NHK Trophy 2010

I saw Ladies SP live.
Mao looked worried and her costume looked bit restrained in color and design, but she still looked very beautiful.
I expected she wouldn't do well and was ready for the disaster, so I thought her performance was not so bad. It's pitty she popped 3F in the performance but she landed two 3Fs beautifully in 6minutes practise
But when the score was called, everyone including me was so surprised and started arguing with each other about what the deduction was.

Love her costume for LP! Mao looked mature and beautiful in it!
Though I couldn't see LP live because I couldn't get ticket for the second day...

This is Yutaka's room with English subtitle.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EyRIkA3N02w
After watching this, I'm not worried for Mao at all. She is calm and determined.
I believe in you, Mao!

Congrats for all the medalist! I'm happy for Carolina

I still think that Mao should have stayed with Tat until Olympic Games in 2014, as it will be held in Russia. They have achieved wonderful results working together, and that was not the limit of it.

sumin wrote:

I still think that Mao should have stayed with Tat until Olympic Games in 2014, as it will be held in Russia. They have achieved wonderful results working together, and that was not the limit of it.

I don't think that would have helped mao at all. tat never had time to couch mao, and most off the time mao was practicing by herself, and tat wasn't even at most competition...

I think right now mao is in good care, she has a couch who most important has time to couch mao, the only thing mao needs right now is time....

sumin wrote:

I still think that Mao should have stayed with Tat until Olympic Games in 2014, as it will be held in Russia. They have achieved wonderful results working together, and that was not the limit of it.

If TAT continue working with Mao on some of her programs, it will help Mao in Sochi

ballerinamao wrote:

I don't think that would have helped mao at all. tat never had time to couch mao, and most off the time mao was practicing by herself, and tat wasn't even at most competition...

I think right now mao is in good care, she has a couch who most important has time to couch mao, the only thing mao needs right now is time....

Tat couldn't be with Mao all the time because of her mother's illness. If Mao were with Tat couch NOW, she would practice together and Tat would support her on every competition, I think.

Mao's results on NHK Trophy really upset me. During the last two years she wasn't good either, but I was sure Mao could overcome it, because she was in the right powerful hands. She proved that at the Olympic.

A lot of people criticized TAT for being a coach that just "polishes" already technically great skaters. I thought that was a bunch of rubbish, but the fact remains - many said she isn't about technique. That meant that Shanetta, a relative unknown, was asked to work on technique. And it seemed to work. As we saw, at the end of the season - Mao was in good form jump-wise but also psychologically. (To walk out on the ice at the Olympics LP and deliver like that - that took total concentration and belief in oneself). My question now is... exactly how good is Sato's reputation at fixing technique on jumps? (Whatever "fixing" means at this time). Isn't he known primarily for edges, skating skills, etc.? Why are people not asking the same questions about him as they did with TAT - about his actual ability to do a Mishin-type system of jumping... Has he succeeded in the past with others? Which skaters developed great technique with him? I'm just curious. I wish Mao the best, and think she'll rebound. Whether on not she should have somehow tried to withdraw/ not compete this season if she's changing everything is another topic...

Artistry wrote:

A lot of people criticized TAT for being a coach that just "polishes" already technically great skaters. I thought that was a bunch of rubbish, but the fact remains - many said she isn't about technique. That meant that Shanetta, a relative unknown, was asked to work on technique. And it seemed to work. As we saw, at the end of the season - Mao was in good form jump-wise but also psychologically. (To walk out on the ice at the Olympics LP and deliver like that - that took total concentration and belief in oneself). My question now is... exactly how good is Sato's reputation at fixing technique on jumps? (Whatever "fixing" means at this time). Isn't he known primarily for edges, skating skills, etc.? Why are people not asking the same questions about him as they did with TAT - about his actual ability to do a Mishin-type system of jumping... Has he succeeded in the past with others? Which skaters developed great technique with him? I'm just curious. I wish Mao the best, and think she'll rebound. Whether on not she should have somehow tried to withdraw/ not compete this season if she's changing everything is another topic...

Sato has been doing great with other skaters, so I'm sure he'll do great with Mao. Mao wouldn't make that type of decision if she didn't trust Sato. She just needs time basically. She has everything under her belt except time.

I don't know a whole lot about either coach honestly. I don't know where they specialize or anything like that, or which one would be best for Mao to improve her jumps. I do know that Mao continuing with Tat was not a realistic possibility though. Tat had too much going on in her personal life to continue coaching Mao. She couldn't continue coaching her full time even if she wanted too. That was why she was Mao's "head advisor" for a while. She couldn't be her coach any more, but she still wanted to make some time for her, as best as she could. Even if Tat as less busy, Mao would still have to be traveling back and forth to Russia a lot, and she has complained about the language barrier also. It's better that she found a coach close to home, and school, and who speaks Japanese.

Thanks for the YT link mingming. Some good info. And it had an English translation! Yay! It's nice to see how supportive everyone was of Mao's plan. Mao also seemed very calm, and not too upset about how she did at the competition. She just seems totally focused on her plan. Almost as if she's totally excepted, and at peace with how it's going to take not only time, but some sacrifice too. Totally determined!

Well... Maybe Sato can consult with the younger Sato and her husband, if we see good results with Alissa's reworked jumps -

http://www.freep.com/article/20101029/SPORTS17/10290408/Alissa-Czisny-twirls-in-new-direction-at-Detroit-Skating-Club

Does anyone have a link to download Mao's programs? Cause youtube vids are not in good quality.