Beautiful Free Skate at Sochi Olymipcs

Just to say that Mao's free skate was one of the most beautiful and artistically choreographed that I have seen.  (IMHO better than the other top three) The musical phrases were well reflected in her skating: the change in positions and speeds of her spins, her lines, etc.  I had to go back and  rewatch her program many times as it was so good.  Hats off to Mao!  She actually got 3rd overall in the Free skate portion  and second or third (don't remember which) highest marks technically.  I'm sorry that she fell in SP; it happens.  I have roller skated all my life, dabbled in figure skating, done some ballet, play the violin and in many orchestras and studied music in college so when I say she was good I think I know what I am saying.  Hope she reads this.

FACM - thank you for your thoughts and welcome to the forum! I agree that she reflected the musical phrases very well. The part at around 1:50 where she rocks on her edges is especially beautiful.

Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No.2 is one of my favorite piano concerto and I am really happy that my favorite skater performed this beautifully in a big stage (Olympics) and in Russia (where the birth place of the composer). I hesitantly watched it via live stream as I am afraid to jinx her (before that I did not watched her SP where she placed 16th). I am glad of my decision as I have witnessed the best Mao Asada that I had ever seen: complete package, landing 8 triple jumps (and all 6 kinds of jumps), and with emotion. While watching her performing, I felt goosebumps and tears were rolling on my cheeks. I am so happy of her that finally she redeemed herself, not by getting any medal but she showed the true Olympic spirit.

Forget the medals and record-breaking scores given during that event. What important is her performance touched many people's heart and inspire us to do better. Even life is unfair and world is harsh to her, Mao still smiles.

Just to add:
I totally agree with what "kisses" said. Mao's skating performance touched me too (I also had goosebumps and tears). She brought out the dynamics of the music which isn't easy to do. For example her spins moved up vertically and grew more complex as the music built and crescendo-ed.  The ebb and flow of the music was brought out so well.  Each of her moves contributed to the music.

I, too, am so glad the rest of the world got to see her performance  - if they were watching.  In the end, appreciation of the performance lies in the eye of the beholder regardless of what kind of judging may have resulted.

welcome to the forum FACM, and I agree I got the chills after her freeskate when I realised she just landed all 8 triples and 4 of them were in combination, and was even more stunned when I found out that she ALSO kept the focus to get level 4 on all spins and steps. heh as if she wasn't busy enough already with all the crazy content she had to execute but being at the same time able to focus and be one of the few to get level 4 on every spin & step, in the 4
minutes that was just phenomenal, what a historic achievement, and what better place to do it then at the Olympics again!

Moved this here because I think it's more appropriate. And hey, welcome to the forum FACM!

You know, I've oftentimes read that Mao is the perfect skater for Chopin. She's a light and airy skater who can bring to life the sensibility and depth of his works. However, it is more interesting to note that Mao's choices for her free programs were both works by Rachmaninov. In some ways, the works she used parallel her situation too.

Bells of Moscow- People said that it was dark, dreary and too heavy for Mao. However, by the end of the season, she finally showed the passion and fire in this program by winning Worlds 2010.

Rach2- Written when the composer was suffering from depression and bouts of self-esteem issues. After the SP, everyone waited with bated breaths what Mao would do and she did not disappoint. Mao became the embodiment of the notes and skated with more life and vitality than anyone that night.

Mao's performance was very inspiring, but even from an artistic point of view, every gesture and every movement seemed to weave a beautiful story. The kind that tells us that yes, we can choose to stand up and not be defeated by our circumstances.

klarification wrote:

Rach2- Written when the composer was suffering from depression and bouts of self-esteem issues. After the SP, everyone waited with bated breaths what Mao would do and she did not disappoint. Mao became the embodiment of the notes and skated with more life and vitality than anyone that night.

Mao's performance was very inspiring, but even from an artistic point of view, every gesture and every movement seemed to weave a beautiful story. The kind that tells us that yes, we can choose to stand up and not be defeated by our circumstances.

After that disastrous SP, I posted in the FB group that I hope Mao will be able to leave the disappointments behind, just skate her heart out and rise above this. After all, that's what Rach2 is all about. And I'm so glad she did. That was the perfect program for her. And her EX perfectly described her 2nd Olympics... "Smile though your heart is aching. Smile even through it's breaking..." That really showed after he FS. ANd it's only this time that people finally saw and appreciated what we knew all along. It is still a wonderful world.

roma wrote:

klarification wrote:

Rach2- Written when the composer was suffering from depression and bouts of self-esteem issues. After the SP, everyone waited with bated breaths what Mao would do and she did not disappoint. Mao became the embodiment of the notes and skated with more life and vitality than anyone that night.

Mao's performance was very inspiring, but even from an artistic point of view, every gesture and every movement seemed to weave a beautiful story. The kind that tells us that yes, we can choose to stand up and not be defeated by our circumstances.

After that disastrous SP, I posted in the FB group that I hope Mao will be able to leave the disappointments behind, just skate her heart out and rise above this. After all, that's what Rach2 is all about. And I'm so glad she did. That was the perfect program for her. And her EX perfectly described her 2nd Olympics... "Smile though your heart is aching. Smile even through it's breaking..." That really showed after he FS. ANd it's only this time that people finally saw and appreciated what we knew all along. It is still a wonderful world.

Mao's smiles are the best! I am so happy that she gave us a performance that exemplified what the Olympic spirit is all about. She may have not gotten a medal, but now she's at peace with herself and no longer has regrets unlike in Vancouver. Now I understand that even though life may be unfair, it can never be unkind.   

Mao's free skate had everything: grief, sadness, ambition, strength, determination, perseverance, freedom, joy, hope.

Everyone has moments when we don't succeed, but Mao showed us how to overcome those moments with grace and dignity.

roma wrote:

After that disastrous SP, I posted in the FB group that I hope Mao will be able to leave the disappointments behind, just skate her heart out and rise above this. After all, that's what Rach2 is all about. And I'm so glad she did. That was the perfect program for her. And her EX perfectly described her 2nd Olympics... "Smile though your heart is aching. Smile even through it's breaking..." That really showed after he FS. ANd it's only this time that people finally saw and appreciated what we knew all along. It is still a wonderful world.

    

After SP I was very sad and at the same time very angry because I couldn't understand why did that have to happened to her. She's been working so hard: correcting her jump techniques, improving her spin and skating skills, increasing the level of difficulty that she executes at competitions instead of compromising with safer contents, expanding the scope of music choice she skates to, not complaining unfair judgements at all but sincerely & squarely faced issues pointed out by former-mediocre-skater judges to overcome them. She's the last person who would deserve what happened to her that night. She said in the interview she's scared to think what could happen next day at FS and wanted to escape. But she rose up from the bottom.  It has shown that nothing can stop her, she never gives up.  And at the end it is a wonderful world. Life can be unfair from time to time. But she experienced it in person and demonstrated it to the world, it is a wonderful world.  

FACM, welcome to this wonderful forum!   

I absolutely agree, Mao's Rachmaninov is so amazing. Not just because she skated it cleanly, but the music, the choreography, her emotions...   She came in 6th, yet the whole world is talking about her. This alone shows you what a star she is.

And I've never cried so hard as I did during her LP. After the 3A the tears started and after every jump she's landed my sobbing got louder and louder. That skate was not just amazing beyond words, it's also for the history. I don't think any skater (or maybe even athlete) has touched so many people as Mao had on that night.

I recently became a fan of Mao. And after seeing her performance at the Olympics. It was beautiful!
The most memorable skating performance of all time, she had an incredible redemption night. Unlike others who would just give up because they know that they made a fool out of themselves in the SP. but she's better than that, she's now a 3-time world champion.

And she skated her best for herself, her mom and her family. nothing else.

Her performance just was incredible. moved me to tears. Great job, Mao-chan