Mai Mihara cheer thread

Bellanca

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By popular demand, a cheer thread for Mai Mihara! (三原 舞依 Mihara Mai) from Kobe, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan.

Mai is the 2017 Four Continents Champion, 2018 Four Continents Silver Medalist, 2016 Skate America Bronze Medalist, 2016 CS Nebelhorn Trophy Champion, and 2016–17 Japanese National Bronze Medalist.

I believe that Mai will be making quite a few headlines for herself this upcoming season and into the next quad. Mai is probably best known for silky-smooth skating and soft knees. She is one of those skaters that makes a person think they can hop on to the ice and do the same thing…

Enjoy!
 

Bellanca

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So, to get the ball rolling even though we are still hunkered down in the off-season, here are Mai’s GP competitions for this year:

NHK Trophy, Nov. 9-11, 2017, Hiroshima, Japan
Internationaux de France, Nov. 23-25, 2018, Grenoble, France
 

rosewood

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Thanks @Weve3 for starting a thread for Mai!

Here are photos of Mai's new SP from Dreams on Ice on Friday.
https://twitter.com/sn_figure/status/1015209627598721024

According to someone on twitter who went to DoI, her layout was 3Lz-3T 2A FSSp 3F SSp StSq LSp. I noticed her postures are getting better as the off-season goes in this past spring. Hopefully we'll see a video of her new SP today since DoI's gonna be aired live.
 
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Bellanca

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Mai is very much an artist in the making – a joy to watch. And although I am not a fan at all (my inner Dick Button speaking) of vocals being used in skating, I do have to admit that this SP (It's Magic) does suit Mai very well. I think she will be comfortable skating to this for an entire season. It’s not rushed or hurried... It sets a calming mood for her and the audience. A good thing in my book. :cheer2:
 

rosewood

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Congrats to Mai for winning a silver at her first competition of this season Nerbelhorn Trophy! :cheer::cheer: Too bad Zagitova missed last week's Ondreij Nepera due to a paper work and entered to this weeks Nerbelhorn. :shuffle: Anyways, this result will lead her to next. Go Mai! :cheer:
http://www.deu-event.de/results/Nebelhorn_2018/index.htm

SP https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9zpLDrXoxk
FS https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-63QXI4BHVQ

Happy she skated good SP in the beginning of this season since she struggled with SP last season. She also skated almost clean FS here. If she continue skating clean programs one by one, PCS will get higher, I expect.

One thing that I noticed was that she simplified TRs in programs, especially in FS. Maybe it's due to her physical condition during off-season. I also felt she struggled in spin positions a bit. Maybe her joints hurt? Wish she'll find good medicines that fit her well.

My post in Japanese news thread that explained about her physical conditions during this past off-season.
I wonder if it's because her physical condition doesn't allow her to practice a new FS or whatever. :(

This article says Mai's physical condition got worse with the medicine she used, so she changed medicines to a new one four months ago. The new one caused bad side effects, ie now her cheeks are badly reddish due to allergic reactions etc.
https://www.sponichi.co.jp/sports/news/2018/07/24/kiji/20180724s00079000235000c.html

ETA:
This is a photo from yesterday's National Camp. See her cheeks.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BlnTU2mjpSB/?taken-by=sponichitokyophoto

Last winter when the temperature went down, she said she had physical difficulties with the coldness. Wish things go better for her this season.
 

rosewood

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I don't know who runs this site but it has quite detailed data. Kudos to the devoted figure skating fan! And it shows how Mai has been consistent. Too bad it was not so when it counted the most last season. But in the current field she's such a precious skater whose strokes even fascinates people. Stay healthy and show us your butter skating, Mai. :swoon:
http://skatingscores.com/unit/jpn/mai_mihara/
 

kalle

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I love Mai and also happy she kept that beautiful LP. It looked quite simplified comparing to last season but if she is dealing with health issues, I am sure thats the reason. She is one of those skater I could watch gliding over the ice for hours and I hope she will have a strong season.
 

rosewood

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Today's ex performance from Nebelhorn. Seems she continues her last season's ex program as well. That smooth and effortless twizzles can last forever. :encore:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRZOimtBkHQ

I love Mai and also happy she kept that beautiful LP. It looked quite simplified comparing to last season but if she is dealing with health issues, I am sure thats the reason. She is one of those skater I could watch gliding over the ice for hours and I hope she will have a strong season.
Me too can watch her just gliding for hours. Female skaters can lose their jumps very fast after their retirement. I think the type of skaters like Mai can make the crowd appreciate their programs in shows for long time after their retirement. Japan has lots of shows. Qualities of their skating itself can be more important after their retirement than in competitions. Wish Mai will skate long and make the crowds fascinated like Yuka Sato did/does.
 

rosewood

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I sorta felt I need to post the reason why Mai continued her long program this season. Mai entered a university this past spring and this is the freshman school year for her. She's studying management there. In an interview she said she's taking as many classes as possible since it'll be helpful for her in the 2022 Olys season since she can take less classes in the Olys season. So she decided to continue her long program since it's time saving.

Here is an article on her univ's official site celebrating her silver at Nebelhorn Trophy. Happy to see her school appreciate to have Mai as an elite figure skater.
http://www.konan-u.ac.jp/news/archives/21930

She also had medicine trouble back in fall this year. So, all in all, I think it was a decent decision to continue her long program. Yes, it's not appealing like some of her rivals' long programs but in a perspective of four years aiming at next Olys it's not bad to show she's consistent again with two programs both of which are within her comfort zone. (Last season she struggled with a tango short program but this season's It's Magic is much easier for her to skate.) And next season is another story. She can challenge something exciting. Go Mai! You have long way to go.
 
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rosewood

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Congratulations to Mai for winning Universiade by receiving 220.68 (75.92, 144.76). :cheer2: :cheer2:
https://krsk2019.ru/en/pages/schedule_and_results

SP https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahxZEz_OkPU
FS https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zF8xEXDgXXk

:swoon:x10 for her butter skating! Happy she finished this season on a high note. Her health looked better and better toward the end of the season despite the bad side effect of the medicines. And did you guys notice that she changed her techniques a bit and she saves the height/power yet controls air positions nowadays. She's been working on it since last season because she feels pains in her knee joints on landings. Glad she's putting things together despite her disease.
 
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liv

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Yes, congrats to Mai. I think she skated her sp the best of the season at Universiade and performed yet another clean free program. She looked strong, confident and I had no feelings of unease when watching her going into a jump. I just knew she would land them.

To me she is really starting to blossom. My wish for her is continued decent health so that she can train as she would like, and programs with music that is a little more dramatic or interesting so that others can see the spark that I see in her. Hopefully this half of the season has given her more confidence and she can continue to progress and add more nuance to her skating as well.

I really hope they sign her for FaOI this spring/summer too.
 

rosewood

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She recently said in an interview that she'll definitely make two new programs next season. (Her priority this season was maintaining her health and studies as a freshman in university over a new long program.) What specific musics do you guys recommend her to skate next season. I wish our suggestions here will inspire her team. :)

ETA:
My suggestions are something like Chen Lu's this program for FS.
https://youtu.be/ARd8UsQj_Ag?t=98
Or Rach 3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCRaoNfU0r8

Or something like East of Eden for SP.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eblFFfKbkLk

Or even Mirai's Demonds.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Ns0mCEtuMM

Anyways, these are all my favorite programs. :D
 
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Spun Silver

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@rosewood, I think Lu Chen's music would be wonderful for Mai.

Another idea: "How sweet the moonlight sleeps" would be amazing. Its endless flow would fit Mai's style. It is by a contemporary composer, Jocelyn Pook, but written in a style that goes with the Shakespearean text. Now I want to listen to all her other music!
https://youtu.be/KxGVZ5xiqNs
 

AxelAnnie

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I had forgotten how gorgeous Lu Chen was.

How about Butterfly Lovers
Nothing Michelle did.
 

rosewood

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Twitter reports said Mai skated her new SP at Fantasy on Ice Kobe show. And one of them tweeted maybe it's to La gitana played by Sueye Park. Shame the original music is only on amazon (for sale) and not on YT. I listened to the music on amazon and this one sounds similar to the one.

Seems the new program was not skated on the recorded day so I have to wait to see it until THE ICE. (She skipped Dreams on Ice this year.) Too far ahead. 🐢
 

rosewood

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Here is a vid of her new ex 'Hero' from Fantasy on Ice in Kobe. Looks her expression with her palms/arms and overall body lines improved. She also looks in much better physical condition than last year when she was struggling with the side effect of her new medicines. That's nice.

Here is a Japanese newspaper article which confirms her new SP music is 'La gitana' that I mentioned earlier on this thread. It also has a photo of her costume.
 
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liv

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I know she lost weight before 4CC when she said she was sick, and it seems she has remained that way. Hopefully everything is working out with her health now which will allow her to train well for the season.

I can hardly wait to see her new programs. Soon we will find out what GP she has...
 

rosewood

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Mai was out of THE ICE and also withdrew from Gensan Summer Cup (a local competition held this past weekend). And now Coach Nakano revealed Mai is resting in her house due to poor physical condition. Coach Nakano team's summer camp is ongoing in Iwate now and Mai is not able to take part in it.

Yesterday Coach Nakano answered when she was asked about Mai "She's getting better a bit but her current status is that she significantly lost physical strength and has poor appetite. She's not in a hospital but her doctors don't allow her [to join the summer camp]." It's the most likely that she'll withdraw from Lombardia Trophy (scheduled in September) and the coach explained "We'll do our best so that she can be ready for Kinki regional (in October)."

:(

Yes, I noticed she lost more and more weight as the time goes during this summer. Here is the latest photo.

And here is a photo taken 6 weeks ago when she visited Lori for choreography.

In an interview on an article published a couple of weeks ago Mai said she was focusing on increasing stamina in spring and the training went well with her trainer. She was even working on 3A back then. But then in late spring - early summer she had some trouble with her health and lost her physical strength. I don't know what is the problem with her health but I wish all the best for her quick and complete recovery. I'm always rooting for you, Mai! :cheer2:
 
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