Mirai Nagasu Cheer thread: Return to Olympus

[Jarrett]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=keCIINrT5GI Mirai's SP Brotsjor by Olafur Arnalds
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VvIerKKUv8 Mirai's LP Old Skin by Olafur Arnalds

I very shocked she had all of her triples back besides the axel after the surgery. I wonder if she going to Nationals or these were just prepared for the Japan Open. If she is going to try and qualify for Nationals I am going to have to get tickets ASAP.

 

[GullyGirl84]

I was there, and let me tell you, Mirai looked INTENSE during the warmups! I think she was just really focused, but her concentration didn't break even though she was getting some huge cheers. You would think she was preparing for something other than a fluff competition from her expression during the warmups. My niece said that Mirai's sp music scared her I loved her long and I hope that she skates to it at the Japan Open.

edit: https://www.timesunion.com/sports/a...ional-champion-next-up-in-Aurora-14374030.php Here's a news article with some quotes from Ashley, Alysa, and Mirai from before the competition, Mirai talks a bit about her surgery last year.

 

[Firedancer]

I was there too. Mirai was my favorite today. I thought both programs are really great for her and she skated better than I was expecting (I didn’t expect her to have all those jumps back). Also, I loved both of her dresses. Having the new short program did make me wonder about a comeback.

 

[bardtoob]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=keCIINrT5GI Mirai's SP Brotsjor by Olafur Arnalds
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VvIerKKUv8 Mirai's LP Old Skin by Olafur Arnalds

I very shocked she had all of her triples back besides the axel after the surgery. I wonder if she going to Nationals or these were just prepared for the Japan Open. If she is going to try and qualify for Nationals I am going to have to get tickets ASAP.

I was there too. Mirai was my favorite today. I thought both programs are really great for her and she skated better than I was expecting (I didn’t expect her to have all those jumps back). Also, I loved both of her dresses. Having the new short program did make me wonder about a comeback.

Who was on the judging panel for the SP? It looked like Bonaly and some others we might know.

ETA:


I actually expected to never see Mirai's 3Lz or 3F again, let alone as good as those.

 

[Sylvia]

Who was on the judging panel for the SP? It looked like Bonaly and some others we might know.

Also Liz Manley and Isabelle Brasseur: https://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/threads/aurora-games-albany-ny-august-24.105367/page-2#post-5623565

ETA:

I was there, and let me tell you, Mirai looked INTENSE during the warmups! I think she was just really focused, but her concentration didn't break even though she was getting some huge cheers. You would think she was preparing for something other than a fluff competition from her expression during the warmups. My niece said that Mirai's sp music scared her I loved her long and I hope that she skates to it at the Japan Open.

I thought it was a rather dark, brooding piece and very different for Mirai. She's been quiet on her social media lately and I assume she wanted "her skating to do the talking" here... it worked!

 

[SkateFanBerlin]

Nice to see Mirai - doing all those jumps in the long. Maybe they weren't so rotated- but who cares now. She had an amazing competitive career. Fought through a lot of bad sh**.

 

[all_empty]

I am astounded by Mirai's performances.

What a wonderful feeling to skate well and be in near-competitive shape 1.5 years after her last outing.

It's a shame the 3S+3T isn't seen more regularly due to its relatively low base value because it's a gorgeous combination. Park So-youn had a beautiful one as well.

She looks ready for the open, and she loves skating in Japan and I don't think she'll disappoint.

Also nice to hear Brian Boitano commentate (I think that's him).

 

[Fiero425]

I am astounded by Mirai's performances.

What a wonderful feeling to skate well and be in near-competitive shape 1.5 years after her last outing.

It's a shame the 3S+3T isn't seen more regularly due to its relatively low base value because it's a gorgeous combination. Park So-youn had a beautiful one as well.

She looks ready for the open, and she loves skating in Japan and I don't think she'll disappoint.

Also nice to hear Brian Boitano commentate (I think that's him).

Yeah, triple Salchows aren't worth much! Back in the day when Surya Bonaly was hurt from an Achilles tendon tear in '96, it was her fallback jump! She probably only complete 1 triple Lutz after that and it was in a pro event in the late 90's! For some reason men have a problem with the jump at times! They're more likely to make an error doing the jump even though valued at the bottom of the point scale!

 

[Sylvia]

Mirai helped promote Nationals in Greensboro two weeks ago there:

Five questions: U.S. Figure Skating's Mirai Nagasu

The two-time Olympian, who competed in Greensboro's 2011 and 2015 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, returns to the city to promote next month's nationals.

www.greensboro.com

She performed in Vail, Colorado before Christmas (December 2nd local article):

Vail Skating Festival bringing Olympic medalist, ‘Dancing with the Stars’ contestant to Dobson Ice Arena

Mirai Nagasu to perform throughout the festival Dec. 20-22.

www.vaildaily.com

Nagasu, 26, will be a featured skater at the Vail Skating Festival when it returns Dec. 20-22 with free outdoor shows, an Ice Spectacular at Dobson Ice Arena as well as clinics and seminars.
...
Last year, Nagasu received surgery from Dr. Marc Philippon in Vail and is excited to be back, skating better than ever.
“I’m looking forward to skating pain-free,” she said. “Coming back to Vail where the surgery started will be like a full circle.”

Review of the holiday show in Vail on Saturday, Dec. 22: https://www.vaildaily.com/entertain...ience-with-intimate-show-at-dobson-ice-arena/

Nagasu, the first female American skater to successful land the most challenging triple jump — a triple axel — at the Olympics, effortlessly pulled off double axels at the show. Nagasu’s performances to telling songs like “The Show Must Go On” and Queen’s “Under Pressure” showed how strong she has returned since last year’s surgery by Dr. Marc Philippon in Vail, due to a torn labrum and fractured portion of her hip socket.

Her next shows are for Stars on Ice in Reading, PA on Saturday, Dec. 28 and in Lake Placid on Monday, Dec. 30.

 

[BittyBug]

Mirai will be skating in Boston on New Year's Eve.

Events for March 2024 – The Boston Common Frog Pond

Nice to see her getting a lot of shows.

 

[Sylvia]

June 9th article on USFS' website:

Productive, and hopeful Nagasu sorting life out in Boston | U.S. Figure Skating

www.usfigureskating.org

ETA link to a thread re. her role in helping her parents' restaurant back in April:

Mirai working to help keep her family's restaurant going

https://www.latimes.com/sports/olympics/story/2020-04-22/olympics-mirai-nagasu-fights-keep-family-restaurant-open ...though I'm sorry to read that she's still dealing with hip issues. Her need to be strong for her parents kicked in when she learned they had let go all but one employee. Through...

www.fsuniverse.net

Mirai's 3-part Instagram post about her hip surgery 2 weeks ago & thoughts on her Olympics experience:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CB4fzajlLUG/
https://www.instagram.com/p/CB4gMD4Ff3g/ (she writes about her periacetabular osteotomy in this part)
https://www.instagram.com/p/CB4gcMplVKM/

 

[IceJunkie]

Mirai's 3-part Instagram post about her hip surgery 2 weeks ago & thoughts on her Olympics experience:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CB4fzajlLUG/
https://www.instagram.com/p/CB4gMD4Ff3g/ (she writes about her periacetabular osteotomy in this part)
https://www.instagram.com/p/CB4gcMplVKM/

USFS really needs to sit down with skaters, especially female ones, and let them know the reality of what this sport does to their hips. I only recreationally skate but I’m a runner and I’ve been dealing with a torn labrum and trying to avoid surgery. It’s seriously painful. I honestly feel like when talking about top retired female skaters it’s easier to list the ones that haven’t had hip surgery than the ones that have. Mirai mentions that it’s not something talked about.

 

[Sylvia]

Mirai recently was on Olivia Sui's Fish Cheeks podcast (they were high school classmates for a time):

Fish Cheeks: Episode 10- Mirai Nagasu on Apple Podcasts

Show Fish Cheeks, Ep Episode 10- Mirai Nagasu - Aug 24, 2020

podcasts.apple.com

 

[Sylvia]

https://twitter.com/USFigureSkating/status/1316499511112540160

New season, new show!

Join host @Mirai_Nagasu and On-Air Producer @FromTheBoards for bi-weekly episodes full of competition news, interviews and a little fun along the way.

2-min. sneak peek: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3bluYC08cPWXzSLPccQgvf?si=6VheNWKsSCisKzTjFehE5w

ETA that I've started a new thread in GSD now that the first episode is out (Oct. 15): https://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/th...t-season-5-with-new-host-mirai-nagasu.107678/

 

[Bellanca]

https://twitter.com/USFigureSkating/status/1316499511112540160

2-min. sneak peek: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3bluYC08cPWXzSLPccQgvf?si=6VheNWKsSCisKzTjFehE5w

Fantastic! I'll be checking that out.

 

[Sylvia]

GSD thread where I've been posting links to Mirai's Ice Talk episodes: https://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/th...t-season-5-with-new-host-mirai-nagasu.107678/

I came across this local Massachusetts article that was published last month:

Former Olympian Mirai Nagasu lends expertise at North Star Figure Skating Club in Westboro

While she recovers from hip injury, two-time U.S. Olympian Mirai Nagasu helping out at North Star Figure Skating Club.

www.telegram.com

Excerpts:

Nagasu, who was born and raised in California and lived in Colorado Springs for a time, came to the area earlier this year due to a hip issue. Her doctor, Ellen Geminiani, is a sports medicine physician at Boston Children’s Hospital and also chair of the U.S. Figure Skating Sports Science and Medicine Committee.
Nagasu was diagnosed with hip dysplasia and in June underwent a procedure called periacetabular osteotomy (PAO). She decided to stay in the area and, Marco said, called North Star to see if the figure skating club would be interested in having her. “Of course we said yes,” Marco said.

Nagasu is most likely done competing, but she looks forward to a full return to the North Star ice.

“I know the athlete in me,” she said. “I miss the grind and I miss the training, and once I’m cleared to jump I’ll probably pull out some jumps and triples. I think with skating, a lot of times kids think, ‘I can’t do it. I can’t do it,’ but then when they see someone close to them do it, ‘Oh, I guess I can do it.’ That might be the mentality that some of these kids have and I’m more than happy to help them through that by hopefully training myself.”

Mirai has been posting jump videos:
"First triples since surgery 12/28/20" (3T & 3Lo): https://www.instagram.com/p/CJXZbOUlpKh/
2A: https://www.instagram.com/p/CJck-euFroO/
"Tumbling rocks": https://www.instagram.com/p/CJpV7Pplr1w/

 

[concorde]

So happy to hear that she is skating again! I think Marai just loves to skate and get so much joy from it.

Hip Dysplacia is a common issue with ice skaters.

The question is do people with this condition tend to gravitate towards ice skating since the condition allows for certain tricks to be "easy" or does skating cause this condition.

Fyi. My daughter had a hip problem this fall and this was looked at as a possibility. One of the doctors commented on the above and he had no answers. Surgery to fix this is considered a last resort and typical recovery post surgery is about a year.

 

[Sylvia]

Mirai is getting her 3F back: https://www.instagram.com/p/CKNbvk-lJ9_/

Coaching the little ones : https://www.instagram.com/p/CKQLPG3l74C/

She's been more active lately in posting on ice content on her IG: https://www.instagram.com/mirainagasu/

 

[bardtoob]

Congratulations to Mirai for officially earning her Bachelor's degree.

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www.instagram.com

 

[BittyBug]

So Mirai is dating Michael Bramante? (Her Valentine's Day post.)

 

[bardtoob]

Congratulations to Mirai for officially earning her Bachelor's degree.

Login • Instagram

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www.instagram.com

So she landed every triple at the Olympics and a triple-triple ... and earned a Bachelor's degree ... I wonder what her next accomplishment will be!

She's making all the right moves

 

[bardtoob]

A more close up picture.

It looks like Mirai is Magna Cum Laude in Business

Watch this story by Mirai Nagasu on Instagram before it disappears.

208k Followers, 1,586 Following, 762 Posts

instagram.com

 

[Sylvia]

Congratulations to Mirai for officially earning her Bachelor's degree.

Login • Instagram

Welcome back to Instagram. Sign in to check out what your friends, family & interests have been capturing & sharing around the world.

www.instagram.com

I just came across this Univ. of Colorado at CO Springs commencement feature article (December 16, 2020):

Commencement Feature: Mirai Nagasu builds a legacy

As Olympic figure skating medalist Mirai Nagasu graduates from the College of Business, she’s focused on building her legacy of authenticity, courage and never giving up.

communique.uccs.edu

Excerpt:

Nagasu plans to use her degree in business administration to launch her into the next phase of her career. She’s been accepted to the Dartmouth College Tuck Next Step program, which helps Olympians, elite athletes and military veterans to transition into business careers.
And she plans to keep building her legacy of courage, authenticity and never giving up.
“If skating has taught me anything, it’s this: even if you’re rejected, if it’s something you really really want, don’t give up. Take the rejection and try again,” she said.
“I hope the legacy I’ve created is – once you figure out what you want to do – to just unbearably keep going for it.”

March 10th Boston Globe article (behind paywall; if anyone can provide any new info and/or notable quotes please do ):

Former Olympic skater Mirai Nagasu looks to jump-start her career in Boston - The Boston Globe

Nagasu, best known for her triple axels, has recovered from major hip surgery and is now coaching in the area and headed for business school.

www.bostonglobe.com

 

[BittyBug]

From the Globe article - not sure if this was discussed elsewhere but she actually had two surgeries. She first had a labrum repair, but that didn't yield much improvement, so she then had a more significant surgery that has a much longer and more restricted recovery time.

”Dr. Millis really explained what I needed to do,” said Nagasu. “As a skater, any surgery is even scarier because you don’t want to be off the ice for any period of time. I am so grateful for the time he took to explain the surgery to me.”

Millis convinced Nagasu that a periacetabular osteotomy, known as a PAO, was the way to go. The program performs the intensive surgery more than 100 times a year on children and young adults. A PAO comes with a daunting recovery time — not only a month or longer of near-immobility, but 6-12 months away from one’s sport.

Her recovery coincided with COVID so that seems to have made the restrictions more palatable for her.

On skating:

”Younger people, my generation included, we are so easily distracted,” she said. “We expect answers really quickly. But with skating, you can’t cheat your way through any of it. It doesn’t come quickly. You have to practice and have a plan. You have to work every day.”

On next steps:

But even as she starts to work back to her former skating self, she is also preparing for her pivot to her post-skating life. She will be attending the Next Step program at Dartmouth College’s Tuck School of Business this spring and has been accepted into Ernst and Young’s Women Athlete Business Network. She hopes both will provide her mentorship and guidance on how to translate lessons she learned on the ice to a possible career off it.

 

[Spun Silver]

Interesting, because her Instagram lately has been all about her getting her triples and 2A back (and succeeding). I half-thought she was eyeing a competitive comeback but didn't want to jinx it. I'm glad she's looking to open a new chapter - sounds exciting!

 

[Sylvia]

Mirai celebrated her 28th birthday on Friday (April 16) in Palm Beach, Florida where she and Gracie skated in a show: https://www.instagram.com/p/CNy0xkqrX0C/

 

[Sylvia]

Behind The Podium - A Mental Health Conversation With Mirai Nagasu and Dr. Mai Uchida (playlist of 5 videos uploaded on MGH [Massachusetts General Hospital's] Child Depression Program YT channel): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLpbXYPlrzjn_mQvJLcXmmyBwp8gtHHANf

According to Dr. Uchida's latest tweet (@mai_uchida), Gracie Gold will join Mirai in tonight's Zoom discussion - free registration: https://harvard.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_jiHrEM8kTlSgleZiwFxXjw

(Thanks to @B.Cooper for posting originally in the Athlete Mental Health thread in GSD)

 

[Sylvia]

Today (Monday, May 24 at 5 pm Pacific/8 pm Eastern) Bel Canto Books will have an Instagram Live with Mirai and author E.L. Shen: https://www.instagram.com/p/CPLmawjrRWf/ & https://www.instagram.com/p/CPLZWarFMqM/

More about Shen's book:

Another figure skating-themed book featured & reviewed in the December 2020 issue of SKATING magazine (includes an excerpt):

The Comeback

E. L. Shen's The Comeback is a heartfelt middle-grade debut about a young Chinese American girl trying to be a champ—in figure skating and in life. Twelve-...

us.macmillan.com

E. L. Shen's The Comeback is a heartfelt, #OwnVoices middle-grade debut about a young girl trying to be a champ—in figure skating and in life.

Twelve-year-old Maxine Chen is just trying to nail that perfect landing: on the ice, in middle school, and at home, where her parents worry that competitive skating is too much pressure for a budding tween. Maxine isn’t concerned, however—she’s determined to glide to victory. But then a bully at school starts teasing Maxine for her Chinese heritage, leaving her stunned and speechless. And at the rink, she finds herself up against a stellar new skater named Hollie, whose grace and skill threaten to edge Maxine out of the competition. With everything she knows on uneven ice, will Maxine crash under the pressure? Or can she power her way to a comeback?

Set in Lake Placid, New York, this is a spunky yet stirring middle-grade story that examines racism, female rivalry and friendship, and the enduring and universal necessity of love and support.

The author tweeted this TikTok video clip : https://twitter.com/ELShenWrites/status/1341021722204663814

ETA the link to watch their 1+ hour conversation: https://www.instagram.com/tv/CPRugrvoz2j/

 

[Sylvia]

Fan Zone article by @Jayar (May 27):

Mirai Nagasu Tackling Life After Skating - U.S. Figure Skating Fan Zone

It has been literally half of Mirai Nagasu's lifetime since she burst onto the scene back in 2008 and won the U.S. Championships at the age of 14. As a competitor,

usfigureskatingfanzone.com

ETA:

Mirai re-posted the video she did for the US Consulate General in Vancouver: https://www.instagram.com/p/CPbC63qFCbP/

Their caption (in English and Japanese) 2 days ago: https://www.instagram.com/p/CPV5M2gHOkg/:

For #AAPI Heritage Month, Olympic medalist @mirainagasu shared with us her views on the rise of anti-Asian racism and the importance of celebrating a multi-cultural American society! @usconsvancouver was proud to partner with @vancouverftv to highlight the valuable contributions of Asian Americans and Asian Canadians.
From science to sports, business and government, Asian Americans have made countless contributions to North American society. The U.S. Consulate General Vancouver acknowledges the remarkable #AAPI individuals and communities, like Mirai Nagasu, who enrich our country and represent the very best of our society.

 

[Sylvia]

Re-posting here from the U.S. Ladies thread:

Not sure if this was posted anywhere else...super cute video with Mirai Nagasu...dogs are always the cure!

Link to watch the 5+-minute video How Olympic Figure Skater Mirai Nagasu’s Rescue Dog [Lincoln] Helped Her Make The Team | The Dodo Teammates: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frcwnzsYz04

Also, Mirai will participate in the Japan Society's Zoom event on Tuesday, June 29, 8 PM EDT (Wednesday, June 30, 9AM JST):

The Inside Edge: Skating Champions from Japan & the U.S.

Champion figure skaters from Japan and the U.S. speak out about training and competing, the athletic mindset and resiliency in overcoming challenges, superfans

www.japansociety.org

Champion figure skaters from Japan and the U.S. speak out about training and competing, the athletic mindset and resiliency in overcoming challenges, superfans and the extreme popularity of the sport in Japan, and life after competitive skating. Participants include two-time Olympian, 2018 Olympic bronze medalist and 2008 U.S. National Champion Mirai Nagasu; 2007 and 2011 World Champion, 2011 Four Continents Champion, 2004 World Junior Champion and three-time Japanese National Champion Miki Ando; two-time Olympian, 1994 World Champion, 1990 Junior World Champion and two-time Japanese National Champion Yuka Sato; and four-time Japanese National Champion (2014, 2015, 2016, 2018), 2016 Four Continents Champion, 2018 Winter Olympian (4th), World Silver Medalist (2015), World Bronze Medalist (2018) and Grand Prix of Figure Skating Silver Medalist (2015, 2016) Satoko Miyahara. Moderated by two-time Olympic and World medalist and 1993 U.S. National Champion Nancy Kerrigan. Viewers will be able to ask direct questions during this interactive online program.

This program is part of our Passing the Torch series, a celebration of the upcoming Tokyo Summer Games.