Just over one year ago, Mao Asada entered the NHK Trophy coming off her second world title and a silver medal at the Vancouver Olympics. The stage was set for a triumphant return at the Grand Prix event in her hometown of Nagoya.
With archrival Kim Yu Na having announced she would sit out the 2010-11 season, and Miki Ando three years removed from winning the world championship, it looked like Mao was poised to dominate her fellow skaters. But it didn't quite work out that way.
Instead, Mao went on to endure the worst season of her competitive career. For the first time since the 2002-03 season, she failed to win an event.