If you walked into a skating rink in Japan today and mentioned the name Mao Asada, you’d probably see people’s eyes light up. It’s been years since she officially hung up her skates in 2017, but the "Mao-chan" fever hasn't really faded. It’s kinda wild when you think about it. In a sport that moves as fast as figure skating—where 15-year-olds are landing quads and then disappearing by 19—Mao’s legacy feels permanent.
Most people know her as the girl who did the triple Axels. And yeah, she did a lot of them. In fact, she’s still the only woman to ever land three of those monsters in a single Olympic competition. That happened back in Vancouver 2010. But if you think her story is just about a jump, you’re missing the best parts.
The Prodigy Who Wasn't Allowed to Go
Mao Asada was basically the definition of a phenom. She started out in ballet but switched to the ice because her sister, Mai, did. By the time she was 12, she was already landing triple Axels in national competitions in Japan.
The first big "what if" of her career happened in 2006. Mao was the best skater in the world that year. No contest. She had just won the Grand Prix Final, beating the legendary Irina Slutskaya. But because of a weird quirk in the rules—she was born 87 days too late to meet the age cutoff—she wasn't allowed to go to the Torino Olympics. Japan’s Shizuka Arakawa ended up winning gold there. Many fans still wonder: if Mao had been there, would she have taken the top spot?
Honestly, the "Mao vs. The Rules" saga defined a lot of her early years. She was pushing the technical limits of the sport before the judging system was even ready for her.
The Rivalry That Changed Everything
You can't talk about figure skating Mao Asada without talking about Yuna Kim. It’s the Federer-Nadal of the ice. They were born just 20 days apart in 1930. They rose through the juniors together. They were opposites in almost every way.
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- Mao Asada: The technical daredevil. She was all about the triple Axel, soft classical music, and those incredibly intricate step sequences. Her skating felt like a delicate ballet.
- Yuna Kim: The "Queen." She was powerful, consistent, and had a competitive steel that was terrifying to watch. Her jumps were massive and technically perfect.
The media in Japan and Korea went absolutely nuts over this. It wasn't just sports; it was national pride on the line. But behind the scenes, Mao was just a girl trying to master her craft while dealing with immense pressure. She’s admitted in interviews since then that the rivalry was exhausting. It made them both better, sure, but it also meant she could never just skate. She always had to win.
The Vancouver Heartbreak and the Triple Axel Record
The 2010 Vancouver Olympics was supposed to be the showdown. Mao landed a triple Axel in the short program. Then she landed two more in the long program. Three 3As in one event. That’s a Guinness World Record.
But even with all that technical firepower, she lost. Yuna Kim skated the performance of a lifetime and took the gold.
Watching Mao on the podium that day was heartbreaking. She had the silver medal around her neck, but she was crying. Not because she lost, but because she felt she hadn't reached her own potential. That’s the thing about Mao—she wasn't just competing against the other girls. She was competing against the triple Axel itself. It was her signature, but sometimes, it was also her curse.
That Night in Sochi: The Comeback No One Expected
If you want to understand why Japan loves her so much, forget the medals. Look at the 2014 Sochi Olympics.
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The short program was a disaster. She fell. She looked terrified. She ended up in 16th place. 16th! The entire world thought she was done. The Japanese media was ready to write her obituary.
Then came the free skate.
She stepped onto the ice to Rachmaninoff’s "Piano Concerto No. 2." It’s dark, heavy music. And she just... flew. She landed the triple Axel. She landed every other jump. She skated with a level of raw emotion that we rarely see in the clinical world of modern figure skating. When she finished, she burst into tears.
She didn't win a medal. She finished 6th overall. But that performance is widely considered one of the greatest moments in Olympic history. It was about redemption. It was about a person being completely broken on a global stage and then finding the strength to stand back up 24 hours later.
Life After the Rink (and that Marathon!)
So, what is she doing now? It's 2026, and Mao isn't just sitting around looking at her trophies.
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- Mao-Rink: She’s been heavily involved in creating her own skating rink project. She wants a place where kids can learn without the insane costs usually associated with the sport.
- Ice Shows: Her "Mao Thanks Tour" and later "Beyond" were huge hits. She didn't just join an existing show; she produced her own, traveling to small cities in Japan that usually never get to see pro skating.
- The Honolulu Marathon: Did you catch this? She actually ran the Honolulu Marathon! She’s always been an athlete’s athlete. She set a goal to finish in under 4 and a half hours and, typical Mao, she crushed it.
She’s also a frequent face on Japanese TV and works as a brand ambassador for everything from mattresses to insurance. But she’s stayed remarkably humble. You don't see her involved in scandals. She’s just... Mao.
Why She Still Matters to the Sport
Figure skating has changed a lot since she left. We have the "quad revolution" now. But a lot of fans feel like the soul of the sport has drifted a bit. Mao represented a balance. She had the big jumps, but she also had "skating skills"—the deep edges, the turns, the grace.
She proved that you don't need a gold medal to be the most influential person in the room. Every time a young Japanese skater like Mao Shimada (who was literally named after her) steps onto the ice and tries a triple Axel, they are carrying on a torch that Asada lit.
How to Watch and Learn from Mao’s Style
If you're a new fan or a skater yourself, don't just look at the jump stats. Pay attention to these details in her old programs:
- The Step Sequences: Watch her "Ritual Dance" or "Scheherazade." Her feet move so fast it’s hard to keep track.
- The Biellmann Spin: She had incredible flexibility. Her one-handed Biellmann was legendary.
- The Resilience: Watch her Sochi short program and then immediately watch the free skate. That’s a masterclass in sports psychology.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Skaters:
- Study the 2014 Free Skate: If you’re ever feeling like you’ve failed at something, go find the video of her Sochi "Piano Concerto No. 2." It’s the ultimate proof that your worth isn't defined by a single bad day.
- Follow her "Mao-Rink" Project: This is the future of Japanese skating. Supporting projects that make the sport accessible is the best way to honor her legacy.
- Appreciate the Axel: Next time you see a skater land a triple Axel, remember that Mao was the one who made it a standard requirement for anyone wanting to reach the top. It’s the hardest jump because of that forward takeoff, and she did it better than almost anyone.