Mao Asada | Page 203 | Golden Skate

Mao Asada

Mao made me irrevocably fall in love with her watching this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVxYiITTs18
It has been such a immense honour to be her fan, to witness live her gold medal in Turin, she has such an amazing aura that is impossible to describe, she's the perfect personification of skating on the ice and outside the rink. I can only say grazie dal profondo del cuore, è stato davvero bellissimo .:bow::bow::bow:
 
Not surprised by this news, but I wish Mao all the best. She is one of the greatest of all time.

I hope that she will perform in shows. I would be excited if she came and performed in the U.S. or Canada.
 
giulia95 said:
Mao made me irrevocably fall in love with her watching this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVxYiITTs18
It has been such a immense honour to be her fan, to witness live her gold medal in Turin, she has such an amazing aura that is impossible to describe, she's the perfect personification of skating on the ice and outside the rink. I can only say grazie dal profondo del cuore, è stato davvero bellissimo .:bow::bow::bow:
Click to expand...

It gives me tears...

it's only one time that i say that, Mao is the biggest sacrifice of dirty side of ISU. She'd droped some titles for that. some of her fans must agree with that. she shall never go to North America for their preference for yuna. Tracy wilson always denigrated Mao in her comentary. All the strategyl worked out. But she just kept despite of all those things without saying nothing. Her attitude and presence was a relief to me. It was a relief that human can stay strong despite of so many unreasonable things. But now I lost her.
 
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Well, my household was always a Mao household :hap10:

For me, she (and Yuzu) best embody the champion mentality of "never give up," and always gift the audience with artistry. It makes her an inspirational figure.

What the rivalry with Yuna, and Caro at her best moments, gave us is unmatched today.
 
hamaguri said:
It gives me tears...

it's only one time that i say that, Mao is the biggest sacrifice of dirty side of ISU. She'd droped some titles for that. some of her fans must agree with that. she shall never go to North America for their preference for yuna. Tracy wilson always denigrated Mao in her comentary. All the strategyl worked out. But she just kept despite of all those things without saying nothing. Her attitude and presence was a relief to me. It was a relief that human can stay strong despite of so many unreasonable things. But now I lost her.
Click to expand...

I absolutely agree with you, you couldn't have said it better !
 
Here I was just about to quit lurking this great forum and suddenly such news :( Wonder what she meant by having lost a goal that supported her until nationals?

It is really sad to hear this and a big loss to competetive figure skating imo, but this is just another start after all. I wish her all the best!
 
hamaguri said:
It gives me tears...

it's only one time that i say that, Mao is the biggest sacrifice of dirty side of ISU. She'd droped some titles for that. some of her fans must agree with that. she shall never go to North America for their preference for yuna. Tracy wilson always denigrated Mao in her comentary. All the strategyl worked out. But she just kept despite of all those things without saying nothing. Her attitude and presence was a relief to me. It was a relief that human can stay strong despite of so many unreasonable things. But now I lost her.
Click to expand...

I will miss Mao's competitive performance terribly , though I hope she finds great satisfaction and peace of mind in retirement and I hope to see her skate in many exhibitions. She is my all time favorite and I have never even come close to Japan and I am an American. I agree with your comment and have written about this very thing in many places. I have learned a lot about discrimination and unfairness in analyzing how Mao was underscored for the incredible combination of great qualities she brought to her skating. To me, it is kind of a mirror for what has happened throughout history to many great charismatic people who are able to inspire and move the emotions of many others like a mountain but who have not enjoyed institutional or government approval or lack connections in the right place to protect them from discrimination; and therefore, attempts are made to "put them their place" while they are punished extra harshly for mistakes and often even those they do not make. In addition to the incredible range of beautiful qualities Mao presents in her performances, from prima ballerina spins, spirals and step sequences to unparalleled skating skills and rink coverage done with such seeming ease and with so much flow and so many swaying and one legged skating motions, there is the unique combination of jumps- triple axel, triple flip and loop and triple flip / double loop / double loop combo done with impeccable posture and gorgeous air position and such elegant flair of movement on exit, and her ability to tap deeply into a great wellspring of emotion that arises from her consummate artistry. A unique combination that was highly undervalued. As for a list of some of her greatest performances, for me Mao's Nocturne at Worlds, her SP at Cup of China 2015 and her Vancouver SP are her greatest SPs, and honestly the best I have seen. Just as I think Mao's Sochi LP was the greatest LP and even her Madame Butterfly at Worlds 2016 especially in terms of the way it moved my emotions. I think they all reveal Mao's full range of dazzling qualities and are a great symbol of how she delivered so much more than her scores. Her transcendence is limitless. Then, there are her great performances of Fantasie Impromptu at the Grand Prix Final 2007 and 4CC's 2008 or her Worlds 2010 Bells of Moscow. . The list is so long I could go on and on . The timeless value of Mao's skating always reminds me of these two Einstein quotes, the first of which I saw beneath a video of Mao's Sochi LP performance with almost 3 million views that was removed by the IOC just before Worlds 2016:

The value of a man (or woman) should be seen in what he (or she) gives and not in what he (or she) is able to receive.

And in terms of the need to scrutinize scores with a discerning air and not simply take the word of those in power:

Blind Obedience to authority is the greatest enemy of truth

Mao hit the bull's eye for me in terms of making athleticism artistic and timeless and made me feel like she was standing nobly against forces that I disagreed with because it didn't represent my ideal of a performance. And the fact that she did it without complaint and in the face of such withering criticism for so many years I find amazing. Anyone who can inspire someone to spend so much time defending them and writing such high praise, has something special that transcends any system and instead hits the depths of the heart and soul. Mao had the guts to go out and deliver so many great performances without complaint for her placements or the harsh criticism and articles written about her, so I think I owe her defense for all the resolve and elegance she displayed under all the extra pressure.


I have posted most all of these videos before, but since this is a special but sad day I decided to put as many high quality videos I can find of her performances in one place:

Here are the ones I have found:

Here is a high quality 1440 resolution of Mao's fabulous 4CC 2013 SP I Got Rhythm: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLJc48Az10o


Here is a 4K video of Mao's Cup of Russia Scheherazade Sp performance 2011: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLagVGDDey8


And another 4K version of Mao's Worlds 2014 SP Nocturne: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bIkD2wwjaik


The 4K parade of Mao's past skates continues to amaze. Well actually 1440

Trophy de France SP: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKFAHMX1wJM


4CC Mary Poppins: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iw3TgIlewR8


Mao's Sochi LP 1440: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Hob5DEkR9U

Jupiter and Encore 2011 at Cup of Russia: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNDl_RO1uUk

2008 Worlds Fantasy for Violin SP no commentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMtJ_0yTKtc

2013 Swan Lake Worlds no commentary https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCHdQFKDzlA

Worlds LP 2008 Fantasie Impromptu no commentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSCpgt79JMc

Madame Butterfly at Worlds 2016: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvUXq2PVNNE

Here are some more very high quality video (1080 60 fps) of Mao's performances:

Claire de Lune at WTT 2009: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xzQiw8019A

Scent of a Woman Worlds 2009: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDO8x78o5xQ

2012 NHK Tophy SP: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNfS-7asNlg

Here is a magnificent ultra HD (1440) copy of Mao's Cello Suite at Skate America: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81TbYtaUXnE

JSC 2011 Ballade (1440): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=de_zQMmhDhY

Here is a really high quality fancam of Mao skating to Waltz Masquerade in her beautiful pink dress early in the Olympic season at an exhibition.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apferrC2pFE

And here is a high quality video of Caprice

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrNSnI3_tYU

And here is the best copy I could find of Scent of a Woman

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8QVsi6_rgM

I love the choreography, spirals, spins, step sequences and costumes in all these programs. What a timeless treasure!

Here is a video compilation of Mao's magical step sequences: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6iUCqSzAWk

Here is an outstanding version of Mao's 2007 Worlds LP, one of my favorites from Mao and so emotional: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qiTzRinN4_c

Comment from March 28 and high quality video of Mao's Bells of Moscow: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUUYRb2mAns

2005 Grand Prix Final:

SP: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZAoBRmwqsk
LP: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oc1jxgLD6o

2013 4CC's

SP: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5s-Rp7s8Tc
LP: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3zf0D3M1sk

2010 Nationals
SP: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=huKegY7tU5I
LP: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5Ia1Zc1TJI

2011 4CC's
SP: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tH70BR9ufow
LP: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTTxA6MkGIo

Japan Open Madame Butterfly (1080 60 fps): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3n8odc0iymo
Cup of China SP(1440): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGgdW21HkUA
 
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I have been feeling oddly calm since last night... I guess either the full weight of this news has not yet sunk in, or I am happy and relieved for Mao that she has made this decision and spared herself of struggles and heartbreak in the upcoming season.

I do think it is the right decision for her. This morning Fleetwood Mac's "Landslide" has been playing in my head. I feel the song encapsulates Mao's relationship with competitive skating at this point in her career. https://youtu.be/WM7-PYtXtJM

(Okay now I've made myself start to cry...)
 
I hadn't been following skating as closely recently, but seeing Mao announce her retirement felt like the end of an era for me. The first time I ever saw her skate was her Vancouver free skate. Before that, I had only ever watched FS casually. I enjoyed the other skaters, but Mao was the one who truly caught my eye; to me, the mistakes near the end were irrelevant. From the dramatic starting pose to those record-breaking triple Axels to her absolutely stunning spirals, from the triple loop to that iconic step sequence and the final spins, I was captivated. That program was what made me start following FS over the next four years. Watching her race against the clock to retool her jumps despite personal setbacks along the way, I had some frustrating late nights and early mornings watching live streams, but the good moments made it all worth it.

When I saw her Sochi SP score, I was so crushed, I slumped against a cabinet and couldn't work or even think straight for the rest of the day. The next morning, I skipped half a day's lab to watch her FS. I expected nothing but she gave us everything: the trademark 3A, a stunning triple-triple that we hadn't seen all season, 5 more triples, and a passionate, fiery step sequence for the ages. I've lost count of the number of times I watched her free skate with different commentators and heard all their accolades. But what I remember the most is the CCTV commentators saying "Yours may have been a difficult, lonely road to walk, but Heaven will not betray your love and perseverance." Indeed, as they said, when she cried, so did we.

Things may not have gone as smoothly after her break and subsequent comeback, but she fought every step of the way and remained a class act until the end. Thank you, Mao, for all the excitement and enjoyment (and even the heartbreak!) you have brought me in the last 7 years.
 
While re-watching Mao videos non-stop (I still can't process the fact that she's retiring...:sad14:), I came across this cute skate of a young 16 year old Mao. I've never seen this program or this dress before.

https://youtu.be/3Iq0nIJBxVk

Watch out for two surprises:
1. You'll find out soon enough :biggrin:
2. 3A in the second half!! :shocked:
 
Under normal circumstances, I don't like posting the same thing twice in different parts of the forum. But, these are not normal circumstances.

Here is what I wrote in the dedicated thread there now:

Typical. I stay away from The Edge until I get the Men's FS from Worlds watched to avoid finding out the results, and when I return, this is the first thing I see.

:cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry:

La reine est mort, vive la reine!

(OK, so she's only retired. But, you know what I mean!)

I have to be honest, I am not surprised that this announcement has come before the Olympic season. It may sound trivial, but it was very noticable that when the British Eurosport guys were talking about how competitive the Ladies field was in Japan, and about how many very good skaters missed out on being selected for Worlds, they never once mentioned Mao's name. It is not that long ago that leaving her out of the conversation would have been unthinkable. So, I think that said a lot about where Mao was in the rankings.

Normally, if somebody announced their retirement the season before the Olympics, I would think they were mad. That was what I thought when the rumours started about Misha Ge. But, his situation is different as he was in a position where he was practically guaranteed an Olympic slot. So, yes, he may be in demand as a choreographer. But, he still would have been assured of competing in Pyeongchang.

With Mao, I totally understand her decision. Recent competitions have shown that she is not in the running for an Olympic slot. So, better to bow out now rather than put herself through the agony of not being selected.

It is always hard to know whether it is right to come back from a sabbatical or not. Whilst you were sitting out, others have been pushing the boundaries. Some can adjust to the new expectations straight away, like Virtue and Moir. For some it can take a little longer, but they can get there, like Patrick Chan. And then there are others that don't.

I am probably biased because I am a massive fan, but I have no doubt that if she had been from a different country, Mao could have adjusted a lot quicker. For me, there were signs that the old sparkle was still there. But, the ultra-competitive nature of the Japanese Ladies field meant that there were other things to deal with.

The comeback may not have been as successful as the first part of her career. But, it will not take away from the glorious memories we have.

I really hope she gets the send off she deserves at the WTT Gala.

This has to be the most appropriate video for this moment:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cx8vp-2X2rM

Simon Reed pretty much says it all. And watching it again did set the tears off.

I will miss My Queen.

Thank you for everything.

CaroLiza_fan​
 
randomfan said:
While re-watching Mao videos non-stop (I still can't process the fact that she's retiring...:sad14:), I came across this cute skate of a young 16 year old Mao. I've never seen this program or this dress before.

https://youtu.be/3Iq0nIJBxVk

Watch out for two surprises:
1. You'll find out soon enough :biggrin:
2. 3A in the second half!! :shocked:
Click to expand...

Was that Mai at the start? I can only ever remember seeing her on the ice. And you know how different skaters can look when they are in their civvies!

At first I thought it was, but then they showed Mao and I thought "No, that age difference looks more than just 2 years".

By the way, it is amazing how little Mao has changed in the past 10 years. She looks exactly the same now as she did then!

New business venture - selling the secret of eternal youth! :biggrin:

CaroLiza_fan
 
since the news aired yesterday, I still feel sad and in a 'missing' state somehow...

I just want to share a common love and sentiment to Mao-skater, Mao-performer, Mao-artist, Mao-Ballerina and mostly - Mao as an athlete and human. She will always embody for me some unique standard of a performance so captivating and presented as an artwork to audience, regardless jumps, technique and judging. There was always a purity and authentic feel in Mao's skating, competitive or not. She was one of very few competitors who more cared about audience comfort/aesthetic impression than her own pain. She had not only a skill, but a way to present it in such various ways, all in her innate elegance, sophistication and maturity.

Her rocky career was a testament of true fighter, and there was always one thing constant with her - she was always for her audience, her skating was her way to communicate and emote. I feel envious of all of You who were privileged to be a part of that conversation during her career.

Her strong work ethic, respect shown for other skaters, enthusiasm for skating, dedication, poise and determination can't be denied and overlooked - moreover, those virtues should be looked up to by many of current young skaters.

I'm glad that I'll remember her as exceptional artist, mature and conscious enough to take care of her further life, her body, her own comfort as a human being. She gave us so much joy, emotion, thrill, fire, tears and happiness - it's time we should pay her all respect towards her decision, no matter how it hurts us no longer being able to see her in competition. But then I remind myself how many times she went through difficult times, painful events, self-disappointment, negativity and criticism experienced, yet she still shown a real class, holding her head high, being her elegant, composed self with serene smile.

Wishing Mao all the best - only the best for one of the greatest of all times!
 
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