Mirai is not done / Splits from Frank Carroll

Mirai is just one of many promising skaters that didn't live up to her potential. What's worse for her is that she seemed to have so much. Or maybe she was never that good. Didn't she always have mediocre (by world class standard, anyway) jump technique? Wouldn't she skate "clean" and then lose a bunch of points for underrotations? I don't think that's fair--I have a serious problem with ur's being worse than falls, and I've said so before, but that's the state of skating today. Either there was something seriously wrong with her jumps, or for whatever reason, the judges didn't like her and wouldn't cut her any slack. It's hard to keep motivated if that's the situation.

Also, did she ever do triple/triples? I don't think so, but I'll go check on YouTube after I type this.

Poodlepal said:

Either there was something seriously wrong with her jumps, or for whatever reason, the judges didn't like her and wouldn't cut her any slack. It's hard to keep motivated if that's the situation.

Also, did she ever do triple/triples? I don't think so, but I'll go check on YouTube after I type this.

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As a junior, Mirai was very fast and yes, she did 3/3's but she did get under-rotation calls. When she grew, the under-rotations got worse and she stopped attempting 3/3's, and she lost her speed. I saw her at Skate Canada in Kitchener in 2009 (the Olympic season). She finished middle of the pack with decent jumps, but her presentation was blah. No speed, very workmanlike, nothing special. People were upset because she out-jumped Lepisto who won the bronze but Lepisto lit up the ice when she skated. Much better speed, basics, and she interpreted the music rather than skating through it, which is what Mirai did.

I saw Mirai this past season at Skate Canada and I was shocked at her LP. She skated it like a bad practice session, just going through the motions. No stretch in her movements, no connection to the music. She was marginally better in her next GP event but I came away with the impression that she hated that program and wasn't going to put any effort into it whatsoever.

I think the judges liked her just fine, when she skated well, but when she didn't put much into it, she didn't get much in the way of marks. Judges are funny that way.

Mirai still seems very immature for someone almost 19 now. Gracie comes off more mature and focused and levelheaded at 16.

Frank wasn't a good fit for Mirai anyway. It takes a very special person to put up with him. Even Michelle dumped him eventually.

Despite Rachael Flatt being heralded as a future biochemist genius, Mirai is the one who makes witty and clever comments in interviews. I'm not sure why Flatt's parents leaked her classes to the USFSA - I don't know who is going to be impressed with BioEngineering, English literature, and Zumba. Mirai seems smart, if a bit emotional, but some people are more emotional.

I don't think the doubt originates from Mirai only. Mirai's mother seems to have a low opinion of Mirai's intelligence. Didn't she retort "it's too bad your brain isn't" when Mirai said her legs were worth gold? I'm sure Mirai could've gotten into a better college than UC Irvine, no offense to anyone who attended UC Irvine. She should go to college and see the outside world. It'll be good to get some perspective and get a break from Mama Nagasu and the skating world. She's much more capable than what she thinks she is. Mirai is under so much pressure. She only has skating in her life right now, and everyone in her life has unrealistic expectations from her, given her maturity level. I only wish she could get out of this pigeon hole of skating and breathe.

Yes, the biggest issue seems to be Mirai keeping her emotions in check when it counts. Can someone on her new team help her focus and manage her emotions when she competes? You can SHOW emotion without BEING emotional.

brightphoton said:

I'm sure Mirai could've gotten into a better college than UC Irvine, no offense to anyone who attended UC Irvine. She should go to college and see the outside world.

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ITA. But it looks like she still wants to continue skating, though she may not be quite sure which route to take yet down the road. And going to a state school like UCI plus living at home may be the best option to allow her skating options open.

Excellent college. She can get as good an undergraduate education at UC Irvine as at many a school with a more prestigious name. :yes:

I hope Mirai bounces back. I would hate to see such a talented girl end her career on a low note.

brightphoton said:

Frank wasn't a good fit for Mirai anyway. It takes a very special person to put up with him. Even Michelle dumped him eventually.

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Frank doesn't seem hard to work with. He seems to draw a clear line between teacher and pupil, and I think for the most part this leads to the most successful results. Michelle wanted more control over strategy and training (for example, Frank didn't want her to train the more difficult 3/3's leading up to SLC) and so it became not as good a fit. Mirai is not Michelle and could probably use more guidance. Not that I think Mirai should have stayed with Frank, but I just feel like his coaching style should be defended.

Mathman said:

Excellent college. She can get as good an undergraduate education at UC Irvine as at many a school with a more prestigious name. :yes:

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True. It's what you make out of your undergraduate experience that counts. Unless she wants to specialize in something very specific, UC Irvine seems like a good university to get a liberal arts education assuming that's what she is aiming for.

Sounds like Nagasu is showing desire to continue, which is good news for her fans, I guess....or is it? Why are so many sticking a fork in her now?

Sounds to me that this is what she needs- a break, a different perspective. As for her coaching situation, that will take some time to sort out, perhaps- but just because no one has heard of these coaches doesn't mean they aren't competent. No one thought much of Sato/Dungjen until Czisny's success last season, no? What Nagasu needs is a coaching situation that works for her, gets the most out of her and puts her in the best shape she can be. Doesn't have to be a "name" coach.

I just hope that Nagasu is continuing because she genuinely loves to skate, not because she feels she HAS to. Because I can relate to this- it's not much fun. I think she's on the right track taking classes and doing activities outside of skating, as that will allow her to gain some perspective.

Good news, I hope she gets a coach that works for her personality. Not all skaters are the same.

Dragonlady said:

I remember Raphael Artunian being so pleased with Asada. He said she'd skate 24 hours a day if you let her and that he had to tell her to get off the ice. Big difference.

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I tend to love skaters for what I see on the ice, and it usually involves musicality: in recent years notably Kwan, Mao, YuNa, Takahashi. Interestingly, every one of those skaters seem to be well known for his/her work ethic. They skate like artists, but they all seem to train like soldiers. Like Hotspur in Shakespeare's Henry IV Part 1, they grind away on every little element, get to the end of the day, and say, "Fie on this gentle life! I want work!"

If someone could bottle and market this trait...

I hope this is the right move for her. Despite what I have said about her in the past, I hope she can turn things around.

I think that Mirai should be just herself when she skates. This season, I find that she tried to lost her personnality for becoming more mature. And, we can see the difference compared to the olympic season.
I think that she should keep her personnality even if it looks immature, she skates better when she smile and in a article I read that smiling can produce hormone who contribute to have confidence mentally and reduce the stress.

If smiling can regain the Mirai that we love in the past, It's not so difficult to change for her

Spun Silver said:

I'm not trying to make excuses, but some compassion as well as negativity is in order at this turning point in Mirai's life. I'm very distressed at the possible waste of such a great talent, but I will try to live in hope, like skfan. :thumbsup:

Good luck, Mirai!

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I really appreciate and agree with everything you said. Whatever happens Mirai has given me some very happy skating memories.

Umm, other threads have gotten closed for same things. Everyone has "mental problems" and it is not fair to assess someone via internet and dx them with ADHD. Next we wil hear Aspergers or something else. A lot of youngsters have concentration problems -the last several generations were raised by TV, then, internet. Look at the strange way everyone under 25 or more walks around with ear buds for music while texting non stop about mostly nothing. Twitter is an exercise in rudeless I think, and the fact that people like Charlie Sheen have milions of followers or Ashton Kutcher. Granted these people do some good things but I have much more to share on important topics, and life. Video games have been proven to have a hot of ill affects, and the average child is having learning problems as our schools get stripped of money. It is very common to have difficlty concentrating, but Mirai's is sporadic. I have no idea how much elite skaters have to remember as they go through a CoP long program, but the best skaters make as many or more errors than Mirai, so why these armchair dxs? She reads these baords, or did in the past I read. It's not like I never criticize a skater, but we can say she appears ro show poor concentration, but Fran himself does not know why. It is clearly not severe enough that required assessment at early grades, so I don't think its prudent to say that stuff. I can tell you of a stupid doctor in thee 60's who assessed me for something that had common reasons (I was very underweight) and he said something that I later looked up. It was wrong and traumatized me. So, she reads baords, let us not diagnose her without any data.

I think we all know she is not great at concentrating at times, but only a Phd level neuropsychologist can make these dx's. The average PCP doesn't have the skills and can only guess. If Lori and Frank can't do it for her, I doubt these latest folks (a Hockey player????) will help her. I have long said I can be wrong, but my money is on Vancouver being her best skating and her only Olympics. Its sad for US skating as Mirai was simply magical. Skating seems to keep people a little immature when they are elites doing nothing but. Most skaters seem immature to me compared to counterparts on their own at school with no "team" to make decisions. Mirai is bright with a great family.She'll be fine whatever she chooses.

If there were oodles of money for "free" training for Olympic sports,(America doesn't want to fund basic/special needs education, keep schools open, libraries are cut or closing!) Mirai could stay in and do very well, but that is never going to happen. She can light up a bldg and Scott loves her, so if SOI survives, she will have shows here and in Asia. Of course, I wish her luck, and hope she has some great skating days ahead. I think she loves to skate. US skating cannot compete with other nations who subsidize, or the way Asian skating parents mortgage their homes is a risk most families could not/should not take with no rewards out there re big money to pay off the bills, so...) Maybe she will surprise everyone. I think Frank is a steady, good person. Lori and Frank made MK the skater she was. You don't get much better than what she had. This is a step down for her training/choreo wise. So we shouldn't expect results like she once produced, despite her talent, the other variables don't bode well.

She is adorable, and I will still watch her Olympics. She was the star that night,lighjts out, joyous, not a care in the world-wonderful, memeorable, for me it was the best performance of the ladies.

It would be great if she proves us wrong, and gets all the types of training she needs to catch up with Ashley. Go Mirai!

Becki said:

Know this is a Mirai thread, but i feel the same way about Javier Fernandez and now Adam Rippon. They just aren't committed athletes.

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I guess 'if' there is work issue for Rippon, it only will be off-ice training issue.
Yuna has even said that she was impressed by Rippon & Gao's hard work in her autobiography('7 Minutes Drama' published at january 2010).

coolboogie22 said:

I think that Mirai should be just herself when she skates. This season, I find that she tried to lost her personnality for becoming more mature. And, we can see the difference compared to the olympic season.
I think that she should keep her personnality even if it looks immature, she skates better when she smile

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I agree!

Dragonlady said:

I saw her at Skate Canada in Kitchener in 2009 (the Olympic season). She finished middle of the pack with decent jumps, but her presentation was blah. No speed, very workmanlike, nothing special. People were upset because she out-jumped Lepisto who won the bronze but Lepisto lit up the ice when she skated. Much better speed, basics, and she interpreted the music rather than skating through it, which is what Mirai did.

I saw Mirai this past season at Skate Canada and I was shocked at her LP. She skated it like a bad practice session, just going through the motions. No stretch in her movements, no connection to the music. She was marginally better in her next GP event but I came away with the impression that she hated that program and wasn't going to put any effort into it whatsoever.

I think the judges liked her just fine, when she skated well, but when she didn't put much into it, she didn't get much in the way of marks. Judges are funny that way.

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Not sure I agree with you on that Skate Canada 2009. I have the FS on tape. Mirai had a very sloppy mistake filled FS and was correctly hammered by the judges. She got a 156 total in 4th. Czisny likewise had a poor skate with 2 falls, likewise got hammered by the judges and got around 163 in 2nd.
joannie also had a poor skate, fell out of maybe 3 jumps, one with a hand down on the ice. but somehow, she didn't get hammered. She scored a 182.
Scott Hamilton, who did the pbp for US television, went on an extended rant for a few minutes about how Joannie better get her act together with a home Olympics coming up. Of course, Scott was a big Czisny fan, but he couldn't go on an extended rant if their wasn't something obvious to complain about. Mirai did skate poorly and deserved her low score, but Joannie's poor skate got a huge score.

I completely agree with your comments on Mirai's 2011 SC performance. That may be the worst performance Mirai has ever given, very lifeless. Dropped to 5th. She skated a week later in Shanghai, saw it in person. Still a little lifeless, but pretty good technically, 2nd to Kostner and ahead of Sotnikova's senior debut.

Lepisto skated poorly in the SP at 2009 SC, whereas Mirai skated quite well, that's why it was upsetting the former pulled ahead for the Bronze with barely any jump content in the LP. Mirai should have had a sizable lead after the SP but instead she barely had a lead at all because they were judged too much on reputation, Lepisto being the reigning European Champion at the time and Mirai trying to recover from a poor previous season.