Mao Asada

[minze]

Sorry for the late reply, Lette. I'm glad that Mao is your favorite skater. She is my favorite skater too and Sochi is my favorite performance. I've written a lot about that on posts on this thread. I would really like to know more about why you like Mao so much. Also, what other performances of hers do you like?

She is the reason I love figure skating :dance:

 

[amazingMao]

She is the reason I love figure skating :dance:

And she is the reason why I started listening and become appreciative in classical music
(although I'm not musician)

 

[yhmafan]

I love to hear the words from people who like Mao how they express their feelings about her and her performances.
It’s surprisingly beautiful in most cases.

Btw, I heard Mao means “cat” in Chinese and Asada means “female lion” in Swahili is cat family.
even though she herself is more of a dog lover, her name does kinda describe which she belongs to

 

[minze]

I agree that this season has a great sense of emptiness with Mao gone. The one thing that is for sure is that she will continue to skate. In a recent interview talking about her future and the area affected by the earthquake and tsunami, she said this, "While I have not decided whether I'll make a comeback to competitions or to be a pro skater, I want to create the atmosphere where people come to smile naturally in any ways - such as holding ice shows in Tohoku area and coming to Tohoku to talk with people here."

translation by rosewood fsuniverse http://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/ind...say-figure-skating-is-wonderful.89260/page-23

I don't know what she will decide because she doesn't even seem to know herself right now. It's wonderful that she is so full of joy these days, so the most important thing for me would be for her to choose something that would keep her feeling that way. I have mixed feelings about her returning because of her being underscored relative to the competition especially in her LPs, but her legendary performances are worth so much more than a numerical score, so it still would be nice to see more competitive programs from Mao. It's really hard on the nerves though.

@gotoschool Please clear you private messages, I try to write you and it said you have exceeded your limit and don't have more space. You have to clear some messages

 

[gotoschool]

I love to hear the words from people who like Mao how they express their feelings about her and her performances.
It’s surprisingly beautiful in most cases.

Btw, I heard Mao means “cat” in Chinese and Asada means “female lion” in Swahili is cat family.
even though she herself is more of a dog lover, her name does kinda describe which she belongs to

Thanks for the information about Mao's name, yhma fan. When I wrote a description of Mao's LP at Sochi, I used the word lioness to describe Mao's nimble quickness and intensity in her step sequence.

After this, she plunged into her step sequence, where tears begin to rush as a flooded river.
The battling ballerina pranced in frantic freedom,
whirling her arms along every trajectory to balance her body,
twisting quickly to accelerate the vortex in her pirouettes,
then rocking back and forth rapidly in semi-circular turns.
The passion in her face portrayed the beautiful fierceness
of a lovely lioness to the roar of the audience,
as they clapped in time to her nimble quickness.

 

[minze]

Thanks for the information about Mao's name, yhma fan. When I wrote a description of Mao's LP at Sochi, I used the word lioness to describe Mao's nimble quickness and intensity in her step sequence.

After this, she plunged into her step sequence, where tears begin to rush as a flooded river.
The battling ballerina pranced in frantic freedom,
whirling her arms along every trajectory to balance her body,
twisting quickly to accelerate the vortex in her pirouettes,
then rocking back and forth rapidly in semi-circular turns.
The passion in her face portrayed the beautiful fierceness
of a lovely lioness to the roar of the audience,
as they clapped in time to her nimble quickness.

I wish I had your talent for words. You say it so well @gotoschool. I am glad Mao's fans get inspired by her

 

[gotoschool]

I wish I had your talent for words. You say it so well @gotoschool. I am glad Mao's fans get inspired by her

Your welcome and thank you! Mao is a true inspiration and the most beautiful synthesis of athletics, artistry and emotional expression I have ever seen.

 

[Franklin99]

I love to hear the words from people who like Mao how they express their feelings about her and her performances.
It’s surprisingly beautiful in most cases.

Btw, I heard Mao means “cat” in Chinese and Asada means “female lion” in Swahili is cat family.
even though she herself is more of a dog lover, her name does kinda describe which she belongs to

It makes purrfect sense when you watch the way she moves on and off ice.

 

[gotoschool]

It makes purrfect sense when you watch the way she moves on and off ice.

That's a nice play on words. Mao's performances do give me a lot of contentment which is consistent with the purring, but the effect is more powerful than that because of her profound artistry and emotion. I always thought that Mao's quintessential program for displaying feline grace was her 2010 Worlds LP. She elegantly stalked the rink with such incredibly flexible and picturesque spirals, spins including her best one handed Biellmann, and acrobatic triple axels. I didn't believe a human being could do such nimble things when I first saw it.

Here is another fancam of Mao's Sochi LP, but with no zoom lens.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IuVql-ti7r0

 

[yhmafan]

I am glad my trivia about her name seemed to work.

That's a nice play on words. Mao's performances do give me a lot of contentment which is consistent with the purring, but the effect is more powerful than that because of her profound artistry and emotion. I always thought that Mao's quintessential program for displaying feline grace was her 2010 Worlds LP. She elegantly stalked the rink with such incredibly flexible and picturesque spirals, spins including her best one handed Biellmann, and acrobatic triple axels. I didn't believe a human being could do such nimble things when I first saw it.

Your awesome statement made me miss her a lot, to be honest I have mixed feelings about her returning too, though.

I can’t believe myself because I had not thought 3A is such a difficult element in this sport field until I learned the thing that it’s not easy even for men and most ladies can’t put it in their programs plus as one more reason usually Mao had done it without effort to my eyes.


On another note : Congrats for Liza on her 3A in the SP!

 

[randomfan]

Liza's 3A was great today, but I can't stop thinking about Mao's 3A. Liza has the height, but Mao's takeoff, rotation, and especially landing of her 3A is better than Liza's.

 

[jkun]

Liza's 3A was great today, but I can't stop thinking about Mao's 3A. Liza has the height, but Mao's takeoff, rotation, and especially landing of her 3A is better than Liza's.

Probably the other way around... Mao's 3A is higher. Her air position is more elegant. Liza's take off is most definitely better than mao's. Landings can be debated. I liked liza's today. Definitely a proper 3 and 1/2 rotations

 

[Maofen]

One thing for sure though, after watching today's competition, I think it's safe to say that Shin Amano really does hate Mao.

 

[ArcticMonkeys]

I just watched Worlds and I realised how much I miss Mao...

 

[mary01]

I just watched Worlds and I realised how much I miss Mao...

you are not the only one, one can't help but compare, and it's hard when there is nothing to compare, the quality is not the same, and the choreographic details are non-existent in many of the current programs.

 

[Maofen]

I miss her too but somehow I feel that even if she skates amazing, she will get lowballed on pcs. So, I kind of relief that she doesn't compete.

 

[gotoschool]

I do think that Liza did a really nice triple axel. Congratulations to her! However. I think Mao has the best triple axel because of the beautiful air position and spiral, her erect posture, intricate and elegant movement into and out of the jump and balletic steps and gestures on exit. To me, her axel also seems higher than Liza's. Interesting fact for the posters on the SP women's World thread who seem intent on criticizing Mao's triple axel for alleged urs, skids, alleged lack of a running edge out of the jump, etc. and proclaimed Mao's jump as "inferior" to Liza's.

The score that the judges gave Mao for her triple axel in the Worlds LP was originally an excellent 10.36 before it was downgraded very suspiciously by the tech crew to around 6 points, while Liza's in her SP was 10. In the SP at Worlds, her triple axel got 10.30 points. So for those speaking with such assurance that Mao's triple axels are "inferior," all one needs to do is look at the evaluation of the triple axel the judges gave her last two in competition. The tech crew seems to have had other "arrangements" in the long program that contradicted the judges.

 

[Maofen]

I do think that Liza did an excellent triple axel too (take off was great and it was clearly rotated and clean) and nice to see her dong it. Hopefully her success will encourage the other ladies to attempt triple axel too. My problem is the gigantic pcs inflation.

I certainly agree with you with Mao's beautiful position etc. Regarding those posters, judging by their previous posts about Mao, I think they simply don't like her and basically happy to get more reasons to critize Mao. I refrain myself from responding to their comments tho, because I know they will paint me (or other fans) as bitter hence I'm very happy this thread exists.

Edit: I'm waiting patiently for Wakaba Higuchi. I hope she survives puberty and will succesfully challenge triple axel. I really like her.

I do think that Liza did a really nice triple axel. Congratulations to her! However. I think Mao has the best triple axel because of the beautiful air position and spiral, her erect posture, intricate and elegant movement into and out of the jump and balletic steps and gestures on exit. To me, her axel also seems higher than Liza's. Interesting fact for the posters on the SP women's World thread who seem intent on criticizing Mao's triple axel for alleged urs, skids, alleged lack of a running edge out of the jump, etc. and proclaimed Mao's jump as "inferior" to Liza's.

The score that the judges gave Mao for her triple axel in the Worlds LP was originally an excellent 10.36 before it was downgraded very suspiciously by the tech crew to around 6 points, while Liza's in her SP was 10. In the SP at Worlds, her triple axel got 10.30 points. So for those speaking with such assurance that Mao's triple axels are "inferior," all one needs to do is look at the evaluation of the triple axel the judges gave her last two in competition. The tech crew seems to have had other "arrangements" in the long program that contradicted the judges.

 

[chairmanmao]

I should have lowered my expectations of Liza's 3A. Definitely not Han/Hanyu level 3A everyone has been harping about the past few months.

 

[Meoima]

I think Liza did well, she has the purest technique and it's the first time they have a ladies with full 6 type of jumps without any UR and edge call in this era. Not to mention people have been focusing on her 3A is also because most people have written Liza off so much as she placed 10th in National last season. Her story is very inspiring.

Mao's 3A is more aesthetically pleasing, for sure.

Having said that, after yesterday's ladies event I start disliking Shin Amano more and more. I don't get his problem with Mao as he were often uber strict to her jumps, while to other Japanese skaters he doesn't show that strictness at all. Poor Mao.