Japanese Nationals 2013

It was so sweet to see to Mao so happy for Akiko and Kanako     , usually she looks really upset or sad when she has an important bad competition, but in the medal ceremony and gala she looked very happy, I am sure it was because Kanako and Akiko are really good friends for her   .

Thanks, Pochi. That's what I felt about Akiko's performance, too. And I agree, ever since Mao started adding that second 3A in the FP the problems started. If she only focused on the first layout she might make it consistent in Sochi in time. I really hope she'll think things through.

roma wrote:

Thanks, Pochi. That's what I felt about Akiko's performance, too. And I agree, ever since Mao started adding that second 3A in the FP the problems started. If she only focused on the first layout she might make it consistent in Sochi in time. I really hope she'll think things through.

That's the problem I have with the second triple axel. I want to see Mao skating freely and relaxed, I want people to be moved by her performance, and I want Mao to be happy (does the I want sound too selfish?). And I don't know if all this can be achieved by adding a second triple axel, no matter how difficult and spectacular it is. Confidence is the key, so I would like Mao to stick to one layout and feel confident about it and convinced that that's the right path to follow. Then, make the program her own, enjoy it and finish her FS in Sochi with a big smile, tears of joy and people giving her a standing ovation and remembering her program for how great and moving her performance was, not because of one jump. This is what a true champion like Mao deserves.

I apologise if this triple axel issue (I think I've repeated it more than once   ) bothers some of you. If I say this, it's not because I pretend to know more than Mao herself but because I feel quite strongly about it and I truly believe that two triple axels are not going to make her as happy as she thinks. But she knows better than me, of course, so I'm not going say much more about it.

And I want to say that I really appreciate members like shar an polosatik who always believe in Mao and whose optimistic comments make me realise that I have a tendency to worry too much sometimes and that I should have more faith in Mao. Thank you!  

And...ooopps I almost forgot. Thank you very much PochinkoPotanko for your live thoughts, translations and interesting comments.

And (yes, this post has another AND, sorry...) it's been just a little bit more than a month since I started to write here but now I regret not having started a long time ago. You are all so nice and it's great to be able to share my opinions with other Mao (and figure skating) fans from all over the world   . I'm really enjoying this much more than I had thought at first, so thank you all!  

shar wrote:

I hope all of Mao's fans stops worrying about Nationals and her 3a, and look forward to her success in the  future. We must remember that words and thoughts have power. And when we put thoughts out in the universe, we could see them materialize. So if we want Mao to be successful with her SP and FS at the Olympics, we have to start sending positive energy to her and visualizing her succeeding and achieving her ultimate goal.

You bet there are haters out there constantly sending negative energy to Mao so she can fail, and our worrying and nervousness are not blocking those negativity from affecting her, but it could be assisting those negative thoughts. Fight back with positivity. Keep praying and visualizing Mao getting stronger and going clean in Sochi, and that energy will help and assist her to do just that.   

I wish you all a Happy Holiday and a wonderful New Year. Lets end this year and begin the New Year by send Mao good vibes. Trust me, it will work!

I'm not a spiritual person per se but I believe you. Previously, I don't believe in lucky charms but as times go by, I gradually realize the importance of positive energy and how self-belief and words of encouragement can have an amazing effect on a person's achievements.   The way Mao reacts after her loss at Nats makes me believe that she can handle any circumstances with consciousness, courage and clarity. I've learned so much since being a Mao's fan and enjoying this forum.  

Thank you so much PochinkoPotanko for your clarification of the second 3A of Mao's LP layout.

From the perspective of base value, if Mao's condition is normal, it is very likely that she'll at least acheive a 3A<+2T and does not lose too many points (still, I want to add 3Lo+2Lo to be safer).

I do hope that Mao can think thoroughly after the National competition. That news report that we usualy refer to is immediately after the LP. There is about a month to Sochi's team event. I believe that Mao and Sato will make the optimal choice based on her practice condition.

At GPF, she already confessed that a second 3A affected her stamina. And before the SP, she also said that she had not decided how many 3A she would use in the LP.

I think we should also get some signal from these comments from Mao.

Clearly, we as amateur fans know that one 3A is the best layout for Mao's LP. I believe that Mao and Sato know clearly as well.

Let's pray for Mao and support her all the time.

symbolicsmile wrote:

Thank you so much PochinkoPotanko for your clarification of the second 3A of Mao's LP layout.

From the perspective of base value, if Mao's condition is normal, it is very likely that she'll at least acheive a 3A<+2T and does not lose too many points (still, I want to add 3Lo+2Lo to be safer).

I do hope that Mao can think thoroughly after the National competition. That news report that we usualy refer to is immediately after the LP. There is about a month to Sochi's team event. I believe that Mao and Sato will make the optimal choice based on her practice condition.

At GPF, she already confessed that a second 3A affected her stamina. And before the SP, she also said that she had not decided how many 3A she would use in the LP.

I think we should also get some signal from these comments from Mao.

Clearly, we as amateur fans know that one 3A is the best layout for Mao's LP. I believe that Mao and Sato know clearly as well.

Let's pray for Mao and support her all the time.

symbolicsmile, welcome to the forum!

Hey guys. I don't know if anyone mentioned it, but do you remember where she finished Shizuka at 2005-2006 nationals, before Torino?   Just saying...
Happy holidays everyone and let's hope Mao gets some good rest now.

Welcome to the forum, symbolicsmile!  

I hope Mao is still stuck under the Kotatsu eating mandarin oranges.   

Happy holidays to all!!  

Welcome symbolicsmile!!!   

Welcome symbolicsmile! I don't hang around here often, but I guess I'm one of the old members here. This is one of the best places to be to support Mao for sure, do enjoy it.   

Iceriver, I don't think you have to feel sorry about being troubled by Mao's second 3A issues. It will be Mao's final call whether to include it or not of course, but aside from herself and her team, it's most likely us long time fans who understand Mao's tendencies, values, and habits. Therefore, we are probably the best Mao 'analysts' aside from her team. I think we all know she always wants to do something more difficult than before, she's a challenger, so...it's so Mao like that she wants a second 3A in her FP.

But as fans, we can't help wanting her to win in Olys. In addition, I think most of us feel that she doesn't necessarily need a second 3A to make that happen. That may have been the case in Vancouver, but not for Sochi. If it were only the second 3A itself she has been having difficulty with, I don't think it would've bothered us so much. But the problem is, it seems to be damaging many of the elements which she does after it, and it's such a pity cause she used to do them so well before the second 3A appeared. If she decides to continue with it, even if we don't like the idea, as fans all we can do is support and pray. But it's totally natural for us to hope she'd rethink including it.

But...



...she made a little speech in this vid, in which she said something like "My biggest goal is to perform better than I did in Vancouver (in Sochi Olys). I'll try hard and hope I can bring back home a medal, preferably the best colored medal..."

As far as I know this is the first time she ever mentioned medalling in Sochi. Throughout this entire season, however much the media asked her about how she feels about Sochi, she only kept saying she wants to give the performance of her lifetime, and avoided saying anything about winning. I had a feeling that losing in Nats lit a fire in her, and now I'm pretty sure of it. Mao is a fierce competitor as much as a brilliant skater. She doesn't like to lose, and I think she acknowledged that strongly once again after losing in Nats. In that sense, it's good she didn't win Nats.

Now since she's started to be conscious about medalling in Olys, I think she'll definitely reconsider how her layout should be, according to how her practice conditions turn out during the coming month. I think she'll only keep the second 3A if her 3As become more stable, and if she's sure it won't eat up all her stamina. Her saying she wishes to win OGM at this point, I think, is a very good sign, cause she definitely knows she has to skate clean to make that happen.  

inskate wrote:

Iceriver wrote:

I don't know why Mao wants to stick to that layout no matter what.

Actually, I'm more and more convinced that Mao wants to avoid practicing the loop combos, but doesn't want to just give up and go for an "easy" jump layout. Today she tried to turn 1A into a combination, while according to the pre-GPF plan she should turn 3F into a combo instead (which actually would be difficult, as 3F has transitions going out of it and into the next spin). The fact that she went for a flawed sequence rather than at least going for 3F2L is telling, IMHO.

Plus, she's already been practicing the 2x3A layout for such a long time that going back to the old one might mess up her muscle memory...

Considering the above, I wish Mao would go for:

3A 8.50
2A-3T 7.40
3F 5.30
--
2A-3T 8.14
3S 4.62
3F-2L-2L 9.79
3L 5.61
__________
49.36

(or 3Lz in place of the 1st 3F, just to have a full set of triples).

There would be no need to change choreo, 2A-3T would be less challenging than a second 3A, and Mao would have a high chance to score +GOE on every element.  If only Mao could see it as a new challenge instead of "giving up"...

I just saw this, are skaters allowed to repeat a 2A-3T combo?

Lady_in_black wrote:

Hey guys. I don't know if anyone mentioned it, but do you remember where she finished Shizuka at 2005-2006 nationals, before Torino?   Just saying...
Happy holidays everyone and let's hope Mao gets some good rest now.

   

and wasn't she also 1st going into the Free Skate?

Asada_Rising wrote:

Lady_in_black wrote:

Hey guys. I don't know if anyone mentioned it, but do you remember where she finished Shizuka at 2005-2006 nationals, before Torino?   Just saying...
Happy holidays everyone and let's hope Mao gets some good rest now.

   

and wasn't she also 1st going into the Free Skate?

No, Shizuka was third going into the Free Skate. Major mistakes from Irina and Sasha allowed her to win in Torino. Mao has to be perfect in the SP and she can't have the mindset that her top rivals will make mistakes in their Free Skates since Yuna and Julia (her other most likely rival) will most probably be clean.

ilovethai wrote:

Asada_Rising wrote:

Lady_in_black wrote:

Hey guys. I don't know if anyone mentioned it, but do you remember where she finished Shizuka at 2005-2006 nationals, before Torino?   Just saying...
Happy holidays everyone and let's hope Mao gets some good rest now.

   

and wasn't she also 1st going into the Free Skate?

No, Shizuka was third going into the Free Skate. Major mistakes from Irina and Sasha allowed her to win in Torino. Mao has to be perfect in the SP and she can't have the mindset that her top rivals will make mistakes in their Free Skates since Yuna and Julia (her other most likely rival) will most probably be clean.

I think Asada_Rising meant that Shiz was 1st going into FS at Nats 2005. She bombed her FS and dropped to 3rd overall. But I agree that Ma will have no chance if she makes any mistake in the SP, since Yuna and Julia don't have Sasha's mindset.

This may come off wrong but I am actually a bit relived that she did not have a great skate here. I have been worrying that Mao was starting to plateau too soon and I think she was starting to loose track of her goals. Mao dominated the GP this season so I think the high scores and gold medals gave her way too much of and ego boost. With the ego boost came the second 3A and it went down hill from there. Mao went from talking about doing the performance of a lifetime to 3A, 3A, 3A and more 3A.

When Winning becomes so familiar you forget what loosing feels like. Judging by the look on her face, she was not happy about that 3rd place finish! I know this lit a fire inside of her to work hard and go for the gold.

Asada_Rising wrote:

 entire post  

Hope Mao can have lifetime performances of SP and LP in Sochi!!! 

Asada_Rising wrote:

This may come off wrong but I am actually a bit relived that she did not have a great skate here. I have been worrying that Mao was starting to plateau too soon and I think she was starting to loose track of her goals. Mao dominated the GP this season so I think the high scores and gold medals gave her way too much of and ego boost. With the ego boost came the second 3A and it went down hill from there. Mao went from talking about doing the performance of a lifetime to 3A, 3A, 3A and more 3A.

When Winning becomes so familiar you forget what loosing feels like. Judging by the look on her face, she was not happy about that 3rd place finish! I know this lit a fire inside of her to work hard and go for the gold.

THIS.
And I'm also kind of happy that she messed both of her 3A, this way (hopefully) she'll think very hard about the risks of going for two 3A in LP. She doesn't need two of them to win, like others already said, she needs to go clean to win. And I have a feeling that judges like her better when she goes for one triple axel.
She probably won't go for 3-3 regardless of her decision about 3A, but I think it would be better if she placed all of her combos in to the second half of her program. This way she'll get the bonus boost and also probably the PCS boost as well.

@Pochi, thanx so much for the translation!

zarinaballerina wrote:

THIS.
And I'm also kind of happy that she messed both of her 3A, this way (hopefully) she'll think very hard about the risks of going for two 3A in LP. She doesn't need two of them to win, like others already said, she needs to go clean to win. And I have a feeling that judges like her better when she goes for one triple axel.
She probably won't go for 3-3 regardless of her decision about 3A, but I think it would be better if she placed all of her combos in to the second half of her program. This way she'll get the bonus boost and also probably the PCS boost as well.

@Pochi, thanx so much for the translation!

I feel the same.

Asada_Rising wrote:

This may come off wrong but I am actually a bit relived that she did not have a great skate here. I have been worrying that Mao was starting to plateau too soon and I think she was starting to loose track of her goals. Mao dominated the GP this season so I think the high scores and gold medals gave her way too much of and ego boost.With the ego boost came the second 3A and it went down hill from there. Mao went from talking about doing the performance of a lifetime to 3A, 3A, 3A and more 3A.

When Winning becomes so familiar you forget what loosing feels like. Judging by the look on her face, she was not happy about that 3rd place finish! I know this lit a fire inside of her to work hard and go for the gold.

I'd agree to most of this post except the ones I highlighted. I did not see an ego boost and that doesn't seem to be like Mao at all. I saw someone still struggling to figure out how she'd gonna give that best performance in her life she's always dreamed about. Unfortunately that included those very risky triple axels which she likes. From what we've seen of her even in the past, she may deliver a program clean and be happy with it but never as happy as when she lands a 3A.

At this nationals and in other countries skaters are trying their best to give their A game even if they weren't able to during the GP series. Mao tried to give her best during the GP series up to GPF although no perfect skate yet (except GPF SP) but I'm quite sorry she wasn't able to do it at her last nationals. Almost all skaters are trying their best to give their all now that Sochi is so near and we're seeing high scores now compared to how it was 4 years ago with only one skater getting those scores. It would've been good to see what Mao will get if only she was able to skate really well.

AmazingGraceMao wrote:

zarinaballerina wrote:

THIS.
And I'm also kind of happy that she messed both of her 3A, this way (hopefully) she'll think very hard about the risks of going for two 3A in LP. She doesn't need two of them to win, like others already said, she needs to go clean to win. And I have a feeling that judges like her better when she goes for one triple axel.
She probably won't go for 3-3 regardless of her decision about 3A, but I think it would be better if she placed all of her combos in to the second half of her program. This way she'll get the bonus boost and also probably the PCS boost as well.

@Pochi, thanx so much for the translation!

I feel the same.

Me too!
The other thing is, I've always felt that having only one 3A makes it sort of seem more precious...like it's a cherry on the top (that's what aoi88 has always been telling me what Mao's 3A means to her, and I feel totally the same now). I think it's totally natural for Mao to be 'obsessed' with her 3A. I mean, she's started working on it with her mother when she was little, I can imagine the sensation and satisfaction it gives her when she succeeds it, nobody can blame her for wanting to do it. I only hope she'd be more 'obsessed' about showing all the other brilliant qualities in her skates as well.

I've been on a holiday for the past 2 weeks and I come back to find that Mao was third! Kinda shocked. I kinda assumed she was infallible at the Japanese Nationals   Ahh, being a Mao fan is such a nerve wrecking experience. I don't think I can sleep properly during the Olympic period! Goshh. I hope she drops the 2nd 3A, and goes for a 3F-3T and a 2A instead of the 3lz. I think the 2A will give her +GOE, which does not make much difference from a -GOE 3lz with 'e' call right?!?!

This is just a side note.. but I noticed the URL of the forum changed. I had the old URL automatically entered on the address bar, so when it redirected me to ask.com.. I was confused haha   

ilovethai wrote:

This is just a side note.. but I noticed the URL of the forum changed. I had the old URL automatically entered on the address bar, so when it redirected me to ask.com.. I was confused haha   

The same happened to me. I think my heart stopped beating for a second  

Iceriver wrote:

ilovethai wrote:

This is just a side note.. but I noticed the URL of the forum changed. I had the old URL automatically entered on the address bar, so when it redirected me to ask.com.. I was confused haha   

The same happened to me. I think my heart stopped beating for a second  

Bahahah..   oh Iceriver. You're such a drama queen   

I got confused and a little worried and panicked for a moment myself   
What would I do if I wasn't able to come here and fangirl over Mao?