Mirai Nagasu's future prospects | Page 5 | Golden Skate

Mirai Nagasu's future prospects

chuckm

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 31, 2003
Country
United-States
The reason why Mirai shows artistry when she performs exhibitions is that the exhibitions have a limited number of jumps and spins and they are not judged. Mirai can concentrate on performing, since she does not have to focus on rotating the jumps and completing the correct number of turns and positions in the spins.

When she competes, she is so completely focused on the technical aspects of her performance that her connection with the music is totally lost and she looks like a skating robot. It seems that over the past quadrennial, since her body has changed, she has been unable to combine the technical and the artistry the way most elite skaters do. It may be because she hasn't had a coach and her training habits haven't been sufficient to build muscle memory so that she doesn't need to focus so hard on the technical.

As for her weight, she sure doesn't need to lose 15 lbs, and if she did it would be disastrous. Mirai is no longer the skinny little girl she was at 14. She is a tall girl for a skater (nearly 5'5") with a strong skeletal frame and the muscle to support it. She is a skater, not a model, and she needs that muscle to perform the tasks skating demands.

IMO, she needs a coach who will help her develop strong work habits and that will keep her well-toned and she will build the stamina she needs to get through her programs without having to focus so much on the technical. I just hope it is not Tom Z, who is not the most supportive coach when things go awry. If Mirai felt uncomfortable under Frank Carroll's glare when she didn't perform well, it is nothing to the treatment she'd get from Tom Z under similar conditions. He can be MEAN when one of his students underperforms.
 

UnsaneLily87

On the Ice
Joined
Mar 8, 2006
How can you say Kori wouldn't take a skater who is past her peak? I've never read anything or heard anything that would back that up.

1. Her skaters are up and comers generally, I don't think right now she can afford to take on a new skater that has a history. 2. I knew Kori personally from my own skating days. I just feel like she's new enough onto the scene of elite coaches that it's not likely she'll take someone that needs so much politicking.
 

UnsaneLily87

On the Ice
Joined
Mar 8, 2006
And Mirai isn't past her peak. Her artistry at SOI was a noticeable improvement. She just needs better programs and a supportive coach.

Her peak was the 4th place at the 2010 Olympics. If she ever places higher than that internationally again, I will eat my hat. Sure, she's had improvements artistically but I don't see her competitively doing that well again especially with Gracie, Ashley, Polina, Adelina, Julia, Anna, Elena...
 

AsadaFanBoy

Final Flight
Joined
Feb 14, 2014
Wouldn't it be great if Mao Asada took her on as a student? Mao did say she wanted to coach skaters. :)

Whoever she ends up with as a coach definitely needs to whip that girl into shape. She's got no stamina, which is a shame. I know she's got more great skates in her, she's just got to focus and condition her body.
 

kwanatic

Check out my YT channel, Bare Ice!
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Joined
May 19, 2011
Her peak was the 4th place at the 2010 Olympics. If she ever places higher than that internationally again, I will eat my hat. Sure, she's had improvements artistically but I don't see her competitively doing that well again especially with Gracie, Ashley, Polina, Adelina, Julia, Anna, Elena...

After Carolina Kostner's disastrous showing in Vancouver in 2010 I would have vowed to eat my hat if she ever stood on a podium again. But lo and behold, not only did she stand on the world podium every single year of the last quad (the only skater to do so), she stood on the Olympic podium too.

Point is sometimes people can surprise you. It's not a guarantee but sometimes it does happen.
 

noskates

Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 11, 2012
Well sorry. Mirai looks like she weighs more than 110 lbs. I'm not hung up on weight. I'm not hung up on losing weight. When she was younger she looked light and airy and fast when she skated. She just doesn't look that way to me anymore. Perhaps stamina is an issue. Perhaps there are many other issues. In any case, y'all can back off with the lectures about weight. It was just an observation.
 

jenaj

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 17, 2003
Country
United-States
Her peak was the 4th place at the 2010 Olympics. If she ever places higher than that internationally again, I will eat my hat. Sure, she's had improvements artistically but I don't see her competitively doing that well again especially with Gracie, Ashley, Polina, Adelina, Julia, Anna, Elena...

She placed higher internationally on the Grand Prix circuit just last year. All of the skaters you mention are either untested, inconsistent or have flaws. You are entitled to your opinion, but it is just an opinion as to her peak.
 

karne

in Emergency Backup Mode
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 1, 2013
Country
Australia
I would like to see Mirai lose about 15 lbs.,

You're actually joking, right?

When she was younger she looked light and airy and fast when she skated. She just doesn't look that way to me anymore..

I'll bet we all - even you - looked lighter and airier and faster when we were younger! Then this crazy thing happened: we became FULL GROWN WOMEN, who, oddly enough, have a few things in places that little girls DON'T. Yeesh.

Mirai's got enough problems on the skating side of things without idiots telling her she should lose weight.

I believe she will end up taking from Tom Z.

#freeMirai #freeMax #freeAgnes #freeBrandon #freethemall
 

karne

in Emergency Backup Mode
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 1, 2013
Country
Australia
All of the skaters you mention are either untested, inconsistent or have flaws.

I'm :laugh:-ing extremely hard at this coming from a Mirai fan, of all places.
 

noskates

Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 11, 2012
Gee Karne, thanks for calling me an idiot!!! Nice. Very adult-like. Gotta love the anonymity of the internet. :disapp:
 

Skater Boy

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 24, 2012
The reason why Mirai shows artistry when she performs exhibitions is that the exhibitions have a limited number of jumps and spins and they are not judged. Mirai can concentrate on performing, since she does not have to focus on rotating the jumps and completing the correct number of turns and positions in the spins.

When she competes, she is so completely focused on the technical aspects of her performance that her connection with the music is totally lost and she looks like a skating robot. It seems that over the past quadrennial, since her body has changed, she has been unable to combine the technical and the artistry the way most elite skaters do. It may be because she hasn't had a coach and her training habits haven't been sufficient to build muscle memory so that she doesn't need to focus so hard on the technical.

As for her weight, she sure doesn't need to lose 15 lbs, and if she did it would be disastrous. Mirai is no longer the skinny little girl she was at 14. She is a tall girl for a skater (nearly 5'5") with a strong skeletal frame and the muscle to support it. She is a skater, not a model, and she needs that muscle to perform the tasks skating demands.

IMO, she needs a coach who will help her develop strong work habits and that will keep her well-toned and she will build the stamina she needs to get through her programs without having to focus so much on the technical. I just hope it is not Tom Z, who is not the most supportive coach when things go awry. If Mirai felt uncomfortable under Frank Carroll's glare when she didn't perform well, it is nothing to the treatment she'd get from Tom Z under similar conditions. He can be MEAN when one of his students underperforms.

She maybe is more the build (Zhang too) like Joannie Rochette, Liz Manley, Irina Slutskaya - these were ladies and they weren't heavy (well when Manley wasn't dealing with depression of course). I still believe :)
 

mirai4life

1Lo <
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 26, 2013
Just saw this interview with Mirai.

http://www.figureskating-online.com/mirai-nagasu.html

She says she has settled on a new coaching situation and will be moving out of her parents' home. She also talks about how she dealt with the Olympics, working/skating with Adam Rippon, and doing slower/more dramatic programs next season.

Very curious to see who her new coach will be.


Love the little interview.

I became a fan of Mariah and, at the same time, figure skating during the 2010 Olympics lead up. After that, it was all downhill for Mirai.

I hope next season will be her best yet. I still have faith in her even after all the meltdowns. lol.
 

b-man

Final Flight
Joined
Jun 25, 2010
The reason why Mirai shows artistry when she performs exhibitions is that the exhibitions have a limited number of jumps and spins and they are not judged. Mirai can concentrate on performing, since she does not have to focus on rotating the jumps and completing the correct number of turns and positions in the spins.

When she competes, she is so completely focused on the technical aspects of her performance that her connection with the music is totally lost and she looks like a skating robot. It seems that over the past quadrennial, since her body has changed, she has been unable to combine the technical and the artistry the way most elite skaters do. It may be because she hasn't had a coach and her training habits haven't been sufficient to build muscle memory so that she doesn't need to focus so hard on the technical.

As for her weight, she sure doesn't need to lose 15 lbs, and if she did it would be disastrous. Mirai is no longer the skinny little girl she was at 14. She is a tall girl for a skater (nearly 5'5") with a strong skeletal frame and the muscle to support it. She is a skater, not a model, and she needs that muscle to perform the tasks skating demands.

IMO, she needs a coach who will help her develop strong work habits and that will keep her well-toned and she will build the stamina she needs to get through her programs without having to focus so much on the technical. I just hope it is not Tom Z, who is not the most supportive coach when things go awry. If Mirai felt uncomfortable under Frank Carroll's glare when she didn't perform well, it is nothing to the treatment she'd get from Tom Z under similar conditions. He can be MEAN when one of his students underperforms.

Good analysis Chuckm. I would agree that Mirai performs exibitions well, as she can concentrate on the artistry. She also feels less pressure and is more relaxed. For whatever reason, she handled the pressure well in the Boston Nationals, while it had been a problem for her at both San Jose and Omaha Nationals. This year Christina and Agnes, and to a lesser extent Wagner all had problems with handling pressure, while Mirai handled it in Boston as well as she ever has.

I would agree that Mirai is probably around 5'4" and 110 lbs. It may help her to lose 2-3 pounds during the competitive skating season, and improve her endurance, stamina. Even a 2-3 pound loss can help in endurance and stamina.

I also think there is a good possibility she will go with Tom Z. I wasn't aware that Tom Z. is a coach who is not supportive after skaters give subpar performances. That is not good news. I am not sure about Galina Barinova's techniques as a coach, she may not be a jump coach, but she has been Mirai's artistic dance coach under Carroll. But she was acting as coach for Mirai's two best performances in the last quad, her 2011 4CC performance and her Boston Nationals performance. Mirai seems particularly relaxed and confident and has had great results while skating for Barinova. But I think there is little or no chance Mirai will use Barinova as a full time coach.
 

UnsaneLily87

On the Ice
Joined
Mar 8, 2006
Good analysis Chuckm. I would agree that Mirai performs exibitions well, as she can concentrate on the artistry. She also feels less pressure and is more relaxed. For whatever reason, she handled the pressure well in the Boston Nationals, while it had been a problem for her at both San Jose and Omaha Nationals. This year Christina and Agnes, and to a lesser extent Wagner all had problems with handling pressure, while Mirai handled it in Boston as well as she ever has.

I would agree that Mirai is probably around 5'4" and 110 lbs. It may help her to lose 2-3 pounds during the competitive skating season, and improve her endurance, stamina. Even a 2-3 pound loss can help in endurance and stamina.

I also think there is a good possibility she will go with Tom Z. I wasn't aware that Tom Z. is a coach who is not supportive after skaters give subpar performances. That is not good news. I am not sure about Galina Barinova's techniques as a coach, she may not be a jump coach, but she has been Mirai's artistic dance coach under Carroll. But she was acting as coach for Mirai's two best performances in the last quad, her 2011 4CC performance and her Boston Nationals performance. Mirai seems particularly relaxed and confident and has had great results while skating for Barinova. But I think there is little or no chance Mirai will use Barinova as a full time coach.

Mirai is a skater who would have benefited from a robust pro circuit. World Pros, Ice Wars? She'd kill the competition and earn crazy money and get lots of fans. Sadly, we're 15 years too late for that, and Mirai struggles in competition. Sure, some skaters are late bloomers, but I can't shake the feeling that we've seen the best of her, competition-wise. Still a gorgeous performer, though.
 

Jammers

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 4, 2010
Country
United-States
I never get the feeling that Mirai is in top shape when it comes time for the skating season to begin. Her past coaches have even said sometimes she was known to slack off.
 

coolboogie22

Match Penalty
Joined
Jun 21, 2009
I am not sure about Galina Barinova's techniques as a coach, she may not be a jump coach, but she has been Mirai's artistic dance coach under Carroll. But she was acting as coach for Mirai's two best performances in the last quad, her 2011 4CC performance and her Boston Nationals performance. Mirai seems particularly relaxed and confident and has had great results while skating for Barinova. But I think there is little or no chance Mirai will use Barinova as a full time coach.

I hope so much that Mirai will have at least Galina Barinova for part-time coach, they seems to connect very well in competition and produce the best result for Mirai when they are together.
 

drivingmissdaisy

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 17, 2010
Sure, some skaters are late bloomers, but I can't shake the feeling that we've seen the best of her, competition-wise. Still a gorgeous performer, though.

It's hard to say. We still see her able to do a 3-3 and fully rotate jumps late in her program on occasion. With hard work I could see her coming close to her 2010 form.

The problem is that the field is much deeper now. Not necessarily at the very top (Yuna and Mao in 2010 were dominant) but the skaters from 3rd - 10th in the World will be a lot better in the coming years.
 

chuckm

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 31, 2003
Country
United-States
I was at Boston Nationals and Mirai skated technically pretty well, but she was still blank-faced throughout her performances, showing no expression whatsoever. She got lower PCS scores than Gold, Wagner and Edmunds in both SP and FS because of that. She needs to bring the exuberance of her exhibitions into her competitive performances (if she can).
 
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