Where to for Mirai Nagasu now?

[victoriaheidi]

I do have to say, though, that I love her LP music and, in theory, it should have been good for her. It's a really nice piece.

Overall, I'm just bummed that it ended so badly and, honestly, that she went from seeming so happy to seeming so miserable.

[jamcan]

I don't think that it was rigged and I don't think that she was unfairly punished.

Pretty much everybody has delivered very strong performances whilst Nagasu has made a number of errors.

You might have thought that everything other than the flip was clean but it wasn't. Nagasu has cheated a number of jumps and this is something that has always plagued her and has intensified recently.

The question is: Can it be changed at this point?

I think it can. She is still young and it would take a lot of hard work and maybe even taking a year off but I believe that it's something that can be addressed. She just needs to accept that this is an issue and commit to re-working her jump technique.

ITA....2 footed a ton of jumps in that program.

[jamcan]

Aside from the obviously underrotated jumps, the program had no energy at all. I was sad to see someone who can have such captivating presentation basically just go through the motions while skating to (IMO) heavy music. Not the best program choice or choreography.

Placement was rough, but fair.

YUP!!!

[VIETgrlTerifa]

I don't know why anyone is shocked by her LP score considering just on how fire everyone save the last three skaters were at Nationals. This was the best-skated Nationals in a long time. I feel worse for someone like Zhang to be honest. To go from 4th at Nationals to 11th has to be rough despite whether she deserved to be that low.

[modern_muslimah]

Aside from the obviously underrotated jumps, the program had no energy at all. I was sad to see someone who can have such captivating presentation basically just go through the motions while skating to (IMO) heavy music. Not the best program choice or choreography.

Placement was rough, but fair.

While I didn't really like her LP this season, I do wonder if the issue is really her thinking so much about the jumps. The last time I can remember Mirai really having good presentation in her LP was during the 2010 Olympics. Ever since, it's like she is working through her LP. Maybe the choreography for her LPs in this quadrennial hasn't been the greatest but Mirai hasn't tried to sell it either. How many skaters have we seen with mediocre or just bad choreography who are still able to sell the heck out of it? Even though their choreography may be bad, they're still invested in it. Mirai doesn't seem invested in her choreography anymore. Maybe it's a combination of competition nerves (I always wonder if her LPs have more spirit during practice), heavy programs, thinking too much and other factors.

I just hope she and her team are able to sort out her issues and get her back to her former form. She's too good to not at least medal at Nationals.

[Scrufflet]

Slightly off topic perhaps but I was disgusted by the cameraperson who zeroed in on her heartbreak (practically gfilming up her nostril) and then following her backstage. What next? Into the washroom and the stall? Why this horrible need to see someone in such misery?

[Susan M]

I think lots of good points have been made, starting with

Mirai is only 19. She has had to get used to body changes both before and after the 2010 Olympics.

Ever since she started to grow/develop, she has had a problem with underrotations. Her basic technique looks pretty good, but she just cannot get high enough and/or rotate fast enough to get the triples around.

I don't think she is being punished for "leaving Frank" per se. After all, it was really him who left her. If she is being punished, it is for the general perception that she is simply not giving it her all. I guess not being willing to follow your coach is part of that (Kristi Y moved all the way to Canada when her coach moved). To me, Mirai has for some time looked like she does not work hard enough on off-ice conditioning and would benefit from dropping just a few pounds. At this level, skating needs to be your full-time job. That means spending at least 6 (7 or 8 is better) hours a day skating, training dance, and doing off ice weights/aerobics.

IMO what she mostly needs is to grow up mentally/emotionally. She needs to decide how much she wants it and that means growing up and moving past her childhood. So far, she has not shown that she is willing to sacrifice much for the sake of her skating. Still at home with Mom and Dad, working with her childhood coach instead of finding the best available coach wherever he/she is, still looking like she could be in better shape, still working with a fairly weak dressmaker, etc, etc. Wagner's career didn't really start to take off until she moved across the country to work with her new coach. I think it reflected a mental commitment to leave her safety zone, stop hedging her bets, give up the other things in life to better focus on her skating career. Nagasu has yet to show that kind of commitment.

[victoriaheidi]

We don't know why Nagasu doesn't leave home. We do know that she's training substantially longer hours than she was under Frank.

[Vash01]

Mirai was clearly sick and did not have the energy to do the jumps, that's all. Instead of withdrawing she decided to give it a shot. I don't think she deserves harsh comments at this time.

Go Mirai! Show them next season what you really are.

[icellist]

I really do blame the cold/sniffle/flu for her placement. I can't help but feel that her coaching situation well get better because both of her coaches seem committed. I do hope she gets a better choreographer: Susan Austin or Sarah Kawahara? She's going to come back strongly next season. [I wish Mirai will be named first alternate to 4CC and Ashley will withdraw so she can go... Or even let Agnes, Christina and Mirai go to 4CC]

Ashley is going to need to find a new coach because Nicks is most likely retiring. That might derail Ashley in the Olympic year and lose consistency.

[Vash01]

I wish Nicks would continue as Ashley's coach for one more year.

[PinkFeathers]

Slightly off topic perhaps but I was disgusted by the cameraperson who zeroed in on her heartbreak (practically gfilming up her nostril) and then following her backstage. What next? Into the washroom and the stall? Why this horrible need to see someone in such misery?

Was more horrified by the way they had Mirai crying in one side of the camera, and Ashley smirking off to the side. Obviously she wasn't smirking over Mirai's pain (unless she was ) but it looked heartless and tacky. Then again, it's NBC... what can you expect?

[victoriaheidi]

I hope Nicks stays by Ashley through Sochi.

[jamcan]

I don't think she deserves harsh comments at this time.

I've not read any 'harsh' comments here. She two foots and under rotates her jumps. That's the truth whether people want to see/hear it or not....

[burntBREAD]

I think lots of good points have been made, starting with

Ever since she started to grow/develop, she has had a problem with underrotations. Her basic technique looks pretty good, but she just cannot get high enough and/or rotate fast enough to get the triples around.

I don't think she is being punished for "leaving Frank" per se. After all, it was really him who left her. If she is being punished, it is for the general perception that she is simply not giving it her all. I guess not being willing to follow your coach is part of that (Kristi Y moved all the way to Canada when her coach moved). To me, Mirai has for some time looked like she does not work hard enough on off-ice conditioning and would benefit from dropping just a few pounds. At this level, skating needs to be your full-time job. That means spending at least 6 (7 or 8 is better) hours a day skating, training dance, and doing off ice weights/aerobics.

IMO what she mostly needs is to grow up mentally/emotionally. She needs to decide how much she wants it and that means growing up and moving past her childhood. So far, she has not shown that she is willing to sacrifice much for the sake of her skating. Still at home with Mom and Dad, working with her childhood coach instead of finding the best available coach wherever he/she is, still looking like she could be in better shape, still working with a fairly weak dressmaker, etc, etc. Wagner's career didn't really start to take off until she moved across the country to work with her new coach. I think it reflected a mental commitment to leave her safety zone, stop hedging her bets, give up the other things in life to better focus on her skating career. Nagasu has yet to show that kind of commitment.

Recent articles such as this one http://web.icenetwork.com/news/artic...&vkey=ice_news seem to suggest that Mirai is really working hard to get into better shape, not to mention the small documentary put up by AT&T which shows her coaches training her quite hard. Perhaps this time it was simply the fact that she had the flu that really affected her.

[Vash01]

I've not read any 'harsh' comments here. She two foots and under rotates her jumps. That's the truth whether people want to see/hear it or not....

I am referring to her being sick. She did not two foot or ur in the SP. I give her the benefit of doubt and say that had she not been sick, she might not have had those problems. You are judging her on the past performances, and not this one.

[Wyliefan]

I like Mirai, and I felt bad for her last night. But all technical errors aside, you can't get away from the fact that she skated that program without a single facial expression. Not one.

Mirai has been doing this a long time. She has to know that you can't skate a program completely deadpan and not get dinged for it. I know she wasn't well, but she could have at least tried to look the tiniest bit interested in what she was doing. Other skaters weren't well and they at least made an effort.

[modern_muslimah]

I think lots of good points have been made, starting with

Ever since she started to grow/develop, she has had a problem with underrotations. Her basic technique looks pretty good, but she just cannot get high enough and/or rotate fast enough to get the triples around.

I don't think she is being punished for "leaving Frank" per se. After all, it was really him who left her. If she is being punished, it is for the general perception that she is simply not giving it her all. I guess not being willing to follow your coach is part of that (Kristi Y moved all the way to Canada when her coach moved). To me, Mirai has for some time looked like she does not work hard enough on off-ice conditioning and would benefit from dropping just a few pounds. At this level, skating needs to be your full-time job. That means spending at least 6 (7 or 8 is better) hours a day skating, training dance, and doing off ice weights/aerobics.

There have been quotes from both Mirai and her coaches that she increased her off-ice training this season.

IMO what she mostly needs is to grow up mentally/emotionally. She needs to decide how much she wants it and that means growing up and moving past her childhood. So far, she has not shown that she is willing to sacrifice much for the sake of her skating. Still at home with Mom and Dad, working with her childhood coach instead of finding the best available coach wherever he/she is, still looking like she could be in better shape, still working with a fairly weak dressmaker, etc, etc. Wagner's career didn't really start to take off until she moved across the country to work with her new coach. I think it reflected a mental commitment to leave her safety zone, stop hedging her bets, give up the other things in life to better focus on her skating career. Nagasu has yet to show that kind of commitment.

I don't get this comment at all. Lots of 19 year olds still live with their parents. How is Mirai being immature by living at home? She trains close to her home as do lots of other skaters. Plus, last season she sacrificed a lot of training time making the commute to train with FC and it didn't work.

Re: Ashley. What works for one skater may not work for others. Moving to the other side of the country worked wonders for Ashley but there's no guarantee that it will do the same for Mirai. There are plenty of skaters who uproot themselves and their skating does not improve at all. The skaters have to do what they think is best for them. Sometimes that means staying close to home. Other times it means moving across a country or even the world.

All of these skaters seem to put in hours everyday to skate. It's a full time job. Mirai also mentioned in another interview stopping college courses because it interrupted training. That doesn't seem like the action of someone who isn't committed. Mirai has some weaknesses but this season, at least, lack of commitment and lack of training do not appear to be one of them.

[Sasha'sSpins]

We don't know why Nagasu doesn't leave home. We do know that she's training substantially longer hours than she was under Frank.

And we don't know if her family could afford such a move.

I am referring to her being sick. She did not two foot or ur in the SP. I give her the benefit of doubt and say that had she not been sick, she might not have had those problems. You are judging her on the past performances, and not this one.

^^^
THIS!

Mirai was not the only one who had questionable jumps-but she seemed to one of the few to get nailed for them. As to her dead-pan expression, Gracie had it too. She looked terrified in the SP and tense in the FS. Her face was a blank until she landed her jumps and she did not project at all. But she still received curiously high PCS scores (including 9s which were especially obsurd). Ashley's 2 fall FS should not have garnered such high PCS scores as well but I do think she was the better skater overall than Gold when you include the SP.

[Wyliefan]

As to her dead-pan expression, Gracie had it too.

No, she really didn't. Gracie's facial expressions need a lot of work, but at least she had some.