Mao Asada, changed people's visual and literal perspective of seeing robust, young athletic, muscular women doing the triple Axel, like Tonya Harding and Midori Ito. What made Mao Asada so unique, that her slim body type looked as if it wasn't made for her doing the most difficult and demanding jumps. But her fast rotation made it possible. And just as she was doing , practicing her triple Axel jumps, her height range increased so it was like seeing Midori Ito 'stuffed' into Mao Asada's body and along with Mao Asada's grace and flexibility, the Triple Axel jump has fused itself into Mao's identity as a slim, beautifully artistic figure skater with a hidden gift. Just like Sasha, when she was attempting to execute the signature jump- the quad salchow. As with Yu Na Kim who is also of slim built, showed the same ability to use her techniques to give her slim body status a huge advantage. So with small women like Midori Ito doing a height increase with her soaring jumps, Mao Asada and Yu Na Kim are also transforming the figure skating perspective in a different way. So if you see a slim, flexible figure skater trying to do the jumps Mao Asada and Yu Na Kim did, better be prepared to be surprised.
