Mao News - The 2013-2014 Season!

zarinaballerina wrote:

Pochi, team event is BEFORE the singles events. It actually starts one day before the opening ceremony.

REALLY!!!!!??????  
Is that good? I mean for the skaters?
Are they doing it first as to give them a chance to warm up or something???
I hope it won't tire them...I don't know if it can be an advantage or disadvantage to those entering the team event.   

zarinaballerina wrote:

Mao_Asada_sunrise wrote:

Aaahhh I see. Same here, I know Mao wants to skate clean and show the best that she can do. She said once that she just wants her best performances in the Olympics, leaving a good impression (in my opinion, the best from Mao is GREAT) to the rest of the world.

IMHO, the best from Mao is unbeatable. It's why I hope she will bring her very best. If she delivers, Yuna can't touch her. That's a big IF. But like I said in the fall, if anyone can do it, it's super human Mao.

SUPER HUMAN MAO!!!

I'm looking at the NBC Olympics website, and seriously, Mao's mentioned a LOT.

PochinkoPotanko wrote:

linglang wrote:

zarinaballerina wrote:

linglang wrote:

So with Narumi & Ryuichi in, Akiko's chance of skating FS has increased.  I wonder who will skater Men's SP and FS.

Narumi and Ryuichi were going to Sochi regardless of them missing the Oly's spot for their discipline. Japan had three disciplines qualified so they were allowed to bring the 4th disicpline to compete in the team event. The same happened with Great Britain, they had three disciplines qualified but no men, so they're allowed to bring a men skater for the team event, however he can't skate at the men's event later on.

Thank you zarina for clarification!! I thought Japan had no pair participating in the team event. So, they were able to compete at Sochi even when they didn't win the individual event spot anyway.  It's good that athletes' chances are bigger when the field is shallow in their countries.  I wish the rule allowed to have different skaters to take part in the team and individual events so that in the case of Japan, Taka and Nobu could've been able to skate at Sochi for the team event.  

I feel the same. Not only for Taka and Nobu's sake, but for all the skaters who'll be competing individually too. This is the first time they'll be having the team event, so nobody can tell how that'll effect the skaters entering. I assume they will be having the team event after all the individual events are over, so some of them will have to perform in the team event as reigning Olys champ or medalist of any color. Such skaters may feel they must do extremely well in the team event because of that, and I think that would be quite difficult. We've never seen a case in which skaters entered a competition performing both SP & FP, than performing one of them again within a few days. Even if they're physically  all right, they should be worn out mentally to some extent after the individual events for sure. I honestly admit that I'm relieved Korea won't be participating in the team event, cause if Mao manages to win OGM in ladies singles but Yuna ends up doing better than her in the team event, we'll be having her majesty's bots claiming Yuna is a better skater after all blah blah blah...  

I hope all skaters entering the team event can relax a bit and have room to enjoy it like the usual WTT. Btw, maybe someone already posted, but the men for team Jpn seems to be Yuzu=SP Machida=FP. I think it's a wise decision. Yuzu has stamina issues with his FP, and Dai should take it easy with his injury. JSF and Jpnse fans definitely want Dai in Worlds, so they can't risk overworking him.

zarinaballerina wrote:

Mao_Asada_sunrise wrote:

Aaahhh I see. Same here, I know Mao wants to skate clean and show the best that she can do. She said once that she just wants her best performances in the Olympics, leaving a good impression (in my opinion, the best from Mao is GREAT) to the rest of the world.

IMHO, the best from Mao is unbeatable. It's why I hope she will bring her very best. If she delivers, Yuna can't touch her. That's a big IF. But like I said in the fall, if anyone can do it, it's super human Mao.

ITA. If Mao skates perfectly clean, I'm also quite certain ISU is totally up to giving her OGM this time. But of course, skating perfectly clean in Olys is probably the most difficult challenge for a skater. Some of the obvious best of ladies weren't able to accomplish that and never won OGM; Michelle, Sasha, Irina...I can only hope Mao will not become one of them. But I've decided to believe she can manage. She's much stronger mentally not only as a skater but as a person too compared to how she was 4 years ago, and imo when it comes to Olys strong mentality is what you need the most to win. 

I agree. I feel like Mao has strong mentality this season. You're right that other great skaters felt so much pressure and thus, affected them. With Mao, I feel like she's really strong that it's different. She even didn't make history repeat with the Grand Prix. I hope Olympics will be the same as the Grand Prix, although we all know the level is sky high.

linglang wrote:

 (Selfish me still think the JPN team will be dropped out of top 5 (or 6?) at SP.   )

I really hope Mao will deliver a great SP in the team event and gain momentum for the individual game.  I just hope everything will go smoothly for her.

Selfish me agrees with you   . Korea doesn't compete in the team event, so Yuna won't have to be worried about burnout.   

zarinaballerina wrote:

Actually, you might be right with this. The team event isn't a WTT format, so Japan is weak. Their Ice dancers aren't top dancers and I'm sorry to sy this, but Narumi/Ryuichi are not good. I think the only couple worse then them competing at team event, is British Kemp/King. So they can easily find themselves out of top 6 (I think it's top 6   ).

IMO, after the SP top 6 might very well be (in random order):
Russia,
USA,
Canada,
France,
Italy, (weak in men, but everyone else is good)
China (weak Ice dance, but everyone else is good).

Thanks again zarina!
I agree Narumi & Ryuichi are not good. The pair just started to work together merely 1.5 years ago, but I see the issue is Narumi still cannot nail jumps. Sorry to be blunt.

pearlyriver wrote:

linglang wrote:

 (Selfish me still think the JPN team will be dropped out of top 5 (or 6?) at SP.   )

I really hope Mao will deliver a great SP in the team event and gain momentum for the individual game.  I just hope everything will go smoothly for her.

Selfish me agrees with you   . Korea doesn't compete in the team event, so Yuna won't have to be worried about burnout.   

It seems Mao will have to skate SP anyway.   
I know I should stop worrying and start sending good vibes, but this situation is new to all those athletes who have to peak two times in such a short period of time at Olympics. The pressure on skaters will be different when they skate for worlds qualification and for Olympic team event.
As Aoi said I really hope Mao will skate lights out in the team event and leave good impression on judges.  

linglang wrote:

Thanks again zarina!
I agree Narumi & Ryuichi are not good. The pair just started to work together merely 1.5 years ago, but I see the issue is Narumi still cannot nail jumps. Sorry to be blunt.


It seems Mao will have to skate SP anyway.   
I know I should stop worrying and start sending good vibes, but this situation is new to all those athletes who have to peak two times in such a short period of time at Olympics. The pressure on skaters will be different when they skate for worlds qualification and for Olympic team event.
As Aoi said I really hope Mao will skate lights out in the team event and leave good impression on judges.  

Yes, she's always had issues with that, but with Mervin being a good partner, they had moments of brilliance. Ryuichi on the other hand is a former single skater, so it will take awhile before he settles in.

I'm also on the fence with Mao competing in team event. I hope she'll perform her SP briliantly twice, once in the team event and again at the ladies SP event. However, on the other hand it is good that she'll compete, this way she'll get her nerves out of her system, while for others, the first Olympic competition will begin on the SP portion of their discipline.

New Stona CM:
http://www.sato-seiyaku.co.jp/cmgallery/#/1401-stonarhiniz



NB: there should be some news updated later on today, as Mao will have public agenda today! It seems this turns out to be a fluff...

COHK wrote:

NB: there should be some news updated later on today, as Mao will have public agenda today! It seems this turns out to be a fluff...

More on Mao's absence from today's sending-off event:
http://www.sanspo.com/sports/news/20140120/oly14012019230004-n1.html

The report says Mao and Dai didn't make it to the event, as both are having 'foreign instructors' visiting them (I assume Mao is working with Folle). Yuzuru is training in Canada, and Kanako has 4CC competitions. In the end only Akiko and Tatsuki attended the event in Tokyo.

The good thing is that Mao's concentrating on fine-tuning her program instead of traveling to Tokyo for the event   

Another news that made me a little  is: got this photo from twitter, and it's the photos of Jpn figure skating team members --
https://twitter.com/MaoTakaMio/status/425168173290102784/photo/1

It seems that Kumiko Sensei is not one of the members. It is rumored that due to the limitation to # of coaches each competitor can bring with him/her, Kumiko Sensei may not be present at Sochi...(I read earlier that due to this reason, Tatsuki parted with Anthony Liu couple weeks ago and chose to go to Sochi with his former coach.)  

Thanks for the updates on Mao, COHK. It makes me so happy to know that she's doing everything right heading into Sochi.

COHK wrote:

Another news that made me a little  is: got this photo from twitter, and it's the photos of Jpn figure skating team members --
https://twitter.com/MaoTakaMio/status/425168173290102784/photo/1

It seems that Kumiko Sensei is not one of the members. It is rumored that due to the limitation to # of coaches each competitor can bring with him/her, Kumiko Sensei may not be present at Sochi...(I read earlier that due to this reason, Tatsuki parted with Anthony Liu couple weeks ago and chose to go to Sochi with his former coach.)      

Tatsuki parted with his coach?   Is it temporary or permanent? If the split is permanet, I think there must be more reassons to that.

pearlyriver wrote:

COHK wrote:

Another news that made me a little  is: got this photo from twitter, and it's the photos of Jpn figure skating team members --
https://twitter.com/MaoTakaMio/status/425168173290102784/photo/1

It seems that Kumiko Sensei is not one of the members. It is rumored that due to the limitation to # of coaches each competitor can bring with him/her, Kumiko Sensei may not be present at Sochi...(I read earlier that due to this reason, Tatsuki parted with Anthony Liu couple weeks ago and chose to go to Sochi with his former coach.)      

Tatsuki parted with his coach?   Is it temporary or permanent? If the split is permanet, I think there must be more reassons to that.

From the news report, the decision seems to be permanent. I don't know if there are other reasons. The only thing I know is that Tatsuki used to train with this former Jpn coach, for the compulsory figures.

I like this comment from Dick Button (via twitter):

Dick Button ‏@PushDicksButton Jan 14
Skaters need music that will create magic. With the right choice, the music will lead the skater to create a “painting”.

Mao's Nocturne is one of the few programs does that for me...  

Does anyone know when the start of the Olympics, a.k.a. the Opening Ceremony, is? What date?

Mao_Asada_sunrise wrote:

Does anyone know when the start of the Olympics, a.k.a. the Opening Ceremony, is? What date?

Check here for the time map for Sochi.
http://www.worldtimezone.com/time/olympics-time-map2014.php?select=4752&calldate=02-07-2014&hournr=20&minnr=00&forma=24h

COHK wrote:

The report says Mao and Dai didn't make it to the event, as both are having 'foreign instructors' visiting them (I assume Mao is working with Folle).

Yes, Mao and Dai are doing final programs fixing with Folle and Lori respectively.

http://www.sponichi.co.jp/sports/news/2014/01/21/kiji/K20140121007428430.html

COHK wrote:

Another news that made me a little  is: got this photo from twitter, and it's the photos of Jpn figure skating team members --
https://twitter.com/MaoTakaMio/status/425168173290102784/photo/1

It seems that Kumiko Sensei is not one of the members. It is rumored that due to the limitation to # of coaches each competitor can bring with him/her, Kumiko Sensei may not be present at Sochi...(I read earlier that due to this reason, Tatsuki parted with Anthony Liu couple weeks ago and chose to go to Sochi with his former coach.)      

Oh, it's sad to know that Kumiko Sensei will not be in K&C in Sochi. I see Shanetta Sensei in the pic, so does this mean she will be accompanying Mao as her coach? Back in 2010, she was wearing Japanese official jacket when Mao and she departed for Vancouver. It seems that a skater can have up to two coaches to accompany them in Sochi. So, on the other hand, I'm happy if Shanetta Sensei will be in K&C because I assume Mao recognizes and respect her contribution.

linglang wrote:

COHK wrote:

Another news that made me a little  is: got this photo from twitter, and it's the photos of Jpn figure skating team members --
https://twitter.com/MaoTakaMio/status/425168173290102784/photo/1

It seems that Kumiko Sensei is not one of the members. It is rumored that due to the limitation to # of coaches each competitor can bring with him/her, Kumiko Sensei may not be present at Sochi...(I read earlier that due to this reason, Tatsuki parted with Anthony Liu couple weeks ago and chose to go to Sochi with his former coach.)      

Oh, it's sad to know that Kumiko Sensei will not be in K&C in Sochi.  I see Shanetta Sensei in the pic, so does this mean she will be accompanying Mao as her coach?  Back in 2010, she was wearing Japanese official jacket when Mao and she departed for Vancouver.  It seems that a skater can have up to two coaches to accompany them in Sochi. So, on the other hand, I'm happy if Shanetta Sensei will be in K&C because I assume Mao recognizes and respect her contribution.  

But Kumiko will certainly go to Sochi with Mao, won't she? I wonder if Mao and Rafa have ever encountered each other since their split and if they said something to each other.

COHK wrote:

pearlyriver wrote:

Tatsuki parted with his coach?   Is it temporary or permanent? If the split is permanet, I think there must be more reassons to that.

From the news report, the decision seems to be permanent. I don't know if there are other reasons. The only thing I know is that Tatsuki used to train with this former Jpn coach, for the compulsory figures.

Tatsuki had three coaches this season: Ms. Azumi Hata who started to teach him when he was 10 or so, Mr. Anthony Liu (since 2011 when he went to the U.S.) and Mr. Yoshinori Onishi (since this spring when he came back to Japan).  According to news reports, he had to choose one/two coach(es) out of three to go to Sochi together. It was very difficult decision for him but he decided to choose only Mr. Onishi because he's the one who helped when he was at the bottom.

A news article was published after he won SA 2013.  According to it, after ending up miserable stall in the previous season, he decided to go back to Japan and also go back to his uni because he realized he's not using his time efficiently in the US where he had plenty of ice time at his disposal.  He thought he needed to be exposed to more pressure in terms of time and mental even in day-to-day practices.  In Japan, he started to practice for two hours in the morning before his class and come back to the rink at 9pm for night practice. Under Mr. Onishi, he focused on basic technique training such as jump take-off and school figures, which helped him to become more sensitive to his body and be able to analyze what went wrong when he failed jumps.

I think Tatsuki successfully overcame the pressure when he did a clean skate at GPF FS after a big meltdown in SP.  Actually when Tatsuki too the ice, the air filling the venue was just crazy because of Yuzu's perfect performance and his score almost exceeding the 100 mark.  It was clear to everyone that it's really difficult to skate in such atmosphere, and sadly he bombed.  But when he came back in FS, I'm sure he's so determined to not repeat the same mistakes like previous season and he made it.  It's really good to see athletes overcoming difficulties and delivering great performances.  

pearlyriver wrote:

linglang wrote:

COHK wrote:

Another news that made me a little  is: got this photo from twitter, and it's the photos of Jpn figure skating team members --
https://twitter.com/MaoTakaMio/status/425168173290102784/photo/1

It seems that Kumiko Sensei is not one of the members. It is rumored that due to the limitation to # of coaches each competitor can bring with him/her, Kumiko Sensei may not be present at Sochi...(I read earlier that due to this reason, Tatsuki parted with Anthony Liu couple weeks ago and chose to go to Sochi with his former coach.)      

Oh, it's sad to know that Kumiko Sensei will not be in K&C in Sochi.  I see Shanetta Sensei in the pic, so does this mean she will be accompanying Mao as her coach?  Back in 2010, she was wearing Japanese official jacket when Mao and she departed for Vancouver.  It seems that a skater can have up to two coaches to accompany them in Sochi. So, on the other hand, I'm happy if Shanetta Sensei will be in K&C because I assume Mao recognizes and respect her contribution.  

But Kumiko will certainly go to Sochi with Mao, won't she? I wonder if Mao and Rafa have ever encountered each other since their split and if they said something to each other.

I hope Kumiko Sensei will be in Sochi too.  What I like her is her big smile and she looks cheerful and positive-minded person.  So I hope she will stay with her in Sochi to help her clam her nerves.  I'm sure they met at GPF but I wonder if they said something each other.  I suppose Mao and Rafa would say hi when they are passing on corridor, but maybe that's all???

linglang wrote:

Oh, it's sad to know that Kumiko Sensei will not be in K&C in Sochi.  I see Shanetta Sensei in the pic, so does this mean she will be accompanying Mao as her coach?  Back in 2010, she was wearing Japanese official jacket when Mao and she departed for Vancouver.  It seems that a skater can have up to two coaches to accompany them in Sochi. So, on the other hand, I'm happy if Shanetta Sensei will be in K&C because I assume Mao recognizes and respect her contribution.  

linglang, are you referring to the photo kind of in the middle, a lady in golden hair next to Yuzuru's? I believe that's Chris & Cathy Reed's coach, Galit Chait (read the name below the photo). I also read (from twitter) that the second person Mao will bring is her trainer, instead of Kumiko Sensei. But I'm not sure about that either. I also hope it will be Kumiko Sensei accompany her to Sochi....

COHK wrote:

linglang wrote:

Oh, it's sad to know that Kumiko Sensei will not be in K&C in Sochi.  I see Shanetta Sensei in the pic, so does this mean she will be accompanying Mao as her coach?  Back in 2010, she was wearing Japanese official jacket when Mao and she departed for Vancouver.  It seems that a skater can have up to two coaches to accompany them in Sochi. So, on the other hand, I'm happy if Shanetta Sensei will be in K&C because I assume Mao recognizes and respect her contribution.  

linglang, are you referring to the photo kind of in the middle, a lady in golden hair next to Yuzuru's? I believe that's Chris & Cathy Reed's coach, Galit Chait (read the name below the photo). I also read (from twitter) that the second person Mao will bring is her trainer, instead of Kumiko Sensei. But I'm not sure about that either. I also hope it will be Kumiko Sensei accompany her to Sochi....

oops    Thanks COHK for the correction. I saw the pic on my smartphone before. I now checked it on my pc and enlarged the pic and saw the name.   

linglang wrote:

Tatsuki had three coaches this season: Ms. Azumi Hata who started to teach him when he was 10 or so, Mr. Anthony Liu (since 2011 when he went to the U.S.) and Mr. Yoshinori Onishi (since this spring when he came back to Japan).  According to news reports, he had to choose one/two coach(es) out of three to go to Sochi together. It was very difficult decision for him but he decided to choose only Mr. Onishi because he's the one who helped when he was at the bottom.

A news article was published after he won SA 2013.  According to it, after ending up miserable stall in the previous season, he decided to go back to Japan and also go back to his uni because he realized he's not using his time efficiently in the US where he had plenty of ice time at his disposal.  He thought he needed to be exposed to more pressure in terms of time and mental even in day-to-day practices.  In Japan, he started to practice for two hours in the morning before his class and come back to the rink at 9pm for night practice. Under Mr. Onishi, he focused on basic technique training such as jump take-off and school figures, which helped him to become more sensitive to his body and be able to analyze what went wrong when he failed jumps.

I think Tatsuki successfully overcame the pressure when he did a clean skate at GPF FS after a big meltdown in SP.  Actually when Tatsuki too the ice, the air filling the venue was just crazy because of Yuzu's perfect performance and his score almost exceeding the 100 mark.  It was clear to everyone that it's really difficult to skate in such atmosphere, and sadly he bombed.  But when he came back in FS, I'm sure he's so determined to not repeat the same mistakes like previous season and he made it.  It's really good to see athletes overcoming difficulties and delivering great performances.  

Thanks for the background info, Linglang. He's very hard to himself (juggling between skating and school, skating after 9pm) but that's the only way to grow. It's amazing to see someone becoming a better version of himself both physically and mentally.

COHK wrote:

linglang, are you referring to the photo kind of in the middle, a lady in golden hair next to Yuzuru's? I believe that's Chris & Cathy Reed's coach, Galit Chait (read the name below the photo). I also read (from twitter) that the second person Mao will bring is her trainer, instead of Kumiko Sensei. But I'm not sure about that either. I also hope it will be Kumiko Sensei accompany her to Sochi....

This does make sense. She already has a coach with her (Nobu-sensei) so she'll be more comfortable with a personal trainer. Is Maki (I think that's his name) from Weider still working with her?

Too bad Taka didn't qualify for Sochi, this way Kumiko could go as well.
Shanetta Folle is Amodio's coach, so she'll be in Sochi. Maybe we'll see her next to Mao in K&C.

zarinaballerina wrote:

COHK wrote:

linglang, are you referring to the photo kind of in the middle, a lady in golden hair next to Yuzuru's? I believe that's Chris & Cathy Reed's coach, Galit Chait (read the name below the photo). I also read (from twitter) that the second person Mao will bring is her trainer, instead of Kumiko Sensei. But I'm not sure about that either. I also hope it will be Kumiko Sensei accompany her to Sochi....

This does make sense. She already has a coach with her (Nobu-sensei) so she'll be more comfortable with a personal trainer. Is Maki (I think that's his name) from Weider still working with her?

Too bad Taka didn't qualify for Sochi, this way Kumiko could go as well.
Shanetta Folle is Amodio's coach, so she'll be in Sochi. Maybe we'll see her next to Mao in K&C.

I always liked shanette, she seemed to know what to say to Mao to make keep focus and all fired up before her free skate, for some reason she always managed to say the right thing to Mao, I would be happy if she was with Mao in the kiss and cry in Sochi.

First time I hear about Galit Chait, but if Mao is considering having this person by her side, then he must be of importance in some way or another.

ballerinamao wrote:

zarinaballerina wrote:

COHK wrote:

linglang, are you referring to the photo kind of in the middle, a lady in golden hair next to Yuzuru's? I believe that's Chris & Cathy Reed's coach, Galit Chait (read the name below the photo). I also read (from twitter) that the second person Mao will bring is her trainer, instead of Kumiko Sensei. But I'm not sure about that either. I also hope it will be Kumiko Sensei accompany her to Sochi....

This does make sense. She already has a coach with her (Nobu-sensei) so she'll be more comfortable with a personal trainer. Is Maki (I think that's his name) from Weider still working with her?

Too bad Taka didn't qualify for Sochi, this way Kumiko could go as well.
Shanetta Folle is Amodio's coach, so she'll be in Sochi. Maybe we'll see her next to Mao in K&C.

I always liked shanette, she seemed to know what to say to Mao to make keep focus and all fired up before her free skate, for some reason she always managed to say the right thing to Mao, I would be happy if she was with Mao in the kiss and cry in Sochi.

First time I hear about Galit Chait, but if Mao is considering having this person by her side, then he must be of importance in some way or another.

Galit Chait used to compete for Israel in ice dace some years ago. I remember seeing her compete at Euros when I started watching figure skating on TV (this is, around 2004). I'm sure that if you've been watching ice dance for some time you will remember her, although you might not remember the name. Galit Chait and Sergei Sakhnovski...does it help?

Iceriver wrote:

ballerinamao wrote:

zarinaballerina wrote:

COHK wrote:

linglang, are you referring to the photo kind of in the middle, a lady in golden hair next to Yuzuru's? I believe that's Chris & Cathy Reed's coach, Galit Chait (read the name below the photo). I also read (from twitter) that the second person Mao will bring is her trainer, instead of Kumiko Sensei. But I'm not sure about that either. I also hope it will be Kumiko Sensei accompany her to Sochi....

This does make sense. She already has a coach with her (Nobu-sensei) so she'll be more comfortable with a personal trainer. Is Maki (I think that's his name) from Weider still working with her?

Too bad Taka didn't qualify for Sochi, this way Kumiko could go as well.
Shanetta Folle is Amodio's coach, so she'll be in Sochi. Maybe we'll see her next to Mao in K&C.

I always liked shanette, she seemed to know what to say to Mao to make keep focus and all fired up before her free skate, for some reason she always managed to say the right thing to Mao, I would be happy if she was with Mao in the kiss and cry in Sochi.

First time I hear about Galit Chait, but if Mao is considering having this person by her side, then he must be of importance in some way or another.

Galit Chait used to compete for Israel in ice dace some years ago. I remember seeing her compete at Euros when I started watching figure skating on TV (this is, around 2004). I'm sure that if you've been watching ice dance for some time you will remember her, although you might not remember the name. Galit Chait and Sergei Sakhnovski...does it help?

well I think I remember them skating to an original dance in 2006 but i'm not sure. ice dance is a discipline I have watched on and off!