Mao: post-Sochi news and articles

Happy 24th Birthday Mao!

Happy Birthday Mao!  Have a fabulous birthday celebration and an even more fabulous year!

I'm so happy you were born into this world 24 years ago!
It's made all the difference in people's lives. May you continue
showing us the way to excellence and artistic truth for many years
to come. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

happy birthday Mao

This season seems so empty to me but Mao's memory is etched in my mind.
carved out of performances that erase the aging process of time.
So that Czardas in 2007 is even more precious than yesterday.  
The first bookend in her redemption with Sochi being the Grand Finale.
You don't know what you got till it's gone was a saying I heard long ago in a song.
But, with the new season upon us suddenly there comes an emptiness
that makes that worn out phrase spring back fresh to my consciousness.
Mao brought the ice to life in frozen moments of perfection that touched eternity
where every spin position and jump trajectory set the ideal I now hold in my memory.
I love her skating more than words can say, since her endurance taught me how to defeat dismay.

WowMao wrote:

This website seems dead but Mao's memory is etched in my mind.
carved out of performances that erase the aging process of time.
So that Czardas in 2007 is even more precious than yesterday.  
The first bookend in her redemption with Sochi being the Grand Finale.
You don't know what you got till it's gone was a cliche I heard long ago in a song.
But, with the new season upon us suddenly there comes an emptiness
that makes that worn out phrase spring back fresh to my consciousness.
Mao brought the ice to life in frozen moments of perfection that touched eternity
where every spin position and jump trajectory set the ideal I now hold in my memory.
I love her skating more than words can say, since her endurance taught me how to defeat dismay.

This site is not dead, but there just has not been any news about Mao. I really really miss seeing Mao skate, usually around this time i'm very excited about the new season, the new programs, but without Mao there, i am not half as excited as I used to be. I really mis her skating, and no skater currently competing could make up for her

The more time pass the more I hope to see Mao compete Again, it just feels wrong and empty without her

I totally agree with you... But, hopefully, there will be other skaters who can attract us. And I believe Mao will come back on the ice. Right now, it is time to wait for her. (^_^)

ballerinamao wrote:

WowMao wrote:

The season seems so empty to me but Mao's memory is etched in my mind.
carved out of performances that erase the aging process of time.
So that Czardas in 2007 is even more precious than yesterday.  
The first bookend in her redemption with Sochi being the Grand Finale.
You don't know what you got till it's gone was a saying I heard long ago in a song.
But, with the new season upon us suddenly there comes an emptiness
that makes that worn out phrase spring back fresh to my consciousness.
Mao brought the ice to life in frozen moments of perfection that touched eternity
where every spin position and jump trajectory set the ideal I now hold in my memory.
I love her skating more than words can say, since her endurance taught me how to defeat dismay.

This site is not dead, but there just has not been any news about Mao. I really really miss seeing Mao skate, usually around this time i'm very excited about the new season, the new programs, but without Mao there, i am not half as excited as I used to be. I really mis her skating, and no skater currently competing could make up for her  

The more time pass the more I hope to see Mao compete Again, it just feels wrong and empty without her

Sorry about using the word dead. Really I was going to go back and change it, but I was in the airport and didn't have access to a plug and internet at the same time, so I ran out of juice and just sent it the way it was and then realized it sounded too harsh. Besides, the season just feels empty to me without Mao, like you said ballerinamao, and I wanted to express that, so I changed it to your words which are better. Thanks for pointing it out to me and giving me a good phrase to replace it with. I definitely agree with you too that no current skater can measure up to Mao for me, but then again she is my all-time favorite.  I do like Wakaba a lot though and noticed she is doing some of the flowing hand gestures exiting jumps like Mao does, though they lack the level of grace and can't replace Mao.   

whiteboots2013 wrote:

I totally agree with you... But, hopefully, there will be other skaters who can attract us.  And I believe Mao will come back on the ice.  Right now, it is time to wait for her. (^_^)

Nice to have you back whiteboots after all this time and great to see you writing more poems.I really love the way you talk about your son learning to play Nocturne in a way that is inspirational and full of light because he pictures Mao's soaring performance when he plays. even though the piece is usually melancholy. I don't know how old your son is, but your poem also reminds me of this quote by Mao, July 4, 2013- My unchanging objective has been to become a skater who can give small children a dream. This is my favorite part:

In M’s nocturne
There is no image of night
Instead of that
Full of light
Vividly
The image for flying forward in his future
Like Mao’s performance
May go forward, high into the sky

When M plays it
I should say
It may be a miracle
To be able to think about Mao’s facial expressions and performance
His piano teacher suggested
Make a story about this piece

I am glad to read your opinions about my poem. Thank you so much for your comments. They encouraged me very much. Maybe, during competitions, every skater seems to be special. Let's enjoy and cheer talented and brilliant skaters together. I'm excited with thinking about new seasons.

Mao seems very happy and enjoying the life!
http://twitpic.com/ecmvvq from Season Guide 2014-2015

lovely photo, I wonder what Mao is doing these days............... no practice clips, no new programs, no costumes ahhhhhhhhhhhhh what a boring season it is without Mao . I somehow hope the media will sneak and take some pictures or film some practice clips I know i'm being selfish but this is the first time a season has started without having seen Mao in it, it's just hard to get used too.

WowMao wrote:

Here is a video link for Mao's travel show with Mai filmed in New Zealand. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbtsOmDG_DM

You can find a translation at the following website: http://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/inde....89260/page-16

Looks like a beautiful and entertaining program.

It seems the previous link of the Mao+Mai "Try & GO-NZ" is not valid anymore. But the following video is the full version of the show:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohJEnCf2qo8

(I'm not sure how long this link will be kept... so it is suggested watching the video as soon as you could!)

I just enjoy it so much watching the interaction between the two sisters...

Thanks for the link, COHK!

And here is a new video "Alive" by ShibSibs    

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCcM_XO_OTY

silenceisgolden wrote:

Thanks for the link, COHK!

And here is a new video "Alive" by ShibSibs    

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCcM_XO_OTY

I wonder if this is the last video of "The Ice 2014" series....
Ah, this video brought up such good memory...I was actually at one of the The Ice show @ Osaka during the summer. The show I attended was the one prior the grand finale show. So I didn't get to see Dai's performance (such a pity...But I was lucky to get to see Oda!) It looks like from the video posted most of the scenes were taken from the grand finale show, as I find Dai in the video. And actually, they took the same camera shots even in our show: so after the finale of the show, all skaters would come out, and Alex would hold the camera in a small tripod to take shots around, while asking audiences' cooperation with all the skaters. It was a lot of fun! (I guess they just camera-ed it twice in two different shows, just in case one of the shootings didn't work.) In general, I think The ICE is a very well organised show, and I hope the show will keep on in the future...

Since that link for the travel show is gone, I will provide some links for other performances you may be having trouble finding that are in HD. For me, it would have been better if I never looked at the protocols on most of these performances because so many of the urs and the double footed landing calls are invisible to the naked eye or out of sight even after watching instant replay, and the GOE's are so obviously low for the beautifully tight trajectory of Mao's jumps and her intricate balletic movement on entry and exit and her consummately erect posture. Even her fabulous flexible and elegant spins, spirals and steps, barely score higher than Kim's obviously inferior lines and positions, not to mention the huge PCS disadvantage Mao received, despite the fact that she had intricate flitting like a butterfly movements between her jumps and one foot skating, instead of straight speed skating crossovers. Where has the JSF been to help her get at least the fair and even scoring she deserved anywhere but at the NHK trophy?

Sorry, for going off like this. Mao may not have been "chosen" by the judges, but I have chosen her as the best skater I have ever seen because she has moved me so deeply with her profound beauty, supreme athletic ability, emotional intensity, and the elegant use of her fabulous flexibility.  It is only now after watching these performances and seeing the protocols that I fully understand the preferential scoring that has been an advantage for her main rival in so many competitions, not to mention the Russian advantage that placed her even lower in status in the Olympics, and resulted in the bad tech calls in the Worlds LP 2014 even with Mao skating in Japan. The one that made me the most angry was the person who yelled, "Fall!" or something similar at the top of their lungs clearly heard above the music just before Mao was about to do her second triple axel in 2009 Worlds LP. Obviously, this caused Mao to fall, but as usual there is no recourse to justice in the ISU. Judged fairly, she should have been given credit for the jump because of crowd interference.

I am so impressed that Mao has endured this judging injustice to give such incredibly wonderful performances for so many years. She is my hero or heroine for artistic and athletic beauty. I love the words that the Russian pairs skating champion Maxim Trankov said on Russian TV during Mao's Sochi LP. He said, "She's the essence of a fighter: a true samurai!" and then he said, "I think she would have been the Olympic Champion. It is the performance that only an Olympic Champion can do." He also said, "It has been a long time since I saw that kind of skating in a woman's program. She did the maximum difficulty. Maximum difficulty."  These statements are tailor made to contradict the final scores and standings in the LP in Sochi and the perfect evidence for Mao's unjust scoring legacy. Thank you Maxim Trankov for your honesty, especially for having the guts to make  these comments in your home country, where Mao's scores were deflated relative to the competition and her world record was taken away from the written record books, but thrives in the souls of so many of those like me who hold it so close to their heart. And thanks to the Eurosport commentators in 2010 Worlds for openly criticizing Mao's low scores on the air repeatedly, though I don't think the were that fair with her at 2012 NHK trophy, after all the times she got low scores.   


Here are the HD videos:    

Mao's FS Sochi in HD full screen: http://vimeo.com/87275728

or Mao's FS Sochi along with the final group of skaters:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5fA9o2sBis

Mystery Hunter:
https://www.dailymotion.com/embed/video/x20vxoe?autoplay=1&logo=1&hideInfos=0&start=0&syndication=159299&foreground=&highlight=&background=

Here is a really nice HD copy of Mao's Bells of Moscow LP at 4CC''s in 2010.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8oV9_LrTzo

Nutcracker 2005 Grand Prix Final:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oc1jxgLD6o

Hard for me to find, since I don't speak Japanese:

Here is also the only HD copy I have been able to find of Bells of Moscow at Worlds 2010. The video also has Rach 2 from the Grand Prix Final I believe.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCwCo3GID2E

Finally, This is Mao's National Performance of Bells of Moscow LP in HD from 2009.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0B4u4VzA2Pc

This the best copy of Mao's Nocturne 2014 I could find:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2xjUQWPsPY

Here is the best copy of Mao's 2014 Worlds LP I can find:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gw3ZBgPSlY

Here is an HD copy of Czardas from 2007 Worlds
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yiQwm_VtrU

Here is an HD copy of Mao's Performance of Fantasie Impromptu at 4CC's 2008:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cp5aoeVYcHg


2009 Worlds LP with the screaming spectator just before Mao's 2nd triple axel. I wonder who this is a fan of. How come they didn't give her points for this or count the jump good? So incredibly unust!!! It must have hurt her a lot psychologically.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOGNh5gAvXU

Here is her interview after the performance at the Grand Prix Final 2007 (I wish I understood what she was saying) :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlVUvUkxuJE

Here is an HD copy of Fantasie Impromptu at Worlds 2008:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAC6TRBmhhg


Here is an HD copy of Liebestraum from 4CC's 2011 :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXCswqtVhrc


Liebestraum  2011 4CC's- another HD copy Mao might have had some big difficulties in 2010-2012, but her performances in 4CC's both in 2011 and even 2012 are divine.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_fHcE4uFg4


Liebestraum 2012 4CC's
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrjQuotgPqU


Here is an HD version of "I Got Rhythm" at 4CCs 2013. Love this so much!!  So many nasty comments by Kim fans. Makes me love it even more.
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7jd3gn82Vc


Worlds 2013 LP HD
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjnChWXVteA

Another great Short Claire de Lune World Team Trophy SP in HD
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=327n8Gue9Ic


Mao's Sochi Freeskate and the final flight HD

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5fA9o2sBis


So Deep is the Night
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2L8TshBMD9I
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZJUgH6Mjv8


Caprice

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41mdvXnGiSE


Por Una Cabeza

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97iu9hl9MX8

Thank you for the links WowMao, I hope Mao is enjoying her time off the ice.
Dont hate me, but in someway I am enjoying this new season without her, when Mao is competing I am so nervous, so angry with the scores, the judges and their competitors . Now I enjoy everyone performances and I wish the best to everyone , I dont care very much about scores because I dont care enough for someone as I care for Mao, though I am very optimistic about her come back.

Chapis, it's really great to see you post here again and I'm glad you like the videos. It took quite a while to find them in HD. Please don't paste the links in too many places or they may be removed.

I know what you are saying in one sense, I have been a Mao fan for about 5 years, but never got to see her skate as much as I wanted until this last year and finally saw most of her old performances on youtube after Sochi, when I became a big fan. So, when Worlds came around, I was a nervous wreck and will never forget how I lost my internet connection of Mao's LP during a layover in the airport just as she was about to do her triple axel. What's worse is that I didn't get the internet back until she had just finished and was waiting for her score, which made me really upset with all the bad tech calls, which is what you said upset you.

Speaking of ridiculous scoring, call me the last one to know, but I just found out after watching on youtube that Kim received only 123 points in her LP in the Grand Prix Final 2009 with no falls. That means her LP score alone rose by 27 points in the Olympics!!!!!! And to be honest I didn't see much difference in the performance, except for a two footed landing. Really, this absurdity in scoring would be funny, if I didn't love Mao's skating so much.
     
But even though I am not suffering through that with Mao this year, I don't enjoy watching skating as much because she was the only reason I followed skating outside the Olympics, and she will always be my favorite. She is a once in a lifetime skater for me and I feel intuitively that I will never see another who expresses such a sublime sense of beauty, purity, athleticism and artistry. She is perfect mix of all these ingredients, and even her imperfections reign supreme because they lead to redemption, the most complex and precious action because it is composed of so many contrasting emotions, from tragedy to jubilation to bittersweet relief.  

I do like a few of the JGP skaters: Evgenia, Wakaba and Maria Sotskova. They have helped to fill the void somewhat, and I even felt some of the same feelings of scoring injustice when Evgenia scored so much lower than Serafima Sakhanovich, But whatever feelings I have for these skaters now, they pale in comparison to Mao.

chapis wrote:

Thank you for the links WowMao, I hope Mao is enjoying her time off the ice.
Dont hate me, but in someway I am enjoying this new season without her, when Mao is competing I am so nervous, so angry with the scores, the judges and their competitors   . Now I enjoy everyone performances and I wish the best to everyone   , I dont care very much about scores because I dont care enough for someone as I care for Mao, though I am very optimistic about her come back.

Welcome back chapis!

I understand you completely. On one hand I miss Mao like crazy, but on the other, this season is going to be less stressful, though I'm sure I'll still be mightly pissed with the judges and their scoring. E.Radionova is now my new favourite (in Mao's absense), but I just know they'll overscore Lipnitskaia.

I hope chapis that you're right and Mao will come back, however I'm not sure I want to see her having great skates, only to be underscored, while those russian babies are being given huge and undeserved scores. I guess I'm still a bit scarred with all the BS that happened in the Oly season, especially in Sochi. That FS was historic, only to receive such a BS score. it should've blown Kim's WR out of the water. Bloody Lakernik.

This is off topic, but am I right in thinking that Eurosport is not going to be broadcasting Grand Prix this season?

let`s talk wrote:

Mao seems very happy and enjoying the life!
http://twitpic.com/ecmvvq from Season Guide 2014-2015

This gorgeous photo. I'm so happy Mao is able to enjoy life to it's fullest. But I miss her and her beautiful skating.

zarinaballerina wrote:

chapis wrote:

Thank you for the links WowMao, I hope Mao is enjoying her time off the ice.
Dont hate me, but in someway I am enjoying this new season without her, when Mao is competing I am so nervous, so angry with the scores, the judges and their competitors   . Now I enjoy everyone performances and I wish the best to everyone   , I dont care very much about scores because I dont care enough for someone as I care for Mao, though I am very optimistic about her come back.

Welcome back chapis!

I understand you completely. On one hand I miss Mao like crazy, but on the other, this season is going to be less stressful, though I'm sure I'll still be mightly pissed with the judges and their scoring. E.Radionova is now my new favourite (in Mao's absense), but I just know they'll overscore Lipnitskaia.

I hope chapis that you're right and Mao will come back, however I'm not sure I want to see her having great skates, only to be underscored, while those russian babies are being given huge and undeserved scores. I guess I'm still a bit scarred with all the BS that happened in the Oly season, especially in Sochi.  That FS was historic, only to receive such a BS score.  it should've blown Kim's WR out of the water. Bloody Lakernik.

This is off topic, but am I right in thinking that Eurosport is not going to be broadcasting Grand Prix this season?

I agree with most of what you said, except I think the score rigging was more insidious than just a couple of judges linked to Russia. Just look at the tech crew composition at the Grand Prix final SP and Worlds LP, when Mao was skating in Japan. I think the ISU used a top down approach and used this as "cover" in 2014 because it would be too obvious to do what they did in 2010 again. Namely, having something as biased as Korean and Canadian judges on the panel in the Vancouver Olympics, since Orser was Kim's coach and Kim trained in Canada, and no Japanese judge, and since there was a Korean and no Japanese judge at Worlds 2010 yet again, with Kim receiving such obvious score inflation and Mao getting deflation especially at Worlds.  They had to get some Japanese tech judges in the mix during the 2014 Olympic season to make it look more legitimate. I honestly think they must have just been following orders or maybe there was some threat of losing their jobs. Why else would they go against their own star skater? But in 2014, it was even worse because now Mao had to deal with Kim's "preferred status" and Russian inflation.   But, they also arranged it so that Mao's PCS and GOE were manipulated in Sochi, so it wasn't just the tech judges.  Also, I don't think people are putting enough blame on the IOC, which probably had a lot to do with it.  

The good thing is that the judges took it too far this time, so that most people on forums rank Mao's performance at the Olympics as the best and there are so many on those forums even among non-fans who think it should have been a world record. I was very surprised though I completely agree with this. Also, I think that Mao's absurd placement and score and the often insulting and arrogant comments made by some Kim fans and backers on so many Mao videos and forums have caused many to go back and look at past scores more critically, so that Mao's overall reputation may have actually benefited, as many recent polls have shown. Some may say that Kim is the undisputed dominant and best skater of her era and pretend to be objective. But what completely contradicts this is that for the first time I can remember, Mao is actually doing better than Kim in most of the recent polls and lists at both goldenskate and fsuniverse, and not only those for Sochi but even when compared to their entire skating career and for the greatest performances. It shouldn't really matter since I will love her skating anyway, but I am still glad this is the case because it's just natural to want my favorite to get the credit she deserves, especially when she has the triple axel, more triples, better spirals, spins, and extensions, and in my view more athletic steps now and sincere artistry.    

 
I found this post at goldenskate for the eurosport schedule in airing Skate America. Only LP for women.  

British Eurosport (All times BST*)

Here is a live stream link that worked for me. As I write, they are re-airing Mao's Worlds LP. No SP for women though.    

http://www.time4tv.com/2011/09/british-eurosport.php

Wednesday 22nd October 2014
BES1 08:30 – 09:30 World Championships Short Dance
BES1 09:30 – 10:30 World Championships Free Pairs
BES1 18:00 – 19:00 World Championships Free Pairs

Thursday 23rd October 2014
BES1 10:30 – 11:30 World Championships Ladies Free
BES1 11:30 – 12:30 World Championships Ice Dance
BES1 17:30 – 18:30 World Championships Ladies Free
BES1 18:30 – 19:30 World Championships Ice Dance

Friday 24th October 2014
BES1 09:45 – 11:45 World Championships Gala Exhibitions
BES1 17:00 – 19:00 World Championships Gala Exhibitions

Saturday 25th October 2014
BES1 13:30 – 14:30 Short Dance
BES1 14:30 – 15:30 Men’s Short
BES1 19:30 – 20:30 Short Dance
BES1 20:30 – 21:30 Men’s Short
BES2 22:45 – 23:45 Men’s Short

Sunday 26th October 2014
BES1 10:30 – 11:30 Men’s Short
BES2 16:30 – 17:15 Free Dance
BES2 17:15 – 18:15 Ladies Free (What?! I assume this is a typing error)
BES2 18:15 – 19:45 Free Pairs LIVE
BES2 19:45 – 21:45 Ladies Free LIVE

Monday 27th October 2014
BES2 02:00 – 03:00 Pairs Free
BES2 03:00 – 04:00 Ladies Free
BES2 12:00 – 13:30 Gala Exhibition

Tuesday 28th October 2014
BES2 06:30 – 08:30 Ladies Free (?)

Thursday 30th October 2014
BES2 10:45 – 12:45 Ladies Free (?)
BES1 15:30 – 17:30 Ladies Free (?)

Friday 31st October 2014
BES2 02:00 – 04:00 Ladies Free (?)
BES2 08:30 – 10:30 Ladies Free (?)
BES2 20:15 – 21:45 Skate Canada Men’s Short LIVE
BES2 21:45 – 22:15 (Highlights?)
BES2 22:15 – 23:15 Skate Canada Pairs Short LIVE

*Europe is currently on Daylight Savings Time. So, BST (British Summer Time) is GMT+1

WowMao, thanx so much for this! After "researching" I've found out that Eurosport2 will show ladies LP live, and the first three of men's LP. Europsort made zero advertising for figure skating and planty advertising for skiing and snooker , so with added rumours that they've signed the deal to bradcast GP series from 2015 onward, I assumed they skipped this season. I'm very happy to be proven wrong. Though why they show so little from Skam America... I'm willing to bet they'll show every freaking game of snooker though.

Tatsuki's Ladies in Lavender SP and Michael Christian Martinez(?spelling)'s Rach just reminded me the absence of Mao.... Sigh and Yuzu's SP would too at skate canada ....

A season without my faves begins..

Edit: Okay at least there is still Yuzu, Tatsuki +/- Team Japan <: but I used to watch all 4 disciplines and so far now I'm back to only Men... :l and okay I still follow Ladies but no one to seriously root for! :l

WowMao wrote:

zarinaballerina wrote:

chapis wrote:

Thank you for the links WowMao, I hope Mao is enjoying her time off the ice.
Dont hate me, but in someway I am enjoying this new season without her, when Mao is competing I am so nervous, so angry with the scores, the judges and their competitors   . Now I enjoy everyone performances and I wish the best to everyone   , I dont care very much about scores because I dont care enough for someone as I care for Mao, though I am very optimistic about her come back.

Welcome back chapis!

I understand you completely. On one hand I miss Mao like crazy, but on the other, this season is going to be less stressful, though I'm sure I'll still be mightly pissed with the judges and their scoring. E.Radionova is now my new favourite (in Mao's absense), but I just know they'll overscore Lipnitskaia.

I hope chapis that you're right and Mao will come back, however I'm not sure I want to see her having great skates, only to be underscored, while those russian babies are being given huge and undeserved scores. I guess I'm still a bit scarred with all the BS that happened in the Oly season, especially in Sochi.  That FS was historic, only to receive such a BS score.  it should've blown Kim's WR out of the water. Bloody Lakernik.

This is off topic, but am I right in thinking that Eurosport is not going to be broadcasting Grand Prix this season?

I agree with most of what you said, except I think the score rigging was more insidious than just a couple of judges linked to Russia. Just look at the tech crew composition at the Grand Prix final SP and Worlds LP, when Mao was skating in Japan. I think the ISU used a top down approach and used this as "cover" in 2014 because it would be too obvious to do what they did in 2010 again. Namely, having something as biased as Korean and Canadian judges on the panel in the Vancouver Olympics, since Orser was Kim's coach and Kim trained in Canada, and no Japanese judge, and since there was a Korean and no Japanese judge at Worlds 2010 yet again, with Kim receiving such obvious score inflation and Mao getting deflation especially at Worlds.  They had to get some Japanese tech judges in the mix during the 2014 Olympic season to make it look more legitimate. I honestly think they must have just been following orders or maybe there was some threat of losing their jobs. Why else would they go against their own star skater? But in 2014, it was even worse because now Mao had to deal with Kim's "preferred status" and Russian inflation.   But, they also arranged it so that Mao's PCS and GOE were manipulated in Sochi, so it wasn't just the tech judges.  Also, I don't think people are putting enough blame on the IOC, which probably had a lot to do with it.  

The good thing is that the judges took it too far this time, so that most people on forums rank Mao's performance at the Olympics as the best and there are so many on those forums even among non-fans who think it should have been a world record. I was very surprised though I completely agree with this. Also, I think that Mao's absurd placement and score and the often insulting and arrogant comments made by some Kim fans and backers on so many Mao videos and forums have caused many to go back and look at past scores more critically, so that Mao's overall reputation may have actually benefited, as many recent polls have shown. Some may say that Kim is the undisputed dominant and best skater of her era and pretend to be objective. But what completely contradicts this is that for the first time I can remember, Mao is actually doing better than Kim in most of the recent polls and lists at both goldenskate and fsuniverse, and not only those for Sochi but even when compared to their entire skating career and for the greatest performances. It shouldn't really matter since I will love her skating anyway, but I am still glad this is the case because it's just natural to want my favorite to get the credit she deserves, especially when she has the triple axel, more triples, better spirals, spins, and extensions, and in my view more athletic steps now and sincere artistry.    

Wow really? Somehow I wonder if people still think that Mao's LP was like deserving of her marks. I know many commentors did feel her jumps were the cleanest you can get while watching her program live(and the replays). But I guess it doesn't really matter much to me anyways! <: However, glad that this got the people talking and wondering.

(And what is more important is that spirit that captured pure sportsmanship - cue Joannie and V/M at Vancouver, and here we have Mao at Sochi!)

Anyway, I came back posting here since I really missed you guys so much! A nice forum with people who shared similar views (and sometimes not ), but a common love for the sport and fans of Mao!

sweetdream wrote:

Tatsuki's Ladies in Lavender SP and Michael Christian Martinez(?spelling)'s Rach just reminded me the absence of Mao.... Sigh and Yuzu's SP would too at skate canada ....

A season without my faves begins..

Edit: Okay at least there is still Yuzu, Tatsuki +/- Team Japan <: but I used to watch all 4 disciplines and so far now I'm back to only Men... :l and okay I still follow Ladies but no one to seriously root for! :l

Tell me about it. This is unfair towards Tatsuki and Martinez, but I couldn't help to remember what Mao's programs were like when these two skated.