Thursday, Feb. 04, 2010
Mao Asada
Figure Skating
Japan
The Land of the Rising Sun would like nothing better than to claim back-to-back Olympic ladies skating champions, and Asada, 19, may be just the one to step into countrywoman Shizuka Arakawa's golden skates. Her ace on the ice is the triple Axel, the most difficult jump performed by a female skater. She landed one successfully at her national championships in December to secure her Olympic berth, but it's high-risk; she's flopped a couple of times too. With Kim known to be one of the most consistent skaters in the sport, a golden repeat for Japan may slip past Asada.