NHK Trophy 2008

20080908 NHK Trophy 2008 Press Conference

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVEzEH_ists
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mqzy4gIhILk

great pics! thank you mao1985
Their smiles are brilliant! actualy, Akiko Suzuki and Takahito Mura were also there.. I love them all!

Thanks a lot for the links, mao1985! The pictures are just
Does anybody know whether Yukari has a younger sister (something around 11 years old, I guess), because this is definitely not her (Yukari) in the photos. -_-

Anyway, it's great to see the whole bunch together again.

I can tell Mao's training is going well from her smile.
Go! mao!!!!

inskate wrote:

Aww, adorable.

But how come Mao had a short fringe in her "Dream Girls" performance, and here her hair seem all long already..?

That bangs wasn't her real hair
that was just a wig
There is a small wig that you can put just for the fringe.

coconut wrote:

That bangs wasn't her real hair
that was just a wig
There is a small wig that you can put just for the fringe.

Wow, I thought those were real hair!

Good luck to all the skaters at NHK!

from the official top page



Go!! Mao, Daisuke, Nobunari, Yukari, Akiko and Takahito!

Great photos. Thank you, mao1985!

summervie wrote:

Thanks a lot for the links, mao1985! The pictures are just
Does anybody know whether Yukari has a younger sister (something around 11 years old, I guess), because this is definitely not her (Yukari) in the photos. -_-

Anyway, it's great to see the whole bunch together again.

the woman next to Mao is actually Yukari! I also was surprised to find out that she is quite small compared to the other skaters! maybe the smallest woman single skater? Her performance on the ice is so agressive that I don't feel this when I watch her skating though!
She doesn't have younger sisters but one older sister!


mao1985, thanks for posting!
Mao is beautiful! I love all of these skaters! Akiko has passionate skating and Takahito has big 3A!
Good Luck everybody!

NHK press conference; clips with translation:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CiOB3tdUFUM
(Mao, Nobu, Daisuke, Yukari)

Okami wrote:

NHK press conference; clips with translation:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CiOB3tdUFUM
(Mao, Nobu, Daisuke, Yukari)

Thanks a lot for the translation!! Nobunari and Daisuke are so funny

YES! Paso Doble for CD and Virtue/Moir on the roster... This is going to be great.

The entire roster is awesome. I hope that everyone will have a great skate.

Here's Mao's interview on the official NHK Trophy site:
http://www.nhk.or.jp/figure2008/interview/interview.html
(click on the button below the link.)

I don't have time to translate it nicely now, but Mao says something like "The NHK Trophy has many good memories for me. It's in Japan, so lots of people come to watch, and they give me power. [cut] My short program song is slow the whole time, so I will try my best to excite people with my skating. The long program is a really powerful song, so I'll try not to lose to that, and I hope I can keep up the power until the very end [cut] Q: What do you want people to be sure to watch? Mao: Everything! [cut] Mao: I'll try to bring out my best. Ganbarimasu!"

I'm guessing this was done the same time as the press conference (before the season started). I wonder what she'd say if she were interviewed now...

Batsuchan wrote:

Here's Mao's interview on the official NHK Trophy site:
http://www.nhk.or.jp/figure2008/interview/interview.html
(click on the button below the link.)

Mao's first experience at NHK was as a flower girl! It's the first thing she mentions in that interview.

NHK also held a nice documentary/fluff piece today - it focused on Mao, Yukari, and Mirai for the ladies and mainly Nobunari and Takahito Mura for the men. It's refreshing to see new footage (finally!) of Mao, who still gets tutored twice a week for things like English or practicing her programs to the music...although I'm not sure when the actual footage were taken.

Shizuka and Kat Witt were invited as guests, and Kat still looks quite stunning!

ETA: This user has uploaded the NHK Trophy Preview Fluff/Doc:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tG6GStNfpsw
It'll probably be deleted in the next few days though, as usual for YT.

ETA2: ippanjin2008 also uploaded the same program for DM, which will probably stay alive on the web longer.

Good luck, Mao!

I just realized that if I want to follow the results online I'll have to either stay very late or wake up very early (again)... And there goes my hope for live Eurpsport coverage - I doubt they'll air anything at such an insane hour.

I really can't wait to see Mao!!!!!!
hope she's had enough time to practice after TEB
GANBARE MAO!!!

Yes! I'm really excited also! I can't wait to see her performances!!!

Mao looks so serious from the picture..

Whether she wins this or not, all I really want is a smile from Mao's face at the end! I hope she will be satisfied with her performance this time. and Good luck to Nobunari and Mirai and also other skaters !!!!

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x7jbuq_mao-news2_sport

Mao and Yukari