Four Continents

☆Genie wrote:

Oh wow....2:30am! No problem..anything to see Mao skate keke!

hehe... I was thinking the exact same thing... Screw work, Mao is more important!!

news clip
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4GpDPDpf6w

http://www2.daily.co.jp/newsflash/2010/01/25/Images/02666163.jpg
http://img.47news.jp/PN/201001/PN2010012501000913.-.-.CI0003.jpg
http://vancouver2010.nikkansports.com/figure/news/f-sp-tp0-20100125-589276.html

chiyori wrote:

For those of you who are in Canada or are willing to use proxy, CBC will be streaming 4CC live.

Thanks for letting us know chiyori!

SoMiTripleAxel wrote:

I'm sorry, but I can't find the links to the proxy sites... Anyone?

Proxifier/UltraSurf + a Canadian proxy weren't enough to bypass CBC's IP restriction for me (looks like nbcolympics.com is similarly hard to crack for non-Americans) so I'll try to test if a VPN based in Canada can do the job. If not, I guess we'll have to deal with Hotspot Shield and it's numerous ads.

ETA: Hotspot Shield doesn't work anymore. On the other hand, VPNs *do* but the only free Canadian server I can find is that of freeVPN and it's almost always full. It looks like non-Canadians will have to hope for a Radio Canada stream like last year or be patient with the limited coverage SBS, CCTV, and Fuji TV will provide us with until vids make their way to YT/FSVids.

ETA2: Tat was just hospitalized. According to this article her physical condition worsened right after Euros. I hope she gets better soon.

Uhh! 4CC starts Wednesday and I'm so excited! This competition should boost Mao's confidence!



Mao looks so beautiful with that scarf!

clovera wrote:

ETA: Hotspot Shield doesn't work anymore. On the other hand, VPNs *do* but the only free Canadian server I can find is that of freeVPN and it's almost always full. It looks like non-Canadians will have to hope for a Radio Canada stream like last year or be patient with the limited coverage SBS, CCTV, and Fuji TV will provide us with until vids make their way to YT/FSVids.

About Radio-Canada, I wouldn't count on it... I looked and the only figure skating I see in the near future is the GPF on feb. 6... But maybe we'll be surprised

clovera wrote:

ETA2: Tat was just hospitalized. According to this article her physical condition worsened right after Euros. I hope she gets better soon.

.
Oh no! That's so sad. I hope she gets better soon

Mao looks happy and in good shape on those pictures !! I love how she's dressed

That's sad About TAT...does that means she's in Hospital in Japan (because she was there with Mao) or in Korea (like it happened yesterday) ??!?

bibi wrote:

That's sad About TAT...does that means she's in Hospital in Japan (because she was there with Mao) or in Korea (like it happened yesterday) ??!?

The article says TAT was attending Euro as a coach in Estonia so I guess she will be hospitalized there or somewhere nearby. TAT told Mao on Jan 24th that she can't come to Korea and she gets an examination on 26th. Depending on the situation, she might be hospitalized. I think she and Mao were supposed to meet in Korea after Euro. It also says like Mao has not been directly coached by TAT for about three months. I don't know but I think TAT wasn't in Japan at all.

I really hope she recovers soon.

It doesn't say anything about Shanetta but I wonder if she is in Korea or she might be with TAT?

TAT's hospitalized? That's not good. So Mao doesn't have her coach again.

If Mao hasn't been directly coached by TAT in about 3 mos. she probably wasn't in Japan early in the year as was expected. There should have been news if she was in Japan and we haven't heard or read anything about it. I hope Shanetta is with Mao right now.

coconut wrote:

bibi wrote:

That's sad About TAT...does that means she's in Hospital in Japan (because she was there with Mao) or in Korea (like it happened yesterday) ??!?

The article says TAT was attending Euro as a coach in Estonia so I guess she will be hospitalized there or somewhere nearby. TAT told Mao on Jan 24th that she can't come to Korea and she gets an examination on 26th. Depending on the situation, she might be hospitalized. I think she and Mao were supposed to meet in Korea after Euro. It also says like Mao has not been directly coached by TAT for about three months. I don't know but I think TAT wasn't in Japan at all.

I really hope she recovers soon.

It doesn't say anything about Shanetta but I wonder if she is in Korea or she might be with TAT?

Wasn't TAT supposed to meet Mao earlier this month? I am worried. If Mao doesn't have a coach, will it affect her training?

Mao looking fresh and happy in the pics, though, seem like a good sign. I hope we see practice vids soon.

It seems like Mao was only coached by Shanetta leading into Nationals and she competed really well there, so I don't think it will affect her performance here in 4CC as she was in a similar situation for Japan Nationals.

bibi wrote:

It seems like Mao was only coached by Shanetta leading into Nationals and she competed really well there, so I don't think it will affect her performance here in 4CC as she was in a similar situation for Japan Nationals.

Think so too!! I also think Mao/Shanetta are a really good match. Look what they did to her SP's step sequence... gorgeous!! If Shanetta is willing to stay in Japan, maybe Mao's found a more long-term coach? I'm not sure what TAT will do after the Olys, especially if her health isn't good...

Yeah. Mao and Shanetta seem like a good match, too. Let's add Mao's performance at WTT.

chiyori wrote:

Think so too!! I also think Mao/Shanetta are a really good match. Look what they did to her SP's step sequence... gorgeous!! If Shanetta is willing to stay in Japan, maybe Mao's found a more long-term coach? I'm not sure what TAT will do after the Olys, especially if her health isn't good...

I was thinking the same thing! Shanetta seems to really understand Mao and go through the motions with her. I sense a really good connection between the two. Maybe since Shanetta is younger, she can relate to Mao (and even get out on the ice with her while training?). They seem like a really great match, even though Shanetta is an assistant coach for now.

I'm very sad to hear about TAT's condition; I hope she gets well soon.

However, like roma, bibi and chiyo-chan, I am not worried at all about TAT not being at 4CC. In fact, I think this might make Mao skate even better.

Mao herself has said that she does better when things don't go her way, when there's some kind of problem--like breaking her finger before 2006 Nationals, or spraining her ankle before 2008, or having her plane delayed on the way to 2008 GPF.

So I think this is just another situation where Mao will be like, ok, TAT can't come, so I'm just going to focus harder and do my best.

Furthermore, Mao tends to skate very well when she's skating for other people. Before the 2006 NHK Trophy, Mao thought, "I want to take Mama to Russia," so then she went out and got world record scores. And as I mentioned in the "Mao Asada, 15 years old" thread, when Mao was in elementary school, her mom got sick and had to be hospitalized. Mao wrote her a letter and said something like, "I'll work really hard at skating and become an Olympic skater, so take it easy Mama and get better."

And that's exactly what I'm guessing Mao is thinking now--"Don't worry, Tatiana-sensei. I'll skate really well, so take it easy and get well soon!"

Ganbare Mao-chan!

MaoMaoRevolution wrote:

I was thinking the same thing! Shanetta seems to really understand Mao and go through the motions with her. I sense a really good connection between the two. Maybe since Shanetta is younger, she can relate to Mao (and even get out on the ice with her while training?). They seem like a really great match, even though Shanetta is an assistant coach for now.

Yup! What was I reading? Can't remember. But basically it was an article and Mao said Shanetta was like an older sister she could easily relate to. I do think Shanetta and Mao get along really well.

But I do think Mao needs someone to help her with her jump technique (eventually she WILL need to fix that lutz)...I don't know anything about Shanetta's background so I'm not sure if she can help?

Anyway, I won't think too much on this--I love TAT + Mao! It totally warms my heart when TAT gives Mao a big hug!

Oooh, I don't mean to post for a 3rd time in a row, but oh well...

Thank you kirakira for all the lovely pics! Mao is absolutely adorable!

But I had the funniest reaction when I was looking at them!! She looks totally Korean to me in that outfit! If I didn't know Mao Asada, and I saw a girl walking down the street in that outfit, I would've been like, "that's definitely a Korean girl!" I think it's the cap and the hair--did she cut it and dye it recently? Anyway, that was my random comment for the day..

MaoMaoRevolution wrote:

chiyori wrote:

Think so too!! I also think Mao/Shanetta are a really good match. Look what they did to her SP's step sequence... gorgeous!! If Shanetta is willing to stay in Japan, maybe Mao's found a more long-term coach? I'm not sure what TAT will do after the Olys, especially if her health isn't good...

I was thinking the same thing! Shanetta seems to really understand Mao and go through the motions with her. I sense a really good connection between the two. Maybe since Shanetta is younger, she can relate to Mao (and even get out on the ice with her while training?). They seem like a really great match, even though Shanetta is an assistant coach for now.

Lovely avatar

I recently started wondering how long TAT would keep coaching. When she took Mao on, she said "just a little longer..." Does that take us to 2010 or 2014? Somehow I doubt she would keep working this much for 4 more years but... Sochi anyone?

Whatever happens, I hope Shanetta stays in Mao's entourage. I like her... I think she has a very engaging smile and looks really sweet. Just like Mao!!

http://sportsnavi.yahoo.co.jp/winter/headlines/20100126-00000003-kyodo_sp-spo.html

News for today's practice.

Mao lands 3A many times today. It sounds like Mao had an great practice.

coconut wrote:

http://sportsnavi.yahoo.co.jp/winter/headlines/20100126-00000003-kyodo_sp-spo.html

News for today's practice.

Mao lands 3A many times today. It sounds like Mao had an great practice.

Awesome! Thanks coconut!

Let's see, Mao going to 4CC in Korea without a coach...gee, this sounds familiar...oh right, and then she went on and won the next competition too, didn't she?

chiyori wrote:

I recently started wondering how long TAT would keep coaching. When she took Mao on, she said "just a little longer..." Does that take us to 2010 or 2014? Somehow I doubt she would keep working this much for 4 more years but... Sochi anyone?

I read somewhere before that Russian Federation won't let TAT coach any foreign skater after 2010 Olympics or just at 2014. I don't know about other Russian coaches or about choreography thing though.

Thanks kirakira for those pictures!! Mao looks thinner and her spiral posture is gorgeous.

Oh TAT I really hope she get better soon. And I'm sure that Mao will make her happy with her performance! Thanks for the pics kirakira! Gorgeous spiral

I think these are from Afternoon practice.

http://imgnews.naver.com/image/003/2010/01/26/NISI20100126_0002229878_web.jpg
http://imgnews.naver.com/image/003/2010/01/26/NISI20100126_0002229871_web.jpg http://imgnews.naver.com/image/003/2010/01/26/NISI20100126_0002229898_web.jpg
http://imgnews.naver.com/image/003/2010/01/26/NISI20100126_0002229896_web.jpg
http://imgnews.naver.com/image/003/2010/01/26/NISI20100126_0002229864_web.jpg
http://img.yonhapnews.co.kr/photo/yna/YH/2010/01/26/PYH2010012608340005500_P2.jpg
http://img.yonhapnews.co.kr/photo/yna/YH/2010/01/26/PYH2010012608330005500_P2.jpg
http://imgnews.naver.com/image/003/2010/01/26/NISI20100126_0002230069_web.jpg

http://imgnews.naver.com/image/001/2010/01/26/PYH2010012608370005500_P2.jpg
http://imgnews.naver.com/image/001/2010/01/26/PYH2010012608380005500_P2.jpg
http://imgnews.naver.com/image/001/2010/01/26/PYH2010012608390005500_P2.jpg

a bit scary to see so many TV crews.