This to the bolded part. Mao 's 3A gave every girl who did not have Midori and Tonya's build hope that no matter your slight size, it's was possible for them to do a 3A. And she was 12 when she was first landing them, how old were the power jumpers when they first started landing 3A's. Heck, even Yuna (and most of the girls of their generation and after) started practicing 3A's because of Mao. Before she came on the scene, most of these skinny/tiny girls never thought they had a chance.
It may not have the Ito's power, but boy did it have speed, grace, and beauty that was never seen before. Ito's jumps are/were beautiful and powerful. Just because Mao's are different, doesn't make it any less beautiful than Midori's. Midori loves Mao's 3As, and Mao single handedly kept Midori's legacy alive with 8+ years of successfully attempting 3A's in competition. Now we have Liza and up and coming Japanese youngsters practicing and attempting this jump in competition.
Thank you Midori for creating a legacy and breaking barriers for women in FS, and thank you Mao for continuing that legacy. 8 triples (with a 3A included) is one of the best breakthrough for women in figure skating. Here's hoping Liza continues this legacy.
Perfect post :yes:




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