Asada back to center stage at Cup of China

Three-time world champion Mao Asada enjoyed her life off the rink but in the end she decided to come back to her beloved figure skating stage.

   Japan's figure skating diva Asada chose Cup of China Grand Prix as her international return after resting for about 18 months following her gold at the 2014 world championships.  

   The 25-year-old became center of the attention at her first Grand Prix in two years and started the short program with her trademark triple axels to the soundtrack Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen and thunderous cheers from the Chinese spectators in the Capital Gymnasium where she competed in her first senior Grand Prix 10 years ago and finished second. 

   "This is my first Grand Prix competition after I came back. When I was trainning, I wanted to be higher and I was training hard for that. I have a good performance today. That is a motivation for me," said the 25-year-old.

   "I remember that I played my first senior competition here 10 years ago. Ten years is a very long time but how time flies," said the 25-year-old. "The stadium has changed a lot."

   After last year's world championships, Asada, finishing a disappointing 6th at Sochi Olympic Games, announced she would take an indefinite leave.

   In the days away from the rink, she had a total different life.

   "When I was a skater,I can not go travel without my skateboots  but in the past year, I have done something that I want to do in a long time which I can't do it because I'am afraid of injury, like the banana boat," she said.

   Although Asada enjoyed her new life style, she still missed performing on the ice and decided to return.

   "After the Sochi Olympic Games, I cried and was thinking I won't skate any more. So I didn't skate for a long time. But I was missing the stage," she said.

   Asada admitted that she was nervous coming back to the ice rink, again faced with all the pressure but she was confident.

   "I think for my age and condition and think I can continue. I would like skating at the stage until I can't. It's very important to me because I learned to skate when I was very young and it has become an important part of my life," she said.

   The 2010 Winter Olympics runner-up will look to add to her 14 Grand Prix titles in Beijing as she takes her first steps towards a likely assault on the 2018 Winter Olympics.

   "There are good days and bad days during my preparation. In future maybe there are bad things coming but I will work hard and do my best," she said.  Endi