Mirai Nagasu Cheer thread: Return to Olympus

[Sylvia]

Mirai Nagasu VLOG #1 (March 23, 2018): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTy8aDpIaSw

Here's her "quick quote" to the ISU after her FS today:

I feel really good. It was a long season and I wanted to finish strongly and I did my best to do that. Especially with the Olympics I think we can all say it was a difficult but rewarding journey. Although I may have dropped a couple of places I'm proud of what I did. I definitely had some under-rotations but my job is not to judge. Performing is my favorite part of skating and I did that and things out of my control I can't even begin to worry about. I think I've always been a crowd-pleaser and I'm really looking forward to Stars on Ice.

 

[Frida80]

I just watched her FP and I would have called the back ends of both the flip-toe and the 2a-3t clean. Only the lutz was very clearly UR. I would really like her to continue because I feel she could take her components to a new level. She may be very tired both mentally and physically but her skating at this function did not appear gassed.

That said, if she chooses to retire she has so much to be proud of. I hope some of the younger generations of skaters will look at her as an example of how perseverance pays off.

IKR? Those combos were definitely clean! As shocked they both got called. She’s worked so hard to clean them up. Shin is just crazy.

I also feel like she’s on the verge of taking both her components and her tech score higher. But this has to be a blow to her. I’m so sad for her.

 

[bardtoob]

I think Mirai is emotionally spent. There is no more intensity to summon.

Whatever she chooses to do from here, I hope she is happy. Forget not that she has completed a good portion of a business degree.

 

[Frida80]

I think Mirai is emotionally spent. There is no more intensity to summon.

Whatever she chooses to do from here, I hope she is happy. Forget not that she has completed a good portion of a business degree.

Mirai just spent an entire quad reworking her technique to land fully rotated jumps. In less than seven minutes, I think Shin managed to erase all the confidence she built over the season.

Listening to Mirai’s vlog, you can hear just how much all the backlash from Phil and company affected her. She was so hurt and sad. She’s been through an emotional roller coaster. And while I would’ve have called her programs clean, I definitely thought there much improved over the individual event. I’m just so upset that she got those underrotation calls. I had hoped if there was no hook or snow, Shin would have the integrity to call them clean. But no.

I was terrified that Mirai was saying she was retiring at the end of her vlog. You can hears she’s on the precipice. But the truth is, I think that she has so much potential. She was really performing today. With another year, she could bring up her PCS score even more. But she needs to get away first.

This year has been so hard. She fought for everything. For that 3A. For Nationals and for her medal. It disgust me that people will say she was lazy for not attempting a 3A at worlds. Is he deserves a lot more respect than she gets.

Losing a spot is tragic. But no one could’ve predicted that Shin would’ve been on the panel and called Bradie of all people. But I hope she can eventually look past that. Hopefully Tom can console her. I know she needs it right now.

 

[GullyGirl84]

I just feel bad for Mirai because placing tenth at her last two events takes away from the luster of her historic 3A and team bronze, and the rewards she could have gotten from them. But I am not a marketer so maybe I'm wrong. I hope so.

Yet, 10th place was apparently good enough in the eyes of marketers for *some people* (yes, I know the circumstances of Adam and Mirai are completely different, but it still does kind of annoy me when I think about it considering what Mirai accomplished in the team event).

Here is a cute picture of Mirai at Midori Matcha (Matcha café in LA), that was taken the day before the Oscars.
The Midori Matcha account posted "More exciting news are to be announced on Mirai and Midori collaboration".
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bf3irnAhel2/?hl=en&taken-by=midorimatcha

Also, on the 3A...Mirai was going for it all summer when she was touring with The Ice...I really think that if she thought she could do it, she would have tried. On top of her body being exhausted, it seems that a lot of the women skaters who do the 3A develop a bit of a mental block with it...Liza, Mao, heck Rika Kihira also popped hers like Mirai at junior worlds. We know from watching Mirai that even when she is melting down, it is very unusual for her to pop, that's why her popping was so random. I would feel less bitter about the calls at worlds if some of the other skates that scored higher weren't so MESSY.

 

[giselle23]

Mirai was so robbed. She skated a beautiful program. Alina Zagitova can fall 3 times and still score higher than a skater who stays on her feet, lands all her jumps as far as anyone can tell and performs well. There is something seriously wrong with this. I will be very sad if Mirai doesn't continue.

 

[Sasha'sSpins]

Mirai was so robbed. She skated a beautiful program. Alina Zagitova can fall 3 times and still score higher than a skater who stays on her feet, lands all her jumps as far as anyone can tell and performs well. There is something seriously wrong with this. I will be very sad if Mirai doesn't continue.

ITA!!

 

[Meoima]

Mirai was so robbed. She skated a beautiful program. Alina Zagitova can fall 3 times and still score higher than a skater who stays on her feet, lands all her jumps as far as anyone can tell and performs well. There is something seriously wrong with this. I will be very sad if Mirai doesn't continue.

Reputation bias. I feel bad too. But I hope she will get over this.

 

[Coco]

Infinitely better than her ladies event PyeongChang LP. Her step sequence was probably her best ever.

 

[GullyGirl84]

Infinitely better than her ladies event PyeongChang LP. Her step sequence was probably her best ever.

Unfortunately, she got her step sequence in the long called as a level 2 (compared to level 3 at the Olympics), so she received less points than she did in the individual event. I believe that she was also the only one in the top twelve ladies who received an "e" (on her lutz) on a jump in the long at worlds, though there were several unclear edge marks given to others.

 

[Bellanca]

Reputation bias. I feel bad too. But I hope she will get over this.

Yep, no doubt about it. Mirai has grown accustomed to it. She knows that every time she steps out onto the competitive ice, that bias is there. It usually begins in her own backyard, but Mirai's been around the block enough times not to give a hoot anymore. She does her thing for the fans and for herself, now, knowing that she cannot control anyone else and their ax to grind. That’s their baggage to carry, not Mirai’s.

Bottom line: Mirai has accomplished what she set out to do and she is happy which is most likely what ticks off the naysayers at the end of the day, anyway.

Happy off-season to Mirai!

 

[AxelAnnie]

Yep, no doubt about it. Mirai has grown accustomed to it. She knows that every time she steps out onto the competitive ice, that bias is there. It usually begins in her own backyard, but Mirai's been around the block enough times not to give a hoot anymore. She does her thing for the fans and for herself, now, knowing that she cannot control anyone else and their ax to grind. That’s their baggage to carry, not Mirai’s.

Bottom line: Mirai has accomplished what she set out to do and she is happy which is most likely what ticks off the naysayers at the end of the day, anyway.

Happy off-season to Mirai!

Are there actually fully rotated jumps in her Worlds performance that were called UR?

 

[Bellanca]

Let's try this again... Happy off-season to Mirai!

 

[Sylvia]

Now the wait begins... will she get Dancing with the Stars? The official reveal is supposed to be on Monday, April 9th. The Stars on Ice tour runs from April 6 to May 20 and I assume "Body Language" will be one of her numbers and maybe a new one, too?

 

[giselle23]

Are there actually fully rotated jumps in her Worlds performance that were called UR?

Jumps don't have to be fully rotated (as I'm sure you know). From watching the video, it did not appear to me that all of those jumps were more than a quarter turn.

 

[kwanatic]

Regarding Mirai's jumps at worlds, I made this note on my blog:

Here's something interesting...I paid attention the TES box at the top of the screen while Mirai skated. The judges gave her strong +GOE for all of the jumps she got called for (except the 3F which didn't have any GOE). I take that to mean the judges liked her jumps and thought they were clean in real time...until Amano started throwing carrots at which point everyone changed their mind and marked her down. Is that how it's supposed to go? Aren't the judges supposed to go by what they see? Harsh calls aside I think Mirai delivered a strong program and should be proud. Shin Amano can go kick rocks...

I went back and re-watched just to make sure and it's true. She had over +1.00 GOE on both her 3F-3T and 2A-3T-2T, and even small GOE on her lutz (like +0.35). No +GOE for the flip but no -GOE either. Her jumps looked clean. I honestly think at any other competition she'd have gotten credit for all of those.

 

[AxelAnnie]

Regarding Mirai's jumps at worlds, I made this note on my blog:



I went back and re-watched just to make sure and it's true. She had over +1.00 GOE on both her 3F-3T and 2A-3T-2T, and even small GOE on her lutz (like +0.35). No +GOE for the flip but no -GOE either. Her jumps looked clean. I honestly think at any other competition she'd have gotten credit for all of those.

Well, if that is true, it is disgusting. Isn't there a referee who would be looking this kind of stuff over?

 

[Frida80]

Well, if that is true, it is disgusting. Isn't there a referee who would be looking this kind of stuff over?

No one questions Shin. What really makes me angry is that other skaters who had very obvious unders were called clean. It’s very unfair.

 

[mag]

No one questions Shin. What really makes me angry is that other skaters who had very obvious unders were called clean. It’s very unfair.

Except that Shin doesn’t make the calls alone. In fact, doesn’t he only cast a vote if the other two techs can’t agree? Which would mean at least one other person on the panel thought the jumps were under.

 

[giselle23]

Except that Shin doesn’t make the calls alone. In fact, doesn’t he only cast a vote if the other two techs can’t agree? Which would mean at least one other person on the panel thought the jumps were under.

I thought that it was the main technical controller who cast the deciding vote. Shin was an assistant TC at the ladies long. But it does appear that 2 people had to agree. Shin appears to wield some influence, however, because calls are always stricter when he is on the panel. Many more jumps were called under--not just Mirai's--at this competition than at the Olympics.

 

[Spun Silver]

I cant begin to imagine how dispiriting that 13-point drop in her score was for Mirai.

 

[Sylvia]

The Professional Skaters Association recently announced their annual Performance award winners from Nationals in San Jose, CA - congratulations to Mirai!

Best Performance Ladies
Mirai Nagasu – Championship Ladies Free Skate Program
PSA Coach – Tom Zakrajsek
Choreographer – Jeffrey Buttle Music Selection – Miss Saigon
Costume Designer – Pat Pearsall

 

[nguyhm]

The Professional Skaters Association recently announced their annual Performance award winners from Nationals in San Jose, CA - congratulations to Mirai!

Best Performance Ladies
Mirai Nagasu – Championship Ladies Free Skate Program
PSA Coach – Tom Zakrajsek
Choreographer – Jeffrey Buttle Music Selection – Miss Saigon
Costume Designer – Pat Pearsall

And people complain that her program is empty with no choreography

 

[GullyGirl84]

I don't remember previous winners ever being "debated", they clearly can do what they want and even choose from Junior programs. Polina won for her JR free skate in 2013. Mirai previously won in 2008 and in 2010. And clearly they take "packaging" into consideration, since the costumer designer credentials are referenced.

The part that left me wanting more was the slow piano section in the middle, but I always quite liked the end from the charlotte/step sequence/spead eagle/ending loop. I do wish that Mirai would do a longer spiral sequence like she used to do.

Tenth place at worlds wasn't ideal, but if Mirai wants to continue, it at least means the guarantee of two grand prix spots, envelope A USFS funding (unless the criteria has changed), and possibly two senior Bs. I personally think the greater GOE scale isn't going to do anything to make things fairer, the higher status skaters just getting automatically higher GOE, which already happens. As far as the unders-Mirai skated a clean 7 triple free skate in February of 2016, a clean 7 triple free skate in February of 2017, and a clean 8 triple free skate in February of 2018. I've seen people saying that she just periodically ends up with "lucky" calls or an easy panel, but that's evidence enough for me that it's more of a matter of her fitness level/peaking (especially considering other women got called for unders in the team event).

 

[Spun Silver]

The Professional Skaters Association recently announced their annual Performance award winners from Nationals in San Jose, CA - congratulations to Mirai!

Best Performance Ladies
Mirai Nagasu – Championship Ladies Free Skate Program
PSA Coach – Tom Zakrajsek
Choreographer – Jeffrey Buttle Music Selection – Miss Saigon
Costume Designer – Pat Pearsall

What a lovely honor for Mirai!

 

[Sasha'sSpins]

The Professional Skaters Association recently announced their annual Performance award winners from Nationals in San Jose, CA - congratulations to Mirai!

Best Performance Ladies
Mirai Nagasu – Championship Ladies Free Skate Program
PSA Coach – Tom Zakrajsek
Choreographer – Jeffrey Buttle Music Selection – Miss Saigon
Costume Designer – Pat Pearsall

Sweet! Congrats to Mirai and her team - Coach Tom Z, Jeff Buttle, and Pat Pearsall!

 

[SkateFanBerlin]

I've seen people saying that she just periodically ends up with "lucky" calls or an easy panel, but that's evidence enough for me that it's more of a matter of her fitness level/peaking (especially considering other women got called for unders in the team event).

Wrong thread for this, but many are saying Marai was cheated at worlds. But that's not the whole picture. Many at the top got unders and edge calls from a rough caller. Marai's relative placement remained the same.

 

[GullyGirl84]

Wrong thread for this, but many are saying Marai was cheated at worlds. But that's not the whole picture. Many at the top got unders and edge calls from a rough caller. Marai's relative placement remained the same.

I agree. I will say that the calling in the long seemed pretty consistent and tough across the board-though I'm not sure that Mirai was the only one deserving of an e call-compared to how the short program was called. In terms of placement-I have no idea what I think that she deserved-I was more thinking a spot or two up. I would have to rewatch the final two groups and give more thought to who should be placed where. I definitely agree with the placement of the top three.

My comment was more in response to people saying "And this is what happens when you have an easy caller at Nationals". Maybe I would think differently if there were more US ladies who were competetive for the world/olympic team who have consistently clean jumps, aside from Bradie. But it seems like the people who placed closest to Mirai at nationals-Karen and Ashley-also have a reputation for rotation issues, and Mirai has at least demonstrated imperical evidence of putting out some clean longs/improved rotations in international events. This is not to say that she-or Karen and Ashley for that matter-have not benefited from what could be relaxed callers at certain competitions. It will be interesting to see how the next generation of US skaters are able to compete technically. I know that people questioned components at nationals, which I think was legitimate. It also is something that happens at every nationals and is nothing new.

edit-even though the calling was tougher for lots of people in the long, there were definitely a few people who got some select lucky calls. I'll leave it at that. I'm not saying that she did a clean 7 triple free skate, but comparative to her other performances that she scored similarly for (her Rostelecom long from this season, for example), there was a big difference imo. I know that they say you can't compare across competitions, but obviously everyone does/it comes in to play with season's best, etc.

 

[Maximillian]

Wrong thread for this, but many are saying Marai was cheated at worlds. But that's not the whole picture. Many at the top got unders and edge calls from a rough caller. Marai's relative placement remained the same.

You could at least attempt to spell her name correctly when you're posting in her cheer thread...and yeah, it is the 'wrong thread for this...'

 

[giselle23]

Wrong thread for this, but many are saying Marai was cheated at worlds. But that's not the whole picture. Many at the top got unders and edge calls from a rough caller. Marai's relative placement remained the same.

Hey, I thought this was the Marai cheer thread!