- Joined
- Nov 13, 2012
R.D means when Yuna take a long break after Vancouver then comeback for Sochi
Mao Asada decides not to compete in 2014-2015
- Thread starter sunnystars
- Start date
- Joined
- Mar 17, 2013
I don't think so. There has been a seismic power shift in the skating world as noted in these latest Worlds and Olympics. 2014/15 will be filled with questions and expectations of an entirely new sort now. I am very intrigued and am already "signed up" on the Polina band wagon.
No need to be so dramatic.
While I, too, would be sad to see the triple axel go, don't forget that a) Mao is taking a break. She may yet come back. In fact, judging from the interview, I think she will: she seems to be saying that she wants to take a break to recharge. I dunno if she'll go 'til 2018, but I think she'll be back for a season. b) Even if she doesn't return, the fierce rivalry between the Russian girls will pick up the slack. Pyeongchang could end up being Salt Lake City for women.I think it was good to see a flexible, ballerina-type skater like Mao attempting the triple axel. Midori Ito was a powerhouse, a freak of nature (in the best way)--she was incredible but it was unsurprising that she didn't inspire imitators. You either were Midori or you weren't. But Mao proves you don't have to be Midori to have a 3A. Seeing her work and struggle for it may yet inspire other girls to try the same.
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- Oct 25, 2012
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Exactly how I am feeling about this news. Well said Olympia!
Couldn't have put it better myself!
Mao is without doubt my favourite ladies skater of the past decade. So, of course I would love to see her competing this coming season. But I agree with everybody that says she deserves a break.
Mao has been travelling the world competing continuously from such a young age. She needs some time away to relax and, well, be normal!
But, with her being around for so long, it is easy to forget that Mao is still only 23. So, even if she does take a year or 2 out now, she will still be young enough to continue on for at least one more Olympic cycle if she wants to. Maybe even 2. Hey, she's certainly talented enough to pull it off!
So, good luck with your sabbatical Mao-chan. I will always support you in whatever you do in the future.
CaroLiza_fan
- Joined
- May 19, 2011
I don't think so. There has been a seismic power shift in the skating world as noted in these latest Worlds and Olympics. 2014/15 will be filled with questions and expectations of an entirely new sort now. I am very intrigued and am already "signed up" on the Polina band wagon.
I agree. I was depressed the last time this happen. When Michelle, Irina and Sasha exited, I actually stopped watching for a year...but Mao and Yu-Na pulled me back in and it's been great watching this era of skating with those two as well as Carolina, Akiko, Kanako, Miki, etc..
I'll really miss Mao, Yu-Na, Carolina and Akiko but it does look like their time is ending...and I'm okay with that.
I'm excited for this new era. I'm on so many bandwagons at this point, I just decided to get a season pass so I can hop from one to the other
. I'm a fan/supporter of: Adelina, Elena, Julia, Gracie, Polina, Ashley, Mirai, Satoko and Zijun...plus there are a number of up-and-coming juniors I really like too. I'll definitely miss the established veterans but I'm ready for the new veterans as well as the newbies to take over.As for Mao, it's a much needed and well-deserved break. She's been going all-in since her junior days w/o a break. That's a testament to her dedication to the sport. Amazing that she pretty much managed to stay major injury-free all of these years...great conditioning.
With the exception of Olympic gold, Mao has literally won everything there is to win in this sport: all six GP titles, GPF, nationals, 4CC and worlds...and many of those wins are several times over. If she doesn't see herself hanging around until 2018, there's really nothing left for her to accomplish unless she wants to compete just for the love of competing. There's nothing left for her to prove. The girl's legacy is cemented already. She'll be on this list of greats who never achieved Olympic gold, but she's in damn good company.
I adore Mao and I wish her all of the best.
- Joined
- Mar 17, 2013
I agree. I was depressed the last time this happen. When Michelle, Irina and Sasha exited, I actually stopped watching for a year...but Mao and Yu-Na pulled me back in and it's been great watching this era of skating with those two as well as Carolina, Akiko, Kanako, Miki, etc..
I'll really miss Mao, Yu-Na, Carolina and Akiko but it does look like their time is ending...and I'm okay with that.
I'm excited for this new era. I'm on so many bandwagons at this point, I just decided to get a season pass so I can hop from one to the other
As for Mao, it's a much needed and well-deserved break. She's been going all-in since her junior days w/o a break. That's a testament to her dedication to the sport. Amazing that she pretty much managed to stay major injury-free all of these years...great conditioning.
With the exception of Olympic gold, Mao has literally won everything there is to win in this sport: all six GP titles, GPF, nationals, 4CC and worlds...and many of those wins are several times over. If she doesn't see herself hanging around until 2018, there's really nothing left for her to accomplish unless she wants to compete just for the love of competing. There's nothing left for her to prove. The girl's legacy is cemented already. She'll be on this list of greats who never achieved Olympic gold, but she's in damn good company.
I adore Mao and I wish her all of the best.
Sometimes when an era ends one thinks about the hole left behind and "how ever will it be filled?" and other times one thinks "get out now while the getting's good". This next class is looking formidable. :yay:
- Joined
- Jan 12, 2014
She has been the hardest working women in figure skating for years. I don't remember her ever missing anything except for the GPF when her mother died. She will be missed. I am totally hoping for ice show with Yuna and Mao. Could it ever happen??
Maybe 10years later
Tons of respect for this ethereal and celestial skater and person , one of the best ever in skating history, surely the best for me.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOYriRt-9ug
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOYriRt-9ug
- Joined
- Feb 14, 2014
Her retirement is definitly the end of an era in skating. I'm glad she's taking a year off but I hope to see her back and win that olympic gold medal that she deserves so much. But even if she doesn't do it, she will always remain my favourite. We will miss you so much Mao-chan !!!
I agree that it will be a long time even with oba mentioned below maybe never again at a worlds
I forgot about this but not quite gp event or euros or worlds
Joshi Helgesson lands 3 axels at practise
There are videos of it but I can't find it right now
I wish she tried at a gp event of higher - thats where it doesn't exist except for Mao
No need to be so dramatic.
I think it was good to see a flexible, ballerina-type skater like Mao attempting the triple axel. Midori Ito was a powerhouse, a freak of nature (in the best way)--she was incredible but it was unsurprising that she didn't inspire imitators. You either were Midori or you weren't. But Mao proves you don't have to be Midori to have a 3A. Seeing her work and struggle for it may yet inspire other girls to try the same.
I am thinking of non Mao's. without her the triple axel would not even exist in international competions for women. No one tries it ever. It's a total lost skill among all but Japanese. No Russian has tried since nelidina in gp event. No American since tonya Harding in international event in 1991. People say meissner in 2005 did one. 2003, 2005 and that's it! It is almost over and maybe need seen again. Mao's legacy.
For me, Turino was the Olympic gold that she deserved by never got a chance to compete for. She would have been young with little pressure and more technical content than anyone else. I truely believe she would have metaled and likely won. One the flip side if she had won she may have retired and we would have missed the last 8 years of her career. She was never one of my favorites but I have a great level of respect for her. She seems like one of the hardest workers out there. I'll miss her and I wish her well. But time eventually catches up with all athletes and she been on top for years. She has the unique opportunity to go out on top and enjoy a lucrative professional career. So I hope she can retire in peace instead of trying for a comeback in couple of years which likely will leave her off the olympic podium yet again.
- Joined
- Feb 25, 2006
I'll miss her but she does deserve a break!
Mao definitely could've won in Torino, considering how everyone else skated. Arakawa won with five triples and no 3-3 combination (and it's not because she already knew the others faltered--she skated before Slutskaya, who easily could've beaten Arakawa's skate had she even been 50% on). But I doubt Mao would've continued all the way to Sochi had she won at 15. Heck, maybe she would've retired right away Tara Lipinski-style, and we never would've witnessed her rivalry with Yuna in the next four years! That's too horrifying to contemplate.
In my perfect world, Irina skates well and wins gold in SLC, 6-triple healthy Michelle Kwan wins gold in Torino, while Mao skates her Worlds SP in Sochi and wins gold there. Sadly, it was not to be, for any of these legends.
- Joined
- Mar 5, 2014
Mao definitely could've won in Torino, considering how everyone else skated. Arakawa won with five triples and no 3-3 combination (and it's not because she already knew the others faltered--she skated before Slutskaya, who easily could've beaten Arakawa's skate had she even been 50% on). But I doubt Mao would've continued all the way to Sochi had she won at 15. Heck, maybe she would've retired right away Tara Lipinski-style, and we never would've witnessed her rivalry with Yuna in the next four years! That's too horrifying to contemplate.
In my perfect world, Irina skates well and wins gold in SLC, 6-triple healthy Michelle Kwan wins gold in Torino, while Mao skates her Worlds SP in Sochi and wins gold there. Sadly, it was not to be, for any of these legends.
I agree with most of what you say, but as many on the long program forum after Sochi pointed out, no non-Russian could have won in Sochi unless both of the Russians had fallen at least once, since it was rigged. So, in a strange ironic way, this is better for Mao because there was no way she could have fulfilled her Olympic dream of Gold at Sochi, even if she had skated a great SP. This point is backed up by the fact that her incredible LP barely got 3rd place overall and 5th place PCS; and given the overall scoring environment, starting order wasn't the only or even the main reason for Mao's low score. Besides giving the world something truly sublime, the important thing is that she got satisfaction from her performance, which she didn't get in Vancouver.
Just a thought, I wonder if Michelle Kwan would have won under the COP system in 1998 because of Tara Lipinski's relatively small jumps. I think she would have. It's always interesting to imagine what would have happened like you are doing in an ideal world. For example, Mao's career would have likely been even better under the 6.0 system. If she decides not to return, I'm really happy Mao went out on such a high note. I will miss her more than any other skater.
- Joined
- Nov 19, 2013
Selfishly, I'll miss Mao. But very few people deserve a break as much as this young woman. She seems to have a great head on her shoulders and I think the choice to assess her situation a year from now seems like a good one. I hope she enjoys the freedom that the time off will give her, and I feel she'll do well in life no matter where it takes her
I think it's a great idea for her to take a break and explore life outside / after skating. What will she do next? She's already got her ice show and she's the most popular sporting celebrity in her country, so really at this point sky's the limit for her.
It would also be a good time for the JSF to develop the new class of skaters. We can see if Kanako will step up, or if it's Satoko or Haruka who has the rare star quality that Mao (and Midori and Shizuka too) possessed. Even IF they don't get to win or medal in 2018 (who knows they could explode and take off next season and lead the way), they can start laying the foundation now for 2022.
It would also be a good time for the JSF to develop the new class of skaters. We can see if Kanako will step up, or if it's Satoko or Haruka who has the rare star quality that Mao (and Midori and Shizuka too) possessed. Even IF they don't get to win or medal in 2018 (who knows they could explode and take off next season and lead the way), they can start laying the foundation now for 2022.
- Joined
- Jan 25, 2013
I wouldn't get so despondent. Many said there would never be another Ito/Harding and then you get Asada (not to mention skaters like Nelidina/Nakano). I think with the wave of higher technical merit in ladies skating and the wave of 3-3 combos, we will start to see higher level jumps from the women. If everyone is doing a 3Z+3T, somebody will want to break from the pack and get those extra 5 points for a 3A.
I think Mao and Chan have given us a wonderful stretch of skating and both deserve a break from it. Hopefully they come back in a year or two, but I wouldn't be surprised or upset if they didn't.
- Joined
- May 19, 2011
I don't usually agree w/ you pangtongfan but I definitely agree with this. :thumbsup:
That SLC gold was Michelle's to win or lose and for only the second time in her career she froze up and couldn't deliver (her first was 1997 nationals). That one was definitely hers had she just skated cleanly, even with Sarah's performance, the judges would have placed her first. Like the judges wanted to give that gold medal to Adelina or Julia in Sochi, the judges in SLC wanted to give that gold to Michelle. Adelina made it easy for the judges to give her gold by skating so well...sadly, Michelle made it impossible to give her gold in SLC
I was never a huge fan of Irina but, after Michelle pulled out of Torino, I felt that if the gold had to go to someone, I'd have been okay with it going to Irina...just not Sasha (for my own selfish reasons). The fact that Shizuka won was cool with me too. At least Sasha or Irina ubers could never hold an OGM over Michelle's head
- Joined
- Jan 25, 2013
I was never a huge fan of Irina but, after Michelle pulled out of Torino, I felt that if the gold had to go to someone, I'd have been okay with it going to Irina...just not Sasha (for my own selfish reasons). The fact that Shizuka won was cool with me too. At least Sasha or Irina ubers could never hold an OGM over Michelle's head
I was cool with Shizuka winning because she did skate cleanly on a night where Sasha winning or Irina winning would have been pretty awful (obviously I wish she hadn't played it safe, but it was still strongly performed). I would have even been fine with Fumie (who was arguably screwed out of a medal) winning over Irina/Sasha if Shizuka weren't there.
Unfortunately, Michelle as you said did freeze up on the night when it really was hers to lose. Yet again, though, I'm glad Sarah was there to be a clean gold medalist when Michelle and Irina had errors and would have been awful winners.
