Mao Asada announces retirement

[solani]

Sad for us fans but understandable. I wish her all the best for her future! Thank you Mao!

 

[Anni234]

So who of us is the first to put together a 'best of Mao' video playlist so we can all shed tears together. She truly was wonderful. :sad46:

 

[Alchamei]

I knew she would retire the next year no matter what. Also, her chances of making the Olympic team were very low and I actually didn't expect her to make it.

And yet, I can't deal with this annoucement.

Mao is one of the finest skates to ever lay foot on ice and I wanted to witness her greatness for just one more year... Even though she wouldn't be at her best. It's very sad to think that she never had the opportunity to win that elusive Olympic Gold.

But then again, all downsides has a positive. And had Sochi not happened, I probably wouldn't have cared at all. Yuna was my all time favourite. I didn't care about Mao's failure at her SP at all. When I heard she was going for eight triples, I expected her to fail and was actually expecting to se her fall down the standings. But then she delivered one of the best free skates of all time. I still wasn't completely sold on her, but the fact she did right triples and was very expressive in her steps made my heart melt.

I thought I would cry if anyone broke Yuna's world records. When I found out Mao broke her SP record, I nearly cried. But it wasn't just the sadness. It was mainly happiness of how a stunning program broke the record and that Mao finally got her redeption and won my heart.

Arigatou Mao.

 

[SKY1118]

She is one of a few ladies who has beautiful skating...
I will definitely miss her. Thank you for everything Mao. :')

 

[KatGrace1925]

No. Noooo. Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Anyasnake]

... I thought that she was going to wait until 2018... we may have been waiting for it but it still comes across as a kind of shock tbh.
So...

Thank you Mao-Chan, you are the reason the eleven year-old me started watching figure skating after seeing you on the 2005 Bompard trophy on tv. I was already skating for 3 years but you're the one who got me inspired with moves, music and training harder. I was bumped that you couldn't go Torino 2006, you could have won it.
Thank you for that LP in sochi. MAJESTIC.
Thank you for being one of the greatest skaters of all time. (You realise that people are going to make movies about you, right ?)
You inspired a generation of skaters in your country, BE PROUD.

I hope we get to see you light up the 2020 olympic torch in Tokyo.

 

[cohkaix]

Thank you, Mao! I was lucky enough to watch you skating live more than once. 2014 Saitama WC~ that was the best Nocturne!

 

[friedbanana]

Thank you so much, Mao. We'll miss you.

 

[asp11]

beautiful skaing, the 3A and a wonderful career

Let's remember her good times fondly and warmly.

 

[apgold]

Jackie Wong's tribute to Mao's Career.

http://www.rockerskating.com/news/2...retirement-highlights-of-an-incredible-career

 

[Tutto]

The end of the era :sad21:

 

[4everchan]

Thank you Mao.

What a classy and very honest announcement !

When we think the journey has ended, there are other paths that come our way. May you embrace what's next for you.

 

[giulia95]

Mao will be forever the ICON of figure skating and she'll be forever in my heart , I'm in tears.

 

[matcha]

I'm inconsolable.

 

[TerpsichoreFS]

Mao nooooooooo
T-T

 

[OS]

Thanks for the good fight, the memories, and your beautiful exhibitions Mao!
A legend and among the all-time greats!

I am sure we will see you continue to touch people's heart well beyond your competitive career on ice somewhere.

It says a lot about the skater upon how feverent their fan base is , and more importantly the respect of their peers and sports insiders.
These can be more valuable than whatever a piece of metal says - as we have seen in this sport time and time since the days of Janet Lynn.

Yoku yatta! Wish you the very best in your next new adventure. Rest plenty, eat properly, enjoy all the delicious food and things however you wish. Time to enjoy yourself and smile.

Hope you still get to visit Pyeonchang in 2018 on some capacity. May be go and hang out with Yuna for a bit, giggling over the crazy inflation since your junior days .. who knows

 

[Hanmgse]

I can't help but feel empty after these news. I still remember clearly when I watched that magnificent FS at Sochi and how that was the only program in the whole Olympics that made me tear up :sad21:. Mao is such a beautiful skater and she is just the kind of people to whom you can only wish the most happiness.So that's what I wish for her, happiness. Whatever her path will be I really hope she is well and that she is happy. At least we'll have her performances with us forever to watch over and over again. Thank you Mao!

 

[ancientpeas]

So beautifully musical and lovely to watch. Mao will be missed. She was always classy and obviously loved skating.

 

[gotoschool]

I can't express how much I love Mao's skating and how much of an inspiration she has been for me. I can't believe she has the charisma and beauty in her skating to make me take such a long plane ride to see her at Ice Legends and Finlandia when I could have never even imagined going to an ice skating performance before. I feel so fortunate that I got to meet her and see her at Ice Legends and that I got a chance to give her some things I wrote praising her performances and even to throw a teddy bear on the ice for her. There are so many qualities that stand out to me: Mao's mesmerizing step sequences that seemed to get even more impressive the older she got which didn't seem possible, the best dancer and ballerina on ice with such a unique combination of subtle power, grace and flow in her skating, her incredibly picturesque spirals and spins, especially the one handed and classic Biellmann, her sit spin, fan spiral, cross grab Biellman, arabesque and frontal extensions, her triple flip and loop, triple axel and triple flip double double loop tano done with such lovely and erect posture and such gorgeous symmetrical air position. Then, there was the effect of it all combined with her overwhelming emotional expression that just made me melt and even cry many times because of its sincerity and great beauty. I am grateful that I was around at the same time as Mao and she will forever be my favorite skater. I just hope I get to see her skate in many marvelous exhibitions in the future. Thank you Mao. Your performances spoke to and opened my soul to truly feel the magic of your skating.

 

[asp11]

It says a lot about the skater upon how feverent their fan base is.

It sure does.