tight to cast her fate to the wind as she did? Whatever led to that incredible, literally awesome free skate, we will indeed always remember it, and as Li'Kitsu says, how much more poetic does it get?

pec0 · Feb 23, 2014

JayW said:
Yes! Mao has to swallow those harsh scrutiny on flutz and UR all by herself, and she worked on those jumps for years. Now the Olympics just selectively gives Russian skaters free passes. How unfair!

it should again be her lack of fair skin nor hot body. poor asada.. :laugh:

Li'Kitsu · Feb 23, 2014

aa456 said:
I don't remember her exact words but I think she said that Mao has been the most memorable competitor for her since they've been competing for so long. She watched Mao's long program when she was getting ready for hers and she choked up when she saw Mao crying after her skate.

Thank you!
Aww, Yuna, such a beautiful woman inside and outside. It's still not getting into my head this was the last time seeing those two amazing women at the same competition.

hikki · Feb 24, 2014

hikki said:
A long interview Mao x Shizuka
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilDok15QFlo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35TV5HcF5OA

Daisuke, Yuzuru & Co. on Mao- All the Japanese representatives in the studio
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szyl5qAq01k
[/B]

hikki said:
Interview Mao x Shizuka
Difference between SP & LP: I was totally out of control of my own mind and body in the SP. After the SP coach Sato advised me. You emailed me, too, Shizuka. But I was thinking all sorts of things. I just decided to go for it all in the LP.

How did you do it?: Obviously this is not what I wanted, but in retrospect the disastrous SP had to happen for me to skate like I did in the LP. While I feel a sense of regret ("moushiwakenai" = "Sorry (I couldn't deliver)") about the result as a nation's representative (Shizuka shakes her head), but I couldn't be more satisfied about what I achieved this time.

What makes you love skating?: (After a long pause) I skate for a moment like last night.

How do you rank your LP in Sochi?: Definitely top 5. But given how much was going on mentally, I'd say that's my number 1. 10 out of 10.

Shizuka then said the last time she'd seen Mao skate "in the zone" was 2008 Worlds LP. But last night was just of of this world.

In the second half, a clip of Daisuke and Yuzu cheering shows. Then Shizuka shares how she knew Mao would be the next generation of powerhouse when she saw her the first time.

On Worlds: I want to put SP and LP together.

What do you want to tell the your juniors?: The Olympics is just so magical. It's hard. I hope I showed them a little bit how rewarding it can be. I hope I contributed a little bit.

Then Shizuka candidly shares about the 2006 season where she competed with Mao. Usually calm and collected Shizuka almost looks teary saying how she learned so much from Mao that season, how important it is to enjoy being on the ice. And this time she wanted to pay back to Mao, which is why she emailed Mao after SP, to tell her how a 15-yo Mao made her feel that way and to remind Mao how her 15-yo self used to be.

On the future: After the SP I swore I just had it with this sport. But the feeling I got after the LP... I don't know. I might get tempted to do this again.

On Yuna: She and I have shared ups and downs since Juniors, always under the spotlight, always trying our best. For both me, and I'm sure it's the same for Yuna, this Olympics was about a challenge for ourselves. And we both did it. And I'm so glad.

----------------------------------------
What a great champion Mao is!!!!!

bartlebooth said:
Thank you, hikki, for the translation. This is a balm for my heart.
I just love Mao's positive attitude to skating (that she appears to share with her teammates), and I love even her stubbornness with the 3A.
I wish her all the best for Worlds.

You're very welcome, bartlebooth

Just bumping this to get more attention on my post. :biggrin:

No, since quite a few of you mentioned Mao was able to perform the BEST LP because she had nothing to lose, I just wanted to confirm yes she herself indeed said that might have been the case.

I've been watching her Rachmaninov on a Japanese website with commentaries from all over the world. China had Lu Chen and she was ECSTATIC, saying how much she admires Mao and how she's made history, overcoming the pressure. Lulu said the scores don't matter at all at this point and this performance has made history! The Korean commentators were wonderful as well. I'm gonna check out the French and Italian

What a phenomenal performance. I can't get over it!!!

CarneAsada · Feb 24, 2014

hikki said:
I've been watching her Rachmaninov on a Japanese website with commentaries from all over the world. China had Lu Chen and she was ECSTATIC, saying how much she admires Mao and how she's made history, overcoming the pressure. Lulu said the scores don't matter at all at this point and this performance has made history! The Korean commentators were wonderful as well. I'm gonna check out the French and Italian

Do you have a link to the site with all the different commentaries?

Mao Asada: Olympic Thread

CarneAsada

Del

pangtongfan

Match Penalty

Layfan

Mrs. P

Uno, Dos, twizzle!

JayW

vegarin

Li'Kitsu

chloepoco

CarneAsada

StellaCampo

JayW

Li'Kitsu

aa456

JayW

Olympia

pec0

Match Penalty

Li'Kitsu

hikki

CarneAsada

Similar threads

Connect with us