Mao Asada
Asada at the 2010 World Figure Skating Championships medal ceremony.
Personal information
Country represented	Japan
Born	(1990-09-25) September 25, 1990 (age 21)
Residence	Nagoya, Aichi
Height	1.63 m (5 ft 4 in)
Coach	Nobuo Satō
Former coach	Hiroshi Nagakubo Tatiana Tarasova Rafael Arutunian Machiko Yamada Mihoko Higuchi Yuko Monna
Choreographer	Lori Nichol Tatiana Tarasova Shanetta Folle
Former choreographer	Lea Ann Miller Machiko Yamada Mihoko Higuchi
Skating club	Chukyo University
Began skating	1995
World standing	8 (As of 29 April 2012 (2012 -04-29)[update])[1]
Season's bests	3 (2011–2012)[2] 2 (2010–2011)[3] 2 (2009–2010)[4] 2 (2008–2009)[5]
ISU personal best scores
Combined total	205.50 2010 Winter Olympics
Short program	75.84 2009 World Team Trophy
Free skate	133.13 2007 Worlds
Medal record Ladies' Figure Skating Competitor for  Japan Olympic Games Silver 2010 Vancouver Ladies' singles World Championships Gold 2010 Turin Ladies' singles Gold 2008 Gothenburg Ladies' singles Silver 2007 Tokyo Ladies' singles Four Continents Championships Silver 2012 Colorado Springs Ladies' singles Silver 2011 Taipei Ladies' singles Gold 2010 Jeonju Ladies' singles Bronze 2009 Vancouver Ladies' singles Gold 2008 Goyang Ladies' singles Grand Prix Final Gold 2008–2009 Goyang Ladies' singles Silver 2007–2008 Turin Ladies' singles Silver 2006–2007 St. Petersburg Ladies' singles Gold 2005–2006 Tokyo Ladies' singles World Junior Championships Silver 2006 Ljubljana Ladies' singles Gold 2005 Kitchener Ladies' singles Junior Grand Prix Final Gold 2004–2005 Helsinki Ladies' singles

Mao Asada (浅田 真央, Asada Mao^?, born September 25, 1990) is a Japanese figure skater.

She is the 2010 Winter Olympic silver medalist, a two-time (2008 & 2010) World champion, a two-time (2008 & 2010) Four Continents champion, a two-time (2005–2006 & 2008–2009) Grand Prix Final champion, the 2005 World Junior champion, the 2004–2005 Junior Grand Prix Final champion and a five-time (2006–2009, 2011) Japanese national champion.

At the 2010 Winter Olympics, she became the first woman to land three triple axel jumps in the same competition.

Personal life[link]

Mao Asada was born in Nagoya, Aichi, Japan. She was named after the Japanese actress Mao Daichi. She attended Nagoya International School until the middle of 1st grade. After transferring, she graduated from Takabari Elementary School and Takabaridai Junior High.^[6][7] She received her high school diploma from Chukyo High School on March 15, 2009.^[8][9] After that, she enrolled in Chukyo University.

Her sister Mai Asada (two years older) is also a figure skater and finished 6th at the 2006 Four Continents Figure Skating Championships.^[10] She is now skating in shows.

Career[link]

Early career[link]

Mao Asada studied classical ballet from the age of three to nine, but in 1995 switched to figure skating, when her sister, Mai Asada, also switched from ballet to skating.^[11]

She won the Japanese Novice National championships in the 2002–2003 season, and earned an invitation to compete at the Junior National championships, where she placed 4th. She also competed in the Senior National championships and placed 7th.

In the 2003–2004 season, Asada repeated the same placements at the Novice and Junior level and placed 8th at the Senior Nationals. She competed in the Mladost Trophy, the first international event of her career, and won it.

2004–2005 season[link]

In the 2004–2005 season, Asada was internationally Junior age eligible. She competed in the ISU Junior Grand Prix, which is the Junior complement to the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating. She won both of her events. She, then, won the Junior Grand Prix Final with an overall score 35.08 points ahead of the silver medalist, Kim Yu-Na. Asada won the Japanese Junior National championships and qualified for the team of the 2005 World Junior Figure Skating Championships. The Junior National silver medalist that year was her sister, Mai Asada. Mai had placed ahead of Mao Asada in the two previous years.

Mao Asada's win earned her an invitation to the Senior National championships, where she won the silver medal. Asada was not sent to the 2005 World Championships because she was not old enough. At the Junior World Championships, she won with a 20.31 lead over the silver medalist Kim Yu-Na.

2005–2006 season[link]

Having won everything on the Junior level, Asada moved to the senior level for the 2005–2006 season and competed on the Grand Prix circuit. Asada competed on the Senior Grand Prix circuit in November 2005 at the 2005 Cup of China. She placed 2nd in the short program and 3rd in the free skate and won the silver medal. Asada, then, won her second event, the 2005 Trophée Eric Bompard after placing 1st in both the short and free program. The gold medal in Paris and silver from China qualified Asada for the 2005–2006 Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final. She won the event with 189.62 points after placing 1st in both the short and free program.

At the 2005–2006 Japan Figure Skating Championships, Asada won the silver medal behind Fumie Suguri. She placed 3rd in both the short program and free skate. She was not sent to the Olympics because she was not old enough. She was sent to the 2006 World Junior Figure Skating Championships, where she was the reigning champion competing against Junior Grand Prix Final Champion Kim Yu-Na. Asada placed second at the competition, placing 24.19 points behind gold medalist Kim, and 18.21 points ahead of bronze medalist Christine Zukowski. At this competition, Asada became the first lady to land a triple axel in the short program at an ISU championship.^[12]

2006–2007 season[link]

At her first event, the 2006 Skate America, Asada won the bronze medal behind Miki Ando and Kimmie Meissner. Asada had won the short program, but was fourth in the long program to score 171.23 points. She was 21.36 points out of first place. Asada won her second event, the 2006 NHK Trophy with 199.52 points, by a margin of victory of 20.21 points ahead of Fumie Suguri. At the NHK Trophy, Asada set a new world record for highest combined score in a Ladies competition under the ISU Judging System.^[13] Asada went into the 2006-2007 Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final as the reigning champion. She placed second behind gold medalist Kim Yu-Na with 172.52 points, by a margin of 11.68. Asada had won the short program, but placed fourth in the long program.

Asada won the 2006–2007 Japan Figure Skating Championships by 26.11 points ahead of silver medalist Miki Ando. At the 2007 World Figure Skating Championships, Asada was fifth in the short program, 10.03 points behind Kim Yu-Na, who placed first in that section of the competition. Asada won the free skate with a score of 133.13 points, setting a new world record for the highest free skate score, a record which stood for eight months. She won the silver medal earning an overall of 194.95 points, 0.64 behind gold medalist Miki Ando and 8.31 ahead of Kim Yu-Na, who won the bronze.

2007–2008 season[link]

Asada performing her free skate at the 2007–2008 Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final.

In 2007–2008 season, she competed at the 2007 Skate Canada International. She won the event ahead of silver medalist Yukari Nakano, after being third in the short program and first in the long program. Asada won her second gold medal at the 2007 Trophée Eric Bompard. She advanced to the 2007–2008 Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final. In the short program, Asada did not do the jump out of footwork required element and earned a score of 59.04 in that segment of the competition, placing 6th in that part of the event. She won the free skate with 132.55 points and won the silver medal overall with 191.59 points, 5.24 behind gold medalist Kim Yu-Na, who repeated as champion.

As in the previous year, Asada won the 2007–2008 Japan Figure Skating Championships with 205.33 points, with a very small lead of 1.15 points ahead of silver medalist and reigning World Champion Miki Ando. The team of Asada, Ando, and Nakano was declared for the World Championships and the team of Asada, Ando, and Suguri was for the Four Continents Championships. This was Asada's first time competing at the Four Continents Championships. Asada won both segments of the 2008 Four Continents Figure Skating Championships to finish 13.71 points ahead of silver medalist Joannie Rochette. Having left her coach before the Four Continents Championships, Asada competed there and at the World Championships without a coach. An official from the Japan Skating Federation accompanied her as needed.

On March 20, 2008, at the 2008 World Figure Skating Championships, Asada placed 2nd both in the short program and free skate to place first overall and win the title of World Champion.^[14] She was second in the short program with 64.10 points, 0.18 behind Carolina Kostner. In the long program, she fell at the beginning of her performance on her axel attempt, so that element was not taken on account in the technical pannel and she had only the compulsory 1.00 point deduction for the fall, earning 121.46 points. She scored a total of 185.56 points, 0.88 ahead of silver medalist Carolina Kostner. Yu-Na Kim, who won the free skate with 123.38 points, 1.92 ahead of Asada, won the bronze medal. Miki Ando withdrew from the competition in the middle of her free skate program with injury.

2008–2009 season[link]

Asada performing step sequence during her free skate at the 2009 World Figure Skating Championships.

For the 2008–2009 Grand Prix, Asada had been assigned to the 2008 Trophée Eric Bompard and to the 2008 NHK Trophy. At the 2008 Trophée Eric Bompard, she placed second in both the short and free and second overall with a score of 167.59 points, 12.54 behind Joannie Rochette, whereas won gold at the 2008 NHK Trophy with 191.13 points, 23.49 ahead of the silver medalist Akiko Suzuki. That victory supposed her the qualification for the 2008–2009 Grand Prix Final.

At the 2008–2009 Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final, Asada placed second in the short program with a score of 65.39 points, behind Kim Yu-Na by a margin of 0.56. With 123.17 points, Asada won the free skate and the competition overall, scoring 188.55 points. Asada made history in the free skate by becoming the first woman to land two triple axels in the same program in an ISU competition, one in combination with a double toe loop.^[15]

After her win at the Grand Prix Final, Asada defended her national championship title at the 2008–2009 Japan Figure Skating Championships. In her short program, Asada's second jump in a planned triple flip-triple loop combination was downgraded to a single loop. She received 65.20 points for her short program and placed second behind Yukari Nakano. Asada landed three clean triple jumps in her free skate program, three other triple jumps were downgraded, including two triple axels which were judged to be under-rotated.^[16] She received 117.15 points for her free skate for a total of 182.45 points overall. Placing second both in the short program and in the free skate, Asada managed to gain enough points to win her third straight national championship.

Asada came into the 2009 Four Continents Championships held in Vancouver, Canada as the defending champion. However, she had a short program placing sixth with 57.86 points in comparison to the leader, Kim Yu-Na, who scored 72.24. Asada rebounded in the free skate to win that portion of the event with 118.66. Her first axel attempt was popped into a single, but she successfully executed the second, garnering 8.80 points for the jump. She also completed a triple flip-double loop-double loop, a triple loop, and a triple flip-double loop. Her triple toe loop was downgraded to a double, but she finished the routine with a double axel and spins, spirals, and footwork. Asada placed third overall in the competition behind Joannie Rochette of Canada who won silver and Kim Yu-Na who won the gold.

At the 2009 World Figure Skating Championships, Asada placed third in the short program with 66.06 points and placed 4th in the free skate, where she scored 122.03 points and finished in fourth place with a combined total score of 188.09 points.

Asada then competed at the last ISU event of the 2008–2009 season, the inaugural 2009 World Team Trophy. In the short program she earned 75.84 points, a personal best, and lead the ladies competition. She also carried the long program with 126.03 points, and finished with a winning total score of 201.87, also a personal best. The Japanese team finished third overall at that event, trailing the United States and Canada.

2009–2010 season[link]

Asada at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games.

For the 2009–2010 Grand Prix series, Asada was assigned to the 2009 Trophée Eric Bompard and to the 2009 Rostelecom Cup. She placed 3rd in the short program and 2nd in the free skate finishing 2nd at 2009 Trophée Eric Bompard, 36.04 points behind gold medalist Kim Yu-Na. She placed 6th in the short and 5th in the free after landing just two triple jumps in her free program at 2009 Rostelecom Cup and finished 5th, 21.65 points behind gold medalist Miki Ando.

Asada won her fourth Japanese national title at the 2009–2010 Japan Figure Skating Championships. She placed first in both the short program and the free skate and won the gold medal overall with a score of 204.62 points, 8.72 points ahead of silver medalist Akiko Suzuki.

At the 2010 Four Continents Figure Skating Championships, Asada placed third in the short program with 57.22 points after underrotating her triple axel, popping a triple flip and receiving a timing deduction of 1.00 point. Then she won the free skate with 126.74 points, 11.9 ahead of Akiko Suzuki. She won the gold medal overall with a score of 183.96 points, 10.24 points ahead of Suzuki.

From February 23–25 Asada competed in the ladies event at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. In the short program on February 23, she executed a triple axel-double toe loop, a triple flip and a double axel as well as receiving level fours for all her spins and her spiral sequence. She scored 73.78 points to place second in this phase.^[17] In her free skate on February 25, she succeeded in landing two triple axels, but made mistakes on two other jump elements in her program. She under-rotated a triple flip jump of triple flip-double loop-double loop combination and popped a planned triple toe loop into a single jump.^[18] With 131.72 points from the free skate she won the Olympic silver medal with a combined score of 205.50 points. She earned a Guinness World Record for the most triple axels performed in a competition, one in the short program and two in the free skate.^[19]

At the 2010 World Figure Skating Championships, she placed second in the short program with 68.08 points, 2.32 behind Mirai Nagasu of the United States. In her triple axel-double toe loop combination, the triple axel was downgraded to a double, but she executed a triple flip and a double axel and received level fours on all her spins and her spiral sequence. She was also second in the free skate with 129.50 points, 0.99 behind Kim Yu-Na, after executing a triple axel, a downgraded triple axel-double toe loop combination, a triple flip-double loop, a triple loop, a triple flip-double loop-double loop, a triple toe loop and a double axel. Asada won the gold medal with the overall combined score of 197.58 points.

2010–2011 season[link]

Asada performing her short program at the 2011 World Figure Skating Championships.

For the 2010–2011 ISU Grand Prix season, Asada was assigned to the 2010 NHK Trophy and to the 2010 Trophée Eric Bompard. At the 2010 NHK trophy, Asada placed 8th both in the short program and free skate and finished 8th overall with 133.40. At the 2010 Trophée Eric Bompard, Asada placed 7th in the short program, 5th in the free skate and fifth overall with 148.02 points.

At the 2010 Japan national championships she finished 1st in the short program and second in the free skating for a total score of 193.69 and won the silver medal behind Miki Ando.

At the 2011 ISU Four Continents Championships, Asada placed second in the short program and also second in the free skate. She won the silver medal overall with a score of 196.30 points, 5.04 points behind gold medalist Miki Ando.

At the 2011 World Figure Skating Championships, Asada placed 7th in the short program, 6th in the free skate and finished 6th overall with 172.79 points.

2011–2012 season[link]

For the 2011–2012 season, Asada was assigned to the 2011 NHK Trophy and the 2011 Cup of Russia. At the 2011 NHK Trophy, Asada placed 3rd in the short program with 58.32 points. She was first in the free skate gathering 184.45 and won the silver medal, 1.79 behind Akiko Suzuki. At the 2011 Cup of Russia, Asada placed first in the short program with 64.29. She earned a level four on her straight line step sequence with +1.30 GOE. She won the event and qualified for the Grand Prix Final. She withdrew from the Final due to her mother's serious illness.^[20] Her mother died of liver cirrhosis in Nagoya Hospital while Asada was flying back to Japan.^[21][22]

Asada placed 2nd in both the short and free skate at the 2011 Japanese National Championship and earned her fifth national title and secured a berth to the 2012 World Championships in Nice, France.^[23] She competed at the 2012 ISU Four Continents Championships, she was 1st in short program and 2nd in the free skate and won the silver medal overall behind gold medalist Ashley Wagner of the United States.

At the 2012 World Figure Skating Championships, Asada placed 4th in the short program, 6th in the free skate and finished 6th overall with 164.52 points.

2012–2013 season[link]

For the 2012–2013 season, Asada has been assigned to Cup of China and NHK Trophy.

Jumping technique and signature moves[link]

Asada performs a one-handed Biellmann spin at the 2006 Skate America practice.

During her first two years on the international scene, Asada became known for her signature move, the cross-grab Biellmann position. She is also noted for performing the one-handed Biellmann spin in competition.

Asada landed her first triple axel jump at the age of 12, and she became the first lady to perform a triple-triple-triple combination in national competition, which was a triple flip-triple loop-triple toe loop combination.^[24] At the age of 14, Asada landed a triple axel in her free skating program at the 2004 Junior Grand Prix Final, held in December 2004 at Helsinki, Finland, becoming the first junior girl to do one in an international event. She has since been known for her triple axel jumps.^[25]

Starting with the 2007–2008 season, criteria for judging jump take-off and landing technique were made more rigorous, and Asada began to be penalized for under-rotating her jumps and for change-of-edge errors on her Lutz jump, colloquially called a "flutz."^[26]

Asada did not include salchow jumps in her junior and senior career programs until 2008. She had stated previously that the triple salchow was the first triple jump she had ever landed and that she did not have a problem landing it cleanly, but she was not comfortable using the jump in competition because it is one of her least favorite jumps.^[27] Asada added the triple salchow to her free skate program in the 2008 NHK Trophy^[28] and 2008-2009 Grand Prix Final.^[29]

Normally, Asada uses a triple loop jump as her second jump in a combination, especially after the triple flip. However, she added the toe loop to her free program as the second jump of her first triple-triple combination during the 2004–2005 season,^[30] a triple flip-triple toe loop. In the 2006–2007 season she used the double axel-triple toe, while in the 2007–2008 season she performed the triple flip-triple toe loop again.

In the 2008–2009 season she executed the triple axel-double toe loop combination in international competition, first getting full credit for it at the 2008-2009 Grand Prix Final.^[29] At that same competition, Asada became the first female skater to land two triple axels in the same program.^[15] She is also the only woman to have landed three triple axel jumps in the same competition at an ISU competition.She has a Guinness World Record for the most triple axels performed in a competition.^[19]

Asada credits training alongside Takahiko Kozuka for improving her spins. The number of rotations she is able to achieve with one kick increased from 30 to 104.^[31]

Coaching changes[link]

Coach Nobuo Sato (left) and Mao Asada (right) at the 2011 Cup of Russia.

Asada originally trained in Japan, but left for the U.S. in August 2006 to train with Rafael Arutunian in Lake Arrowhead, California. There she was able to escape the overcrowding of Japanese rinks and the pressure of the Japanese media. Before 2008 Four Continents Championships, she split with Arutunian^[32] and returned to Japan to practice on the new Aurora Rink at Chukyo University, where she does not have any problems getting ice time. She went to Worlds, and won, without a coach.^[33]

During the summer of 2007, Asada received additional training in Russia from Tatiana Tarasova, while Arutunian remained her primary coach. The following summer, after leaving Arutunian, Asada returned to Russia, and formally decided to be coached by Tarasova.^[34] However, their cooperation was hampered by Tarasova's health problems and Asada trained mostly in Nagoya, Japan, with her assistant Jeanetta Folle; in February 1, 2010, Asada indicated she had not been coached by Tarasova since the 2009 Cup of Russia in October.^[35] Tarasova was present with Asada at the 2010 Olympics but after the event, Asada chose to be based in her hometown Nagoya and parted ways with Tarasova.^[36]

On June 17, 2010 Asada announced that her new jump coach was Hiroshi Nagakubo.^[37] In September 2010, Nobuo Sato became Asada's new coach and Asada ended her relationship with coach Nagakubo.^[38][39]

Public life and endorsements[link]

Asada owns a miniature poodle named Aero, who is named after the chocolate confection made by Nestlé. Asada and Aero have been featured in chocolate commercials in Japan, and she has also used her dog in exhibition programs. In 2008, Asada got two new puppies named Tiara and Komachi.^[27]

Asada is very popular in Japan and has appeared in variety shows, as well as in commercials for Oji Paper Company, Sato pharmacy, Morinaga Weider in Jelly, Itoham Foods, Nestlé, Kao, Omron, Nippon Life Insurance Company and Weavajapan. Asada headlined her own exhibition show, called "The Ice", from the summer of 2008,^[40] with her sister Mai. Asada is also a big fan of Japanese pop star Ayumi Hamasaki, and was seen congratulating her on her 10th Anniversary. The Asada sisters have also been named as goodwill ambassadors to Canada, and have traveled to Canada to serve in that role.^[27] Asada's sponsors^[41] include Sato pharmacy, Itoham Foods, Nepia, Lotte, Omron, United Airlines, Weider in Jelly and Weavajapan inc. Her skating music was compiled on two albums by EMI Music Japan: Mai & Mao Asada Skating Music and Mai & Mao Asada Skating Music 2008–09.

In 2011, Asada has launched her own kimono brand MaoMao.^[42]

In January 2012, Asada cancelled the release of a book on her skating career; she stated, "The way the book was advertised was different from what I had in mind."^[43]

Programs[link]

Asada performing her gala program at the 2008 World Figure Skating Championships.

Asada performs her gala program to Caprice No. 24 at the 2010 World Figure Skating Championships.

Competitive highlights[link]

Post–2006[link]

Asada (center) on the podium at the 2010 World Championships.

Pre–2006[link]

Detailed results[link]

Post-2006[link]

Asada at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics medal ceremony.

Asada with her gold medal at the 2008 World Figure Skating Championships

• Personal bests highlighted in bold
• ISU seasons' bests highlighted in Italic.

Pre-2006[link]

• QR = Qualifying round; SP = Short program; FS = Free skating

References[link]