Asada Mao and Ota Yukina　　　　Japanese version

　　　　　　　　　1.The Brilliance of Asada Mao
　Asada Mao never stops her amazing run. After conquering the international junior competitions last season, she advanced into the senior field this season, got the silver at Cup of China, the gold at Trophee Eric Bompard, and the gold again at Grand Prix Final, beating Irina Slutskaya most surprisingly. Though she can't enter the Turin Olympics unfortunately by the age rule set by ISU, it's said that she would be a strong medal contender if she could do so. In which point is she so marvelous? It's her high skating techniques that everyone admits.
　As she has got the basic skating skills very well, her skating and steps are accurate, smart and beautiful. As she has such a flexible body, she can do one-hand biellmann spin with either leg. (She is the only skater in the world who can do this with one-hand.) And above all, her jump techniques. She can do triple jumps lightly and effortlessly, and with high reliability the triple and half jump (triple axel) that only a few skaters can do well in the world. She is the skater with world-leading techniques at the age of only 15, the skate prodigy and the treasure in the field of figure skate. But what I'd like to write about here is not her techniques but her artistry. Because, despite I think her performance is outclassing not only technically but also artistically, I feel this point is hardly refered to nor appropriated properly.
　I hadn't been much concerned with figure skate and hadn't watched it except in the time of the Olympics like many people. But three months ago, I happened to watch her performance and was amazed, because the program was a story with perfect composition. Many novel ideas, such as expressing the storm scene in the step sequence, surprised me, too. I was impressed, but the impression was not what I had had by watching figure skate by that time. In other words, it was the artistic impression. -- "The Wizard of Oz", her SP of last season. Then I downloaded all her performance videos that I could downloaded.
　04-05 season SP "The Wizard of Oz"
　　　　　　　 FS "La Boutique Fantastique"
　　　　　　　 EX "Pick Youself Up"
　05-06 season SP "Carmen"
　　　　　　　 FS "The Nutcracker"
　　　　　　　 EX "Over the Rainbow"
　Aside from EX, the four programs of last and this season for competition have several things in common. Firstly,"The Wizard of Oz" is the music for musical, "La Boutique Fantastique" and "Carmen" for opera, and "The Nutcracker" for ballet. All are theater music with narrativity and easy to play, and she is expressing the air of each main character well. Secondly, they are composed of three parts. And that all the programs except "The Wizard of Oz" have the slow part in the middle, suitable for spiral, which is the most natural and dramatic. And it's the distinctive characteristic of her performance to insert the static pose often between the parts. Each static pose is well thought out and has the effect of changing the scene in a moment (the most admirable to me is that after the storm scene in "The Wizard of Oz"), and I wonder why other skaters seldom adopt this idea. In short, it's clear what to express in her four programs with narrativity, and the audience empathy before they know it and are drawn into the world. Her performance time is as same as that of other skaters of course, but don't you feel it shorter?
　In addition to this wonderfulness of music selection, composition and choreography, the marked characteristic and charm of her programs is her girlish style. She performs with girlish gestures and motions in several scenes to the music in which a girl can be a heroine. ("Carmen" alone is not the music for a girl, but she is playing the role of Carmen as a girl here. There was a comment in an English BBS as "Carmen dancing in front of a mirror while her parents are out", which I totally agree with.) You may think it's no wonder because she herself is a pretty girl of 15. But there have been no such previous examples as far as I know. Neither Tara Lipinski nor Sarah Hughes performed like this when they were 15, and nor do her contemporary rivals of similar age. (Though I think that Kimmie Meissner, an American pretty, would do very nicely for the part of Dorothy, for example.) And so, is the performance like hers childish and looked poorly in senior competitions? I don't think so at all.
　Firstly, it's quite natural for a girl of 15 to perform as a girl of 15, and it rather seems to me that Kimmie Meissner and Kim Yuna is reaching up a little. Secondly, the girlish poses and motions are fresh because almost no one has ever adopted them, and there is still a possibility of many new findings. Thirdly, nothing makes many people so happy without conditions as the loveliness of a girl. I think she will only be able to perform with this girlish style for one or two years from now at most, so I hope she will try so rather positively during this period.
　By the way, who is thinking out these poses and motions, that is, the detailed choreography? The choreographer or the coach or herself? I searched for the information in vain. But I think it's sure that she herself is thinking them out to a certain extent. Because her hand and arm motions go perfectly with the music in every program and are wonderful. And also because the other skaters who were choreographed by the same choreographer or coached by the same coach don't have so rich expressiveness as she. As the music for her EX last season "Pick Yourself Up" was an American jazz number with adult mood, different from that of the other programs, she was striking one pose after another admirably matched to the music. I think this proves out that she has an excellent musical sense.
　I find almost no defects in her performances (except that the rotation speed of her spin reduced after she had adopted one-hand biellmann), and I think her future is promising. If there are some concerns about her, they are her injury and the overeager coverage by the mass media. I hope JSF will protect her from the mass media of this country, which is far more rude and insensitive than common people. As I hear she adores Irina Slutskaya and Sasha Cohen, I hope she will not learn from their programs and performances, though it's good to learn from their high techniques. And I hope she will continue on her present course till next season at least and perform her distinctive and fantastic programs as a natural girl.
　But what about after that? When her girlhood ends and she is going to get out of fantasy, are there any senior skaters who can be good models for her regarding the performance? -- There is one. Ota Yukina.

　　　　　　　　　2.The Grace of Ota Yukina
　While the name of Asada Mao has become known throughout Japan this time, that of Ota Yukina is known to few people yet. But she was the champion of Junior Grand Prix Final and World Junior Championships of 02-03 season (The champions of the both competitions of the past 3 years are Japanese women, Ando Miki for 03-04 season and Mao for 04-05 season), and won the gold medal at Four Continents Championships in January 2004, in her first senior season. Though she couldn't enter Grand Prix Series this season because of her foot injury (Nakano Yukari stood in for her and is in the spotlights now), I think she is the femele figure skater who makes the most artistic performance in the world now as well as Mao. I was amazed by her performance, and downloaded all her performance videos I could download, too.
　02-03 season SP "Danse Macabre"
　　　　　　　 FS "Turandot"
　　　　　　　 EX "The Twilight Waltz"
　03-04 season SP "Picasso's Dance + Omotai"
　　　　　　　 FS "Daphnis and Chloe"
　　　　　　　 EX "The Last Dance"
　04-05 season SP "Tzigane"
　　　　　　　 FS "Madame Butterfly"
　　　　　　　 EX "Anytime, Anywhere"
　Her programs and performances are contrasted with those of Mao. While Mao often uses theater music, her use of dance music is noticable. While all the programs of Mao for competition were composed of three parts in a classical way, there is no such fixed pattern in her programs. While all the programs of Mao for competition were narrative and Mao performed as the main character (a girl) in each story, her programs are not girlish and, though some narrativity is sensed in "Daphnis and Chloe" and "Madame Butterfly", it's not so in the other programs. And so, what is she making much of and intending to express? Each phrase of the music and its sentiment. Let's pick up and see her programs and performances of 03-04 season for competition, which I think are the most excellent.
　"Picasso's Dance + Omotai" for SP is the music with solid tone, incorporating koto (Japanese harp) and taiko (Japanese drum) and emphasizing rhythm. She performs with sharp and quick motions and expresses Japanese degnified beauty. An American commentator said, "This program and choreography are from Japanese traditional dance and she seems to be very comfortable." Perhaps the commentator doesn't know that this kind of music is far less familiar to modern Japanese people than the Western music and difficult to perform to. "Daphnis and Chloe" for FS is the music filled with warm and soft lights of spring in contrast to it. This time she expresses the sentiments of the music quite gracefully and delicately. Speaking of "Daphnis and Chloe", this is the music that Sarah Hughes used in the Olympics 2002 and gained the victory. But, comparing the two performances, I have to say that they are in sharp contrast regarding expressiveness and artistry. Though the jump technique of Sarah Hughes may be the higher, how roughly she is treating this wonderfully fine and eraborate music! (I can hardly watch it.) And in contrast, how much Yukina is making much of the music and how delicately expressing the sentiments! Even if without music, most figure skaters would be able to perform somehow. But it seems to me that Yukina alone wouldn't be able to perform at all without music.
　It's often said that a figure skater must get the ability to express. But what is the ability to express and what to express actually? It seems to me there are two misunderstandings that a figure skater is likely to have regarding this point. One is that the ability to express is to show smiles or sad expressions on his face frequently and particularly. The other is that the ability to express is to reflect his personal feelings or experiences on the performance. Both are wrong and I think you will easily see they are wrong if you think about a ballet dancer. A ballet dancer doesn't emphasize his face expression particularly and rather expresses the sentiments by his body motions and poses. And the expression by his body is not the reflection of his personal feelings nor experiences. It's formed naturally by his role and the story, or the demand of the music. The performance of Mao values the former and that of Yukina, the latter. What they have in common is that both of them had learned ballet, which has greatly served their performances. And I would say the performance of Mao is like classical ballet and that of Yukina, like modern ballet.
　I think the performances of Yukina contains many useful hints for Mao, who are gradually getting out of her girl days hereafter. On the other hand, I think Yukina will be able to learn something from the performances of Mao, too, such as the jump technique and the sense of fun. If the two skaters inspire each other, grow together and give good influence on other skaters, the future of Japanese female figure skate will be so bright. I really hope Yukina will come back next season. (I personally hope she will once make a program, using the orchestral work of Debussy. Because I think there is no one else but her who can fully feel and express the music of Debussy in which more phrases are crossed than that of Ravel.)

　　　　　　　　3. Figure Skate as an Art
　The scoring system of figure skate changed last season. Though the basic stance to estimate both technically and artistically hasn't changed, they score each element closely regarding TES (technical score) and they do five components respectively regarding PCS (composition score = artistic score) in the new system. It's said that the scoring system has changed from subjective to objective. I think it's certainly so regarding TES and is good. But how about PCS? Supposedly it's objective, but I think it's still subjective in actuality and highly doubtful about the criteria, too. For example, let's transcribe here the PCS of Irina Slutskaya (gold) and Asada Mao (silver) in the SP of Cup of China in November.
　　　　　　　　　　Slutskaya　　Asada Mao
　Skating skills　　　8.05　　　　6.95
　Transitions　　　　 7.65　　　　6.65
　Performance　　　　 8.00　　　　6.95
　Choreography　　　　7.90　　　　6.80
　Interpretation　　　8.05　　　　6.80
　Total(x 0.8)　　　 31.72　　　 27.32
　I think Mao's SP "Carmen" (as well as her FS "The Nutcracker") was the most artistic among all the programs of the leading skaters this season. On the contrary, the program that looked the most unfavorable to me was Slutskaya's SP "Danse Macabre". The music is the repetition of the same phrase, I don't feel the necessity of the jumps nor the spins, and I'm not impressed at all. It's true that Slutskaya has excellent skills and the score for "Skating skills" may be right. But I'm not satisfied with that of the other four components at all. Though it seems natural that the scores of Mao should be higher, those of Slutskaya are higher by more than 1 point regarding every component in fact. How should I take this? -- I have to think it's the only answer that the judges don't realize artistry well.
　The judges don't realize well. Having watched the competitions from the first this season, I noticed that they are more likely to give high PCS to the skaters who stand high in public estimation and get high TES. But then, what is the PCS for? Yukina's SP "Tzigane" of Skate America last season was highly artistic, too, but the PCS was lower than that of Mao above by 1 point regarding every component. The new scoring system is for estimating technique and artistry equally and objectively in principle, but in actuality PCS is dragged by TES. Speaking more clearly, the skaters who are good at jumps are the most advantageous, as is the same as before. And so, should figure skaters try to improve their jumping skills first and leave artistry second place? I don't think so at all.
　I've watched most performances of well-known female figure skaters after 1990, but there were few that I thought to be artistically excellent. It's no wonder that the judges don't realize well. Perhaps they would made it a bad custom to estimate the performances as artistically great even if they were not truly so. But there appeared two skaters, Yukina and Mao who make clearly artistic performances. The judges will have to think over again what is artistry after watching them and gradually review their criteria. Much the same for coaches and choreographers. And above all, the audience will want artistry. Especially, the eager fans who go to the competition places must want to feel the happiness of being moved by artistically excellent performances. (Though the vulgar mass media that can do nothing but to shout like "quad jump","the Olympics","the gold medal" may not realize this for ever.)
　Gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics, diving, synchronized swimming ... there are some other sports with scoring system. But it will be figure skate alone in which it's possible for the audience to watch and enjoy the performances purely as an art. (There is an ice show, but there isn't a rhythmic gymnastics show for example.) And from the viewpoint of a figure skater, he can have the joy of creation, making up three works of his own every year, besides competing scores and ranks. As I think figure skate (solo) is the closest to ballet, while the performance of a ballet dancer is almost decided in advance, there is enough room for a figure skater to try his own ideas and be creative with his performances.
　Though figure skate as well as classic music used there very often is what the Western civilization brought forth, it's delightful to see that the delicate sense of beauty of the Japanese is developing the quality of the competitions in this field, too. Yukina and Mao has left several marvelous works, which other skaters would perhaps never excel with the same music. The ability to express of other Japanese skaters such as Arakawa Shizuka and Ando Miki has become good, even though they aren't called "by nature" like Yukina and Mao. (Two male skaters, Takahashi Daisuke and Oda Nobunari have the different features and charms, too.) On this favorable stream, I hope that figure skate will be the sport where skaters compete not only techniques but also artistic maturity even more.

　　　　　　　　4. Addendum -- The Issue about Turin Olympics Berth
　This issue is attracting nationwide concern in Japan now and I have my own opinions on it. Though it strays from the theme of this article, I'd like to write about it here as an addendum. This is divided into two matters, about Ando Miki and about Asada Mao.
　Firstly about Miki. On December 25, after the result of All Japan National Championships came out, JSF announced the names of the skaters who would go to the Turin Olympics. The female solo skaters were Suguri Fumie, Arakawa Shizuka and Ando Miki. There were no contrary opinions regarding Fumie and Shizuka, but there have been many regarding Miki. She couldn't leave the expected results at NHK Trophy, GPF and All Japan Nationals, and Nakano Yukari was ranked higher at all the three competitions. People are saying, "Why not Nakano but Ando? It's unjust." But do those people who criticize her know the reason why she couldn't leave satisfactory results?
　Her body of 18 year old suffered from the successive competitions more than she had imagined. Four competitions in five weeks since Cup of Russia in late November. She got more and more tired in the right thigh and flung herself onto the bed every day. She once complained with tears to her mother, Akemi. And there was an accident in her practice in the middle of this month that the edge of her left shoe hit her right instep and she got the bruise requiring two weeks to heal. The tiredness troubled her body and mind. She lost confidence after failing in jumps which had been supposed to be her strong point, and was caught in a vicious cycle. ("Nikkan Sports" Dec 26, 2005)
　Speaking exactly, it was on December 13, just before GPF that she got the bruise requiring two weeks to heal as written in this article. It was common and natural to withdraw from GPF, but she forced herself to enter. It brought the worst result that she fell as many as three times in her FS, but she didn't tell about her injury in spite of that. How do you think about this? I naturally think she is admirable. But I think she has no social tactics at the same time. If she doesn't tell about her injury, people don't know it and come to think, "What! Ando Miki doesn't have abilities." or "She is too weak mentally." And in spite of such leg condition, she said impossible things, such as "I'll do quad jump." Her words and deeds invited more and more misunderstandings.
　What was the root cause which invited such a result this time? I think it was the super hard schedule of four competitions in five weeks, as written in the article. Why does no one point this out? The Japanese leading female skaters participated in 2 competitions out of 6 Grand Prix Series competitions respectively this time. But it was Miki alone who successively participated in the 5th one (Cup of Russia) and the 6th one (NHK Trophy). Why had JSF set such a hard and stupid schedule for her? If she had got injured or fallen sick in the midway, there would have been enough risk for her to crash at the following competitions successively. And that just happened this time. I think it's JSF that is truly to be blamed.
　However, she managed to make a certain recovery at All Japan Nationals and got the close score to that of Yukari, though her foot didn't heal completely. And so, it would be natural that she should go to Turin, because she excelled in the past achievements and the total points. (But JSF decided that not she but Yukari would go to World Championships, which has the equal value with the Olympics. I think it was good and well-balanced consideration.) Though I haven't had much concern with Miki, seeing how heartlessly people are slandering her, I've rather come to feel like defending and supporting her clearly. She skates beautifully, has jump techniques, and though still imperfect, has good potential just because of it. I hear she decided to change her FS program completely this time, which I think is the good decision. (Because I had thought it was difficult to compete to that music not dramatic at all.) I hope she will be in good shape and make satisfactory performances this time in Turin.

　In the case of Asada Mao, to the contrary, too good results came to the question. When she got the silver at Cup of China, I admired her but felt a little anxious at the same time. "If things go on like this, the mass media may start to cover on her extensively again, and especially make a fuss about her Turin Olympics berth. If it becomes impossibe for her to go there after the fuss, she will be hurt. If it becomes exceptionally possible for her to go there, some other skater will have to swallow her tears." (It's already fixed that Japan has 3 spots for the Olympics.) I thought neither would be desirable and, though I like her programs and performances most of course, I hoped that some other leading skater would keep her from winning the gold at least at the following competitions, too. But as it turned out, she successively won the gold over Sasha Cohen and Arakawa Shizuka at Trophee Eric Bompard and over Irina Slutskaya at GPF. How terrific, Asada Mao! I resigned myself and sent a demand to JSF on the day.
　But it was not the demand to send her to Turin at any cost but that to appeal to ISU once and entrust the judgement to them. Actually, it has proved out lately that JSF asked ISU about it twice (though unofficialy), after Trophee Eric Bompard and after GPF, and that they were rejected by ISU the both time. At the following competition, All Japan Nationals, Suguri Fumie won the gold and she won the silver. I thought it was a good result, because if she had won again, the mass media and many people would have got so excited. (But, to be honest, I feel the level judgement of each element was too soft on Fumie and that Mao should have been upper in the total score.) On the last day of All Japan Nationals, the three skaters to go to Turin were decided, and the possibility for her to go there exhausted. I wish the mass media will never ask her hereafter such an insensitive question as "What do you think about your not being able to go to Turin?"
　A. Senior Grand Prix Series -- more than 14 years old on July 1st before the competitions
　B. Olympics, World Championships, Four Continents Championships -- more than 15 years old on July 1st before the competitions
　As this is the age rule set by ISU, I think it's basically wrong to set such double standards. According to this rule, a 14 year old girl on July 1st is eligible for the A competitions but isn't for the B competitions. And that A competitions are in the first half of the season and the B competitions are in the latter half, and she can enter in the first half but can't in the latter half. Really ridiculous. On the other hand, I agree with the setting of age rule from the medical standpoint. Because, though it's easier for a girl to jump due to her lightweight, if she practices jumping too much in that immature period, she has a strong probability of being injured or damaged physically and seriously. (Such risks are always associated with Mao who challenges difficult jumps one after another.) And if the age rule is abolished, I think it's highly probable that China where people have little human rights and North Korea where people have none will force girls to do hard trainings. So what is the answer? I think the standards should be unified. And talking of which standard is better, my opinion is B.
　And there is one misunderstanding that I think many people have now. It's that Mao is the strongest in the world now because she won GPF, but it's not right. Before she appeared, Irina Slutskaya, Sasha Cohen and Arakawa Shizuka had been said to be the top skaters in the world. And it's certain that she beat the three in the Grand Prix Series. But they must set the Olympics as their goal of this season and must have regarded the period of GPS as that of trial and adjustment. (Actually Shizuka has changed on her choreography, for example.) One needs to win the Olympics or World Championships to be called the strongest in the world. It will be the cool-headed and objective view that she hasn't become the top but has become on a par with the top skaters this time.
　However, to be honest, I don't care who is the strongest and don't have much concern with who can get a medal and who can't in the Olympics. I'm only expecting that each skater will do her best and make an impression on the audience. And especially, I hope that Mao, the skater with exceptional ability, will be fully careful about injuries, protect herself from the mass media and leave many excellent works at the future competitions.(Dec.2005)
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　
　　　　　　　　5.Addendum -- The Completion of Arakawa Shizuka
　I'd like to write about the "Turandot" performance of Arakawa Shizuka in the FS of Turin Olympics, though it strays of the original theme of this article again. Everyone admits and many people have told about the wonderfulness of the performance by which she won the laurels. But it seems to me there are still few articles nor comments that got to the heart of its charm.
　The Japanese mass media reacted in the most off-target and low-level way as usual. They looked shameful and even more childish than an elementary school student in repeating "Shizuka - Ina Bauer - the gold medal" like a fool with just a single idea. Though it's true that her layback Ina Bauer is a beautiful skill that no other skaters (except Ota Yukina) have, it can't be said that the scene was the one and only climax of that performance. My opinion is that there were four big scenes in that performance as below.
　1.The Y-spiral and that without her hand halfway
　2.The 3-2-2 jump just after the layback Ina Bauer
　3.The straight line step with deep edges like a mini serpentine step
　4.The last combination spin, especially the I-spin with one-hand
　They are all the skills at the most difficult level that she alone with great phisical ability can show. The audience have refreshing surprises without stopping and comfortable uplifting feelings together with the surge of the music. And as the characteristics throughout the performance, we can't forget to point out the flowing beauty and the elegance.
　　This performance had such an amazing "calm" elegance to it that I haven't ever seen from any other skater...no one...ever. It's very difficult to describe, but if I tried, I would describe it as a placid lake with very subtle ripples and swans floating on the top of it. It appears that "Cool Beauty" has somehow created a new style or genre of skating.This performance was unbelievably mesmerizing for me.　(Flying Dutchman)
　This is the comment of an American that I found in an English BBS and is the closest to my impression. I think that performance was "calm and fragrant" just as her name. And if I add to it, I strongly sense Japanese beauty in this performance. The effort to be unified with the ice (the nature) as much as possible rather than to rule the ice (the nature). The style and refinement after removing unnecessary things, awkward things and unnatural things as much as possible instead of decorating with many things. Don't you feel it's just Japanese aesthetics?
　And so, how did she get to this performance? Let's look back at this season shortly. Her performances at the Cup of China and the Trophee Eric Bompard were technically of the first degree of course. But it looked like she was struggling to get the level 4 in each element, and I think they were not yet the performances that attracted the hearts of the audience. And that she lost to Asada Mao in the ascendant at the both competitions, which made it impossible for her to go to the Grand Prix Final, though it should have been natural for such a skater of ability as her to go there. (I think it was the failure of JSF to set Mao and her together at the both competitions, second to that they sent Ando Miki to the Cup of Russia and the NHK Trophy successively. If they had sent her to the Cup of Russia and Miki to the Trophee Eric Bompard for example, it would have brought good results to both of them.) But she tried to learn humbly from Mao, even 9 years younger than her, instead of feeling humiliated, which I think shows her good character. "What was that Mao had and I didn't have?" she said later, "It was the freshness that takes the audience breath away." She parted from Ms.Tarasova because of the difference of the ways of thinking toward skating, and asked her ex-coach, Mr.Morozov, for being her coach again.
　The Japan Nationals in last December. As it was the important competition to decide who would go to the Turin Olympics, she had changed her choreography with boldness. Speaking concretely, she had added the performances of 1,3,4 that I mentioned before. Especially, as it was the first time to unveil the performance of 1, the Y-spiral and that without her hand halfway, I'm sure every audience was surprised at and charmed by that. Though she lost to Mao again there, she must have got certain self-confidence. She placed the third and finely got the ticket to Turin. The practice by chartering the Olympic rink in the very beginning of this year. She felt like changing the music of FS to "Turandot" in the practice (though I hear that Ms.Tarasova suggested it by letter before then, it was at that time that she herself made up her mind), started changing the program together with Mr.Morozov, and finally completed that program.
　By the way, it's often said here that "she got back to the program when she won the World Championships in Dortmund in 2004". It's the way of saying that invites misunderstanding. If you compair the both performances, you will see they aren't similar at all. It's not so, and in fact, the choreography of the performance in Turin was almost the same as that at the Japan Nationals in December except that she added to it the performance of 2 I mentioned before. (Though it's strange that I can't hardly find anyone who pointed it out.) And they edittded the music to her performance instead of thinking out the performance to the music. Quite an uncommon way. But it worked magic in this case. Her performance wasn't disturbed by the change of music, and indeed, it proved out consequently that the music and the theme of "Turandot" matched her performance more than those of "Fantasy Impromptu" and developed her appeal as much as possible.
　After looking back shortly, we see that the work of "Turandot" was completed after lots of efforts and with several good lucks. Though the choreography was almost the same as that at the Japan Nationals, she didn't show the program even once before the Olympics. It seems to me more miraculous that the best performance of Shizuka, the complete style of Shizuka appeared on that big stage of the Olympics just in time than that she won the gold medal.
　Lastly, I sometimes come across the opinion in English BBS that her performance in Dortmund was betetr than that in Turin technically, while the latter was better than the former artistically. Is it true? I don't think so. It's certain that she didn't try 3-3 jump in Turin and did 2-loop once by failure instead of doing 3-loop. But skating technique doesn't only mean jump technique. Regarding the other elements, spin, spiral and step, the performance in Turin was much better than that in Dortmund. Taking in total, I think the performance in Turin excelled both technically and artistically. (But I don't mean to soil the performance in Dortmund of course. I think it was her best performance at that time in which she used all her powers.)
　"Turandot" in Turin will long be talked about hereafter as a great example of balancing and blending technique and artistry, and as a standard in the history of figure skate. And personally, Shizuka became the third female figure skater whose performance I was moved from the bottom of my heart. (April 2006)


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