Taking my hat off to Mao

[arakwafan2006]

Thank you for recognizing her genius. She is amazing, and I have watched her carefully since 2002. I have pretty much prayed every time I watched her skate. She has made the most of the requirements of IJS, creating original art even when IJS basically just dumped on her. And she is several classes above Yu Na in her spins, her line, and her risk taking. She will prove irreplaceable when she retires.

I am agreeing with genius. She's just beyond words! she completely reinvented herself in a way that other ladies could only dream. She was a jumping bean as a young girl and now she's one as a woman. She was a ballet oriented girl now she's an artistic star. I love her. She emotionally is to me what figure skating is. A culmination of both worlds.

[cbd1235]

Mao above anyone really deserves a world title this year after everything she's been through. I'm hoping she'll continue the upward momentum and skate amazing at worlds.

Wishing the best skater on that week a world championship title.

[TheIronLady]

Her mother would be so proud of her.

[orbitz]

The 3A looks really good. I'm not a fan of this style of skating for Mao (the choreography looks unfinished and junior-ish) , but she seems happy skating to it.

[demetriosj]

No one can say the "older" skaters aren't upping the ante! So much talk about the "youngsters" pushing the technical............and look at Mao!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Sasha is DIVINE]

This program shows how far she has come in terms of her facial expression and selling a program. Sweet Jesus it was TO DIE FOR. The return of the 3A is just the icing on the cake. I love her so much. She is the best ladies skater of all times.

[gingercrush]

Oh that free skater was fab. Yes she doubled the Salchow and had three triples underrotated but to even try a Triple Flip-Triple Loop is an achievement as is bringing the Triple Axel back. I would have thought though one of those jumps would be performed prior to the Triple Loop. As for her future. I don't care how she does as long as it builds up to Sochi 2014 where hopefully *fingers cross* we'll see perfection. Whether that can beat a fully on Kim I do not know.

[TheIronLady]

That free skate was amazing. She went for almost everything, and it all had lift and power. I'm not sure about the UR for the 3A, but the technical panel at this event was consistent. What an exquisite and entertaining program this has evolved into!

[smarts1]

Did anyone else notice that Mao was attempting 8 triples in her FS (but doubled the salchow)? Doesn't that break the maxiumum 7 triple rule, meaning if she landed her salchow, her last triple flip wouldn't have counted? Someone needs to tell her!!! But it's so interesting that her team decided to throw in everything she had all of a sudden. Good for her for going for all of it!

[floskate]

Did anyone else notice that Mao was attempting 8 triples in her FS (but doubled the salchow)? Doesn't that break the maxiumum 7 triple rule, meaning if she landed her salchow, her last triple flip wouldn't have counted? Someone needs to tell her!!! But it's so interesting that her team decided to throw in everything she had all of a sudden. Good for her for going for all of it!

Someone needs to tell her nothing. She can do 8 triples as she has a triple axel which no other lady has. Thus in 7 jumping passes she can attempt 8 triples repeating flip and loop and trying all 6 triple jumps. Every other lady is maxed out at 7 triples as they don't do triple axel. No rules are being broken, it's just that no one attempts it. I believe Meissner did 8 triples at a Liberty one year (the year her triple axel was kind of working perhaps) and Ito was planning 8 triples for Albertville yet made mistakes and doubled her lutz. So far it has not been done in an ISU championships.

[TheIronLady]

Thank you Floskate. I was going to clarify this, but you beat me to it.

[Vash01]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GeUTbZqXlpM

What other top level lady could do what she did? To have the courage to rebuild your career and fix your jumps... she is my favorite but i just cant believe the heart she has. That Axel is beautiful. I know that the naysayers are going to wait until she lands it in conjunction with the rest of the elements before they applaud her but she is such a testament to sport!

Very well said. She was considered a 'has been' on this board for quite some time (and some may still be saying that, regardless of what she does on the ice).

Mao always showed the ability to bounce back. Her first worlds - she did not have a good SP, but she skated a great LP and placed second overall. Most skaters would not have gone back to the basics of jumps to fix problems after winning two world titles and an Olympic silver. I hope she wins the OGM in Sochi, but even if she does not, she has earned my respect over many past OGM winners.

She skated last year while grieving for the loss of her mother- the most devastating loss at such a young age. Just the fact she competed makes me respect her (I am not forgetting Joannie Rochette).

This year she has shown marked improvement. This is not the kind of language one uses for a 2x world champion, but that just goes to show how hard she works to improve and never stops trying.

The naysayers will continue to say she can 'only' do a 3A when she lands it, and 'she should give it up and fix her other jumps' when she does not. They will continue to focus on any ur and any edge problem she has in any performance. Actually if you leave out Midori and Tonya, there were not perfect jumpers in the ladies field (Yu na comes very close though).

My hat's also off to Mao for what she has accomplished, and that is regardless of where she places at the worlds and the next Olympics.

[miki88]

Very well said. She was considered a 'has been' on this board for quite some time (and some may still be saying that, regardless of what she does on the ice).

Mao always showed the ability to bounce back. Her first worlds - she did not have a good SP, but she skated a great LP and placed second overall. Most skaters would not have gone back to the basics of jumps to fix problems after winning two world titles and an Olympic silver. I hope she wins the OGM in Sochi, but even if she does not, she has earned my respect over many past OGM winners.

She skated last year while grieving for the loss of her mother- the most devastating loss at such a young age. Just the fact she competed makes me respect her (I am not forgetting Joannie Rochette).

This year she has shown marked improvement. This is not the kind of language one uses for a 2x world champion, but that just goes to show how hard she works to improve and never stops trying.

The naysayers will continue to say she can 'only' do a 3A when she lands it, and 'she should give it up and fix her other jumps' when she does not. They will continue to focus on any ur and any edge problem she has in any performance. Actually if you leave out Midori and Tonya, there were not perfect jumpers in the ladies field (Yu na comes very close though).

My hat's also off to Mao for what she has accomplished, and that is regardless of where she places at the worlds and the next Olympics.

I second your post. Actually, even Midori and Tonya weren't entirely perfect jumpers. Midori's jumps were out of this world but her leg wrap took a little away from the aesthetic aspect of her jumps. Tonya's jumps actually looked better when she landed them but she was far from consistent. Yea the quality of her jumps were great but a perfect jumper should also have consistency imo.

[Vash01]

I second your post. Actually, even Midori and Tonya weren't entirely perfect jumpers. Midori's jumps were out of this world but her leg wrap took a little away from the aesthetic aspect of her jumps. Tonya's jumps actually looked better when she landed them but she was far from consistent. Yea the quality of her jumps were great but a perfect jumper should also have consistency imo.

Sorry, I was not clear. I was referring to the ur and edge calls that a lot of ladies have started getting under COP. Midori and Tonya did not have those issues, and they would have done just fine in that aspect of their jumps under COP.

[torren]

she is the best
she is only women who can do triple axel!!
Beats kim who can do only 3lz3t

[Belinda]

For Mao to attempt a 3A and succeed is pretty amazing. Since the Vancouver season, she seems to have matured physically: I've noticed that her shoulders are broader and overall she is more womanly. Therefore for her with that wider body to be able to execute 3A is simply breathtaking.

[Cachoo]

I think she is the sweetheart of the sport. I wish her the best.

[arakwafan2006]

For Mao to attempt a 3A and succeed is pretty amazing. Since the Vancouver season, she seems to have matured physically: I've noticed that her shoulders are broader and overall she is more womanly. Therefore for her with that wider body to be able to execute 3A is simply breathtaking.

I almost dont want to bring this up but I am amazed that for as hard as she has pushed herself that she's remained virtually injury free. As a matter of fact and I am sure that the statistic police will issue a citation if I am incorrect but other than Miki Ando, the Japanese women are pretty good in the injury dept.

[arakwafan2006]

Talk about camaraderie.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHh5qsWtioU

[kathy sullivan]

I too have become a huge fan of hers. She has it all - musicality, dance, the most difficult technique, and she is inspiring in her presentation. I've have always appreciated her, but with this program and her skating this season she has taken it to another level. Not since Michelle left the scene have I enjoyed a program like the ones she delivered at 4CC's - she was just uplifting to watch.