Mirai Nagasu's future prospects | Page 6 | Golden Skate

Mirai Nagasu's future prospects

karne

in Emergency Backup Mode
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Jan 1, 2013
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Australia
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.

Can we quit with the "must lose weight" rubbish? She is at a perfectly healthy weight for her height. You are the kinds of nasties that perpetuate unhealthy attitudes.

I wasn't aware that Tom Z. is a coach who is not supportive after skaters give subpar performances.

You been living under a rock or something? Here's a flashback for you: a sixteen year old boy who just broke his leg during the performance and was already skating sick and injured before that. Evil Z's reaction was to tell him to calm down and stop bawling his eyes out, that it was character building, and then proceeded to criticize several aspects of the program.

Evil Z breaks skaters.

#freeMax #freeMirai #freeeveryone
 

edenlover

On the Ice
Joined
Jan 10, 2014
Television does these girls no favors. They are all very tiny--seriously. I was surprised at how small they all were when I would walk behind them or see them in person at the nationals and world championships I've attended.
 

Krunchii

Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 27, 2014
Television does these girls no favors. They are all very tiny--seriously. I was surprised at how small they all were when I would walk behind them or see them in person at the nationals and world championships I've attended.

I agree, when I saw Joannie Rochette in real life I was so surprised at how petite she was, she's a very athletic skater and looks much more built on tv

anyway I think if Mirai works hard on her fitness she'll slim down a bit, when I started going to the gym and jogging regularly I gained a few pounds but my physique slimmed down and I was more toned, I don't think she needs to take any drastic measures to her weight or anything
 

b-man

Final Flight
Joined
Jun 25, 2010
Can we quit with the "must lose weight" rubbish? She is at a perfectly healthy weight for her height. You are the kinds of nasties that perpetuate unhealthy attitudes.



You been living under a rock or something? Here's a flashback for you: a sixteen year old boy who just broke his leg during the performance and was already skating sick and injured before that. Evil Z's reaction was to tell him to calm down and stop bawling his eyes out, that it was character building, and then proceeded to criticize several aspects of the program.

Evil Z breaks skaters.

#freeMax #freeMirai #freeeveryone

I agree she is at a perfectly healthy weight. The question is whether she is at her ideal competitive weight. Her competition, Gold, Wagner and Edmunds are all a few pounds lighter, which gives them a slight competitive advantage.

I have heard a few references here about the incident you mention, but I don't follow men's skating and didn't know all the particulars. You have filled in a few details which I appreciate. I was more familiar with the entry of Flatt, coached by Tom Z., at 2011 worlds with a stress fracture that was known a week before the competition. If she does go to Tom Z., he wasn't my choice.
 

karne

in Emergency Backup Mode
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Joined
Jan 1, 2013
Country
Australia
I agree she is at a perfectly healthy weight. The question is whether she is at her ideal competitive weight. Her competition, Gold, Wagner and Edmunds are all a few pounds lighter, which gives them a slight competitive advantage.

To my mind there is no difference between a healthy weight and a competitive weight. As to the comparative weights: how do you know? (You may also remove Polina from the discussion as she is obviously going to fill in over the next couple of years.)

I have heard a few references here about the incident you mention, but I don't follow men's skating and didn't know all the particulars. You have filled in a few details which I appreciate. I was more familiar with the entry of Flatt, coached by Tom Z., at 2011 worlds with a stress fracture that was known a week before the competition. If she does go to Tom Z., he wasn't my choice.

It was in the same year, just two months earlier at Nationals, that the incident with Joshua occurred. A torn hip muscle in practice. Anaphylactic shock the night before the LP. And the broken leg on the third jump pass of the program. And all Evil Z could do was call it character building. I will never forgive it. Ever.

With two such incidents within two months of each other, it makes me wonder how Evil Z was allowed to coach again.
 

b-man

Final Flight
Joined
Jun 25, 2010
To my mind there is no difference between a healthy weight and a competitive weight. As to the comparative weights: how do you know? (You may also remove Polina from the discussion as she is obviously going to fill in over the next couple of years.)



It was in the same year, just two months earlier at Nationals, that the incident with Joshua occurred. A torn hip muscle in practice. Anaphylactic shock the night before the LP. And the broken leg on the third jump pass of the program. And all Evil Z could do was call it character building. I will never forgive it. Ever.

With two such incidents within two months of each other, it makes me wonder how Evil Z was allowed to coach again.

I argued for two years on this and another forum that Mirai did not need to lose any weight and was in good shape. Listening to the repeated over the top comments of Hamilton during the Nationals broadcast concerning Nagasu's fitness made me rethink my position. Also, one of the posters I respect the most on this forum, Blades of Passion, suggested a few months ago that Mirai's career was not necessarily in a downward spiral if she got in better shape and was more careful in her eating habits. He may have suggested other changes, but those I remember.

There clearly is a difference, im my mind, between a healthy weight and a competitive weight. A healthy weight might be a range, from say 105 pounds up to115-120 or more. While a skater may still be healthy with another 10 pounds, she would no longer be competitive. No, I don't know the ideal competitive weight for any particular skater. If you see Nagasu stand next to a Gold or an Asada, they are both noticably thinner. Some on these forums, not I, have suggested that Gold and Asada were too thin. Gold and Asada, both about the same height as Nagasu, also currently skate faster and are better jumpers. If you re read my original post, I said it "may be helpful" for Nagasu to lose 2-3 pounds, not that she "must" lose 2-3 pounds. That is something that she and her coach must decide.

Thanks again for the details of the Joshua incident. It sounds quite ugly and I am glad I never saw it live.
 

dorispulaski

Wicked Yankee Girl
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Jul 26, 2003
Country
United-States
I did see it live. Josh tried every jump on his broken leg, and fell on every one, in obvious, continuous pain. If Tom Z had any sense, if it were possible, he would have done something to stop the kid from proceeding in a way that could only cause even more physical damage. I presume he could have gone to the ref and asked him to stop the music.? If it idn't possible. it should be?

It was appalling, but when I heard what Tom Z had to say about it, I question whether he should ever be allowed to coach anyone.
 

kwanatic

Check out my YT channel, Bare Ice!
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May 19, 2011
It was appalling, but when I heard what Tom Z had to say about it, I question whether he should ever be allowed to coach anyone.

Agreed. I do think he's a solid technical coach and it seems like he and Mirai get along well and might work well together...but I seriously question his judgment when it comes to the well-being of his skaters. His disregard for skaters who are injured/in pain is very disturbing to me.
 

thom

Rinkside
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Mar 19, 2004
There's weight and there's toning and there's endurance. They're all different but they're all related when it comes to skating...
 

chuckm

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Aug 31, 2003
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There's weight and there's toning and there's endurance. They're all different but they're all related when it comes to skating...

Yes, and it is all related to training. Mirai has been without one consistent coach throughout her season, so her training has been irregular and inconsistent as well. It's no wonder she struggles with stamina and has to focus so hard on getting through each program.

Mirai may not be overweight, but she is not toned, and she needs to be.
 

mskater93

Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 22, 2005
There is a difference between "out of shape" and "out of skating shape". Part of the second is building the endurance to get through your program cleanly/with consistent energy. The ONLY way to really build that up is run throughs every day and building that library of self confidence that you CAN do the program, even at your worst. There is also the "skating like a lard ---" as one of my coaches so indelicately calls it (in a nice way). It has nothing to do with being overweight, it is basically the "looking heavy on the ice". We had a talk about this at my last lesson because we were at an unfamiliar rink (regular rink down for maintenance) with a LOT of skaters out there in unfamiliar skating patterns which made me look labored and (also feel besides look) cautious on the ice (even though that is definitely not the case that I was labored, but I was cautious because of the unfamiliarity). This is the projection that Nagasu gives a lot of the time when she is competing. His solution for this was for me to go out and attack the skill we were working on which eliminated that look and made him MUCH less critical...Nagasu just needs to ATTACK her program.
 

coolboogie22

Match Penalty
Joined
Jun 21, 2009
I don't think it means she was in Japan. The photos are more likely from when they were in Kazakhstan doing Denis Ten's show together.

I have a feeling that she should skate for Japan, she would benefit more success and respect here.
And, also, this would improve her confidence because how to built a confidence when you know that your federation (USA) doesn't give you any hope and respect.
USFS seems to protect only the skater with sponsor, the rest of them are like nothing for them. Sad, but we all know what will happens in the next quad: USFS will protect Gracie, Polina and Ashley for the next four year and the other skater will skate for nothing even if they beat one of them.

I'm sure that Mirai would be the fighter skater that we all know if she skate for a federation who supports her, such as Japan.
 

Jammers

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Nov 4, 2010
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United-States
Mirai will not skate for Japan. She's a all american girl and isn't going to give up her American citizenship to skate for Japan.
 

chuckm

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Aug 31, 2003
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United-States
Mirai might not be treated so well if she did skate for Japan. Look at what has happened with Daisuke Murakami, who skated briefly for USA in the JGP, then skated for Japan. He has been relegated to B events only and has had a second-string career. If Mirai didn't finish top 6 at Japan Nationals (and that could easily happen) she could expect the same kind of treatment.
 

Blades of Passion

Skating is Art, if you let it be
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Sep 14, 2008
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France
And as for the Worlds slot, I don't think Polina CAN go to JWs after the Olympics...

Gedevanishvili competed at Junior Worlds 3 years after going to the Olympics and USFSA has sent several skaters to Jr. Worlds after already having gone to Senior. If Polina ends up 4th at 2015 Nationals, I'm pretty sure they'll put her on the Jr. World team.
 

Mrs. P

Uno, Dos, twizzle!
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Dec 27, 2009
I have a feeling that she should skate for Japan, she would benefit more success and respect here.
And, also, this would improve her confidence because how to built a confidence when you know that your federation (USA) doesn't give you any hope and respect.
USFS seems to protect only the skater with sponsor, the rest of them are like nothing for them. Sad, but we all know what will happens in the next quad: USFS will protect Gracie, Polina and Ashley for the next four year and the other skater will skate for nothing even if they beat one of them.

I'm sure that Mirai would be the fighter skater that we all know if she skate for a federation who supports her, such as Japan.

Golly can we please cool it with the "Pity Mirai" party? There's nothing to be gained for Mirai by having fans go on about how life is so unfair for her. It's not the federation's job to give "hope" and "respect." One stellar performance at U.S. Nationals after two sub-par ones does not mean the federation is going to magically start supporting her.

Also, just because Akiko and Mao (for the season) won't be around doesn't mean it would be a walk in the park for Japan for Mirai. Satoko is a very strong competitor and Haruka Imai seems to have some momentum. Not to mention some of the up and coming juniors.

Gedevanishvili competed at Junior Worlds 3 years after going to the Olympics and USFSA has sent several skaters to Jr. Worlds after already having gone to Senior. If Polina ends up 4th at 2015 Nationals, I'm pretty sure they'll put her on the Jr. World team.

I think there's a new rule in place as of 2014-2015 that prohibits skaters from going by to the junior level once they have skated at the senior level. I don't know that for sure.
 
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chuckm

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 31, 2003
Country
United-States
The rule is that in the 2014-2015 season, once a junior skater has skated in two senior events, that skater can no longer compete at the junior level. If Polina does the GP this fall (and I'm sure she will), she can't go to 2015 JW. But any junior-eligible US skater who has competed in a JGP and then does the US International Senior B competition in September could continue to compete as a junior as long as he/she doesn't do another senior event in the 2014-2015 season.
 

coolboogie22

Match Penalty
Joined
Jun 21, 2009
Golly can we please cool it with the "Pity Mirai" party? There's nothing to be gained for Mirai by having fans go on about how life is so unfair for her. It's not the federation's job to give "hope" and "respect." One stellar performance at U.S. Nationals after two sub-par ones does not mean the federation is going to magically start supporting her.

You're right, I'm sorry about what I have say :disapp: We will see what Mirai does next season and I hope that everything goes well for her :)
 
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