Mao Asada

Who is Mao Asada?

Mao Asada is a Japanese competitive figure skater and an Olympic silver medalist noted for her flexibility, smooth skating skills and triple axel jumps. She is the only female figure skater who has landed three triple axels in one competition, which she achieved at the 2010 Winter Olympics.

She is the 2010 Olympic silver medalist, a three-time World champion, a three-time Four Continents champion, and a four-time Grand Prix Final champion. She is also the 2005 World Junior champion, the 2004–05 Junior Grand Prix Final champion, and a six-time Japanese national champion.

She currently holds the world record for the ladies' short program score. A former prodigy, Asada is the fifth woman and the first junior girl to land the triple axel, accomplishing this feat at the 2004–2005 Junior Grand Prix Final. She won her first Grand Prix Final at the age of 15. Considered by many to be the best figure skater in the world at that time, Asada was 87 days too young to compete at the 2006 Winter Olympics. She is the first figure skater in a singles discipline from Asia to win multiple world championships.