Sochi Olympics 2014!

shar wrote:

COHK wrote:

taken from 日刊スポーツ twitter:

Mao walking toward her 1st practice:
http://pbs.twimg.com/media/BfxJqKmCYAANUls.jpg

Mao-only Sochi rink   
http://stat.ameba.jp/user_images/20140206/15/mao-mai-yuji/bd/7e/j/o0600040012837200407.jpg

COHK...the 2nd link says referral denied.  Can you post another link of Mao at the rink?  Thanks in advance.

How about this link:
https://twitter.com/nikkansportscom/status/431316455070507008/photo/1

A BIG   to linglang and COHK for keeping us fans up to date with all things Mao. I'll have both of you know that I'm not getting any sleep tonight because of y'all.   

COHK wrote:

shar wrote:

COHK wrote:

taken from 日刊スポーツ twitter:

Mao walking toward her 1st practice:
http://pbs.twimg.com/media/BfxJqKmCYAANUls.jpg

Mao-only Sochi rink   
http://stat.ameba.jp/user_images/20140206/15/mao-mai-yuji/bd/7e/j/o0600040012837200407.jpg

COHK...the 2nd link says referral denied.  Can you post another link of Mao at the rink?  Thanks in advance.

How about this link:
https://twitter.com/nikkansportscom/status/431316455070507008/photo/1

It works!   

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nx2WhDvnkHY
Yuzu, Plushenko and Tatsuki

Tatsuki fell on his right knee because his blade got stuck between the ice and the blue mat.   
He says he's OK and it gave him a warning that something unexpected could happen.

Mao practice vid: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FdjShVWWnA   

linglang wrote:

Tatsuki fell on his right knee because his blade got stuck between the ice and the blue mat.   

Just watched the video, ouch.   I hope Tatsuki's knee is fine now!

inskate wrote:

Mao practice vid: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FdjShVWWnA   

Thank you!  

Other skaters were no-show so Mao used the rink for herself.  She did SP runthrough.  Lori was there watching over her. Then she did jumps including 3A.  She did four 2A and then nailed a clean 3A.  Out of four attempt she nailed one 3A.  After practice she said the first 3A was clean, she feels good about her 3A, and she's confident for the following days.

(I'm just curious if the report mistook Shanetta for Lori, or if it was really Lori that's wonderful!!)

http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20140206-00000070-dal-spo

This report says Mao nailed two 3A out of four attempts. About the second attempt which she fell, she said she felt fluffy after takeoff and overrotated.  She thinks she will be OK after doing more practices to make her body get used to and settle down.  She expected other skaters would be there too, but no one was there, so she felt lonely.  At Vancouver, whenever she saw Olympic logo here and there she felt overwhelmed.  But this time she's calmer than she had expected.

linglang wrote:

http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20140206-00000070-dal-spo

This report says Mao nailed two 3A out of four attempts. About the second attempt which she fell, she said she felt fluffy after takeoff and overrotated.

It's true! I downloaded the vid and watched it frame-by-frame - the 2nd 3A was almost 1/4 overrotated!   

Maybe it's because nobody else showed up and Mao had the entire rink to herself, but she looked even more "floaty" than usual, and very fast. The ice looked pristine as well. It probably helped her get more speed and rotate jumps better. Now she just needs to get the timing right.   

(3L-2L looked fab, too).

Thanks inskate for explanation!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OI6CoYpzBC4#t=2m30s

3A and slomo.

Thanks so much to everyone for providing the links!   

I can't believe I've missed all this. We've had a weather from hell here in Slovenia, being without electricity for days, some parts of the country look like they were hit by the meteor.  Luckily, the weather is getting better and warmer, so for now we're back to normal. Though there is a forecast for snow on saturday. Hopefully, it won't kill the electricity again.   

I'm so happy that Mao dropped her second 3A in LP.      Rachmaninov will look so much better without it.

Have the practice groups been announced yet for the singles event? I'm interested in with whom are japanese ladies practicing.

And another question, will there be non geo-blocked links available for the team event?

josling wrote:

Finally the ISU result page for Sochi is up and here is the starting order for the men tomorrow!
http://www.isuresults.com/results/owg2014/SEG009.HTM

In our Maofan-Facebookgroup we had the idea of doing a Google Hangout with all Mao fans while the competitions are going on where we all can canalize our strong emotions! :DIt's a lot easier and less stressful than refreshing these forum pages every 5 secs (which we all did at least once I think!   )
All you need is a Google+ profil to join us! I/We will post a link then I think.
I'd love if some of you who aren't on Facebook (the first members that come to my mind are zarinaballerina and linglang...?!) would join us, so that we can cheer and cry  for Mao and Team Japan together and save each other from heart attacks (in my case that's definitly needed!!!   )   

OMG, it's finally here. I can't wait to see Mao on olympic ice again...!   

josling, I undertsand you completely. I'm having anxiety attacks and competition hasn't even started. Though, most anxiety is coming from worrying about the weather and  finding the stream that won't be geo blocked.    Honestly, I could kill IOC for refusing Eurosport the broadcasting rights.   

I'd love to join the google hangout   , hopefully the ineternet will be working fine.  

zarinaballerina wrote:

And another question, will there be non geo-blocked links available for the team event?

1. Download Chrome.
2. Download Hola Better Internet: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/hola-better-internet/gkojfkhlekighikafcpjkiklfbnlmeio
3. Enjoy the geo-blocked videos!   

I discovered it while trying to watch a geo-blocked Hannibal S02 trailer (Hugh Dancy   ). Works on Youtube, www.nbcolympics.com (just watched clips from Ashley's practice) and other websites.  

I'm sorry to hear about bad weather, zariana.  I hope it will clam down and everything will be fine for you for coming weeks.

Now that I know Mao will do only one 3A in her FP, my anxiety's gone.  I don't care what color of medal she will win, but I will be praying for her that she will skate two clean programs at the individual event. I just hope she will be able to show the world how beautiful she is as a skater not only her 3A but also her footworks in transition & step sequence on top of her beautiful extension, posture and line.  

zarinaballerina wrote:

Have the practice groups been announced yet for the singles event? I'm interested in with whom are japanese ladies practicing.

It's probably already announced. I remember reading about the info on twitter. But I didn't take a note about with whom the Jpn ladies will be practicing. The other thing came to me is that, the practice earlier today was actually for the single event (not for the skaters of team event). Since Mao was having the whole rink to herself, I don't think Jpn ladies are grouped together with any other country participating in the team event. (BTW, I don't think Jpn ladies are grouped together with Korean skaters...or there might be further media fight...)

I'm wondering why there's no news about Akiko? She should have arrived already...

Akiko just tweeted   
https://twitter.com/Mariakko2010/status/431403027509936128/photo/1

linglang wrote:

Akiko just tweeted   
https://twitter.com/Mariakko2010/status/431403027509936128/photo/1

I saw that too!     
BTW, for the practice tomorrow at the main rink, it will be for the team event skaters (ladies). So we will get to see Mao practicing with other skaters participating in the team event.

FS time and training schedule can be found here:
http://www.isuresults.com/events/OWG2014_ColouredTimeSchedule.pdf

YAY!!! NEW THREAD! LOL!

linglang wrote:

http://www.tokyo-sports.co.jp/sports/2014sochi/231653/



Mao says:
I've done whatever I can do.  I want to maintain good condition and good image after arriving in Sochi too.  It's better to have one 3A in FS instead of two, because the program is well balanced with one 3A.  I've achieved nailing three 3A in Vancouver.  So, I want to nail all of those different triples this time. I feel good with my 3-3 jumps recently too.

   

She's so calm and collected! She's all smiles, too! It makes me smile!

linglang wrote:

Thank you josling for the information on Google+.  That sounds fun! I will try to join you guys as long as I can juggle my sleep and work.  The broadcasting time will be very early mornings in Japan.     

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It's like a mother seeing off her daughter.

http://hochi.yomiuri.co.jp/sports/winter/news/20140205-OHT1T00196.htm

According to this news article, at the beginning of this year Mao told Mr. Sato about her goal saying "I was able to attain my goal to land three 3A in Vancouver.  So, my goal this time is to include all the different triple jumps in a program, which I couldn't do last time."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXTczfQwEXA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jKcthiMJ8I
Mao arrived in Sochi
In the first clip she says: I'm very much excited as good as I was at Vancouver. I want to execute what I've been reworking from scratch after Vancouver. Olympic games which take place every four years are so special.  I want to perform and deliver what I can do to the full extent and finish with smiles.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/stream/m_news/vn140206_2.htm
According to some reports, there were about 100 reporters waiting for her at the airport and a half of them were from the Korean media.  Some of them started pushing and shoving for good camera positions.  You can hear a guy yells in the middle of the interview.   (Those microphone are not of Japanese media outlets.) I remember they wrote her off a few weeks ago saying she was no longer a rival of their Queen. I would rather want them to keep her off from their list of favorites and leave her alone than harassing her like this.   

Wow... Mao looks like she's walking so calmly. Lol!

inskate wrote:

linglang wrote:

http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20140206-00000070-dal-spo

This report says Mao nailed two 3A out of four attempts. About the second attempt which she fell, she said she felt fluffy after takeoff and overrotated.

It's true! I downloaded the vid and watched it frame-by-frame - the 2nd 3A was almost 1/4 overrotated!   

Maybe it's because nobody else showed up and Mao had the entire rink to herself, but she looked even more "floaty" than usual, and very fast. The ice looked pristine as well. It probably helped her get more speed and rotate jumps better. Now she just needs to get the timing right.   

(3L-2L looked fab, too).

I'm glad to hear that it's over rotated instead of under rotated! At least it's over!

http://www.sponichi.co.jp/sports/news/2014/02/06/kiji/K20140206007533200.html

Mao did practice at a practice rink in the afternoon. (Practice at the main rink was in the morning.)
She did warm up, SP runthrough without jumps and landed three 3A in a row.