Seventeen year-old Mao Asada is one of figure skating’s brightest young

stars. 

With her older sister Mai (herself a champion skater) blazing her trail, Mao 

has ascended through the ranks of Japanese skating at an alarming pace, 

held back only by her age.

Growing up in Nagoya, home of many excellent Japanese skaters, Mao has 

been developed by famed coach Machiko Yamada for several years. 

Landing triple Axels and stunning triple-triple combinations in novice and 

junior competition since 2001, Mao had some time to develop her artistry 

while Japan was sending other phenomenal junior skaters to international 

competitions. The three-time junior national champion was finally old 

enough to compete on the Junior Grand Prix circuit in 2004-05. Mao won all 

of her competitions, and landed triple Axels at the Junior Grand Prix Final 

in Helsinki and the World Junior Championships in Kitchener, Ontario. She 

also placed a close second behind Miki Ando at the Japanese senior ladies 

championship, ahead of such talented veterans as Fumie Suguri and Yoshie

Onda.

On the ice, Mao’s performances are characterized by mature artistry and 

ballet (a personal interest) as much as technical prowess. She is able to 

interpret programmatic themes also, such as Dorothy Gayle in her “Wizard 

of Oz”-themed short program. In public, Mao is outgoing and confident, and 

will dutifully give interviews, pose for pictures and sign autographs for fans 

for as long as is necessary.

The Japanese Skating Federation allowed Mao to compete on the Senior 

Grand Prix tour in 2005, although she was too young under ISU regulations

to compete in the Olympics and World Championships. She had a brilliant 

season, winning Trophée Eric Bompard, and the Grand Prix Final in a field 

that included defending world senior champion Irina Slutskaya. At the Japan

nationals, Mao became the first female skater ever to perform two triple 

Axels in competition en route to a silver medal. Although she finished the 

season with a slight disappointment, failing to defend her world junior title, 

she was still considered a favorite to win the 2007 World Championships in 

her native Japan.

Thanks to JapanSkate

Her competition on the senior level began formally in 2006, when she came 

in third at Skate America, then first at the NHK Trophy, and then second at 

the Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final, earning her place both in name and in

substance as the world’s top figure skater. At the All Japan Figure Skating 

Championships, she successfully performed the triple axel, by now her 

signature move, to achieve her longtime goal of becoming a national 

champion. As a skater blessed with skills, flair and style, Mao is a national 

idol enjoying wide support from fans across all age groups, from children to 

elders. Mao won second place in the World Championships held in Japan in 

March 2007.

Thanks to: http://www.jnto.go.jp/canada/exch2007/goodwill_pro.html

Mao Asada had an unsettling 2007-08 season, as far as her coaching and

living situations went, but her time on the ice went much smoother. She

moved to Lake Arrowhead, Calif., last summer with her sister, Mai, to work

with their coach, Rafael Arutunian. The move seemed to pay off, as she won

gold at her two Grand Prix assignments -- Skate Canada and the Trophée

Eric Bompard.

After coming in second at the Grand Prix Final (her only "loss" this season),

she stayed in Japan and did not rejoin her coach. Speculation arose that she

was uncomfortable in the United States, but Asada's agent denied that

claim. The issue had more to do with her coach and the new rink at Chukyo

University than with adjusting to living in the U.S.

The skater completed the rest of the season without a specific coach, but

that turmoil did not seem to bother her as she routed the field at the 2008

Four Continents Championships in South Korea and won her first

world title a month later in Sweden. Congratulation Mao!!

thanks a lot to icenetwork

Here's her ISU biography:

http://www.isufs.org/bios/isufs00006588.htm





























Pictures from: Brilliance on ice