Thophy Eric Bompard 2010

Not trying to bring in any negativity, but I'm curious to know if anyone has heard of a top lady skater before Mao who tried to rework her entire jump arsenal? I'm just interested in relative success rate and how long time it took.

I want to stay positive but like Dragonlady said, and I've often agreed with her in the past, like it or not, jumping techniques takes time to rework. There are skaters who work on correcting only one jump in one or several seasons and some who don't succeed. At least Mao seems certain in her decision which is good because a half-hearted approach is worse than none.

But what if she skates poorly enough at Nationals and FCCs to not make the team? Worlds will not be Worlds without Asada.

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Either one of them could have won as far as I'm concerned, but I don't agree that he should have won by that much. But again, I'm not a judge, so what do I know?

Really? IMHO I agree that Amodio is entertaining to watch but his programs have too many rest stops and not enough transitions plus Kozuka easily kills him on Tech (plus added quad ) and skating skills. I'm just so in love with his edges...

It's been way too long! お久しぶりです～！

Thanks everyone so much for all the reports, news articles and translations, pictures and anecdotes! Especially the Taka-Mao stories!

I have been super, super busy at work, and I felt like I couldn’t go on the forum until I had time to fully participate—but with all the Taka-Mao rumors, I couldn’t resist!

I can picture it now, Mao and Taka-chan strolling down the Champs Elysees, nibbling on chocolate croissants and looking at the shop windows. I was squealing with delight reading all about Mao and Taka-chan hanging out, and Taka-chan trying to protect Mao from the media…Aww!

My, my, Taka-chan has been doing quite well, hasn’t he? Looks like training with Mao has been a fantastic source of motivation for him! (And I can guess why! )

Well, I’m not quite sure where to start, so I’m just going to ramble. I apologize in advance for the lengthy post. And I haven’t been able to follow as closely as I would have liked, so please correct me if I’ve missed out on some important news or say something incorrect!

Some random thoughts:
1) I realize that my interest in skating stems solely from my interest in Mao—since I’ve been so busy, I have barely watched any skating at all this season!
From what I have seen, however, I would say that the BEST thing that I’ve seen is the fanvid of Mao’s LP runthrough. Even though she was just wearing practice clothes and didn’t do any jumps, the sheer beauty of her skating was mesmerizing. My mom was also impressed and said “she’s so graceful.”

2) And Mao’s LP itself was beautiful despite the jump mistakes. As you guys have already said, she was smiling, she was breathing with the music. Once she can nail the jumps, I’m sure “Liebestraum” will be truly breathtaking.

3) Yes, it’s true, Mao is still struggling with her jumps, and it probably will take some more time. She’s been having serious problems with her flip and axel. But I was impressed that she almost rotated the lutz (even if it was on the wrong edge), and she seems to be hitting her problematic salchow every time now. To me, that is a sign of progress.

4) I’m glad to hear that Mao’s skating skills have improved, and I did see some of her increased speed in the long program.
I remember hearing (I think it was Shizuka Arakawa who mentioned this?) that Machiko Yamada once said something like, “Mao might not become the best jumper in history, but I think she can be the best at the step sequences.” I absolutely think that’s true.

5) The US commentators at TEB were much better than I expected. At NHK Trophy, they had no idea what was going on with Mao and kept making obnoxious comments, but now they seem to understand that she’s reworking all her jumps, though they wondered why it was necessary. On the whole, they were sympathetic, but I would be happy to watch Mao’s programs without any commentary at all.

6) And as for Hirono Aoshima’s essay—like PochiPota, I generally agree with what she says in her pieces. In her past articles, I’ve seen nothing but genuine concern for Mao—Mao the person, not Mao the skater. I think that most of all, she wants Mao to be happy, and I think she offers very valid, constructive criticism. But that doesn’t mean that I always agree with her.

So, where do we go from here?

Mao is saying that Nationals is her last chance. I think she said that last year too.
But last year I was absolutely sure that the JSF would send Mao to the Olympics, no matter how badly she did at Nationals. She was simply too popular and too well-sponsored to not send her.

This year, I am not so sure. I think there is a real chance that Mao will be left off the World team if she doesn’t do well at Nationals, and I worry that Nationals may be too soon for Mao to get close to 100% of her potential.

I think Mao might be able to get there by Worlds at the end of March, but I’m not sure she can get there by the end of December.

What does the JSF do then? If Mao ends up 4th or lower, do they send Miki, Akiko and Kanako? I’ve read some headlines about Mao potentially losing sponsors (is this overblown?) while Kanako’s popularity seems to be surging. And understandably—she’s young, she’s cute, she’s bubbly, and she’s a fresh new face. Is the JSF ready to shift their support from Mao to Kana-chan?

Or perhaps the JSF will give Mao another chance at 4CC. Perhaps the JSF will say that they’ll send Mao to Worlds if she can show that she’s in good shape at 4CC.

But maybe that doesn’t happen.

We all know that reworking Mao’s jumps would be a long and arduous process. And we know that Mao struggles in competition until she knows she’s been almost perfect in practice. That is her source of confidence—knowing that she practiced hard and could do her programs perfectly in practice. Then all she has to do is perform “like I always do in practice.”

So let’s just imagine what might happen if Mao doesn’t go to Worlds—Worlds in Japan, no less. I think that would be a much bigger deal for her than missing last year’s Grand Prix Final in Japan. She would be devastated, but she’d be sooo mad. It would just kill her to sit at home while the other skaters are competing for a World title in her home country! I think she would have so much fighting spirit that she’d work super hard on her technique and be totally on fire over the 2011-12 season. And she’d have the time to train because she wouldn’t have any competitions to attend after 4CC.

In this scenario, Mao would basically write off the entire 2010-11 season, but I think we Mao fans were prepared for that, right? I know I was.

Of course, there would be quite a few negative consequences if Mao doesn’t go to Worlds. First, her standing in the judges’ eyes would fall even further, and her World ranking would suffer, giving her worse placements at the competitions. Second, she’d probably lose some popularity in Japan, which is dangerous because it might cause her to lose some sponsors and some support from companies like Weider. That would definitely be bad, because I think Mao’s income allows her to have the best-possible staff and support she can get. I can only hope that Mao’s family has managed her money well so that she has enough saved up to support her career.

On the other hand, perhaps the decline in Mao’s popularity would be a blessing in disguise. Less media attention might mean less pressure and less scrutiny. Maybe Mao would be able to relax more and enjoy herself again.

So I said it in summer 2009, and I’ll say it again now. It won’t be the end of the world if Mao doesn’t go to Worlds in 2011, much like it wasn’t the end when she didn’t make the 2009 GPF. It will just be another obstacle for Mao to overcome, just another step in her legendary journey.

Yes, every year it seems that the waves that Mao Asada must conquer become bigger and bigger; the ups and downs in her career become more extreme.

In the early years of her senior career—the 2006-07 and 2007-08 seasons—Mao’s “slumps” were short-lived. She was able to recover from a mistake within the same competition, or even within the program itself. If she made a mistake in the short program (most likely popping her 3F-3Lo combo), then she came back fighting in the long, and even if she messed up that first triple axel (in her 2008 Worlds LP, for example), she nailed everything else.

In the 2008-09 season, Mao’s slumps became longer. At the 2008 TEB, she messed up her SP, and she wasn’t able to come back in the LP. It wasn’t until the next competition, the 2008 NHK Trophy, that she was able to turn things around.

And then last year, in the 2009-10 season, Mao’s slump became even longer. She struggled over the entire GP season, and gave her first good performance only at Nationals. But the suffering was worth it, because the season ended with an Olympic silver and a second World title.

So based on this pattern, I think Mao’s struggles may last beyond Nationals. Her “slump” might last the whole season or even longer.

But I do think that Mao will put it all together eventually. She WILL overcome in the end. Because she always does.

I am glad to see that Mao considers these competitions to be a learning experience. I think you can only call a bad competition a “failure” if you don’t learn something from your mistakes.

So Mao, 焦らないでください。Don’t rush. Don’t look back. Don’t think that this challenge was a mistake. There’s no way to go back to your old jumping habits now; you can only move forward. So don’t dwell on the past. It will be frustrating, it will be painful, but you must believe that in the end it will all be worth it.

I believe it will be worth it, Mao. I have always believed that you have the potential to be the best skater the world has ever seen.

And remember that the farther down you fall, the higher you will eventually fly.

Go Mao!

It's so nice to have you back Batsuchan!
I was a bit worried that maybe you were feeling down because of the state Mao is in.

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But I do think that Mao will put it all together eventually. She WILL overcome in the end. Because she always does.

If it's you saying so, I'm sure she WILL!
I just hope she won't rush things like you've said. That's the only thing that worries me.
Mao is so good at achieving new skills, making progress much faster than most other skaters. That's simply great, but because she's like that, I fear she's not used to having to be patient with herself for such a long time. She's so used to accomplishing things much faster. But this time I think she shouldn't be hasty, and there certainly isn't any need to be hasty all the same.

Anyway, I'm glad you're back!

What a long and beautiful post, Batsuchan.

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Or perhaps the JSF will give Mao another chance at 4CC. Perhaps the JSF will say that they’ll send Mao to Worlds if she can show that she’s in good shape at 4CC.

It wouldn't surprise me if the final spot for Worlds is decided by who has the best performance at FCCs...

there has been a rumor that mao lost one of her sponsors, and some other are considering cancelling there contract!! does anyone know if it's true!!!

Oh Batsuchan, how we have missed your in depth fantasy scenarios, thoughts, and theories! Wecome back!

ballerinamao wrote:

there has been a rumor that mao lost one of her sponsors, and some other are considering cancelling there contract!! does anyone know if it's true!!!

What I know is that Lotte will stop broadcasting Mao's CM because she did jumps in the CM but she can't jump in competitions now. But other sponsors currently are not considering canceling their contracts.

Batsuchan returns! Yay~

Aibhlin wrote:

It wouldn't surprise me if the final spot for Worlds is decided by who has the best performance at FCCs...

JSF did actually do this in the past to choose between Fumie and Yoshie, but they already publicly released their list of priorities and guidelines in selecting the team for Worlds (which I posted two to three times already in other threads) before the season started so it is highly unlikely that this will be the case anymore. Barring injuries and/or extraordinary circumstances, the team for Worlds will be decided and announced shortly after Nats is over and will stay that way.

As far as sponsors go, the situation will certainly be worth following closely.

Mao is still Japan's darling and is one of the most beloved athletes the nation has. If any of Mao's current sponsors choose to pull their contract *now* due to Mao's current results...it's only going to create public backlash and damage their reputation, not Mao's. This is exactly what is happening to Lotte right now, and that's only from them deciding to stop airing the Crunky chocolate ad. It certainly doesn't help Lotte's public image that online news articles reporting their decision have suspiciously disappeared from all over the Web. Not the smartest PR decision, if you ask me.

tianrushui wrote:

ballerinamao wrote:

there has been a rumor that mao lost one of her sponsors, and some other are considering cancelling there contract!! does anyone know if it's true!!!

What I know is that Lotte will stop broadcasting Mao's CM because she did jumps in the CM but she can't jump in competitions now. But other sponsors currently are not considering canceling their contracts.

tianrushui is right. No company has been reported of cancelling contracts. And I think Lotte will only stop using Mao's crunchy bar CM during GPF which they will be sponsering. It was written in an article that the only reason Lotte has decided this, is not for their company's image, but they do not want it to seem ironic that Mao is not in the competition but appears in the CMs in between. I was kind of sad at first about this, but I do think it's a sensible decision. They are caring for Mao and her fans.

Btw, aoi I totally agree with you that Mao cares more about giving the perfect performance according to her standards (not the judges), much more than she cares about winning. Of course she wants to win, but who doesn't? But when I make montage vids of Mao, I watch clips of her in competitions over and over. One thing I clearly noticed is that she tends to smile and act happily right after she finishes a clean skate, much more than after she gets good scores. Mao also mentioned in a recent interview before NHK that she is longing more than anything to be able to perform a perfectly like she used to. You know her right aoi, that's how our girl is!

Batsuchan, thank you for the lengthy but absolutely beautiful post. We all needed that, I think. You have a way of relieving us, even in this dark time.

But seriously, I won't be too devastated if Mao doesn't make it to Nationals, or even Worlds this year. Of course, we've already prepared ourselves for that, knowing the difficulties that Mao is facing. I'm sure she'll get over this and return to top form, probably sooner than most of the past skaters who have tried to fix their jumps before. People may call this blind faith on Mao, but we know exactly what she's capable of. So yes, a disappointing performance in Nationals, in Worlds or any competition for that matter won't change my high opinion of Mao.

PochinkoPotanko wrote:

tianrushui wrote:

ballerinamao wrote:

there has been a rumor that mao lost one of her sponsors, and some other are considering cancelling there contract!! does anyone know if it's true!!!

What I know is that Lotte will stop broadcasting Mao's CM because she did jumps in the CM but she can't jump in competitions now. But other sponsors currently are not considering canceling their contracts.

tianrushui is right. No company has been reported of cancelling contracts. And I think Lotte will only stop using Mao's crunchy bar CM during GPF which they will be sponsering. It was written in an article that the only reason Lotte has decided this, is not for their company's image, but they do not want it to seem ironic that Mao is not in the competition but appears in the CMs in between. I was kind of sad at first about this, but I do think it's a sensible decision. They are caring for Mao and her fans.

It's unfortunate Lotte did an awful job handling it.
Articles pertaining to this decision suddenly going kaput from online media outlets are *never* going to reflect well, regardless of the intention and reasoning involved. Like Kozu will say, "Ah~ mou."

While all of this is happening though, Mao is practicing diligently at the rink and can't wait to come home to her trio of poodles.

clovera wrote:

PochinkoPotanko wrote:

tianrushui wrote:

ballerinamao wrote:

there has been a rumor that mao lost one of her sponsors, and some other are considering cancelling there contract!! does anyone know if it's true!!!

What I know is that Lotte will stop broadcasting Mao's CM because she did jumps in the CM but she can't jump in competitions now. But other sponsors currently are not considering canceling their contracts.

tianrushui is right. No company has been reported of cancelling contracts. And I think Lotte will only stop using Mao's crunchy bar CM during GPF which they will be sponsering. It was written in an article that the only reason Lotte has decided this, is not for their company's image, but they do not want it to seem ironic that Mao is not in the competition but appears in the CMs in between. I was kind of sad at first about this, but I do think it's a sensible decision. They are caring for Mao and her fans.

It's unfortunate Lotte did an awful job handling it.
Articles pertaining to this decision suddenly going kaput from online media outlets are *never* going to reflect well, regardless of the intention and reasoning involved. Like Kozu will say, "Ah~ mou."

Yeah, I suppose so...but if they did go on airing the CM during GPF, Lotte would be bashed by some fans for being insensitive. If they didn't air Mao's CMs during GPF without notice of reason beforehand, there will also be some angry fans saying they ignored Mao for their company's image and stuff. Lotte couldn't have done any better in this situation than they actually did I think. Anway, they've been sponsering FS competitions for quite some time now, so I'd like to be a bit easy on them this time.

Batsuchan wrote:

But I do think that Mao will put it all together eventually. She WILL overcome in the end. Because she always does.

I am glad to see that Mao considers these competitions to be a learning experience. I think you can only call a bad competition a “failure” if you don’t learn something from your mistakes.

So Mao, 焦らないでください。Don’t rush. Don’t look back. Don’t think that this challenge was a mistake. There’s no way to go back to your old jumping habits now; you can only move forward. So don’t dwell on the past. It will be frustrating, it will be painful, but you must believe that in the end it will all be worth it.

I believe it will be worth it, Mao. I have always believed that you have the potential to be the best skater the world has ever seen.

And remember that the farther down you fall, the higher you will eventually fly.

Go Mao!

Batsuchan, you're back!!! Haha I missed you!
^ Those words that you wrote almost brought me to tears! I think that those would be the perfect words to say to Mao right now if we ever met her.
For Mao's sake, I really hope she doesn't lose sponsors (they would be really silly and bad at PR anyway) and that she makes it to World's for her confidence's sake. Although, perhaps you're right, being out of the spotlight so that she can focus may be the best for her.

No matter what, I'll be here supporting her!


P.S. PochiPota, don't apologize for stating your opinions, especially in a "certain other" thread that I dare not go right now lol...some people are quite insensitive and you were just stating logical reasons, yet they responded in such an illogical and offensive manner! I really appreciate how you are really protective of this forum and looking out for Mao's interests!

Yay! Batsuchan's back! We sure missed your deep analysis and insights.

I am a little sad to hear they're not going to show Mao's crunchy bar CM, because I loved that CM. But I believe Mao's going to be okay because she has a lot of public support behind her.

Thanks for all the "welcome backs" everyone! This is why I love this forum!!

Sorry for the super long post --thanks for reading it!

I have to admit that as much as I believe that Mao will return to top form eventually, and rock the Sochi Olympics, it is sooo painful to watch her struggle. I could only watch her Japan Open and NHK Trophy performances once, because it hurt so much...

Mao knows that she's pursuing a long-term goal, but we all know that she "hates to lose," so I bet she beats herself up when she doesn't perform as well as she wants to. I just hope that her family and friends are supporting her and reminding her that sometimes you have to lose a few battles to win the war.

In the meantime, however, I have to admit that I've kinda lost interest in the other skaters. I guess I really am a Mao-fan at heart, not a skating fan!

clovera--would you please remind me what the selection process for Worlds is? (Sorry! I haven't been paying attention.... ) If the JSF still basically has one free slot where they can pick, I wonder if they would put Mao on the team and then tell her privately that if she does badly at 4CC, they'll replace her with someone else? At any rate, I bet the JSF will be monitoring her progress VERY carefully.

I wonder what Taka-chan thinks of the whole situation....how would he cheer up Mao, I wonder? Let me brainstorm....

Batsuchan wrote:

Thanks for all the "welcome backs" everyone! This is why I love this forum!!

Sorry for the super long post --thanks for reading it!

I have to admit that as much as I believe that Mao will return to top form eventually, and rock the Sochi Olympics, it is sooo painful to watch her struggle. I could only watch her Japan Open and NHK Trophy performances once, because it hurt so much...

Mao knows that she's pursuing a long-term goal, but we all know that she "hates to lose," so I bet she beats herself up when she doesn't perform as well as she wants to. I just hope that her family and friends are supporting her and reminding her that sometimes you have to lose a few battles to win the war.

In the meantime, however, I have to admit that I've kinda lost interest in the other skaters. I guess I really am a Mao-fan at heart, not a skating fan!

clovera--would you please remind me what the selection process for Worlds is? (Sorry! I haven't been paying attention.... ) If the JSF still basically has one free slot where they can pick, I wonder if they would put Mao on the team and then tell her privately that if she does badly at 4CC, they'll replace her with someone else? At any rate, I bet the JSF will be monitoring her progress VERY carefully.

I wonder what Taka-chan thinks of the whole situation....how would he cheer up Mao, I wonder? Let me brainstorm....

I agree that it hurts to watch her performances because we know that she feels badly about her performances. I feel the same way that you do. I think Mao is well aware that she might not make the team to compete in Worlds, but she's so strong. Right now, she's probably the most talked about skater for the season because she is trying to relearn her jumps with new techniques, and people happen to watch her meticulously.

I can honestly say that no matter what, I will always be a fan of her. It's not just her talent that I admire but her character, too.

I'm a little late, but welcome back Batsuchan! We missed you!!!

Batsuchan wrote:

I wonder what Taka-chan thinks of the whole situation....how would he cheer up Mao, I wonder? Let me brainstorm....

Oh gosh... *But keep in mind that both of their blood types are B

Mao_Asada_sunrise wrote:

I can honestly say that no matter what, I will always be a fan of her. It's not just her talent that I admire but her character, too.

Nicely put. I really admire Mao's character too

Yea I totally agree with Batsuchan that Mao should not rush things. I believe that you have to learn things slowly, build up layers of techniques slowly, and only then you can really ground the basics into your system, one step at a time. Lori Nichol once said that to get a higher level of skating score (say, level 5 as opposed to level 4), you almost have to be conscious of every cell in your body. And to build up that muscle cell memory or muscle cell consciousness, learning the fundamentals very slowly in the beginning is the key. Sato is sometimes too obscure for me to figure out if that is the direction he is taking, but it seems like it is. I believe that once Mao passes through this slow-beginning-build-up process (which might be reached after this winter or even next spring), she will really soar and become stunning and fabulous.

Go Go Go Mao!

Mao's TEB LP by fancam

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_J6JNnsNWdQ

Has this been posted already?

clovera wrote:

JSF did actually do this in the past to choose between Fumie and Yoshie, but they already publicly released their list of priorities and guidelines in selecting the team for Worlds (which I posted two to three times already in other threads) before the season started so it is highly unlikely that this will be the case anymore. Barring injuries and/or extraordinary circumstances, the team for Worlds will be decided and announced shortly after Nats is over and will stay that way.

The following is the selection criteria, right?


1. Highest three Japanese finishers per discipline in the Grand Prix Final / Grand Prix series
2. Top three finishers per discipline in the Japanese Championships
3. Highest three Japanese per discipline in the ISU World Rankings at the time the Japanese Championship conclude.

We already know Ando, Murakami and Suzuki are the three highest finishers in the GP series. What if the same three skaters podium at Nationals? Since I don't think Murakami will overtake Asada's place in the World Rankings this would mean all three of Ando, Murakami and Suzuki will fulfill the first two criteria but Ando, Asada and Suzuki together fulfill the third. Would it not be a conceivable scenario that JSF in that case decides the third spot upon the results of the FCCs?

Or am I missing something here?

Batsuchan wrote:

I wonder what Taka-chan thinks of the whole situation....how would he cheer up Mao, I wonder? Let me brainstorm....

We can come up with a lot of scenarios, but so far I think this is how he does it for now:

at the picture. I am also curious about the 4CC thing. In the most recent interview, Mao said Nationals is her 'last chance' so it doesn't seem like they would go the 4CC route for now. But perhaps the JSF could make an exception if things don't go well at Nationals. However, I also feel that Mao won't choose that option even if it were available. To me, Mao is always someone who follows the rules of her federation. Also, Mao is very close to her teammates, especially Kanako. If Kanako earned her spot based on Nationals results, then I think Mao will not feel good about then potentially depriving Kanako off the spot at 4CC. I know Mao wants to go to Worlds but I also believe she's someone who stays true to her character.

Welcome back Batsuchan!

ballerinamao wrote:

there has been a rumor that mao lost one of her sponsors, and some other are considering cancelling there contract!! does anyone know if it's true!!!

Sato Pharmaceutical seems to be a royal supporter of Mao.

They have reports on Mao's competition on Stona's website.

http://www.stona.jp/special/report.html

Rush summary:

About NHK, it says Mao didn't do well both SP and LP. She's reworking her jumps with her new coach Mr. Sato because she wasn't able to garner a lot of scores with her jumps at the Olympics. She's still working on them and thus couldn't land jumps. However, her steps and spins were as elegant as usual and her PCS was 2nd highest among 12 skaters. She was sluggish at the beginning last year but recovered in the latter half and won OSM.

About TEB, Mao couldn't land jumps which she is working on at SP. She didn't fall and got 2nd highest PCS for her LP, but under rotation affected her score. She landed 3As during practices and she has made steady progress from NHK. She just need to relax and soon she will produce results at competitions. Although she missed GP final, it means she has a longer preparation period before Nationals.

I think the writer of these reports is Mao fan.

aoi88 wrote:

at the picture. I am also curious about the 4CC thing. In the most recent interview, Mao said Nationals is her 'last chance' so it doesn't seem like they would go the 4CC route for now. But perhaps the JSF could make an exception if things don't go well at Nationals. However, I also feel that Mao won't choose that option even if it were available. To me, Mao is always someone who follows the rules of her federation. Also, Mao is very close to her teammates, especially Kanako. If Kanako earned her spot based on Nationals results, then I think Mao will not feel good about then potentially depriving Kanako off the spot at 4CC. I know Mao wants to go to Worlds but I also believe she's someone who stays true to her character.

klarification's photo sure illustrates the comical length between Mao and Taka!
Taka is looking directly at Mao, but Mao is looking elsewhere...

Now, although there has been exceptional cases in the past like clovera mentioned, I think as for this season, JSF will basically stick to results in Nats when considering who to send to Worlds. All the Japanese top ladies are doing quite well except for Mao this season, it would be too unfair to make exceptions for only Mao. If Miki, Akiko and Kanako all make the podium and Mao ends in 4th, although JSF will certainly consider past results for not just this season, I think they'll be sending the top 3 instead of Mao. Miki, Akiko and Kanako have all made GPF too already, so if they make the podium in Nats, I can't imagine any reason for JSF to not send them to Worlds. However, if any 2 of them and Haruka or another skater should make the podium and Mao is in 4th, they might consider differently IMO. But if Mao can make any place on the podium at Nats, I think they'll send her to Worlds without hesitation. In anycase, it'll be a tough choice for JSF to make as always...

Even if she makes Worlds this season, I'm not sure if Mao can get good results this season to be honest, but I do hope she can make it, just so she can really feel she's making progress with this whole jump reforming thing. I also think it might turn out to be her last chance to compete with Yuna...I can't help feeling that her music choice of Arirang may turn out to be her swan song. It would be the perfect choice for Yuna and her fans if it is.

(But I think it's way too early for Yuna to retire. She's simply too young. Plus I kind of think athletes retiring at their peak is a waste for the sport. I like it better when top athletes stay a bit longer until he or she is properly beaten by someone else, passes the torch on to the new champion with blessings...that's my ideal style of retirement for top athletes As much as I hate the rivalry between Mao and Yuna turning into some creepy nationalistic war amongst my country and Korea, it has been a bit unexciting so far this season without the 2 of them competing in their best form. I want Mao to always have a good rival. And whether it be Yuna or not in the future, Mao's rival should be a top levelled skater like Yuna has been so far, no lesser. If Yuna should retire, I'm hoping maybe Mirai or Macarova, or the junior Russian girls will take her place as Mao's rivals in the near future...but I suppose it may turn out to be Kanako...which would be a situation I'd prefer and not prefer at the same time... )

PochinkoPotanko wrote:

(But I think it's way too early for Yuna to retire. She's simply too young. Plus I kind of think athletes retiring at their peak is a waste for the sport. I like it better when top athletes stay a bit longer until he or she is properly beaten by someone else, passes the torch on to the new champion with blessings...that's my ideal style of retirement for top athletes As much as I hate the rivalry between Mao and Yuna turning into some creepy nationalistic war amongst my country and Korea, it has been a bit unexciting so far this season without the 2 of them competing in their best form. I want Mao to always have a good rival. And whether it be Yuna or not in the future, Mao's rival should be a top levelled skater like Yuna has been so far, no lesser. If Yuna should retire, I'm hoping maybe Mirai or Macarova, or the junior Russian girls will take her place as Mao's rivals in the near future...but I suppose it may turn out to be Kanako...which would be a situation I'd prefer and not prefer at the same time... )

It's too early to guess but if I were to make one now, I'd think it's probably think it's one of the Russian prodigies or both. I feel a skater's potential is spotted when they're quite young. Kanako is very talented but she lacks a certain amazing quality that was evident in both Yuna and Mao when they were juniors. Her technique issues will probably hold her back as well. Mirai's issues lie in her confidence and technique (she also has issues with URs). In other forums, there were people asking if we'll get to see a skater who combines both the strengths of Mao and Yuna: flexiblity/posture/lovely lines plus good jumping technique. And I immediately thought of Adelina. Her jumping technique is solid and she has classic balletic qualities. Then there's Liza who has charisma and even better technique. Especially considering the current level of ladies skating, with Yuna's absence and Mao's struggles, it just seems we're waiting for them to enter seniors and overtake the field. Puberty is always a problem but I feel their strong technique will hold up in the long run, unlike the case of Caroline Z.