What’s in store for Mao Asada this season?

[Doubletoe]

Last season Mao got off to a rocky start and didn't even make it to the GPF and the haterz came out in droves to nail her coffin shut. She ended the season with an Olympic silver medal and the world championship. Don't be fooled by Mao's early season performances!

[PUNKPRINCESS]

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.

Pardon me, but your logic is a bit contradictory. Why would she be working on her other jumps if she thought her triple axel was her "ticket to gold"? Can't we give her credit for trying to improve on her "mediocre everything else"?

[lipned]

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 !

I agree, she definitely has improved her lutz technique, her inside edge at the take-off is much shorter than before, although she still rolls over to the inside edge at the take-off which can be seen quite easily.

I have a HUGE respect for Mao.
She puts a lot of demands on herself, as she tries to improve her lutz, includes triple salchow.
Most skaters wouldn't be subjecting themselves to something like that especially with the situation in the short program where Mao has an advantage over other skaters because of her triple axel, and because re-learning a jump technique is a notoriously difficult endeavour.

GO MAO!

[Sinclare]

Maybe she will have a bumpy GP season, but make the final and be victorious in Tokyo at WC????? It could happen? I hope, she deserves it!

[tangerine_dream]

"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?

I don't have any reason to be "supportive", I am neither family nor friend. I'm just an onlooker and speaking my mind. I'm not one to think I should "support" people I don't know.

You have to take things in perspective...obviously when I say the rest of her skating is mediocre, I compare her to the rest of her (world class) field, not to some unknown senior skater from a small country who can't even win her Nationals. Different standards apply to different people, and World-class skaters are expected to skate better than Jane Doe. I'm comparing her to what she needs to compare herself to, which is the top of the field.

Pardon me, but your logic is a bit contradictory. Why would she be working on her other jumps if she thought her triple axel was her "ticket to gold"? Can't we give her credit for trying to improve on her "mediocre everything else"?

It's not really contradictory. Joubert spent a year working on improving his spins, because he knew they needed help. That didn't stop him from thinking that having a quad would give him better chances to win the Olys than those who didn't (and lo and behold, someone without a quad won..). Just because you are "working on other things" which is usually not even your own idea but suggested by someone else on your team, doesn't mean you don't think it's only the "big jump" that matters. The two are not mutually exclusive, and since her triple axel is already so good and reliable anyway, it's not like she has much else to work on that the "more basic" jumps. What is she going to do instead?

[judgejudy27]

This year for womens skating could be crazy open. Mao still inconsistent at times, questions about Yu Na with a big coaching change, Rochette planning not to compete this season though if she sees a clear path to the World title she might reconsider, Nagasu reportedly injured, Ando and Kostner both past their primes, Lepisto now injured. Flip a coin to what is going to happen right now.

[Phoenix347]

This year for womens skating could be crazy open. Mao still inconsistent at times, questions about Yu Na with a big coaching change, Rochette planning not to compete this season though if she sees a clear path to the World title she might reconsider, Nagasu reportedly injured, Ando and Kostner both past their primes, Lepisto now injured. Flip a coin to what is going to happen right now.

Excellent analysis of the Senior ladies for the 2010-2011 season. Two of the Olympic medalist are not competing in the Grand Prix, Mao is in the midst of drastic changes to her program and jump techniques, Nagasu and Lepisto both dealing with injuries, the field is wide open for someone to step up and take the crown! It will be an interesting season, if a bit weakened field.

I wonder if Mao is treating this season as a transitional year for her to strengthen her program and revamp her techniques for certain jumps. Maybe that's more important to her than any title this year as her ultimate goal now seem to be gold medal at Sochi. In spite of that, she can still tune her programs and technique and still stand on top of the podium this year. It will be interesting to see the progress she'll make on her ambitious goals this year.

[Vash01]

I love the triple axel. I wish more ladies (and men) would challenge themselves with harder jumps. She needs to keep it and clean up her other jumps. They are not horrible by any means but she will get more points with better technique.

However, I would really like her to develop artistically. May be work with Lori Nichols? Long ago it had helped Michelle bring her inner artist out. I just hope that with Sato's coaching she will not become a boring skater (Fumi comes to mind).

I hope she can win the world championship next year.

[mikemba]

I love the triple axel. I wish more ladies (and men) would challenge themselves with harder jumps. She needs to keep it and clean up her other jumps. They are not horrible by any means but she will get more points with better technique.

I totally agree.

I never felt Mao was foolish for focusing on her triple axel. The only thing I ever felt was foolish is how ridiculously low the base value of a triple axel is under COP.

[pinky166]

Kosnter and Ando may not be past their primes, it's really hard to tell. I mean look at what happened to Joannie.

[lowtherlore]

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.

I agree with this. Ando is well capable of winning another WC, especially when it is being held in Japan, where she could have PCS advantage again. I am not a fan of her skating, but she has proven many times she can skate relatively clean in big competitions.

[lowtherlore]

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.

As you pointed out I am not big Mao fan, but I said good things about her in several of my previous posts. Other times I might have wrote things not to your liking, but don’t make false accusations. Where did I ever write “derogatory” things on Mao? I call a spade a spade.

[ponta1]

As you pointed out I am not big Mao fan, but I said good things about her in several of my previous posts. Other times I might have wrote things not to your liking, but don’t make false accusations. Where did I ever write “derogatory” things on Mao? I call a spade a spade.

I don't know what "good" things you've said about her. Basically, what you keep saying in numerous posts, is that she and the JSF continue to lie about approaching Orser, etc. etc. yada yada blah blah.

[pinky166]

I agree with this. Ando is well capable of winning another WC, especially when it is being held in Japan, where she could have PCS advantage again. I am not a fan of her skating, but she has proven many times she can skate relatively clean in big competitions.

I agree with this. Boring as Miki is, she is consistent and capable of difficult, well-executed jumps and combinations. Her flexibility and spins aren't great but they are fine, and her slender body line makes these flaws more forgivable. Her PCS are consistently high, although not huge, but in Japan they could be if she skates well. The 2a-3t looked really solid in Japan Open, so if she includes that combo in her FS along with a 3lz-3lo and possibly a 4s, even if she gets URs, she'll still have a very high base value. Where Joannie may not skate, and Mao and Yuna going through big changes this season, Miki looks like a good bet for a world medal this season, possibly the gold, at least at this point.