Mao Asada | Page 49 | Golden Skate

Mao Asada

If Mao finished the highest, than you can't really compare her score with the others.

Scores can always be compared, even if she placed ahead of everyone in the freeskate (like she should). I personally don't agree with the scores you gave Mao or the other skaters, I think a 3 points difference between her and Kim in the free is totally ridicules considering the HUGE difference in the technical content. It's also unrealistic and not proportionate when looking at the scores that were given to those skaters during the season. In the Olympics the scores usually rise (exception mao) and where the scores do not suddenly fall.

But atleast we agree on Mao's free skate placement:) and in the end the placement are the most important thing, because scores should help put skaters in their rightful placement in a competition.
 
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Thanks very much. I still wish Mao will come back with her 8 triples long program and break the world record.

Your Welcome Kelly. Though it is selfish, I would like Mao come back to do another 8 triple again as well and "officially" get the LP record, which in my mind she already has. But ultimately, I hope she does what gives her the most happiness and satisfaction. She has already given me the best SP, LP and exhibition I have ever seen.

Here are the newest HD videos on youtube of Mao

Diamond Ice Exhibition 2010: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLVvqxIP2aQ

2010 SP Nationals: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IB1iuYd-yU

2009 SP Worlds https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Fl7TSDjx-8

2010 4CCs SP https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1tBjA8A4Cs
 
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I actually don't think it's impossible for Mao to win the 2018 Olympics. Some things are stacked against her (rules, time), but at the same time, she seemed at the peak of her powers last season. And she still seems fairly healthy and motivated. The great, costly miss--the Sochi SP--was due to mental errors.

I dunno if she can keep the 8-triple FS, because she's better off doing an easy 2A rather than a triple flutz. But she's still very competitive with 7 triples.
 
I actually don't think it's impossible for Mao to win the 2018 Olympics. Some things are stacked against her (rules, time), but at the same time, she seemed at the peak of her powers last season. And she still seems fairly healthy and motivated. The great, costly miss--the Sochi SP--was due to mental errors.

I dunno if she can keep the 8-triple FS, because she's better off doing an easy 2A rather than a triple flutz. But she's still very competitive with 7 triples.

With the new edge rules, I guess the 2A with high GOE would be better in terms of scores. But, the 8 triples just sounds and looks so nice.
 
With the new edge rules, I guess the 2A with high GOE would be better in terms of scores. But, the 8 triples just sounds and looks so nice.
I know! But the ISU would rather see a double axel, instead of the sheer horror of flutzing! :eek: :drama:

But knowing Mao, I wouldn't be surprised if she kept the flutz anyway. :laugh:
 
I found this article published just after Skate America 2013 about Mao Asada, with a lot of quotes from Mao. There are also a lot from Ashley Wagner, who is very complimentary and respectful towards Mao in the article, and a nice quote from Elena Radinova.

http://espn.go.com/espnw/news-comme...ndaries-wins-skate-america-gold-ashley-wagner

omg thanks again for this one gotoschool..it always touches me and makes me emotional when figure skaters themselves talks about Mao..

I love Ashley's comment..and I also love Radionova's i almost feel like she's describing Mao from a pedestal like on a league of her own.. :)
 
Seriously though, why can't she fix it?

I'm glad that you liked the espn article iceberg and yhma fan. About the lutz, I like to think of it from the other direction. Why can't any other female skaters do the triple axel in competition now and why aren't they doing the triple flip / loop combo, which Mao did so well at Sochi and Saitama Worlds 2014 (no matter what tech judges say)? I think Miki Ando also did this combo in competition.

I think the flutz is ingrained in Mao because she probably waited too long to try to change it because in the ever capricious and shifting sands of the scoring system the strictness of the edge didn't make any difference when she first was younger, and no skater can do every jump perfectly. As far as I know, Midori Ito was the only female to really get the technique down for the triple lutz and triple axel, especially in 1989 and 1990 Worlds, but even she had trouble with consistency on the triple axel, landing only one in 2 Olympics while Mao landed 4. I like Midori a whole lot even more so since she is such an inspiration for Mao, but I still think Mao's jumps are more beautiful when she is "on."

Here is another article about Mao from late 2010 with a lot of interesting quotes from her:
http://travel.cnn.com/tokyo/play/se...mpian-mao-asada-ready-jump-next-season-257855
 
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Thanks ultra for the photos of Mao's triple axels at Sochi and Worlds 2014. It really shows how incredibly high they are especially relative to her height. The last person I showed Mao's LP at Sochi to went "Wow" when they saw her triple axel.

Here are the newest HD videos on youtube of Mao (some of them are repeated):

Diamond Ice Exhibition 2010: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLVvqxIP2aQ

2010 SP Nationals: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IB1iuYd-yU

2009 World Team Trophy SP Claire de Lune: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnWeL5MrHJs

2009 SP Worlds https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Fl7TSDjx-8

2010 4CC Freeskate https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9EQihn2sXY4

2010 4CCs SP https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1tBjA8A4Cs no sound again

2009 Cup of Russia SP with sound https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGUmzxR9LMI

2010 DOI Ballade https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWnzSkSqpOQ

2010 MOI NC + JP Ballade and Liebestraum Step sequence
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROMt2rb226k

2010 4CC Exhibition Caprice https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeKreoaIFK8

2009 4CC Exhibition Por Una Cabeza https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_gNnhWxv8w

2009 World Team Exhibition Exhibition https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIIuVBrLzUA
 
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I dunno if she can keep the 8-triple FS, because she's better off doing an easy 2A rather than a triple flutz.
With the new edge rules, I guess the 2A with high GOE would be better in terms of scores. But, the 8 triples just sounds and looks so nice.

There are SO many possible configurations for 8 triples if a skater reliably has five types.
The most obvious: Bring back the monster Solo 3T, which was as big as the 3A.

Also, since the 3F-3Lo has never been ratified since 2007, go back to the 3F-3T which was always ratified. Then replace the 2A-3T with 3Lo-2Lo which is one of her best combinations.

This is a hypothetical "ideal" routine that would undoubtedly get ratified under almost any judges, the only vulnerability being the axel:

3A
3F-3T
3Lo-2Lo
3S
3F-2T-2Lo
3T
3Lo
 
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There are SO many possible configurations for 8 triples if a skater reliably has five types.
The most obvious: Bring back the monster Solo 3T, which was as big as the 3A.

Also, since the 3F-3Lo has never been ratified since 2007, go back to the 3F-3T which was always ratified. Then replace the 2A-3T with 3Lo-2Lo which is one of her best combinations.

This is a hypothetical "ideal" routine that would undoubtedly get ratified under almost any judges, the only vulnerability being the axel:

3A
3F-3T
3Lo-2Lo
3S
3F-2T-2Lo
3TI
3Lo

Great suggestion on the two 3T. But, I want Mao to keep the triple flip / loop no matter what. I don't care if it is ratified. It is as beautiful as the triple axel and without it I would have never heard Maxim Trankov live on Russian TV say (in translation), "This is Mao Asada." He speaks the fully rotated truth.
 
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I would want her to keep the loop too. I think she would keep it, just like the triple axel if she doesn't use it she doesn't feel motivated enough.
 
There are SO many possible configurations for 8 triples if a skater reliably has five types.
The most obvious: Bring back the monster Solo 3T, which was as big as the 3A.

Also, since the 3F-3Lo has never been ratified since 2007, go back to the 3F-3T which was always ratified. Then replace the 2A-3T with 3Lo-2Lo which is one of her best combinations.

This is a hypothetical "ideal" routine that would undoubtedly get ratified under almost any judges, the only vulnerability being the axel:

3A
3F-3T
3Lo-2Lo
3S
3F-2T-2Lo
3T
3Lo
Asada's 3F-3Lo was ratified in the LP at 2008 4CC, in the SP at 2008 Worlds, and in the SP at 2009 Worlds. The 3-3 combinations she landed at 2013 WTT and 2014 Worlds and the one in Sochi were easily just as good as the ones she got ratified back in 2008. Her 3F-3T on the other hand was landed only 3 times internationally, all in one season, and one of them got downgraded. I would take her much better looking 3F-3Lo every time. Also your hypothetical layout has her repeating three triples, which is not allowed; under the Zayak rules a skater can only repeat 2 triples.

If Mao can come back with all her jumps as they were in 2014, I would like to see 3A, 3F-3Lo, and 3T in the SP (Mao of all skaters should not have any issue landing a clean 3T in the 2nd half of a SP), and then in the LP she could just keep the same 8-triple layout, maybe moving one of the combinations earlier to increase its reliability (then shifting the 3Lz back because she never missed it once in the last season).
 
there are so many possible configurations for 8 triples if a skater reliably has five types.
The most obvious: Bring back the monster solo 3t, which was as big as the 3a.

Also, since the 3f-3lo has never been ratified since 2007, go back to the 3f-3t which was always ratified. Then replace the 2a-3t with 3lo-2lo which is one of her best combinations.

This is a hypothetical "ideal" routine that would undoubtedly get ratified under almost any judges, the only vulnerability being the axel:

3a
3f-3t
3lo-2lo
3s
3f-2t-2lo
3t
3lo

I am fully aware of all the rules. What 3 triples are repeated in that layout?


3f, 3t, 3lo
 
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