Mao Asada | Page 201 | Golden Skate

Mao Asada

mary01 said:
I miss Mao soo much, figure skating wihout her feels soo empty and un-exciting to watch, no 3A to lok forward too, no beautiful spirals and spins no amazing stsq, this skater is irreplaceable and will always be, but i still cling to the hope that she will stay a bit longer and we will get to enjoy watchng her skills and beautiful skating for a bit longer
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This. is. so. True. Mao's step sequence is like one of the core part of figure skating. But what do we have now? Jumping machines who backload their programs. Ugly tanos/rippons. Slow and uninspiring step sequence. Split-second spiral. Endless useless transitioning turns and steps. Thankfully there are a few exceptional beautiful skaters who still acknowledge their music, perform their program and skate. But sadly, these are the ones who don't win.
 
And just we were talking about the spots of Japanese ladies in PyeongChang...then Satoko withdraws...Rika must bring her A+ game in Helsinki. All the best!
 
Poor Mao, if Japan get only 2 spots, How can she maintain the motivation for the next season? :cry: and if she earn 1 of those spots, people will bash her for ¨steal¨ the opportunity to one of the other girls.
I knew that her chance to make the olympic team was slim, but at least I was waiting a great final season of her trying to get it, but now, if they get only 2 spots is practically to tell her ¨you have 0 chance¨, how you prepare your next season knowing that? :sad46:.
Life is so unfair, Kanako got a controversial spot at Sochi, same Miki. I am 100% sure that the japanese federation won´t make favors to Mao, after all she gave to the sport. I know everything can happen, and maybe (I hope) they keep the 3 spots, but I am really sooo sad that Mao is living this difficult situation.

I hope that Satoko get well soon. Next season won´t be easy for her neither.
 
Poor Mao, if Japan get only 2 spots, How can she maintain the motivation for the next season? and if she earn 1 of those spots, people will bash her for ¨steal¨ the opportunity to one of the other girls.
I knew that her chance to make the olympic team was slim, but at least I was waiting a great final season of her trying to get it, but now, if they get only 2 spots is practically to tell her ¨you have 0 chance¨, how you prepare your next season knowing that? .
Life is so unfair, Kanako got a controversial spot at Sochi, same Miki. I am 100% sure that the japanese federation won´t make favors to Mao, after all she gave to the sport. I know everything can happen, and maybe (I hope) they keep the 3 spots, but I am really sooo sad that Mao is living this difficult situation.

I hope that Satoko get well soon. Next season won´t be easy for her neither.
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I wonder what motivates Mao to move ahead next season, I wonder if Mao has to have the same great feeling of powerful beauty within from a performance in order to deliver the same sense to so many in the audience. I wonder if the flowers and gifts that rain down on her after performances, even ones with mistakes like her Nationals LP, or seeing so many people in the front row some in tears standing in line hoping that she will greet them and take their bouquet, I wonder if this is something like a medal in and of itself, or even more because it is an outpouring of love with a source that isn't dependent on a score and in that sense unconditional. Maybe, skating is a vital part of her being that comes as naturally as breathing and to be deprived of it is like losing a part of her essence. I know for me personally that I enjoyed some of the performances at Junior Worlds though I did like one skater the best, but when I returned to watch Mao's Nationals LP I was again overwhelmed at how transcendent the beauty of even her flawed performances can truly be.

I also remember reading a post that one reason Mao decided to return to competitive skating is because after volunteering and visiting people in villages that I believe were struck by tragedy and meeting many people who had dedicated themselves to some work their entire life that she too wished to do something through to its completion, so that there were no regrets for competitive performances left undone, and even if she isn't really given a chance, no matter how grand the performances, then Nationals are the ones left undone, though I hope so dearly she can make it to the Olympics. That Mao may have regrets in coming back shows the dual sides that any decision can have in life, but beyond the mistakes the beautifully moving skating remains and a few performances in her return have shown through like timeless jewels that would have never seen the light of day if she hadn't decided to stay in skating.

I also wonder if Mao’s mind is in a spirit world where ideals and sincere commitment to a cause mean more than merely fitting into the whims and decisions made by a limited system, though she is willing to submit at least partially to its judgment, though I wish to believe not as much as it seems, and I wonder if it is this far away dream that makes her continue on even if the odds are so long, after falling out of a favor which she never had in the first place. I wonder if the terms spacey and monk-like that I have heard used to describe her are a manifest sign of her devotion to fulfilling an illusive ideal she sees lying somewhere beyond the horizon that she incredibly realizes sometimes. Perhaps within a system in which the transcendent beauty and power of her performances has never seemed to really fit and be fully seen for what it truly is, there has been an enduring conflict of spirit and empiricism like the letter and spirit of the law in judgment.

I don't really know why Mao continues on. It is a mystery full of intricate twists that the thread of logical argument can't unravel, the key to which I can't explain any better than the lovely conundrum of how her performances capture my heart and soul. To unlock it is to lose the beautiful illusion. I can't imagine how incredible it must feel to be the source of what makes others experience this magnificence from a performance. So maybe this is what inspires her to continue.
 
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Other than her post-Olympics year off, during 14-15 season...

...this is the only World Championships Mao has missed, in her whole career.

It's not right... :-/
 
Is she hosting her ICE tour again this summer? Will be interesting to see what her cast will be given the heavy training focus of so many top skaters during the year of the Olympic season. Wishing her well!
 
Also, the latest article about Mao. It indicates that Mai Asada, a professional figure skater, updated her twitter on Tuesday, and uploaded a photo of a cake that was shaped like a rose flower made by Mao Asada, The article states that it is a rose flower Microbious Zucott cake which is a sweet that does not use eggs or dairy products and can be eaten with people with allergies to these products. From google translate, the article indicates that "Mao-chan seems to be healthy and relieved" and states that she is preparing for next season." Comments were also gratefully acknowledged to the tweet that understands Mao's present condition. https://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20170321-00000071-dal-spo

I believe this is a picture of the cake Mao made. She is an artist in cooking, in writing her autograph and in her performances: https://postimg.org/image/3u9ha2mnp/

Here is an adorable picture of Mao hugging a little girl who says said, "I love your performances." I think Mao is with Laurie Nichol, but I don't know when the photo was taken and if it is Laurie for sure.

https://twitter.com/azayakanablue/status/844889937719705600/photo/1
 
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Hi everyone I would like to share the orchestra suite (featuring a female voice in some numbers) of El amor brujo, conducted by Carlo Maria Giulini. I believe this is the one that Mao and Lori use. Everything from the program comes from here (except of course the piano SP).

https://youtu.be/L8od494KTh4

here are the sections that Mao uses.

0:34 - the opening mysterious tremolo of the FS
2:18 - right after it is the solo oboe, where Mao does her spin
4:42 - the transition between the Choreography sequence and the 2A+3T
9:34 - the opening of the SP, then followed by the famous Ritual Fire Dance
18:00 - the most beautiful part, the "choreo sequence"

Enjoy!
 
Here are some recently posted high quality photos of Mao: http://68.media.tumblr.com/b49cc71bd745990ea5a2a398ecb76fa8/tumblr_oiok8hJ1aK1v4ru7do3_1280.jpg

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/26/92/74/26927499b49b1862c6ae3b7210d5145d.jpg

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/ce/e2/fc/cee2fcbe9165d3fbb84462b0c9f2e8a9.jpg

http://media.zenfs.com/en_US/Sports/USA_Today/20140219_mam_usa_1217-a9cff780987162f4e689f58f4c155f59

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/23/18/96/2318969a6ba207d288995df009167257.jpg great photo considering how fast Mao was moving and how close Mao was at the time.

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/82/a2/14/82a214a8b154c65fc80457b707064b4f.jpg

http://68.media.tumblr.com/9c702fa4d705196a6718a535e9301f5f/tumblr_oin6aequL61v4ru7do3_1280.jpg

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/87/80/3d/87803dd43a3609302a9cbb356d0641bc.jpg

http://3flip3loop.tumblr.com/ This site has a lot of high quality photos of Mao and other skaters from Finlandia Trophy (clicking on the photo to enlarge slightly and right clicking save as saves it as a very high quality image)
 
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I posted this great performance of Mao's last week: Bells of Moscow at Worlds 2010. Today is the 7th anniversary of this one of may all-time favorite performances with an aesthetically stunning assault of spirals, spins and step sequences and the incredible two triple axels, which makes it even more overwhelming. There was the magnificent cross grab Biellmann as Mao carved beautifully serpentine arcs across the ice with really nice edges, a gorgeous fan spiral and arabesque, a totally unique and intriguing one handed Biellmann with one hand cupped elegantly against her chest. Then, Mao does my favorite extended leg sit spin with a beautifully low position below parallel as she grabbed the end of her boots which I have never seen anyone else do and then she made a dramatic pose with her hand shaped like a halo held over her head as she did a dramatic frontal extension. And of course I can't forget to mention the incredible two triple axels again.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUUYRb2mAns
 
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Sigh a Worlds Championship without Mao (or Satoko or any equivalent great skater) is just nothing special to watch, though i feel happy for some skaters who got great results, but you know what I mean, there is something just missing.

Let's recap some of Mao's best performance at Worlds!

2007 - https://youtu.be/W5G3Ns2i86U - Just look at Dick Button, I wonder if he would have the same reaction watching skaters from today, also Peggy. Besides, this is Mao when she was 16, the smoothness of the jumps, the intricacy and musicality of the steps, and the SPIRALS. Who, today, at 16 show similar qualities? The reigning Worlds Champion? I don't think so. Just alas, what has skating become.

2010 SP - https://youtu.be/INlNc8nMp2E - One of the perfect programs in every sense: jumps, steps, spins, spirals choreography.

2010 FS - https://youtu.be/Y5aMd9_TL_4 - THE program of the quadrennium.

2016 - https://youtu.be/8m_CpDapw80 - absolute grace


Ah there are just so many memorable programs. This is what a legendary skater does, creating magic and moments.
 
Next year, I think Mao should treat her whole season as one extended Sochi LP. By dropping the albatross of expectation and then visualizing and striving to realize her own artistic and athletic vision, she'll have a better chance of skating greater performances that appeal directly to the people, which will in turn give her the best shot to beat the long shot odds and if not the magnificent performances left behind will be the evidence that speaks the loudest. So many of Mao's transcendent performances are what set me free of the system, which is what I think great artists have the power to do. Redefine things in the mind so a light shines on a corner of the imagination and emotions that I have never seen before and that can never be calculated by an evaluation or score.
 
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