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Mao Asada news

ks777 said:
The only reason figure skating is really popular right now is because Japan is a figure skating power house. If you look at other sports, Japan really have no other sports in which they can medal.. maybe Marathon. Actually Japan's been a very strong Marathon country and Marathon is very popular as well.
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Sorry if you found this out of topic, but saying that the reason figure skate is popular in Japan because they are not strong in other sport is may be even more inaccurate than saying Mao inspire many!, therefore I don't think you should be so series about what Genki said. It is just her opinion and I think there are many many people in her country are inspire by Mao. It is her right to have an opinion, I don't understand why many try to prove that her speech is not true.

Sorry if you feel offend from what I wrote, my English is not good enough to should appropriate words
 
Your English is pretty good, Treeloving, and so are your ideas. I can't imagine anyone being offended by your statement.

It seems to me that skating is popular in Japan because its nature is compatible with what I have always seen as Japan's love for beauty and harmony--not because Japan "isn't good at other sports." (For one thing, their Little Leaguers regularly whup our hides in baseball, which we Americans claim to have invented!) As for whether Mao inspires people, we don't have to prove that she inspires everyone in Japan!--just that she inspires some people deeply enough to make a difference in their lives. I think that's been shown to be true. (And I actually think her impact is pretty widespread, judging by what other posters have said.) I was searching for a parallel sports figure in the U.S., but I like Genki's comparison of Oprah. Now, you and I may not use Oprah Winfrey as a lodestar in our lives, but it's undeniable that many people are inspired by her, both from her current example and from her life story of coming from nothing to make such an astounding success. I am not Japanese or in Japan, so I can't quantify Mao's influence, but I'm sure a lot of young girls have her pictures on their bedroom walls and listen to what she says (and demonstrates!) about hard work and not giving up. That's the kind of example that gets a lot of anxious kids through adolescence. As SkateFiguring says, "...never deny people their heroes as long as they get good experiences out of the adoration." Good words to express the situation.
 
SkateFiguring said:
How do you know what is or is not happening in a far away society with a different culture and media? Just because something is not hyped in your own country into your awareness doesn't mean it didn't happen. Genki is where it's happening and I don't find her view and report that hard to believe. She certainly is one of those deeply moved. There are heroes for different people other than your own.

eta I see you have brothers in Japan but I assume they are not Japanese and don't have exactly the same values or relate to Mao as most people there . I don't think Mao's touching people's hearts is about skating or any popular sport. It about human spirit, and integrity and sincerity as Genki pointed out.

I'm sure even within your own society, some celebrities/stars in various fields may not be your cup of tea but they nonetheless have many supportive fans. I never deny people their heroes as long as they get good experiences out of the adoration. It's those who spend their time and energy attacking and tearing down others, including celebrities, that I don't understand or appreciate. Not saying that's what you're doing, just to be clear.
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Why do you assume I am not japanese? I am 100% japanese and was born and raised there. I just went back to Japan to visit my brothers, their wives and kids.
 
treeloving said:
Sorry if you found this out of topic, but saying that the reason figure skate is popular in Japan because they are not strong in other sport is may be even more inaccurate than saying Mao inspire many!, therefore I don't think you should be so series about what Genki said. It is just her opinion and I think there are many many people in her country are inspire by Mao. It is her right to have an opinion, I don't understand why many try to prove that her speech is not true.

Sorry if you feel offend from what I wrote, my English is not good enough to should appropriate words
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I did NOT disagree that Mao inspired many people. I have a right to have an opinion as well. I just don't agree with what Genki said 100%. I am sorry but I just don't agree that people learned life lesson from Mao.
 
ks777, I believe the problem other posters have with your statement is not about who your are, or how great or inspiring Mao is or is not. It is about you speaking for people who feel differently from you. No one can say or deny how others feel and perceive events if they profess they do, as Genki does and as she sees and reads that others do. Who is any of us to say they don't?
 
Well, Mao clearly inspired Armin. Look at the number of youtube videos he's been dedicating to her. I'm sure he learned a thing or two about falling and then getting up from Mao. If that's not life lesson, what is?
 
FlattFan said:
Well, Mao clearly inspired Armin. Look at the number of youtube videos he's been dedicating to her. I'm sure he learned a thing or two about falling and then getting up from Mao. If that's not life lesson, what is?
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:agree:

And Patrick Chan has mentioned her as an inspiration of coming back from a bad SP to win. If Mao can inspire champions like Chan and Kozuka, as well as a talented up and comers like Armin, all winners others look up to and can learn from, how can one say other people can't learn from her?
 
Olympia said:
I was searching for a parallel sports figure in the U.S., but I like Genki's comparison of Oprah.
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Michelle Kwan! Everyone knew who Michelle Kwan was. For many years, it was the only person/name associated with figure skating among "lay people." And I'm sure many little girls hung posters of Michelle Kwan in their bedrooms as someone to look up to. I did. :)

Or did you mean to find an example of someone that some people find inspiring and others not, and Kwan doesn't qualify because she inspired everyone? :biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:
 
LOL, Feraina. No, I'm happy to have Kwan as an example. I figured if I mentioned her, everyone would say, "Well, who did anyone expect Olympia would suggest," since I'm known to keep her at the top of my fan list along with Kurt Browning. I'm glad someone else brought her up instead!

Also, my tendency is to assume that skating is an "underdog" sport in the U.S., so that only we diehard fans would think of skaters as inspirational. Everyone else would admire a race car driver or a basketball player. I didn't even know they had posters of Kwan! I'm glad to see I was wrong.
 
My god, my comment about Mao started such a discussion here! Well, it is ok for people to deny that Mao inspired a lot of people. It is their opinion that they are entitled to. Since I myself know it is true by reading all thought of medias in English as well as Japanese. Thanks a lot , skatefiguring and olympia for defending my opinion. I will repeat again though that having a role model like Mao is a good thing. Especially, after she courageously truckled revamping all of her jumps, a lot of people started to say that they would work harder to achieve their own goals. They have got so much encouragement from Mao who always aspires to be better.
 
genki said:
My god, my comment about Mao started such a discussion here! Well, it is ok for people to deny that Mao inspired a lot of people. It is their opinion that they are entitled to. Since I myself know it is true by reading all thought of medias in English as well as Japanese. Thanks a lot , skatefiguring and olympia for defending my opinion. I will repeat again though that having a role model like Mao is a good thing. Especially, after she courageously truckled revamping all of her jumps, a lot of people started to say that they would work harder to achieve their own goals. They have got so much encouragement from Mao who always aspires to be better.
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Nobody denied here that Mao inspired people. What you originally said was a " a bit too much". That's all I and the other person originally said.. then you guys all went crazy.
 
I just want to add my 2 cents: I find Mao very inspiring. By all eye-witness accounts, she seems like an extremely hard-working, down-to-earth, humble, sincere person. And I don't think any number of WC gold medals or Olympic medals will change that. If one day I had a daughter like her, by which I mean her attitude not her accomplishments, I would be absolutely thrilled!
 
feraina said:
I just want to add my 2 cents: I find Mao very inspiring. By all eye-witness accounts, she seems like an extremely hard-working, down-to-earth, humble, sincere person. And I don't think any number of WC gold medals or Olympic medals will change that. If one day I had a daughter like her, by which I mean her attitude not her accomplishments, I would be absolutely thrilled!
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Nicely stated.
 
feraina said:
I just want to add my 2 cents: I find Mao very inspiring. By all eye-witness accounts, she seems like an extremely hard-working, down-to-earth, humble, sincere person. And I don't think any number of WC gold medals or Olympic medals will change that. If one day I had a daughter like her, by which I mean her attitude not her accomplishments, I would be absolutely thrilled!
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Cool. And that's exactly how I feel about Kwan. Yea she doesn't have the OGM, but who cares? Her contributions to skating and her attributes as a person much more important and she will always be remembered. Same with Mao. Regardless of what happens in the next couple of years, she will inspire many with not only her skating persona, but her dignity off the ice.
 
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