The Ice 2013

Lady_in_black wrote:

ballerinamao wrote:

Where on the other hand Dave appeared just the opposite way, by giving reasonable arguments. I especially found his comments about Mao components rising if she has a good start very interesting. The last couple of years has clearly shown how a good start can give a good boost in components regardless of who the judges prefer. a boost like that could make a huge difference and turn everything around. after all it's the subjective part of the scoring that keeps holding Mao down.

Dave was spot on with his comments. A good season can position a skater to the gold medal. I said it before, the judges were ready at 2013 Worlds to give Mao the gold, since she was the best in the season so far. Yuna skated clean and she didn't crack 70 points in the SP. They were saving the big numbers for Mao/Caro since Yuna was absent for so long. Caro would have also beat her with a clean and easier SP. Had Mao nailed her SP, she would have been around 75 in the SP and much, much closer to Yuna's PCS in LP probably. After the SP,  it was over. The "Yuna was back" was clear and the judges scored her like in the old times in the LP. The battle for gold was lost in the SP.
Just like the battle for gold in Vancouver was over for Mao even before the competition. Mao's bad start in 2009-2010 season almost got her to lose the silver medal. She landed the 3A combo and two 3A in the LP and just barely beat a flawed Joannie. This proved that the status going into the Olympics is huge. She really needs a good start this time around.

Thanks for your insightful explanation. But this also makes me upset. Reputation-based scoring is exactly what I don't get about skating and gymnastics. Why can't the athletes be properly rewarded for what they'd delivered?. Thos sports are subjective, and an objective and sound mind can guess what the score range should be. Many times I can't get the PCs in skating and the execution score in gymnastics.

Video of opening!!
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x12enb9_the-ice-2013-opening-wmv-ver_sport#.UfU8tyBD0Zc.vk

I totally agree with Lady_in_black! Mao has to be good in performance and jumps from the beginning of the season on...! But I think she'll do this because she said they're earlier than usual in preperations for the next season and I think she'll be ready in her first Grand Prix (maybe not in Japan Open but that's not that important I think!) She's in good form and her 3Lo in linglangs video was really HUGE!!   

josling wrote:

Hope we can see Mao's performances soon!!  

"チュッキョ" TV usually uploads the video clips of "The Ice" broadcasting after the show is aired. But they sent out the following tweet:

チュッキョ ‏@ctveventkawa 4h
「ザ･アイス」のYOUTUBEアップですが、今回は編集作業にいっぱいいっぱいで YOUTUBE用の作業が追いついていません。準備で来次第アップしますのでもう数日（だと思います。。。）お待ち下さい！

So they're still catching up with the preparation process. And it may take another few days to be ready....
(But be reminded: I read somewhere else that the broadcasting of the Aichi show yesterday was not the complete version. Though the broadcasting included Mao's new EX and SP, the SP was trimmed down to 2:40 mins, with all the part of bad jumps cut out...)

Just found these:

the ice 2013: welcome party (this is a must-see!  )
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x12fk91_the-ice-2013-welcome-party_sport

Backstage
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x12fjmd_the-ice-2013-backstage_sport

thanks to the uploader apple_pomme14

Thanks for all the wonderful clips. I can't wait to see all the performances. As far as I understand, there is no chance for us to see the second Nocturne dress? Not that I don't like the first one, I am just immensely curious  

COHK wrote:

Thanks to "眼鏡ネコ ‏@stingrs" on twitter:

http://twitpic.com/d529am
(image of Mao's 2nd new dress to the nocturne)



adding: news this morning
http://www.nikkansports.com/sports/news/p-sp-tp0-20130728-1164332.html
(In the report, it confirms that the jump layout of both SP/FS will be the same as last season. The challenge is to jump "8-triple")

OMG, this looks stunning!    I hope she'll wear this at GP's, or at least at the other shows in Osaka.

I was hoping she'd go for 3-3 in the SP. 3A is such a pressure jump for her and she's been missing it a lot in the past. SP is a make it or brake it, and if she misses her 3A the chance for the gold is gone. Though IMO, they should've kept the same percentage as they had under 6.0 system, where SP (rightfully) counted only 30% of the total score, after all LP has much more elements therefor it's harder to skate it cleanly. It's ridiculous, that skaters win competitions on their SP rather than LP.

pearlyriver wrote:

Why can't the athletes be properly rewarded for what they'd delivered?. Thos sports are subjective, and an objective and sound mind can guess what the score range should be. Many times I can't get the PCs in skating and the execution score in gymnastics.

Tell me about it! I'm so sick of judges scoring the skaters based on their potential rather than what they showed at a particular competition. I don't care if a skater is the the best skater that has ever lived, if they don't deliver the scores should reflect that, not what they could've done. It's what pisses me off about the PCS. Seriously, would it kill the judges to be OBJECTIVE?  (the same goes for certain commentators as well).

Lady_in_black wrote:

Dave was spot on with his comments. A good season can position a skater to the gold medal. I said it before, the judges were ready at 2013 Worlds to give Mao the gold, since she was the best in the season so far. Yuna skated clean and she didn't crack 70 points in the SP. They were saving the big numbers for Mao/Caro since Yuna was absent for so long. Caro would have also beat her with a clean and easier SP. Had Mao nailed her SP, she would have been around 75 in the SP and much, much closer to Yuna's PCS in LP probably. After the SP, it was over. The "Yuna was back" was clear and the judges scored her like in the old times in the LP. The battle for gold was lost in the SP.
Just like the battle for gold in Vancouver was over for Mao even before the competition. Mao's bad start in 2009-2010 season almost got her to lose the silver medal. She landed the 3A combo and two 3A in the LP and just barely beat a flawed Joannie. This proved that the status going into the Olympics is huge. She really needs a good start this time around.

I like TSL, but Jenny can annoy the heck out of me sometimes. She of all people should know that ice is very, very slippery. Yes, Yuna is the heavy favourite, some even say she's impossible to beat, however like Dave said (and what we've been saying for years), NEVER EVER count Mao out. Mao has been having tough time for the past 4 years, if she manages to get back on top form from the start of the season, hitting her jumps, her scores should go up, thus putting pressure on others.
What Jenny is forgetting is that Mao is planning an 8 triple program! Holy cow, if she hits this, her score should go through the roof, no other scenario is possible. I hope Mao will prove everyone wrong and show us what she's capable off, and shutting up certain people in the process! However she needs to overcome her nerves for this, she's capable of landing clean programs, she's done it countless times at the official practices, now she just needs to bring this to actual competition. IMO, of course. 

Yes, it is one thing to say one skater is the heavy favorite for the gold and other one to count everybody out. I mean, Jenny's commentary is not insulting only towards Mao, but towards all the other ladies. Like we've seen the last couple of seasons, Carolina also has the potential to score huge if she goes clean and there like we've seen at worlds, she has the ability to surpass Yuna in PCS.
Gun to my head, I would also say that Yuna has probably the best chance to win thanks to her technique and consistency but no matter how heavy of a favorite she is, everything can happen. Ask McKayla Maroney how things can go wrong just when they matter the most. The NBC commentators were already giving her the gold just when she sat down her second vault. While I felt sorry for that talented 16 year old, it felt good to finally have them shut up. Who knows that can happen in Sochi

Lady_in_black wrote:

Yes, it is one thing to say one skater is the heavy favorite for the gold and other one to count everybody out. I mean, Jenny's commentary is not insulting only towards Mao, but towards all the other ladies. Like we've seen the last couple of seasons, Carolina also has the potential to score huge if she goes clean and there like we've seen at worlds, she has the ability to surpass Yuna in PCS.
Gun to my head, I would also say that Yuna has probably the best chance to win thanks to her technique and consistency but no matter how heavy of a favorite she is, everything can happen. Ask McKayla Maroney how things can go wrong just when they matter the most. The NBC commentators were already giving her the gold just when she sat down her second vault. While I felt sorry for that talented 16 year old, it felt good to finally have them shut up. Who knows that can happen in Sochi

Kim is not really that consistent, she has skated two clean 6 triple programs in her life, and the jumps she uses and repeats are the ones she is most comfortable with. of course it's easier to skate to a six triple programs with the jumps you are comfortable with, then to skate to an 8 triple program that include 3A, 3-3, and 2a-3T and all kinds of jumps.

but the cruelty is when they both deliver, like they did in the 2010 olympics sp and Mao just skated her heart out, and they still gave over 5 points in components and goe to kim. that competition made it clear for me that no matter how they skated, the judges had already chosen who they wanted to win, and that was truly cruel to witness. what's the point in preparing for a competition over years when the judges already have decided who should win.  I find it wricked when two top skaters can show up, and there is that big of a gab in there components, when they both deliver. so I therefor have to disagree with you, kims biggest advantage is not her technique or consistency, but it's the unexplainable big amount of points in goe and components she gets, from the judges!
like I said before Mao's challenge will begin from the beginning of the season where she has to deliver from the start, to make sure that her components rise accordingly, because that could make a big difference heading into sochi!

ballerinamao wrote:

Lady_in_black wrote:

Yes, it is one thing to say one skater is the heavy favorite for the gold and other one to count everybody out. I mean, Jenny's commentary is not insulting only towards Mao, but towards all the other ladies. Like we've seen the last couple of seasons, Carolina also has the potential to score huge if she goes clean and there like we've seen at worlds, she has the ability to surpass Yuna in PCS.
Gun to my head, I would also say that Yuna has probably the best chance to win thanks to her technique and consistency but no matter how heavy of a favorite she is, everything can happen. Ask McKayla Maroney how things can go wrong just when they matter the most. The NBC commentators were already giving her the gold just when she sat down her second vault. While I felt sorry for that talented 16 year old, it felt good to finally have them shut up. Who knows that can happen in Sochi

Kim is not really that consistent, she has skated two clean 6 triple programs in her life, and the jumps she uses and repeats are the ones she is most comfortable with. of course it's easier to skate to a six triple programs with the jumps you are comfortable with, then to skate to an 8 triple program that include 3A, 3-3, and 2a-3T and all kinds of jumps.

but the cruelty is when they both deliver, like they did in the 2010 olympics sp and Mao just skated her heart out, and they still gave over 5 points in components to kim. that competition made it clear for me that no matter how they skated, the judges had already chosen who they wanted to win, and that was truly cruel to witness. what's the point in preparing for a competition over years when the judges already have decided who should win.  I find it wricked when two top skaters can show up, and there is that big of a gab in there components, when they both deliver. so I therefor have to disagree with you, kims biggest advantage is not her technique or consistency, but it's the unexplainable big amount of points in goe and components she gets, from the judges!
like I said before Mao's challenge will begin from the beginning of the season where she has to deliver from the start, to make sure that her components rise accordingly, because that could make a big difference heading into sochi!

Bravo.   

Some audiences who went to Worlds 2013 reported that Yuna and Caro were the most charismatic skaters out of all the competitors there. They said that they had expected Mao to exude the same charisma, but she didn't. I think those guys were being honest. I can get why the judges and audiences were enamored of Yuna and Caro. They were great at projecting themselves and commanding the audiences' attention. Sometimes I don't see that in Mao.

pearlyriver wrote:

Some audiences who went to Worlds 2013 reported that Yuna and Caro were the most charismatic skaters out of all the competitors there. They said that they had expected Mao to exude the same charisma, but she didn't. I think those guys were being honest. I can get why the judges and audiences were enamored of Yuna and Caro. They were great at projecting themselves and commanding the audiences' attention. Sometimes I don't see that in Mao.

I feel that Mao would have exuded more charisma had she been in a better position after the SP and hence, not under as much pressure. The good thing is that Mao's talked about focusing on her performance expression this season rather than focusing on winning the gold medal so maybe her charisma will improve.

ilovethai wrote:

pearlyriver wrote:

Some audiences who went to Worlds 2013 reported that Yuna and Caro were the most charismatic skaters out of all the competitors there. They said that they had expected Mao to exude the same charisma, but she didn't. I think those guys were being honest. I can get why the judges and audiences were enamored of Yuna and Caro. They were great at projecting themselves and commanding the audiences' attention. Sometimes I don't see that in Mao.

I feel that Mao would have exuded more charisma had she been in a better position after the SP and hence, not under as much pressure. The good thing is that Mao's talked about focusing on her performance expression this season rather than focusing on winning the gold medal so maybe her charisma will improve.

I agree, about Mao being in a different position after the sp, but interesting enough I heard other reports of people who said that Mao got some of the loudest cheers from the audience when she finished.

I just know that from all the performances at worlds, and out of he top three finishers, Mao's performance was my clear favorite. I felt that kostner had too many awkward moments in her skating, and kims skating felt a bit cold.

but to go back to the main topic of this thread, I hope Mao's performance will be loaded soon, i kind of expected to see it yesterday   now I wonder which performance we can expect to see.

pearlyriver wrote:

Some audiences who went to Worlds 2013 reported that Yuna and Caro were the most charismatic skaters out of all the competitors there. They said that they had expected Mao to exude the same charisma, but she didn't. I think those guys were being honest. I can get why the judges and audiences were enamored of Yuna and Caro. They were great at projecting themselves and commanding the audiences' attention. Sometimes I don't see that in Mao.

I think it's hard sometimes to project confidence on the ice when you are still dealing with jump issues. Unfortunately, this is something Mao has to deal with at the moment while the other two don't. I remember reports from 2008 Worlds, where Mao had the most presence out of everyone skating there. And it makes sense because Mao was in her great form, while Yuna was dealing with injuries. Carolina was still very inconsistent and prone to making many errors. I don't remember many people talking about Carolina's charisma back then. She probably always had the potential but it was hard to see it when she was making so many mistakes. So I think the most important thing for Mao now is to stabilize her jumps. Once she regains her consistency, her confidence will naturally increase.

Lady_in_black wrote:

Yes, it is one thing to say one skater is the heavy favorite for the gold and other one to count everybody out. I mean, Jenny's commentary is not insulting only towards Mao, but towards all the other ladies. Like we've seen the last couple of seasons, Carolina also has the potential to score huge if she goes clean and there like we've seen at worlds, she has the ability to surpass Yuna in PCS.
Gun to my head, I would also say that Yuna has probably the best chance to win thanks to her technique and consistency but no matter how heavy of a favorite she is, everything can happen. Ask McKayla Maroney how things can go wrong just when they matter the most. The NBC commentators were already giving her the gold just when she sat down her second vault. While I felt sorry for that talented 16 year old, it felt good to finally have them shut up. Who knows that can happen in Sochi

  Though I agree with you on Yuna's technique, like ballerinamao said she hasn't been consistent at all in her career, I'm counting her 2013 worlds as a fluke until further competitions. For whatever reason, judges have been overscoring her since 2009 worlds, thus making her the "heavy favourite" for everything since.

She's been competing relative pressure free (yes I know Koreans are putting tremendous amount of pressure on her, however other skaters aren't) so it would be interesting to see what will happen if Caro and especially Mao start skating their programs mistakes free, or with minimal errors.

I really don't like Maroney and her arrogance. I don't care how old you are, you're an athlete, you should act with respect in both, winning and losing, not acting like a spoiled brat when things don't go your way. I'll never forget how she behaved after her mistake, not congratulating others and pouting on the freaking podium.  That really didn't help improve the "Americans are sore losers" image.

Hi, Mao fans:
I came home. The Ice 2013 was beyond description...Each performance was outstanding. I can't believe I was there. While the show, my husband said, "It is worth seeing". I was pleased to hear his comment. He favorite skaters are Javier Fernadez, Kaitlyn Weaver & Andrew Poje, and Satoko Miyahara. My son likes Gracie Gold. My daughter said, "Mirai Nagasu's spin was great. And Mao Asada's New Nocturne." I like everything in the show, but especially men's group performance. I've never seen this kind of skating before. This year's The Ice was so special.
In my hometown, The Ice is on TV on September 15, I think. I'm looking forward to it. I really love Mao's new Nocturne... It is breathtaking and will be the perfect program for Mao, I believe. Everything is suitable for Mao. She could be the first love for everyone.
And also Adelina, Maia & Alex, Narumi & Ryuichi, Takeshi ,Maxim, Kevin, Jeremy, Jeffrey, Kanako, Takahito, Takehito. Thank you for joining in The Ice.

Thank you for the report, whilteboots!
You are so lucky to be able to see Nocturne!


A little bit of FS  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKq2Ognl4gU

silenceisgolden wrote:

Thank you for the report, whilteboots!
You are so lucky to be able to see Nocturne!


A little bit of FS  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKq2Ognl4gU

Her 2A-3T is getting so strong! It took her a while this season to "convince" the judges she can do it (because of her Ur reputation she got some strange "<" on that). It's so weird she mastered this combination so well now while as a junior, it was very unsteady and cost her a gold medal in 2007 worlds. The 3T is so good now, I wonder why she doesn't try a 3F-3T or a 3T-3T combo.
We can only hope she lands the 3S, it's a hit or miss for her it seems

whiteboots2013 thanx for the report, I'm so jealous that you got to see Mao live.

silenceisgolden, thank you for the video! This looks promising.

silenceisgolden wrote:

Thank you for the report, whilteboots!
You are so lucky to be able to see Nocturne!


A little bit of FS  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKq2Ognl4gU

solid 2a-3t, seems UR or double footed 3S

Thank you whiteboots2013 for the report! 

Shib's preview video to the "THE ICE 2013" video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBghYVnxGrY
 

Adding: a blog about Mao's activity (with Mai) on Jul 30:
http://ameblo.jp/kirakira-aloha-rie/entry-11583186649.html

Finally!!!!!!!!

The Short https://youtu.be/FiUOQfEOeAE

The Exhibition https://youtu.be/vSWqWV4-pzY

Asada_Rising wrote:

Finally!!!!!!!!

The Short https://youtu.be/FiUOQfEOeAE

The Exhibition https://youtu.be/vSWqWV4-pzY

Thank you so much Asada_Rising.  You don't know how loooooong i've been refreshing youtube for these videos.

your welcome

I know its early but, I think the short program is just pure magic. It fits Mao so well and really shows off her strengths. Plus, there were so many transitions. I am sure there will be some changes and there is still some time until Mao is totally comfortable with it but, the program is perfect for the Olympic season and challenging for the top spot. Thank You Lori

I have just found my new favorite Exhibition from Mao ever!!!!!!!!!!!

I see parts of the SP were cut out. Anyway, what we saw is awesome. I thought I would love the dress more though.
Mao and Jeff at the end were absolutely great. She really feels very relaxed skating near him now, compared to their first pair number. Absolutely lovley