Japan to spring more surprises

2006-03-02 14:02

Tokyo - Still rejoicing in their first-ever Olympic figure skating gold medal, Japan are ready to spring another surprise in the world's spotlight in the showcase sport.

Mao Asada, 15, who missed the Turin Olympics for being just three months shy of the age limit, set out on a mission Thursday to defend her world junior title in the Slovenian city of Ljubljana next week.

"I'd really love to land a quadruple jump if I can," said the ponytailed schoolgirl as she flew out of her home town of Nagoya. "I'll be happy If I make it."

A quadruple salchow

Only one woman, 18-year-old fellow Japanese Miki Ando, has ever landed a four-revolution jump in competition. It was a quadruple salchow and Asada has been practicing the quadruple loop, deemed even more technically demanding.

"I want to win for sure. But, first of all, I will work hard so I can skate without any mistakes in both short and free programmes," she said.

Asada, who upset multiple world and European champion Irina Slutskaya of Russia to win the Grand Prix series final here last December, has already proven unmatchable in jumping skills.

She became the first woman to land two 3.5-revolution triple axels in a programme in competition when she finished second at the national championships a week after handing the 27-year-old Russian her first defeat in 18 months.

"I'm in good condition. It will be great if I can perform better than I did at the Grand Prix Final," Asada said.

Asia's maiden Olympic figure skating gold

In Turin, both Slutskaya and another favourite Sasha Cohen of the United States tumbled in free skating, leaving Japan's 2004 world champion Shizuka Arakawa to skate away with Asia's first Olympic figure skating gold.

Ando also fell on her first quadruple attempt in competition for more than a year and finished 15th in her first Olympics. Her first successful quad came at the 2002 junior Grand Prix final and her last at the nationals in late 2003.

Asada has beaten 24-year-old Arakawa twice on the Grand Prix circuit. She finished second behind Slutskaya in Beijing with Arakawa third. Asada also beat Cohen and Arakawa into second and third spots in Paris for her first major win.

Despite her phenomenal rise on the senior circuit, Japanese sports officials did not go out of their way to petition to exempt Asada from the International Skating Union's age limit for the Olympics and world championships.

Asada, who has been groomed by the national federation's 14-year-old elite training programme to compete in the senior world championships in Tokyo next year, watched Arakawa's flawless and flowing performance on television at home.

"Really. I felt very happy to see a Japanese athlete winning the gold medal," said Asada, who is certain to burst out of her current frame - 158cm and 37kg - before the next 2010 Winter Games.

"I hope to compete in Vancouver, no matter what," she said.

- AFP