Asada secures Olympic berth at Japan nationals

Good on her. Let's hope she makes her nation proud instead of them completely ignoring her if she wipes out and loses to So Yu-Na.

You mean WHEN she loses to Kim Yu-Na. And what's with this brother-sister ice dancing thing. Isn't there some law against that?

Good for Mao. I'm just a little sad that Yukari isn't going to make the team.

Local record brings happy ending, not so optimistic of Mao and her team's performance in Vancouver.

In mens the Japanese team are good but not up to the competition coming from Canada, US, Russia and the UK. I expect the gold and silver will be out of reach for the guys.

In womens I think Mao and Ando both have a chance at a medal. However I think Kim is very strong and will be very difficult to beat. There are also some strong contenders from western nations that will not push over so easily.

Ando has a wonderful elegance that if she shines well at Vancouver she could be a surprise medalist.

Great job Mao. I didn't like her much before, but yesterday's performance was solid. She looked very confident and determined.

tarento: Oops! My bad. I have a friend named So Yu-Na who loves Kim Yu-Na and so I often say So when I mean Kim. And yes, I think that there's a great chance Mao will lose to Yu-Na; she has in virtually every competition they've been in together -- at least at the end when it counted most. Ando seems more consistant, and might be a medal chance for Japan.

Best of luck to all, though.

good - maybe people will leave her alone for a while now...

She delivered and that's what everyone was expecting, so the pressure's off of her for now, well done. I still don't like the music they choose for her, or Ando, or their costumes; it's like they're trying a bit too hard to express feelings that are not actually inside them. Suzuki, on the other hand is not as tall as Asada, or have the proportions of Ando, but she chose good music and performed a nice choreography. I wished they fixed her eyes.

The Reed brother&sister pair routine reminded me a bit of Peizerat and Anissina's 'Carmina Burana'.

The sister-brother duo, whose mother is Japanese and father American, will make their Olympic debut in Vancouver after Cathy chose Japanese nationality earlier this year.

So she became 2 times a Japanese national champion without being Japanese? Lol

She probably had dual nationality, that7s why it says she chose the Japanese one for the Olympic debut.

xxxxx you can't have dual nationality in Japan? Not officially, and you couldn't cover it up for an official event...

Correction - guess she was under 20 so could've had dual then selected Japanese

stanoue, that's what I thought too.

Kim's gouing to get the gold for Korea. Sorry to say so, but she's been the most consistent of anyone else in the world the last couple of years....

Blue Tiger, I think it's not so important to be consistent for a long time. What counts more is to reach top shape at the right time.....timing.

And of course, which I forgot to mention, not to lose that top shape too early.

Mao Asada will only win the gold if she stops trying difficult maneuvers like the triple axel. She should follow Kim Yu-na's lead and do a risk-free routine.

Go Kim! Sick and tired of hearing about Miki and Mao.

I guess cathy wasn't good enough to make the American team so became Japanese??? More info of her decision would be nice - and a littl emore about where they grew up and if Japanese folks consider them to be Japanese. First i've heard of them.

Sick and tired of hearing about Miki and Mao.

Not sick and tired enough apparently since you keep posting this.

First i've heard of them.

Really? The Reeds have been Japan champions in ice dancing for the past three years (2007, 2008, 2009). They have been competing in and for Japan since 2006. They have been seen at events such as the Four Continents tournament, NHK cup, and the World Championships.

I just see as different level of maturity in Kim than I do in Mao. Kim was allowed to mature gracefully by her handlers, and as such, has been gaining in strength and experience ever since she and Mao were first declared "rivals". For Mao, her handlers have made her grow up too fast, which is a shame, because had she been able to mature as grafcefully as Kim has, this coming Olympic match-up wiould be one forthe ages. As it has turned out, Mao is just now starting to re-capitalize, since her handlers have stopped pushing herto be a mature, grown up and let her be herself. Because Kim has been allowed such, her skating has gradually gotten better over time, to where now, I believe she will be untouchable by any of Japan's skaters. Miki is too twitchy, Mao has been too inconsistent, and the new girl, Suzuki, though her skating seemed good, was not at the level even approaching Kim's...

Kim Yu-na is smart. She sticks to what she can do and stays away from the difficult stuff (e.g. she never does or attempts triple axels). As a result, she looks more relaxed and can perform within her capabilities. Her one weakness is that she can get rattled easily.