Why do I think there should be excitement about the triple Axel in the ladies event? Considering only six women have landed it in competition makes it a rare event. Seven women if you want to count pair skater Rena Inoue, but that was with extra oomph as part of a throw jump from her partner.
Mao Asada is the lady of the evening with the triple Axel. She has two planned for the long program, one in combination with a double toe that includes gracefully putting her arm over her head. Her triple Axel is light and fast. Most of ladies who have landed one have had their share of shaky landings, but Mao's looks controlled and graceful.
However, like the five ladies before her in the triple Axel club, Mao has had her struggles with the jump. While it garners points, it's risky like the quad. Miss it and a number of points are lost. Mao's persistence in keeping the Axel in her programs has created a ripple effect in her programs and with her other jumps. I always feel like Mao is stalking the triple Axel the first quarter of her program. She's also taken out her Lutz due to wrong edge calls. Her Salchow isn't always consistent either. She basically has four of the six jumps in her repetoire while her competitors will do all six.
Since the triple Axel is consistently performed in the mens event, the ISU seems to award the triple Axel appropriately with balanced risk unlike the quad. Mao's success will ride on her completing three triple Axels this Olympics which is unprecedented for a woman. One in the short and two in the free. She'll be on the podium if she can back up her Axels with her four remaining triples.
No comments:
Post a Comment