Mao Asada silenced her critics — at least temporarily — with her decisive victory in the NHK Trophy on Nov. 29.
Following an uneven performance at the Trophee Bompard in Paris, where she finished second, earlier last month, the Nagoya native showed some real moxie with a big win before a huge media turnout in Tokyo, once again displaying great fortitude under intense pressure.
It was vintage Mao, you could say.