Mao Asada Names New Coach

he is probably the BEST choice for Mao. After Yukari Nakano retired last season, Sato has no any other top female skater to handle. So JSA, Mao’s camp, and almost everyone here in Japan are presuming / hoping that he will most likely take the job. Having coached many of Japan’s finest female skaters (ex. his own daughter Yuka, Suguri, Arakawa, Ando, at their flourished competitive years all under his wings), Sato is considered to be the best to take on Mao. I am most relieved that he accepted, although it was reported that he was reluctant at first. I believe Mao will not only pick up a lot of things from her new coach, but mostly the way Sato handles and prepares his students mentally is a big factor for Mao from now on. He is the most coolest, most calmest, level headed coach here, with brilliant skating skills and known for his fine, powerful, basic skating technique, Mao surely will improve more.
 
As for Kozuka, he and Mao are both from the same University at Chukyo, Nagoya. Although Coach Sato may have been mostly credited for Kozuka’s deep edges and fine skating skills, it is also mostly attributed to his own genes. Kozuka’s father (Tsuguhiko) was a 3 time Nat. Champion and competed in the Grenoble Olympics, his grandfather (Mitsuhiko) was then the Manchurian (now called Northeast China) champion and also the originator of Aichi Skating Federation, his mother was also an ice dance skater, so Kozuka has obviously been skating at a very early age trained by no less than his parents and grandfather which explains his fine skating qualities, now developed and being polished more by Coach Nobuo Sato. I think he and Mao will both train at their home rink in Chukyo University, Nagoya for most of the time and will likely travel together through “shinkansen” (bullet trains) going to Yokohama where Sato’s home rink is situated. I am not so sure if that is the best for Mao (commute, travel, and all), but it obviously worked for Kozuka.

With Mao having Sato as his main coach, Nagakubo as still her technical coach, and Tat as a back up adviser aside from choreographing some of her programs, many says she now has one of the strongest if not the best team ever. i am just so thrilled i can relax and know she is in good hands.