What’s in store for Mao Asada this season?

[lowtherlore]

With Nagakubo she was rebuilding her jumps from the ground up and was struggling in the process. Now Mao is with Sato and Nagakubo is being dumped. How would her season unfold in the context of her correcting the jumps?

Would she successfully rebuild her jumps and come back strong; or
Would she be only marginally successful in rebuilding and compete in the events; or
Would she continue to struggle and skip either the GPs or the Worlds; or
Would she scrap the rebuilding altogether and go back to her old form.

[tangerine_dream]

More boring programs and a delusion that the triple axel somehow earns her more points than normal jumps done well.

[miki88]

Here's a better question. When will lowthelore stop creating Mao threads?

[DreamSkates]

i agree - scrap the triple axle, altho it's amazing to watch her complete it. Work on everything else that could earn her more points and make all of her other jumps solid.

[miki88]

i agree - scrap the triple axle, altho it's amazing to watch her complete it. Work on everything else that could earn her more points and make all of her other jumps solid.

Um... that's exactly what she's trying to do now: work on her other jumps, if you haven't heard..........

[tangerine_dream]

Um... that's exactly what she's trying to do now: work on her other jumps, if you haven't heard..........

That doesn't mean it will work when she's been doing them poorly so long. There's only so much you can fix. And while she's "working" on the other jumps, I somehow doubt she's stopped thinking the triple axe is somehow her ticket to gold. Relying on that jump (it's great and all, but it doesn't make up for mediocre everything else) is probably why she hasn't placed the way most people have been expecting her to the past few years.

[miki88]

nm

[blue_idealist]

I like the triple axel. It's gutsy and it's different. I hope Mao wins another world title if she skates well. With Yu-Na's recent problems, maybe she won't be as perfect this year (not that I'm ill-wishing her, Mao's just one of my favourites).

[taf2002]

That doesn't mean it will work when she's been doing them poorly so long. There's only so much you can fix. And while she's "working" on the other jumps, I somehow doubt she's stopped thinking the triple axe is somehow her ticket to gold. Relying on that jump (it's great and all, but it doesn't make up for mediocre everything else) is probably why she hasn't placed the way most people have been expecting her to the past few years.

"Mediocre everything else?" Really? I seem to remember another skater, this one from Russia who could do the 3X but hasn't won anything. Ludmilla something....who actually had mediocre everything else. She couldn't even spin as well as a junior. She certainly didn't become World Champion...she couldn't even win her own Nationals.

But way to be supportive. Why don't we wait & see how well Mao does this season before we trash her efforts?

[ponta1]

That doesn't mean it will work when she's been doing them poorly so long. There's only so much you can fix. And while she's "working" on the other jumps, I somehow doubt she's stopped thinking the triple axe is somehow her ticket to gold. Relying on that jump (it's great and all, but it doesn't make up for mediocre everything else) is probably why she hasn't placed the way most people have been expecting her to the past few years.

She did manage to win an Olympic silver medal, and is World Champion, despite her "mediocre-ness".

[lowtherlore]

Just read Mao’s latest interview, and I am glad that she seems sincere in addressing technical issues in her jumps, although I find it amazing that an Olympic silver medalist and World champ is struggling to pick up such basic techniques this late into the senior career. I want to see her also clean up the forward takeoffs on blades on her toe jumps and backward takeoffs on her axels. It would be too optimistic to rely on judges’ leniency when she square off with the Russian and American young guns in Sochi, if she stick around until then. As for her coaching arrangement, while it would be possible that she and Sato give audience to the suggestions from others, I can’t picture someone senior enough like Nagakubo working with her directly as a specialist coach. They cannot have two captains.

Here's a better question. When will lowthelore stop creating Mao threads?

FYI this is the first one started by me.

[ponta1]

FYI this is the first one started by me.

This may be the first thread started by you, but judging by all your previous post on any topic with Mao, you clearly don't like her and have only derogatory things to say about her. So the question is, why start a thread on a skater you don't like? On the other hand, I think I know the answer to that so you don't need to reply.

[briancoogaert]

Just a note : her 3 Lutz is much better than it was before. At least, she tries to do it with an outside edge ! Good job !

[igniculus]

>>What’s in store for Mao Asada this season?<<

Becoming world champion again?

[RumbleFish]

>>What’s in store for Mao Asada this season?<<

Becoming world champion again?

With the new rules, it would be a huge disappointment if she doesn't.
But after watching Japan Open, I think Ando has a good chance of spoiling the party like she did in 2007. Ando's program is lame as ever, but well constructed IMO for Worlds in her home country.
She will probably start her program with 3lutz-3lo< and 4sal< , then do a couple of spins and lots of posing, and then backload 5 jumping passes in the second half. If home ground buff were to be added to already inflated PCS, she will be pretty hard to beat.

[RumbleFish]

Just a note : her 3 Lutz is much better than it was before. At least, she tries to do it with an outside edge ! Good job !

Didn't she get an "e" for her lutz?

[inskate]

Now Mao is with Sato and Nagakubo is being dumped.

Mao has not "dumped" Nagakubo. She will not work with him during the season because he is the main coach of many promising skaters and will have to prepare them and travel with them to competitions, while Mao might relocate to Yokohama. However, she said that it's possible that she'll work with him again in the next off-season.

Nagakubo Sensei taught me during off-season period. I’ve decided to go with Sato Sensei for this season. Nagakubo Sensei and I haven’t split up. When this season is over, I will consult Sato Sensei to decide what to do.
(Translated by linglang)

Both Mao and Sato were appreciative of Nagakubo's efforts, and Sato said that he will continue his work and not try to change the things he taught Mao.

(...) a delusion that the triple axel somehow earns her more points than normal jumps done well.

Mao has never said that 3A should give her more points than a full set of jumps. In fact, she said many times that she wants to master all jumps and in the 08-09 season made attempts to include all of them in her programs. However, she went through a growth spurt and nearly lost her jumps in 2009. She didn't attempt 3A three times because she thought that is the way to win. She did it because 3A, 3F and 3L were her most stable jumps at that time. Normal jumps done well earn points, but splats don't. And there was no time to go back to basics and make her other jumps stable. She is doing this now:

“In the beginning, we started with the form of the jumps and the takeoff position. While gradually increasing the rotations from single to double to triple, we reworked my jumps from the foundation. The speed of my rotation was slow, my approach was slow, in general, [my coach] told me, “You’re slow.” I think that compared to when we started, my jumps have solidified quite a bit. Even so, if I compare them to the level I want to achieve, I’d say I’m at step 5 of 10. However, I started this training because I wanted to make my jumps even better, so I think that if I continue training like this, it’ll be okay.”

(...)

“For now, I’ve been doing all the different types of jumps with the intention of putting them in my programs this season. Instead of just doing the axel, if I can increase my jump variety, then I can come up with jump layouts that are more advantageous for me. I have no regrets about my jump layout last season, and even if I have regrets in the future, it can’t be helped. What I learned from my experiences last season is that in the end, I’ll absolutely be able to do it, and it’ll be okay. So while focusing on next year, and the year after that, I want to take on new challenges.”

http://www.asahi.com/sports/column/TKY201009290221.html
(Translated by Batsuchan)

And from another interview:

I’ve started to feel during practice that I’m getting some achievement, but I’ve not accomplished yet. I think I will have to spend six months, one year, or two years, otherwise I cannot truly bring them back and become consistent.

http://www.nikkansports.com/sports/n...04-686471.html
(translated by

And while she's "working" on the other jumps, I somehow doubt she's stopped thinking the triple axe is somehow her ticket to gold.

Well, she removed one of her 3As from the LP, replacing it with 2A-3T. According to an interview post-Japan Open Mao plans to keep this jump layout.
Both she and Sato said that now that the Olympics are over, they will concentrate on making all of Mao's jumps consistent, even if this will take a couple of seasons.

According to twitts from Yana Rudkovskaya and reports from the practices before Japan Open Mao's jumps were already quite consistent in practice when she jumped them outside her program. Jumping them in the program might be much more difficult and it's possible that Mao will struggle for a season, or two, or longer.

It certainly won't happen overnight. Most of the skaters have trouble getting one troublesome jump consistent, and Mao is working on reworking all except for 3L.

[Frau Muller]

Mao will be the World Champion for a 3rd time...leaving NBC-TV's Kwantastic marketeers with egg on their faces yet again.

[Sinclare]

I would love to see her win WC this year especially because it is in Japan.

[kosjenka]

Well I hope she improves her technique and gets the right take off on her problematic jump.
I admire her for 3 axle. I think it is a great thing for the competition, makes it more interesting.
It does not mean other ladies must start working on 3 axle - but this makes Mao special.
I do hope YuNa stays for Worlds this season( and more!). I fail to understand someone wanting her or Mao to retiree so the other could prosper more easily. We are so lucky to have such talented & remarkable performers skating and competing at the same time.