The Mao cheer thread #3 - "For the love of skating"

[rosewood]

Here is a stunningly beautiful photo of Mao from a little less than a week ago: http://www.excite.co.jp/News/photo_news/p-6021409/

Since I see OLYMPUS on the board behind Mao. I believe it was taken when Olympus was one of Mao's sponsor companies several years ago. They had troubles inside of their company and since then they are not supporting her. So I believe it's an old photo. She looks fabulous though. Mao was a commercial model for their cameras, so they supplied lots of beautiful photos and videos in those days.

BTW, this channel has 32 videos of Mao's commercials from various companies. Olympus's are included too.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWcO7J2u-qA&list=PLIvK0JXVaPziZeUnRiJBtW4Rsrf92MHXh

Olympus's are not included in the channel above. My bad. Here are some of the videos of Olympus's commercials & making videos.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qli4ErfcGFg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMUE311WS6U
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxkoCPt4Ojw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3S8FoY9qbk

 

[rosewood]

Mao made it to France. According to this article she avoids doing 3A at Trophy de France since she is not ready for it yet. Wise choice! To begin with, during the interview after finishing SKAM Mao said she felt she needs to drive her preparations as hard as if she'll do 3A at her next competition and didn't say she'll do 3A at her next competition (TdF). Japanese media's hypes make things sound twisted as always.
http://www.sponichi.co.jp/sports/news/2016/11/09/kiji/K20161109013695230.html

Mao looks she's calm and comfortable.
http://lpt.c.yimg.jp/amd/20161109-00000137-spnannex-000-view.jpg

 

[Spun Silver]

Copying my translation of Mr Sato's article where he mentioned about Mao, Lori and John Curry. I understood how Mr Sato loves compulsory figures. And maybe I can say the same about Mao and Lori Nichol. Please read this article, guys.

Are there anyone who saw the John Curry's ice show held in New York? If so, please tell me which program he skated there. I'd love to see a video of the performance!

I thInk @floskates could answer your questions about John Curry. What a wonderful interview, rosewood. Thanks so much for translating it. It is touching to read about Mr Sato's dedication to pure skating and his gently expressed frustration with its devaluation today. He is not alone, though. His own daughter is surely passing along the tradition, and there is even something of a revival of school figures as evidenced by the recent international competition with big names like Janet Lynn (IIRC) behind it. I dont know if it will be a regular event. Anyway, this is the most extensive interview with Mr Sato I've ever seen - it is good to get to know him a little better. It is news, but hardly surprising, to read about Lori's training in figures - it is so obvious in Mao's steps and this season's exquisite Ex.

Wishing Mao a less painful competition this weekend. Ganbatte, dear Mao!

 

[rosewood]

I thInk @floskates could answer your questions about John Curry. What a wonderful interview, rosewood. Thanks so much for translating it. It is touching to read about Mr Sato's dedication to pure skating and his gently expressed frustration with its devaluation today. He is not alone, though. His own daughter is surely passing along the tradition, and there is even something of a revival of school figures as evidenced by the recent international competition with big names like Janet Lynn (IIRC) behind it. I dont know if it will be a regular event. Anyway, this is the most extensive interview with Mr Sato I've ever seen - it is good to get to know him a little better. It is news, but hardly surprising, to read about Lori's training in figures - it is so obvious in Mao's steps and this season's exquisite Ex.

Wishing Mao a less painful competition this weekend. Ganbatte, dear Mao!

To tell the truth it was the 4th article from a series of his interviews. Translating all the articles was just beyond my potential but I really wished people to read this article at least. Glad you enjoyed reading the interview. And yeah @floskate might know what program Curry skated at the first ever New York show as a pro-skater.
No 1 https://sportiva.shueisha.co.jp/clm/othersports/figure/2016/06/17/50_2/
No 2 https://sportiva.shueisha.co.jp/clm/othersports/figure/2016/08/04/post_652/
No 3 https://sportiva.shueisha.co.jp/clm/othersports/figure/2016/10/09/50/

 

[floskate]

I think the program Mr Sato is referring to is 'After All'. Here's a link to my video of it.

https://youtu.be/SXJqsoFwUic

I thought when I first saw Cello Suite that Lori must have been inspired by this.

 

[rosewood]

I think the program Mr Sato is referring to is 'After All'. Here's a link to my video of it.

https://youtu.be/SXJqsoFwUic

I thought when I first saw Cello Suite that Lori must have been inspired by this.

OMG It must be the one! Than you. Thank you. Thank you! As always.

 

[Spun Silver]

Oh, definitely. That is sublime. And how beautiful to see the tradition passed down skater by skater like that!

 

[rosewood]

Practice reports don't sound great...

http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20161110-00000160-spnannex-spo
(my rough translation)
....
Mistakes on jumps were noticeable such as falling down on a luz and a flip and she revealed her current condition "I can't say I'm in a good condition."
....
Regarding SP on the 11th and FS on the 12th (Japan Time) "I'll go without saying "I'm not in good condition" much. I'll leave things behind," she keeps looking forward.
_____

Everyone knows when Mao says "not good," it's way worse than just "not good." I guess her pain in her left knee is still serious to some extent. Wish she'll do so-so at this competition and save her energy and avoid aggravating her injury until Nationals. Anyways best wishes to our lovely Mao! We are with you!

ETA:
Here is a clip.
https://twitter.com/yuzuporuko/status/796827118973816832
She said in the interview that she aims at showing better performance here than at SKAM and it'll lead her to next, and she's an experienced skater so she'll leave things behind (mistakes in today's practice?) and try adjusting herself by the competition.

ETA 2:
Judging based on the clip above, it looks now Mao is back to Revolution blades.

 

[Spun Silver]

This is concerning. I hope she does save her energy for Nationals. She is in a tough place. But that bit of her SP looked divine.

 

[inskate]

I'm worried. The performances at TEB are of no consequence, but I wonder if there will be enough time to recover before Nationals.

In the clip Mao looked quite tired and she approached her jumps very slowly/tentatively. On a more positive note, it seems her technique has stabilized a lot and managed to land 3S (with a beautiful exit into twizzles) and 2A-3T. If she managed to recover her early 2015 condition, I think there would be no problems... There's so little time left, though.

I wish Mao the best of luck and speedy recovery

@rosewood, thank you so much for the translation! Great to see that John Curry is still remembered and that Lori is passing his love of beautiful edgework to her students. Mao's EX is indeed very reminiscent of Curry's stunning "After All" program. @floskate, thank you for the beautiful video. Love your montages and videos of historical/difficult to find performances!

 

[gotoschool]

Mao's make up, outfit and pony tail are so stunningly beautiful and wonderfully wild in her SP. Her grace, elegance and commitment to the performance are consummate and her spins, expressions and steps are vision of loveliness and for that reason her PCS should be higher. But, her left knee injury seems to be bothering her more and more. If it has lasted this long and gotten worse, maybe she needs surgery to fully recover and give her the kind of performance she dreams of in her mind, though I loved her performance the way it is. It is great to see that she still gets and gives so much pleasure to her fans in the stands as shown by all the flowers she receives and her big smiles in appreciation.

Maybe part of the issue is switching back to Revolution Blades, so maybe this requires some adjustment time. Whatever happens, I hope Mao thinks first of her recovery and doesn't confine her idea of skating to just competition in the future because her exhibitions are the most extraordinary in evoking the spirit of an era like her Renaissance piece - Cello Suite- and in channeling the grief of a nation into a message of hope and inspiration in her New Jupiter. No matter what happens, Mao will always be my favorite because she moves me in a way no other skater is capable of. There is a feeling to me that she is held to a higher standard than the rest and that her subtlety and refinement are kind of a beautiful savory relic from the past that is often cast aside by the judges.

 

[rosewood]

Interview after SP
http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20161112-00000014-spnannex-spo
(my rough translation)
.....
(about SP)
Mao: I'm relieved I could put things together considering my condition of today. My feet were caught here and there (on the ice) and I was very surprised. I kept images of my good jumps in my mind and was focused on it, and I was just wishing putting things together.

(about FS)
Mao: I'll put weight on elements. I'll focus on doing every jump carefully.
________

I think she did her best today considering her injury in her left knee. She looked cautious and tentative on every element. That said she did everything that she could do in today's condition anyways. I don't remember Mao saying she was caught her feet on the ice in the past (maybe except the mistake in Vancouver Olys' FS). Probably it was caused by the pain in her left knee as well as she's lacking training in the current condition and she lost muscles and stamina due to it. I wish she'll do so so skating in FS again and avoid aggravating her knee injury. (I think going back to Revolution blade here is a good choice considering her next competition is Nationals which is one of the most important events in this season.)

It's encouraging to see lots of her fans travel around the world and giving her cheers & flowers when she's facing difficulties. They are on the same roller coaster together with us. ...(I wish there could be some Gracie's fans who do sort of the like when she's going through very tough time. ) Honestly speaking I was devastated at SKAM when I saw Mao's skates were obviously affected by the injury even earlier than last season. That said, I've learned leaveing things behind ASAP through the long experience as a fan of Mao the dramatic queen. My cheers for Mao (and Gracie this time) in FS.

 

[gotoschool]

Single of double post

 

[gotoschool]

As reported on the women's FS thread, quite a few posters said the rink was a disgrace because there were puddles for the first group evidently and quite a few skaters had a lot of falls. Mao's step sequence was great tonight and her skating, spirals, spins and expression were truly beautiful. Despite the mistakes, her PCS seemed way too low to me. Otherwise, PCS is simply a kind of double for the tech mark and there is no place in it for skating or interpretation outside of the jumps. I am also glad Mao changed back to the more fiery red costume. I hope Mao takes the time now to get healthy and seek treatment for her left knee whatever and however long it takes. Until she is healed, I hope she will stop trying to be a hero when she is too wounded to go into battle. I love her skating and she has nothing left to prove to me because she has given me the most beautiful and inspirational performances I have ever seen.

 

[gotoschool]

Thanks to enzet who was in the arena when Mao skated and gave the following report and post. http://www.goldenskate.com/forum/showthread.php?38067-Mao-Asada&p=1545743#post1545743 3750

They said that they think Mao intended to double her flip and lutz because she only did a triple salchow and loop in warmup and other than that she didn't jump much.

 

[Spun Silver]

I am sad and worried. I know she is not over the hill technically (as the BBC commentators on her SP suggested), but she seems to be exacerbating this injury and it just looks like it is snowballing.

 

[gotoschool]

I am sad and worried. I know she is not over the hill technically (as the BBC commentators on her SP suggested), but she seems to be exacerbating this injury and it just looks like it is snowballing.

I agree that Mao should seek some kind of treatment and recovery before skating again. I think it is the best way for her to give some great competitive performances she can be proud of. In addition, I haven't heard one announcer mention that Mao has a knee injury either eurosport or even Tarasova even though it is widely known. I think this is just one way in which announcers have not given her the proper respect and fair treatment she deserves for her great skills and achievements. I won't go into detail on the rest to try and stay somewhat positive, but I used to follow football and baseball a lot as a child and every announcing team would always be conscientious in explaining the injuries of the players.

I will just mention one example. Though Tarasova did give Mao's step sequences big compliments. she was confused and upset with Mao and thought she was being stubborn for not including higher tech content in her SP program at Trophy de France. I admit this upset me because it made Mao look like she was "taking it easy" when she was actually gritting her teeth and giving it her all through injury. This is a similar way it is portrayed in europsort, though I think they take it a little further.

 

[Spun Silver]

It seems many posters here dont know it either, which is odd to me.

 

[clairecloutier]

I am worried for Mao also. There is not much use competing at the level she was able to show today. My concern is that too many such performances could be damaging to her reputation with the judges and/or the JSF. If it's injuries that caused this level of performance, I definitely think she should take some time off and let things heal before trying to compete again.

 

[gotoschool]

Here is an article in Japanese about Mao. This is my best attempt to piece together some of the meaning from google translate. It says that Mao said she lost her confidence and that she was crying because she had a lot of negative feelings like regret and disappointment about not jumping well." It makes me really sad to hear that Mao cried from these feelings. Mao then said, "She wanted to get back to a skater's / performer's life and that she wants to stimulate that feeling once again." Her injury isn't mentioned in the article. The article then says the next round is the Japanese National Championships.

Even though it is noble in a way, I wish Mao could accept the fact that she is injured and be more open about it in the interview and not be so hard on herself by trying to compete in such a condition. Even though she has mentioned the injury several times before, it almost seems that as it appears to worsen, she doesn't mention it anymore. I gladly accept her for who she is regardless.

http://www.nikkansports.com/sports/news/1737457.html

 

[rosewood]

Here is an article in Japanese about Mao. This is my best attempt to piece together some of the meaning from google translate. It says that Mao said she lost her confidence and that she was crying because she had a lot of negative feelings like regret and disappointment about not jumping well." It makes me really sad to hear that Mao cried from these feelings. Mao then said, "She wanted to get back to a skater's / performer's life and that she wants to stimulate that feeling once again." Her injury isn't mentioned in the article. The article then says the next round is the Japanese National Championships.

Even though it is noble in a way, I wish Mao could accept the fact that she is injured and be more open about it in the interview and not be so hard on herself by trying to compete in such a condition. Even though she has mentioned the injury several times before, it almost seems that as it appears to worsen, she doesn't mention it anymore. I gladly accept her for who she is regardless.

http://www.nikkansports.com/sports/news/1737457.html

(my rough translation of what Mao said in the article)

Mao: Neither jumps nor skating... nothing is going well.

Q: And the reason of your tears?
Mao: Frustrations, disappointments or anger to myself. Various things.
___

I can't say whether her participation in TdF was a right strategy or not at this point, but I'm assuming she's going through the mixture of various feelings coming out from herself right now, and then probably she'll have time to take a second look on what she intended to do here and what she got or lost actually.

 

[gotoschool]

I will continue to support Mao no matter what but I am really concerned about the comment attributed to her in the Japan Times.

“I’ve lost confidence in myself but I hope I’ll be able to bounce back from this disappointment at the national championships,” Mao said, referring to the Dec. 22-25 competition in Osaka.

“I’ll have to be determined and have a strong will,” the 26-year-old said.

I am concerned that without doing something that will take time or some kind of process or procedure to heal her knee she may have a difficult time reversing her recent results and then there is the issue of conditioning after recuperation from injury. I hope for the best and I hope that she seeks good advice on her next step before committing to Nationals.

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/...ee-de-france-mao-finishes-ninth/#.WChT5_l96Uk

 

[rosewood]

Another article with an interview with Mao at the mix zone after FS
http://www.jiji.com/jc/article?k=2016111300030&g=spo
(my rough translation)

After a long silence big teardrops fell down from Asada's eyes. Not progressing physical condition as desired, disappointing performance and anger toward herself - mixture of these all prevented her from hiding the coming up emotions. "Something called self-confidence are all lost," heavy words came out from her mouth.
.....
"I need to build it up again from zero. It's me who wished to make a comeback to a life as a competitive skater. There's no other choice but challenging it," the former world champion showed a painful determination.

_____
(((Mao))) I believe she'll pick a very Mao choice at this difficult time again as always. The only thing that I can do is to root for her whatever she chooses.

 

[rosewood]

One more article which has an interview with Mao at the mix zone after FS. Every article has slightly different nuance to each other. (shrug)

http://www.sankei.com/sports/news/161113/spo1611130011-n1.html
(my rough translation)
Mao: Although I lost my self-confidence here, I wish this frustration will turn into a spring that pushes my back at Nationals. I think there is no choice for me but to hold my own and challenge it."

 

[rosewood]

The manga artist who's the author of the popular anime "Yuri on ice!" tweeted right now. TV Asahi just aired ladies' FS on TV. And the manga artist responded to it.
https://twitter.com/kubo_3260/status/797793459906064384
(my rough translation)
Even when we have speculations of our own and they make us concerning selfishly, she has her own strength and words that bounce them back. Mao-san is just awesome. What a fighter this woman is!

ETA:
On the TV Asahi's broadcast Mao's good 3F-3Lo and a 3S in the morning practice for FS was aired too. It was reported in K'nC zone that they were the only triple jumps that she did in the practice and other than that she did double and single jumps only. I don't know whether it was intentionally or not.

 

[arakwafan2006]

Mao and Gracie are in the same boat but for different reasons.

They both were largely unprepared for this season and seem to have done more damage than good possibly returning and going through the season. That said, they do have time before their respective National Championships to prepare themselves.I won't speculate because I think that both of these amazing ladies are facing the greatest challenges in a brutal world. I wish them both the best.

Mao's material looks very prepared but her jumps in competition are sort of lost. She's been here before and she's the only one that can turn the corner. I was truly hoping that her seasons wouldn't look like the year of the Olympics where she struggled, only to be ready the night of the Free Skate. Confidence is definitely something you have to have in Figure Skating where when you're nervous skating, your heart can beat so hard you canno't hear your music over the pounding. Then for her to look left and right and see the other ladies like Evgenia stringing 4 triples together. It's like, the problem with being reputable is living up to your reputation which is a tough and sometimes unwise thing to attempt.

I wish her the best but man is she struggling. I think it says tremendous things about her condition that she's NOT going for the Axel because she was trying that jump at her worst physical state. It's like watching the last 2 years of Daisuke Takahashi's career...

 

[Spun Silver]

Does anyone know exactly what is wrong with her knee? All I have heard is "pain." I know rosewood is right and our, at least my, job is to support her in whatever she decides to do, but I would still like to know, and I would like others to know as well. Gotoschool is right - other sports are so straightforward about injuries. Why does figure skating have to be so secretive, leaving poor Mao to be taken for an old lady instead of the heroic, but injured, athlete she is?

 

[Karpenko]

Her health should come first, she's never skated like that before while being in such a good shape. I think it might be best for her Olympic chances to take the time she needs to heal right now. she'll have more psychological damage by competing injured and Nats are going to be here before you know it. If she's injured she has to take care of herself.

A healthy Mao can beat every ladies skater in Japan, but there's going to be enough depth next year that she absolutely has to be at her best. I think she should heal now and start getting serious again in the Spring for next season.

 

[Spun Silver]

She could keep one of her programs for the Olympic season. They have the feeling of Olympic programs anyway.

 

[rosewood]

Does anyone know exactly what is wrong with her knee? All I have heard is "pain." I know rosewood is right and our, at least my, job is to support her in whatever she decides to do, but I would still like to know, and I would like others to know as well. Gotoschool is right - other sports are so straightforward about injuries. Why does figure skating have to be so secretive, leaving poor Mao to be taken for an old lady instead of the heroic, but injured, athlete she is?

Mr Sato mentioned only about pains, so everything other than that is just a speculation. And my speculation is she's been struggling with "jumper's knee" by judging based on some stuffs like she's been struggling with pains, she was icing her left knee at last season's Cup of China (her second event of last season after JO), and she did best performances at her first events (last season it was JO and this season it was Finlandia Trophy) which she participated in after a certain length of rests during the off seasons. It means she can recover after a rest but the pains come back within a short term (i.e. a few weeks) when she re-start an intensive training. Dealing with jumper's knee must be something very tough at this stage of her career. She tried twice to run a satisfactory season but it didn't go well last season and it's going to be a repeat of last season's tragedy again in this season so far. She can be done earlier than it was desired.