Mao Asada announces retirement

[gotoschool]

Nikkei Asian Review published an article on Mao yesterday:


Skater Mao Asada's retirement highlights pressure on Japan's sports stars

I don't think the piece was particularly well written and am troubled by passages such as the following:





Seriously?

My 69 year old mother said that Mao's Madame Butterfly at Worlds was the most beautiful performance she had ever seen and she is an American who has never been to Japan. For me, it is confusing to choose which of Mao's programs is the most beautiful because there are so many, but I agree that one of them is the most beautiful I have ever seen. It just depends on my mood which one. I guess we are both forever young at heart.

 

[Barb]

Nikkei Asian Review published an article on Mao yesterday:


Skater Mao Asada's retirement highlights pressure on Japan's sports stars

I don't think the piece was particularly well written and am troubled by passages such as the following:

Her failure to win gold generated criticism in some quarters as did her sometimes saccharine and "cutesy" routines. While her South Korean arch rival Kim Yuna added maturity, elegance and some sex appeal to her performances, Asada stayed with music and choreography seemingly designed to please fourth-grade girls. "Hello Kitty" on ice, as you might call it. That was why some of her critics said that Kim was able to win an Olympic gold medal at Vancouver in 2010, while Asada did not.
Professionally, however, Asada's biggest problem as a skater was inconsistency. She was brilliant one day, mediocre the next. She could match Kim when she was performing well. But her uneven performance was perhaps due to unrealistic expectations placed on her by the Japanese public, as she was one of the country's few internationally famous sports stars.




Seriously?

It's the stupidest thing I've ever read.

 

[drivingmissdaisy]

I don't think the piece was particularly well written and am troubled by passages such as the following: "Asada stayed with music and choreography seemingly designed to please fourth-grade girls. "Hello Kitty" on ice, as you might call it. That was why some of her critics said that Kim was able to win an Olympic gold medal at Vancouver in 2010, while Asada did not."

Mao's music in 2010 was about the heaviest music I have ever heard women skating to. Bells of Moscow was hardly "Hello Kitty" On Ice.

 

[demitasse]

I'm so indignant on Mao's behalf, but I also can't stop laughing because it's just so absurd? This is the first and probably also the last time that I've seen Rachmaninoff compared to Hello Kitty.

 

[Barb]

I'm so indignant on Mao's behalf, but I also can't stop laughing because it's just so absurd? This is the first and probably also the last time that I've seen Rachmaninoff compared to Hello Kitty.

Well, Rachmaninoff Bells is dark, maybe that person heard the True story about Hello Kitty https://youtu.be/YiuT284E1RA?t=159 , basically is a horror story and they even use the music of Requiem for a dream as background, since that video, I have not been able to see Hello Kitty the same :scard8: .

English version https://youtu.be/4KzJaf8p-yY?t=27

 

[drivingmissdaisy]

This is the first and probably also the last time that I've seen Rachmaninoff compared to Hello Kitty.

Maybe she could have combined Adelina's waving to the judges and Evgenia's skipping to bring more Hello Kitty to Bells.

 

[thoakun]

Laughable articles written by incompetent, narrow-minded lazy writers who didn't bother to do research is one of the many reasons why figure skating is in deep trouble and continues to be poorly understood :rofl2:. I'm not furious because it's so revealing about the writer's IQ that it becomes a laughing stock . Someone couldn't help opening their keyboard to remove all doubts about his stupidity.

 

[lavender]

Wasn't really ready for her to go but I learned my lesson with Kwan. I just don't hold on anymore. From what I can see there are some very, very misinformed articles based on quotes I'm seeing. This is why I barely read or follow figure skating articles.

 

[sublimeskating]

Beautiful queen Asada Mao

I wish you well and your epic skating will be missed

Here's hoping she'll still participate in some shows in the future...

Also the misinformed people who write stupid articles dissing Mao ... W.T.F :dev2:

"Hello Kitty" on ice W.T.F ... *shakes head* I can't believe this

 

[largeman]

Wasn't really ready for her to go but I learned my lesson with Kwan. I just don't hold on anymore. From what I can see there are some very, very misinformed articles based on quotes I'm seeing. This is why I barely read or follow figure skating articles.

Well, on that positive note , I present a new article by our favorite reporter Jack Gallagher: Angelic Mao’s legacy will be part of skating forever

The unnecessary self defense/self rationalization aside, notable in this piece are the quotes he collected from Christine Brennan, Lynn Rutherford and Coach Orser, which are heartwarming.

Brian Orser, who coached against Mao for years and led Kim to the gold medal at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, took time out from a vacation in Bali to send Ice Time an email with his thoughts.

“Women’s figure skating is stronger and more beautiful than ever because of Mao Asada’s contribution,” Orser wrote. “Thank you Mao for all you have done. You will be missed, and I know you will continue to find greatness.”

 

[gotoschool]

Well, on that positive note , I present a new article by our favorite reporter Jack Gallagher: Angelic Mao’s legacy will be part of skating forever

The unnecessary self defense/self rationalization aside, notable in this piece are the quotes he collected from Christine Brennan, Lynn Rutherford and Coach Orser, which are heartwarming.

I can't stand Gallagher. He often belittles Mao in his articles: sometimes in subtle and sometimes in obvious ways and offers condescending advice and peremptory dismissal of anyone who disagrees with him. He also practices blatant censorship by removing comments beneath his articles when they don't follow his narrow, highly biased opinion with an agenda. He has repeatedly belittled Mao's Sochi LP performance almost as a personal insult knowing she has called it her favorite performance and the most beloved by many of those who have seen her skate, referring to it as a mere exhibition or all the pressure was off and it doesn't count, as if any women skater could do a triple axel, triple flip and loop and triple flip / double loop / double loop with such incredible rink coverage while still having so much one legged and swaying movements, with such a dynamic flair in balletic expression and extensions in her transitions, with elegant and flexible spins, and such an incredibly climatic step sequence with such fluid illusion spins and pirouettes and leaps into the air, ending in a rapid fire fan spiral and a great sweeping arc of her arabesque and such great depth of emotional resonance.

Of course, the pressure was on Mao. She had to preserve her integrity in the face of adversity with the abusive former prime minister publicly insulting her after her SP, after being forced by the undermining JSF to skate in the team competition in early February while she had only begun to train again in mid January because of taking time off because of back pain after Nationals. Then, the JSF "arrangements to undermine" took away more preparation time and caused panic because Mao (and Akiko) were forced to go to Armenia to prepare for their most important competition in a bone chilling cold rink full of sand at high elevation with a lack of oxygen, which required sharpening of the blades and loss of practice time and rattled their nerves. The JSF even refused Mao's team's request to train in the comfort of Japan or much closer in Russia. You can't make this stuff up.

Though I disagree, Gallagher also wrote articles about what he considered to be the the injustice of the deflated scoring for Yuna Kim in Sochi and Satoko Miyahara at Worlds 2016. However, he didn't even mention the fact that Mao's scores were the ones that were super deflated. Gallagher has also released an article near the time of Mao's victory in Worlds 2014 claiming that post Olympic Worlds should not be held. Of course, Mao won post Olympic Worlds in both 2010 and 2014. He also falsely wrote that Mao "struggled to hold on and win" Worlds in 2014 even though she won both the SP and the LP with
very stingy scoring. She didn't win in GOE or PCS in either the SP or LP or even come close, despite her magnificent performances and had several bogus ur calls in the LP.

 

[skateluvr]

Mao Asada the technician.

There is a goodbye love thread devoted to her retirement. I have not read it all and if mod feels it should be combined so be it.

Here is my question. My eyes have always been satiated by her artistry and I think she deserves great second marks regardless of whether or not she skated cleanly. For me if the incorrect edge or under rotation don't mar the flow or performance aspect they should not be so harshly marked.

But it is a sport and I would like to know was she at her zenith the best female technical skater from Japan or does that title belong to someone else past or present?

For me she is one of the classically lovely skaters that I enjoy as much with or without jumps but I don't have the acumen or memory to rank her technical prowess. Now that her career is complete where should she rank amongst the fabulous women and girls of Japan technically speaking?

 

[geige]

I'd like to say that Midori holds that title, when considering just the jumps. She had a leg wrap, but the height on her jumps was just insane, and there was never any question about her 3A when landed. I hate to say it, but most of Mao's 3A were really close.

 

[Ballade88]

Midori was perhaps the best jumper ever. But one must also remember that we are trained to scrutinize skaters' jumps now far more than back in the 90s. Harding's 3A, for example, had tilted air position and she always had to fight for the landings. For Mao to land quite a number of 3As with good GOE in a much stricter system is an accomplishment.

 

[Barb]

Sisters (Mao/Kanako) retire together http://imgur.com/a/8qN3C :sad21:

 

[jenm]

Midori was perhaps the best jumper ever. But one must also remember that we are trained to scrutinize skaters' jumps now far more than back in the 90s. Harding's 3A, for example, had tilted air position and she always had to fight for the landings. For Mao to land quite a number of 3As with good GOE in a much stricter system is an accomplishment.

Mao has the most beautiful 3As IMO. So light and airy and landed with such finesse.

 

[Ares]

Midori was perhaps the best jumper ever. But one must also remember that we are trained to scrutinize skaters' jumps now far more than back in the 90s. Harding's 3A, for example, had tilted air position and she always had to fight for the landings. For Mao to land quite a number of 3As with good GOE in a much stricter system is an accomplishment.

I think both Midori & Mao had to compete in circumstances that were not fully rewarding their skills and giving credit for that.

 

[Skater Boy]

Well, Rachmaninoff Bells is dark, maybe that person heard the True story about Hello Kitty https://youtu.be/YiuT284E1RA?t=159 , basically is a horror story and they even use the music of Requiem for a dream as background, since that video, I have not been able to see Hello Kitty the same :scard8: .

English version https://youtu.be/4KzJaf8p-yY?t=27

You had to bring up Hello Kitty. I am still traumatized to find out she failed Grade 4 for so many years and worse - she is not a cat but a"golden girl" - what is that suppose to mean? She is Bea Arthur with a bow stuck on her head?

 

[apons575]

The true greats never reached the top step at the Olympics, but their impact on the sport was legendary. Janet Lynn, Midori Ito, Michelle Kwan...and now Mao Asada. Much love and success to Mao in her future endeavors!!

 

[Ares]

You had to bring up Hello Kitty. I am still traumatized to find out she failed Grade 4 for so many years and worse - she is not a cat but a"golden girl" - what is that suppose to mean? She is Bea Arthur with a bow stuck on her head?

Here is association with Happy Tree Friends that you could not imagine.

http://joemonster.org/i/o/przedszkole.jpg


Kindergarten (Przedszkole) from Poland with that on the banner Hardcore.