Mao: post-Sochi news and articles

Thank you very much!

Random comments...I was rewatching the ladies free skating from 2014 worlds on Spanish TV since they are reairing the best moments of 2014 in TVE sports channel. I still can't figure out how could the technical pannel reduce Mao's score so blatantly after her skate. Ok, some jumps were close but c'mon! She finally lands a clean 3f-3l and you replay the flip and mark it as "<". They were desperately looking for UR jumps, it was so obvious! Thank god she won, despite such idiots. I still can't understand how can they call themselves technical experts if they can't even call jumps in real time...

Iceriver wrote:

I still can't understand how can they call themselves technical experts if they can't even call jumps in real time...

They are not experts.
Anyone can call themselves a "technical expert" because zero qualifications are required to be one.

(From 2003)
http://www.frogsonice.com/skateweb/articles/code-of-points.shtml

Code of Points Considered Harmful wrote:

There are no published procedures for establishing the qualifications of the "callers", evaluating their performance, or making them accountable for their work. Judges, on the other hand, have to be appointed by their national federations and pass a judge's examination, and their work is reviewed by the event referee and the appropriate Technical Committees.

If one were to show Techs images of clean and unclean landings, they would not be able to tell which is which. Technical Controllers are actors pretending to be experts, they fake their job by reenforcing each skater's "stereotype". If a skater has been stereotyped as having underrotations, their performance is not taken into account - instead the Techs just mark > to look like they are "doing something", because they assume the stereotype is true and lack the expertise to confirm it. Likewise, if someone has been stereotyped as "textbook", since the Techs don't know what they are looking at because they've never actually read any skating textbooks, they wouldn't dare dissent from such a stereotype. The Techs give marks purely according to media stereotypes of skaters, because lacking knowledge of actual skating, they have nothing else to work with.

Also, the new UR rule, anything that forces judges to give mandatory deductions, merely puts that much more power in the hands of one unqualified person.

Stars on Ice Japan will start tomorrow!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1V1iDZK6sjQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cuSm8S6V5yo

Performers:
http://www.tbs.co.jp/tbs-figureskate/soi/cast.html

Iceriver wrote:

Thank you very much!

Random comments...I was rewatching the ladies free skating from 2014 worlds on Spanish TV since they are reairing the best moments of 2014 in TVE sports channel. I still can't figure out how could the technical pannel reduce Mao's score so blatantly after her skate. Ok, some jumps were close but c'mon! She finally lands a clean 3f-3l and you replay the flip and mark it as "<". They were desperately looking for UR jumps, it was so obvious! Thank god she won, despite such idiots. I still can't understand how can they call themselves technical experts if they can't even call jumps in real time...

The tech judges had to reduce Mao's score in the Worlds FS (138) with one less triple to below the deflated LP score she got clean in Sochi (142) in order to make her bogus score in the Olympics appear legitimate, and at Worlds they used a Japanese tech judge as cover to achieve this. This is similar to the reputational scoring that BelieveInMaoself mentioned because it is using one score as a "precedent" for the scoring in a subsequent contest. However, The problem is that the judges betrayed and contradicted the tech panel by giving Mao well over +1 (I think her original GOE on the triple axel was +1.6) and about +1.2 or +1.3 on the 3F/3L, GOE's. These very good GOEs indicate that the judges saw exemplary jumps. This just made the tech crews clandestine machinations to undermine Mao's score appear blatant.

Mao is left to have a score that is almost 12 points lower than Adelina's LP in the Olympics (it should be higher) which is utterly absurd, just as her Worlds LP being 6 points below Yuna's who had one less triple and an obvious ur is absurd. This has been going on so long that many people are immune to it and actually buy into the ur line thrown down by the tech crew even when the evidence of the eyes indicates otherwise on Mao's jumps. I remember way back to the 2007 Grand Prix Final freeskate when Yuna fell on her triple loop and had a tech base score 6 points less than Mao's and Mao who was clean with a base score of 70 (3A and 3F/3T and 3F/3L) got basically the same score. There were supposed to be two footed landings that I still can't see. They can do whatever they want with the scores, but I don't take them seriously most of the time.

At fsuniverse rosewood has written a translation of the program entitled Athlete Harabanjo, which talks about the 20 hours between Mao's SP and LP in Sochi.

http://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/index.php?threads/the-mao-cheer-thread-after-finishing-the-season-i-could-truly-say-figure-skating-is-wonderful.89260/page-20 post #579

I have been wondering how Mao felt in the lead up to her greatest (and what is my favorite) performance ever and it is amazing the similarity between Mao and Rachmaninoff, the composer of the 2nd piano concerto which Mao skated to. The composer hadn't written anything in 4 years and even that was a critical failure compared to his early success with Bells of Moscow. Like Mao, his composition was more than a comeback composition because it surpassed in greatness anything he had done before and like Mao he transformed all his pain from recent disappointment and distilled it into a moment of passionate perfection, which climaxed in the pounding piano chords in the step sequence.

Sorry to interrupt,  
this article says Mao will practice a new program    

http://www.nikkansports.com/sports/news/p-sp-tp0-20150111-1420106.html

Is she coming back or is it for a show?

Thanks for the information silenceisgolden.


 Here are some new HD videos of Mao on youtube

2007 TEB SP Fantasia https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5xyzv9ojyA

2007 TEB FS Fantasie Impromptu https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94WIxZIC2aM

Mao Asada 2007 NagoyaFigureSkatingFestival EX2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfDJDGYtK8U

2007 Grand Prix Final HD https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bV8TVXnkltE

2006 GPF EX Havanera https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlE9iSo8A_4

2007 JPN Nationals Gala Fantasia and Encore https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hPfmv_kJUo

2006 Skate American SP https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=el8it8p7qjM

This Little Light of Mine side by side The Ice and XOI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDGRR7LGub0

Clare de Lune NHk Trophy Eurosport https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9gxlFZ_0WM

l-spiralmao wrote:

Is she coming back or is it for a show?

neither, nothing was reported re. if she will come back or the choreography will be for a show, in the news it just mentions that she's considering getting choreo of new number.

Here's another video interview broadcasted on Jan 11.:
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2eholf_150112-1-interview_sport

Perhaps there will be translation of the video soon from GS/FSU. Basically she said it's still 50-50, (though there were times when she's been thinking about 80%-continuing/20%-retiring). And in the end she was asked about her view toward including vocal music. (I think) she says she'd like to skate to something simple....

IMHO, simplicity brings out the best of her

Thanks WowMao for the list!!  



Mao and Akiko at a restaurant in Nagoya (and Kanako joined them later.)

Thanks COHK for the video.
I agree.  I think simple music will enhance her elegance and purity on the ice too.
I'm happy to hear that she came to like figure skating again.  She loves it and she's an athlete after all.  That's what I though after watching the video.
After all the ups and downs and the undeserved treatment by the judges, it's obvious that it's not an easy decision to make.  I hope she will not hasten, but just ignore the pressure from the media and maybe from JSF too ? and take time and take it easy and decide whenever she feels ready. Remembering the unjust calls and underrated PCS, I may have ambivalent feelings even if she decides to come back ... but I know I'll support her whatever she does.

linglang,
Can you guess who posted this comment on GS recently ?
To my surprise, it was made by that person, one of the Mods whom you mentiond before    

* * * * *

About the risk-reward equation, I think Mao Asada was a special case.
There was a lot of discussion about whether she would win more medals if she
dropped the triple Axel, which wasn't always successful, and concentrated
instead on maximizing the points for the other elements.

Mao would have none of it. "I am Mao Asada. This is what I do!"  

* * * * *

http://www.goldenskate.com/forum/showthread.php?53732-Recent-video-of-Elizaveta-Tuktamysheva-practising-3A/page5

I've checked it and I guessed right.
But my mind is twisted when it comes to this person and the comment sounds making a mockery of her stubbornness to me. hehe I'm so twisted.  

Thanks silenceisgolden for the link anyway. I watched the video and Liza's 3A is soooo good!

Yeah, a part of me took his words like you did, but on the other hand,
it seemed for me that he was impressed by Mao's Nocturne performance last season.
So maybe he changed his mind about Mao a bit since then or maybe you are right.  


Plushy went backstage of JSOI?


via Aloha

silenceisgolden wrote:

So maybe he changed his mind about Mao a bit since then.  

No way. Mathtroll is forever!  

Btw, do you guys agree with SOI audience? https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2eyus8_20150118-ma-%E3%82%A2%E3%83%B3%E3%82%B1%E3%83%BC%E3%83%88_tv

let`s talk wrote:

silenceisgolden wrote:

So maybe he changed his mind about Mao a bit since then.  

No way. Mathtroll is forever!  

GS is to skating forums what MySpace is to social networks. They're a dying dinosaur.

Literally every other post on the entire site is "edited" by one OCD mod - actually CENSORED like some police state where they cut pages out of history books. They purged longtime members with thousands of posts - again, like some kind of online police state. Of course there is a ridiculous double standard, as open bashing of some skaters is outright encouraged, and rational criticism of others is [CENSORED].
That site will be gone someday.

Thanks silenceisgolden for the photos and the quote from goldenskate. I must be twisted too, linglang, because I really like your post and feel the same way about Mao taking risks. However, I like Mao's triple axel better than Liza's. It has more height, more drama, more staging and the air position is more symmetrical and beautiful to me. Plus, I don't know if it is just me, but Mao's seems more rotated. I do like Liza's exit to the jump and it is very smooth.  Honestly, I am sooooo glad that Mao didn't play the "system safe" for points especially when she wasn't given the credit she deserved for her legendary performances with 2 triple axels in an LP in 2010 and her 8 triples and the triple axel at Sochi. Finally, the judges have made their prejudice so obvious that people are catching on to their game.

This reminds me of a beautiful quote from red cloud about Mao's Sochi performance on youtube.

I think every true figure skating fan recognizes what Mao Asada and this skate especially symbolizes to the sport. For many people, this skate was the moment when the magic that we all expect at the Olympics happened. There's so many wrong things with the judging system in figure skating, honestly I don't think any 'couple of numbers'  can evaluate what Mao did,  This will be forever the most inspiring free skate in ladies figure skating, and belongs more to history than a lot of medal winning skates. Some things go beyond world records, technicalities, medals or prestige. I'm tired of supposed 'perfect techniques", GOE's, UR's, PCS, politiking. This skate was a breath of fresh air, finally someone could capture perfectly the essence of figure skating and sports in general.  This was the kind of purely  'perfection' that Mao displayed that night. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dbq6VHRHUfM


Just to let you know, it appears this site is inaccessible from some parts of the world because I was unable to access it while on a trip to Central Asia.

The number of posts at Mao's thread at goldenskate has increased dramatically the last couple of months, though I have posted a lot of them, but so have a lot of other regulars. I just want to do everything I can to help Mao be remembered. I know I get upset when I see nasty posts about Mao, so I try really hard not to say anything critical about other skaters, though the judges are fair game in my opinion.      

Anyway here are the latest videos of Mao I found on youtube:


2009 COIJO Exhibition https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGryYfcKkEM

The Ice Caprices https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0LkBRjdtC4

2008 Grand Prix Final Exhibition https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5W3YgZIu0w

2009 Worlds Exhibition https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nwq1VxX12eI

2009 TEB LP https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-1pWN4Bc44

2009 JNC FS https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n77CZ1cy_Dk

2009 Worlds SP https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Fl7TSDjx-8

2009 Worlds LP https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCRn_RPxefc

Diamond Ice Exhibition 2010: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLVvqxIP2aQ

2010 SP Nationals: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IB1iuYd-yU

2009 World Team Trophy SP Claire de Lune: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnWeL5MrHJs

2009 SP Worlds https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Fl7TSDjx-8

2010 4CC Freeskate https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9EQihn2sXY4

2010 4CCs SP https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1tBjA8A4Cs no sound again

2009 Cup of Russia SP with sound https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGUmzxR9LMI

2010 DOI Ballade https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWnzSkSqpOQ

2010 MOI NC + JP Ballade and Liebestraum Step sequence
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROMt2rb226k

2010 4CC Exhibition Caprice https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeKreoaIFK8

2009 4CC Exhibition Por Una Cabeza https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_gNnhWxv8w

2009 World Team Exhibition Exhibition https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIIuVBrLzUA

Just wondering, does anyone else love Caprice as much as I do? I think this is the best exhibition ever followed by Por Una Cabeza, Ballade and So Deep is the Night. But, Smile is also great. I love how she incorporates opening and closing the fan into her intricate salsa dance moves, spirals and spins.

^ me! I like Caprice, although Jupiter's my favorite.... and there's also Ballade and So Deep Is The Night....

Here are some photos of Mao that I like:

http://jto.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/sp20121209f1a.jpg

http://assets.espn.go.com/i/oly/winter14/ap/bios/images/Mao_Asada.jpg

http://www.iskating.net/imagevue/content/2013/WORLD%20CHAPIONSHIPS%202013/LADIES/JB_WORLD_CHAMP_2013%20Mao%20ASADA%20JAP%2007.jpg

http://jto.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/sp20130210f1a.jpg

http://www.olympic.org/Assets/MediaPlayer/Photos/Vancouver/Semaine_18oct%231/FIGURE%20SKATING/06-W_Mao_Asada_JPN_S-960.jpg

http://3ms4ve1eb1we30q8w527h1j9f4u.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content//uploads/2013/11/ASADA-930x600.jpg

http://jto.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/p1-w1-t2-mori-b-20140222.jpg

https://nbcolympictalk.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/maoasada.jpg

http://postimg.org/image/aigwjiqm5/

http://postimg.org/image/t2mw64ozh/

http://jto.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/w3-14-mao-a-20131113-e1384257746247.jpg

http://bi.gazeta.pl/im/c2/60/ec/z15491266V,Mao-Asada-z-Japonii.jpg

http://cache.20minutes.fr/photos/2014/02/24/sochi-russia-mao-asada-df93-diaporama.jpg

http://i1.nyt.com/images/2014/02/20/sports/olympics/20asada/20asada-superJumbo.jpg

http://www.alexei-wallpaper.de/wp1/FS_MA10.jpg

http://www.digitaljournal.com/img/1/0/4/8/1/8/4/i/1/7/5/o/2014-02-25T062921Z_1_CBREA1O0I1200_RTROPTP_4_CSPORTS-US-JAPAN-OLYMPICS-ASADA.JPG


One site that has a lot of nice performance photos is

http://figuregallery.tistory.com/674?guid=ON

http://figuregallery.tistory.com/entry/Mao-ASADA

http://figuregallery.tistory.com/entry/Mao-ASADA-%E6%B5%85%E7%94%B0-%E7%9C%9F%E5%A4%AE-Grand-Prix-of-Figure-Skating-Final-Gala-Show

http://figuregallery.tistory.com/entry/Mao-Asada%E6%B5%85%E7%94%B0-%E7%9C%9F%E5%A4%AE-ISU-Four-Continents-Figure-Skating-Championship-2010-in-Jeonju

http://figuregallery.tistory.com/entry/Mao-Asada-Masquerade-Medalist-on-Ice

http://figuregallery.tistory.com/entry/Mao-ASADA-%E6%B5%85%E7%94%B0-%E7%9C%9F%E5%A4%AE-Grand-Prix-of-Figure-Skating-Final-Short-Program


What are some photos of Mao that you like?

Thank you for the many links, WowMao!

Here are some photos taken by fans at a New Year party sponsored by Arsoa.
It was held in Tokyo on Jan. 24 and 200 lucky people were invited among the crowd of applicants.




via Mansikka

Glad you like the photos, silenceisgolden. Thanks for your photos as well. rosewood at fsuniverse revealed that Mao will be hosting her own radio show beginning in March and extending through June because of the good response she received from audiences from appearing on several popular radio shows last spring. It's called Mao Asada's Nippon Smile. rosewood said that one of her sponsors, Nippon Insurance Company, offered her to do the show.

Preview clip https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2fjr5b_浅田真央-ラジオdjに初挑戦_sport
Article and a photo. http://www.nikkansports.com/sports/news/f-sp-tp0-20150126-1426305.html

There is a great translation of Mao with Akiko, Daisuke and Nobu at the following website:

http://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/inde....89260/page-21 post #604.

From what Mao says in the translation, "We all can afford to compete as long as it's just for one year" and I don't feeling like going (to the Olympics) at this point" it sounds like she may be planning to come back for one year and never return to the Olympics. After reading this, I think there's a really good chance that she will return for one year. But, who knows how serious she is? Maybe she's just kidding.

silenceisgolden wrote:

Thank you for the many links, WowMao!

Here are some photos taken by fans at a New Year party sponsored by Arsoa.
It was held in Tokyo on Jan. 24 and 200 lucky people were invited among the crowd of applicants.




via Mansikka

She looks great. I love this colour on her, my only complaint...the dress should've been tighter. This way it looks a bit baggy, but Mao is gorgeous as always. Gosh, how I miss her. The sport is simply not the same without her.

Here is some really cute footage of Mao when she was a very little girl. bebece posted this at link at goldenskate.

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2gat4j_0203-tv-special-1-3_sport

In memory of the best freeskate in history as we near the 1st anniversary, here is the first 8 triple program that Mao ever did. 2002 Japan National Championships at 12 years old
3A, 3F-3Lo-3T, 3Lz-3Lo, 2A, 3S, 3Lz. Such a great performance for being so young. Shades of Sochi in the making. I love her expressions at the end.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FEyU1Baaaeg

It's difficult waiting to find out whether Mao will retire or not. I am trying to find qualities in other skaters that remind me of Mao at least a little, so I won't miss her so much. That's the greatest compliment I could ever give any skater.

Sooo many posts raving about their memories of Mao's Sochi performance as we near the 1st anniversary at the following website. She receives more praise than any other skater:

http://www.goldenskate.com/forum/showthread.php?54168-2014-Sochi-Olympics-A-Year-After


Mao won my heart and soul and has a great hold on my emotions and tear ducts, but she also deserved a world record score for the first ever 8 triple program together with the most transcendent step sequence there has ever been  - instead of just a conciliation acknowledgement. But in being deprived of the LP scoring crown, she exposed the ISU's blatant treachery, as she has before,  like a brilliant star shining a laser like ray of light into the dark corner of their backroom corruption,

WowMao wrote:

I am trying to find qualities in other skaters that remind me of Mao at least a little

Karen Chen has the most footwork-heavy programs of the current field. Everything in-between the jumps is footwork, fast full-body footwork, which should be demanded of all skaters. It doesn't really compare to Mao, but it's also not hard to imagine Karen might be inspired by her. Wonderful Biellmann too. Meh music but good musicality. (Check out her Nationals LP)

Forget about ever seeing another female 3A in competition, or a 3Lo on the back of anything.
The judges, who could be considered sexist, have made it clear they do not want women doing traditionally male jumps.

What makes Mao so different is not even the superhuman skating, but her ability to conjure up incredibly extraordinary emotional experiences with the skating. It is so rare a gift, there is almost no chance of ever finding it again in a lifetime. I cannot imagine feeling that attachment towards anyone else. So hopefully she will continue. Not for the scores in the present, but for a far future that can truly appreciate her.

WowMao wrote:

It's difficult waiting to find out whether Mao will retire or not.

The only regret she could have 20 years from now is not using her fleeting gift to it's fullest potential.
If she will ever regret anything, it will be not continuing for the few years she could.

WowMao wrote:

Sooo many posts raving about their memories of Mao's Sochi performance as we near the 1st anniversary at the following website. She receives more praise than any other skater

Very unexpected to see about 80% support for Mao LP / Caro Overall, almost NO mention of other lady skaters! Wait, what forum is this, the hater convention?

Unfortunately, irrationality rears it's ugly head, as her criminal scores are explained-away with the "earlier group" nonsense. I saw no less than 5 of these bogus excuses. Many don't want to believe how bad The System is, so they make excuses for injustice as "standard procedure", no matter how little sense. They justify criminality with irrationality.

This one good comment was for me the highlight of the entire thread:

"""…Mao's LP in Sochi. Under 6.0 judging no program ever skated by a woman would have beaten it.""" - drivingmissdaisy

I would also add: She would have won any quadless men's competition under 6.0, with the single triple axel compensated by unmatchable everything else.

Under 6.0, harder = higher ranking, so a points-based system would be, harder = higher score.
CoP is exactly not that, but something which there is no obvious way to win, and not everyone can win no matter what they do, and some can also win no matter what they do, which is not a sport.
It is wrong if a woman could beat 90 years of men's programs, yet barely be 3rd best against ladies programs that would not have won in 1998.

The System tried to break her with a Score, but her Score broke The System.

Karen Chen is definitely my favorite American with her high jumps and the nice delay that reminds some of Mao when she was young. She has beautiful, flexible spirals and spins, nice speed, and intricate steps and is emotionally appealing, but I still think Mao was better at her age with her balletic grace and athleticism. The one whose emotional impact reminds me a little of Mao among current skaters is Evgenia Medvedeva. The profound depth and beauty of expression and athleticism in Mao's performances is inimitable and I don't expect Evgenia to ever match it, but for me she comes the closest. She is quite musical, flexible, subtle and nostalgic, and she is beginning to develop a flair that is a cross between modern dance and classical refinement, and a little like Mao she has beautiful air position with picturesque symmetrical revolutions and erect posture and a wonderful halo effect with her ballerina-in-the-music-box pose when she does her tanos. Her tanos are my favorite. She also has a nice delay in her Biellmann by holding her free foot near her head before extending it all the way up.  I also like Maria Sotkova a lot because of her elegance and intricate steps and beautiful layback and Biellmann and I like the fact that she tries to emulate Mao because she is her favorite skater. She also has a nice 3lz-1lo-3st.

In regards to the bogus and highly unjust skating order argument, the results in the 2010 LP at Worlds dispels that argument completely. Yuna Kim who was in 7th place going into the freeskate outside the final flight of 6 ended up with the highest freeskate score with numerous mistakes over Mao (in 2nd though it should have been 1st) who was passionate and clean with 2 triple axels and superior spirals, spins and in my opinion steps: a result openly criticized by Eurosport commentators who said it should be addressed at the next ISU Congress. Scores lose all meaning if the best skate can't get the highest score because of when it is performed. The skater has already been penalized by a low score, so this double punishment is  extremely discriminatory and the deflation often follows them in perpetuity, as happened with Mao in her FS at Worlds 2014 with the bogus ur calls.

It's funny the poster you cited, drivingmissdaisy, has also written that the Rach 2 music and choreography was too much for Mao to handle, but in another post she wrote that Mao should have had a world record. I don't really understand the vacillation other than she works hard to defend Adelina's score, so maybe she doesn't want to see Mao with a higher score sometimes. I really don't know, but it is a great compliment. Mao definitely got more positive comments than anyone else, which just confirms the absurdity of her score.

I would love for her to come back but I know it must be painful emotionally to have to endure such scrutiny and underscoring when so many others are given a free or preferential pass.

I have probably posted this before, but I  think tech crews should be eliminated because they are often used as a second line of defense to rig the results "properly," posing as an objective assessment of the jumps, while favored ones are given more leniency, if the judges happen to fall out of line with the desired result or score. The 11 points in deduction for Mao's freeskate at Worlds 2014 is a perfect example because the judges "fell out of line" by giving Mao +1.3 - +1.6 for her triple axel and triple flip and loop, so the tech crew had to step in to rig the results so the deflated Sochi score of 142 would appear legitimate. But, they contradicted the judges in the process making their corruption obvious. I also think too much emphasis is placed on slight hooks on the ice when the artistic and fluid movement of the entire body is ignored.

Apologies if this post sounds negative. I just feel the need to defend my favorite skater who is such a big inspiration to me.