Mirai Nagasu Becomes First US Woman To Land Triple Axel At Olympics

Mirai Nagasu shows great poise during her performance.

After finishing fourth at the 2010 Vancouver Games and getting passed over for Ashley Wagner four years ago for Sochi, the 24-year-old made a long-awaited return to Olympic ice.

The 24-year-old made history on Monday, February 12, when she became the first USA woman – and third overall – to land a triple axel during an Olympic competition.

Adam Rippon, a runaway star for the men’s team this year, was also left off the team in 2014, and they leaned on each other for support, he told Team U.S.A.’s website. “But it was something not meant to be”. “But I think this just cements that everyone should pay attention”. A first gold medal for Chan, who was a favorite to win the men’s individual event in 2014, but lost to Japan’s Yuzuru Hanyu.

When she completed her program, Nagasu was just as excited as her fans. You know who was on “Dancing” past year? There’s a whole history of Americans not being expected to be on the podium, like Paul Wylie, Sarah Hughes. “It’s been such a journey for us, so much work”.

With strong winds gusting throughout the competition, Anderson took the lead on her first run with a score of 83.00 and it proved to be enough. Something to build on. The other jumps require only three revolutions.

“I, Tonya”, of course, is framed around the attack on Harding’s rival Nancy Kerrigan before the 1994 Winter Olympics.

It’s not often that the triple axel is even attempted in global competition, let alone the Olympics, but Mirai Nagasu proved that hard work and determination pays off. Nagasu changed her training routine and her diet to accomplish this goal, and now her coach Tom Zakrajsek says “she is what I would call ripped”. She helped with learn to skate programs during her tenure, too, which means you might have learned to skate with an Olympics medalist. “I just said, ‘Wow, ‘” she recalled. “In people’s minds, maybe they look at her differently for the singles event”. Nagasu subsequently finished second at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships the following January, which set her up to return to the Olympics as the first U.S. woman to do so after missing out previously. For Nagasi, the time is now. “However, my Olympic experience is not over and I’m excited to go home and recover for a little bit and still soak in every second of this”. “But to tell myself ‘No, I’m going to go for it 100 percent and not pull back, ‘ that was really special for me”.

“I knew that I had it”, he said. He had posted a series of photos to social media of the two Olympians, with one saying, “I feel incredibly honored to be here in Korea competing for the U.S. and I’m so proud to be representing the LGBTQ community alongside this awesome guy! It sends a strong message that it is possible”.