Mao to use triple axel later this season

[japanice]

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/sp20121121it.html

[Vash01]

I am happy to hear that she is being smart in using it only when she needs it. She does not need it at NHK, and I hope she continues to improve her jump technique.

[briancoogaert]

I admire that she wants to go with the most difficult jump.
But I think she will gain more points with working on complete the rotations of Flip and Loop.
I don't think she needs 3Axel this season if her other jumps are complete.

[Amy03]

I admire that she wants to go with the most difficult jump.
But I think she will gain more points with working on complete the rotations of Flip and Loop.
I don't think she needs 3Axel this season if her other jumps are complete.

her loop was fully rotated at JO and COC so her flip is the only thing that she has to make sure of, I just watched her recent practice clips and her 3A looked good, and i am happy to hear that she only will include it when she feels it's ready!

[Vash01]

I admire that she wants to go with the most difficult jump.
But I think she will gain more points with working on complete the rotations of Flip and Loop.
I don't think she needs 3Axel this season if her other jumps are complete.

She is already working on the other jumps. It does not mean she has to completely give up what she was doing well earlier. I always admire skaters who try to push themselves to do more difficult things, instead of taking the easy way out. I just hope she has not lost the 3A while working on the other jumps.

[antmanb]

She is already working on the other jumps. It does not mean she has to completely give up what she was doing well earlier. I always admire skaters who try to push themselves to do more difficult things, instead of taking the easy way out. I just hope she has not lost the 3A while working on the other jumps.

I doubt she's not been working on it in the meantime. Skaters train all sorts of jumps in practice, even if they never get them up to competition standard. I don't doubt that Mao has continued training the 3A even though it hasn't yet made an appearence in her competitive programmes this season.

[rayhaneh]

I doubt she's not been working on it in the meantime. Skaters train all sorts of jumps in practice, even if they never get them up to competition standard. I don't doubt that Mao has continued training the 3A even though it hasn't yet made an appearence in her competitive programmes this season.

Probably, since she landed it yesterday in practice at for the NHK Trophy

[Vash01]

Skaters are stronger in certain jumps and not so strong in others. For example, the 3A was easy for Petrenko, but he was inconsistent with the 3f and 3R. Kristi Y. was a very consistent jumper but always struggled with the salchow. Mao's strong jump is the 3A, and it is a high point getter, so she should include it in her programs, as long as it does not become a distraction from completing rotations on the other jumps. I believe that when she gets more comfortable/confident with her flip and salchow, she could bring back the 3A.

[antmanb]

Skaters are stronger in certain jumps and not so strong in others. For example, the 3A was easy for Petrenko, but he was inconsistent with the 3f and 3R. Kristi Y. was a very consistent jumper but always struggled with the salchow. Mao's strong jump is the 3A, and it is a high point getter, so she should include it in her programs, as long as it does not become a distraction from completing rotations on the other jumps. I believe that when she gets more comfortable/confident with her flip and salchow, she could bring back the 3A.

I just don't understand the point in bold - Mao has shown that she can and does rotate all of her triple jumps, it's not like she's only allowed to rotate a finite number and she's chosing some over others. Why would working on a triple axel be a distraction from completing rotations on other jumps? The mechanics of the axel are completely different to the flip, and with the salchow, most people say the mechanics of the jumps are very similar. Given that the triple axel has three and half rotations, to the flip and salchows three (or slightly less with the salchow), why would you think working on the triple axel would be anything but a help in rotating triples which have less rotation?

[Iceman]

I was beginning to think she had abandoned the 3A.

[Sylvia]

Akira Andrea has translated a new article in which Mao Asada states she hopes to add the 3A back into her programs: http://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/show...=1#post3786615

This is an article in “Daily Sports” in Japan.
Translating to English from Japanese.

Mao is going to declare a cancellation of the ban on triple Axel, in both SP and FS.
6th January 2013.

The ice show “Stars on Ice” was opened in Namihaya Dome in Osaka city in 5th January, and Mao Asada (22, Chukyo University), Daisuke Takahashi (26, Kansai Postgraduate school) etc. showed the first skating in new year.

Mao is going to declare a cancellation of the ban on triple Axel, which she had continued to freeze in last year, in both SP and FS. In Japan Nationals which she won in the end of last year, the condition of her triple Axel jump is improving steadily, such as landing many times in the practice.
So she swore saying “I think that I would like to incorporate the triple Axel in both SP and FS. I will practice, aiming at that.”

As soon as ending the Japan Nationals, she started the practice again, but she rested only New Year's Day. She said with smiling, “I ate ‘Osechi’ or ‘Japanese New Year dishes’ in my home and it was delicious.”

At the show, performing to the exhibition program, “Merry Poppins” she nailed the double Axel excellently, having an umbrella.

Having finished performing the role of heroine cutely, she said "I could skate delightfully ", by the look to have satisfied.

After ending the Tokyo Tour of that ice show in 14th January, she plans to go to Canada for modification of the short program.

Aiming at the Four Continents (Osaka) in February and the Worlds (Canada) in March, she said, "I think that I would like to incorporate the more difficult jumps in it, without destroying the good part of the program."　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

The article: Mao is going to declare a cancellation of the ban on triple Axel.
http://sportsnavi.yahoo.co.jp/winter...6-dal-spo.html

[NadineWhite]

I love Mao, I love her perseverance in the face of adversity, her strength, her smile, her soul, her humility.

BUT, as a skating fan I have to be honest and say "too little, too late". I fear it won't be enough to dethrone Yuna, just as her guinness books of world records three 3axels at the last Olympics wasn't either, even though it remains as my favorite performance. To this day I can recall the total RUSH I got when she hit both in the FS. I honest to God wanted to run outside around the block a hundred times, lol. Oh, memories, beautiful cherished memories...

Here's hoping she didn't wait too long, though I know other tragic circumstances interferred with her 4-year preparation for the next Olympics, namely the loss of her beloved mother. *tears*

My wish for Mao is that she can somehow regain her old phenomenal technical capabilities of old, sigh, but my ULTIMATE wish is that she will let herself go, forgot the marks, forgot the judges, forget the audience, skate from the soul, transform the way Michelle did with Salome. Ultimately, skate as if she was skating before God...


GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO LITTLE SPARROW!!!!!!



His Eye is on The Sparrow


Why should I feel discouraged
Why should the shadows come
Why should my heart feel lonely
And long for heaven and home?
When jesus is my portion
My constant friend
Is he
His eye is on the sparrow
I know he watches me
His eye is on the sparrow
I know he watches me

I sing because I’m happy
I sing because I’m free
His eye is on the sparrow
I know he watches me
His eye, his eye is on the sparrow
I know he watches
I know he watches
I know he watches me

I sing because I’m happy
I sing because I’m free
His eye is on the sparrow
I know, I know, I know he watches over
He watches over me

[BigB08822]

If I were her I would not worry about doing it in the short. She could really lose a lot of points if she pops it and she has popped it a number of times in her career. Go for it in the LP, or heck, go for 2 if you feel good enough. I wouldn't want to be trying to come from behind with the likes of Yu Na, Carolina, Ashley, etc.

[mikemba]

I am very happy to hear that she plans to use it. I hope it also inspires other women to start including their more difficult jumps. Although the women were my favorite discipline almost my whole life, I have found that the lack of technical content the last few years has made women's skating boring. It's not the skaters' fault - it's the numerous scoring problems with the COP that entices women skaters to leave out 3-3s and the like because they can actually score higher without them!

So cheers to Mao for pushing up the tecnical content among the women. Now if they would just value the 3A more, to properly reflect its difficulty. Ditto triple-triples.

[AJ Skatefan]

I am very happy to hear that she plans to use it. I hope it also inspires other women to start including their more difficult jumps. Although the women were my favorite discipline almost my whole life, I have found that the lack of technical content the last few years has made women's skating boring. It's not the skaters' fault - it's the numerous scoring problems with the COP that entices women skaters to leave out 3-3s and the like because they can actually score higher without them!

So cheers to Mao for pushing up the tecnical content among the women. Now if they would just value the 3A more, to properly reflect its difficulty. Ditto triple-triples.

This^ Rock on, Mao!

[Iceman]

I fear this will disastrous, although she may need it considering Yu-na's program.

[SLIVER]

Oh please, when was the last time she landed a fully rotated one in competition with positive goes?

[falling_dance]

Oh please, when was the last time she landed a fully rotated one in competition with positive goes?

The free skate at 2010 Worlds. She was credited with the full rotation of one at 2010-2011 Japanese Nats, but received negative GOE.

[rayhaneh]

Various fairly reliable sources on twitter have just reported that Mao Asada performed her short program at Nagoya Skating Festival today and that she included the triple axel (albeit 2-footed)

[Akira Andrea]

This is a TV news topic in the morning of 7th January in Japan.
Translating to English from Japanese.
7th January 2013.

00:00
Next, it is sports topics by announcer Sugiura.
00.04
It is as for Mao Asada, isn’t it?
Yes, please look this panel.
Mao Asada won the championship in all 4 competitions, such as 'Cup of China' ,NHK Trophy, GP Final and Japan Nationals, which she participated to in this season.
00:25
As for her, it seems that the strength came back, isn't it?
00:25
Yes, it seems so. But, in her heart, in fact, Mao Asada has a wish which she can never abandon.
00:37
In 2013, In 2013, she starts to challenge for achieving that wish.
00:41
Asada: “There is no end, but I think that I must always continue to improve for aiming to be better.”
00:51
Asada showed the remarkable activities in this season. Fascinating the audience with bright and comical performance, she won the championship in all events one by one and won the championship in GP Final after 4 years interval, too.
01:15
Asada: “Before the season starts, I had worried what degree I would be able to do with and what degree I would be able to recover to previous level till. When I was in such thinking, the season started, but I could get better results which I was worried about. Because it seems that I have been able to make the bridgehead at last, I think that I can connect it to the future.”
01:40
What gave her the good results was the training which she had continued to do for recovering her original performance. The improvement of skating skill and the practice of ballet, etc. which had been taken in for improving the expression ability, bore fruits.
01:50
Asada: “I feel that I became to be able to use switching the various performances, such as the smooth skating, the powerful skating and the various look． I feel what I had corrected for 2 years became my power finally. I feel that all became a part of my ability although I detoured.
I feel that all became a part of my ability although I made a detour.”
02:35
While getting the skating skill and the expression ability high evaluation, Asada felt unsatisfying. It is her feeling to the triple Axel jump which may be able to say as her pronoun.
02:53
Asada is going to start the new challenge for recovering her triple Axel which she has frozen so far in this season.
03:04
Asada: “Although I didn't miss almost in GP Final, I felt unsatisfying somewhat because there is consciousness to be lacking something. So, my pleasure is about half, too.”
03:20
Asada: “For getting true pleasure, I think that I need to recover the skill of the jump which I had ever been able to jump. For that, I think that I would like to confirm the skill of triple Axel jump and to improve the reliability of triple-triple combination jump. As for the season of 2013, it starts from the 4 Continents, but I would like to do my best aiming at perfect comeback.”
03:50
I was impressed from her feeling but she seems to be not able to satisfy herself if she can’t jump the triple-Axel even if she repeats a victory, doesn't she?
She will be thinking about it so deeply, won't she?
We also have the feeling that we would like to see that, haven't we?
04:02
Asada plans to participate to the 4 Continents next month and to the Worlds in March.
That’s all, it was sports.

"Mao Asada aims at perfect comeback."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6xxaEN7Sa4