Nagasu ready for senior international debut...

[iceminx]

http://web.icenetwork.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20081021&content_id=53680&vkey=ice_news

That's so cute, her comment about Yuna and Miki. It seems like she has no clue how talented she really is... I hope her ankle injury heals soon and I can't wait to see her new long program.
" I don't really consider that I'm competing against Yu-Na Kim and Miki Ando. I feel they're competing, and I'm there to take learning experience from it. It feels like they're cloud-nine people, and I'm trying my best to get to cloud nine as well."

 

[champs]

English is not my native language and I'm sorry to ask a question not related to skating, but what does "bubbling the answers" mean? Does that have anything to do with SAT being in the multiple-choice format?

It's hard to tell from this interview how serious her injury has been and what the state of it is like at this moment, I really really hope that it's not so serious as to affect her skating at Skate America to the extent that people will look back after the event and say she should not have participated in so many post season shows. I wish the best of luck to her.

ICE: I liked regular tests for class, but I hated standardized tests like the SATs.
MIRAI: I don't mind them. I like bubbling the answers.

 

[Blades of Passion]

English is not my native language and I'm sorry to ask a question not related to skating, but what does "bubbling the answers" mean? Does that have anything to do with SAT being in the multiple-choice format

Yes, the way you answer the multiple-choice questions is by filling in one of the corresponding bubbles on the answer sheet.

 

[champs]

Thanks, Blades of Passion, for the amswer Yeah, that's what I guessed but I was not sure at all... now I can image Mirai grinning as she fills circles during a test. Thanks again!

 

[flying camel]

Yes, she is just adorable. I hope she has a great competition. It's so funny, everytime I read these articles I start pulling for the skaters.

 

[demarinis5]

It's so funny, everytime I read these articles I start pulling for the skaters.

I do the same thing. It is very hard for me to have a favorite U.S.lady skater right now. I like them all.

 

[museksk8r]

She's a cutie! I hope she has a successful senior international debut this week at Skate America. She has the right outlook . . . no matter what happens, she'll come away from this event with a big learning experience.

It's great to see the American ladies feeling so positive.

 

[fairly4]

It is a nice article. But because She is the national champ No Way is this a learning experience for her. She is in the big time. She is Expected to do well, and not be handed a medal because of her title. Mirai has to earn it by skating well not by the National title alone, (in other words no overlooking urs, and wrong edge take off, shaking landings etc.)
If the USFSA told gave her the national title, she is expected to skate and handle herself like one. If they wanted it to be a learning experience, the USFSA should have never gave her the title.

 

[Mathman]

If they wanted it to be a learning experience, the USFSA should have never gave her the title.

I think there is another way to look at it. Mirai won the national title because she skated better (at least in the short program) than fellow "learners" Caroline Zhang, Rachael Flatt, Ashley Wagner, and Katrina Hacker, in a competition when the only experienced world contender, Kimmie Meissner, took herself out of it with a disastrous outing.

Going up against Yu-na Kim, Miki Ando and Yukari Nakano at Skate America might indeed be a "learning experience."

 

[fairly4]

I agree Mirai did skate better in the short program.
But because Mirai is national champ; unfortunately she can't afford to look at her GP assignments as a learning experience like Ashley, Caroline Zhang and Rachel Flatt can.
It is game time for her so to speak.

 

[museksk8r]

It is a nice article. But because She is the national champ No Way is this a learning experience for her. She is in the big time. She is Expected to do well, and not be handed a medal because of her title. Mirai has to earn it by skating well not by the National title alone, (in other words no overlooking urs, and wrong edge take off, humping, shaking landings etc.)
If the USFSA told gave her the national title, she is expected to skate and handle herself like one. If they wanted it to be a learning experience, the USFSA should have never gave her the title.

This experience for Mirai is whatever she chooses to want it to be and make it be for herself. Who are you to dictate for her what she should you this experience as? She herself said she is using it as a "learning experience" and I'm sure it will be a valuable learning experience for her. She has never competed before against some of the best Senior international ladies. National champions make mistakes too, especially when they are a 1st time National champion and when they were not expected to win the title. I have a strong feeling that Nagasu is not one who expects titles because she has 1 National title on her resume. Against this strong field at SA, I'm sure she knows she has to skate well to medal. I trust she and her coach knows what she needs to do more than you do.

 

[museksk8r]

Going up against Yu-na Kim, Miki Ando and Yukari Nakano at Skate America might indeed be a "learning experience."

Exactly! I don't see how that can't be a valuable learning experience for a young, 1st time Senior international competitor.

 

[champs]

[Mirai] has never competed before against some of the best Senior international ladies.

If you count US Nationals and cheesefests, she has. She has competed in competitions with Ando, Nakano, Meissner, Zhang, Flatt, as well as Asada, Meier, Suguri. She hasn't with Kim and Kostner yet. So it's not a whole new experience for MIrai to face these skaters in a competition.

But yes, a senior GP is different from those, Skate America will be a great learning experience, especially the free skating portion. Miki, Mao, Yuna, and Caroline did well in their first senior season internationally, I hope Mirai will too (and so will Rachael, I hope!) Go, Mirai!

 

[Mathman]

^ However, in her international cheesefests and shows, especially the ones held in Asia, I got the imprssion that Mirai was still star-struck. Like, wow, it's Mao Asada, can I have your autograph?

 

[Pixie Cut]

If they wanted it to be a learning experience, the USFSA should have never gave her the title.

I'm sorry, I thought she won a competition, not received a gift. With a victory does not come a set of laws. She is still an athlete who must evolve over time, especially in a sport where performance aspects evolve over the course of a career. If I'm wrong about the winning a competition part, please provide details about the gifting policy.

 

[museksk8r]

If you count US Nationals and cheesefests, she has.

US Nationals only has senior skaters representing the United States. You won't find the best international ladies around the world in that competition. PLUS, the judges at every nation's Nationals are much more generous with the inflated scores they hand out.

A cheesefest has nowhere near the pressure nor strict critique from the judging panel as an ISU Grand Prix International.

 

[fiercemao]

3+3

I'm wondering whether Mirai is still planning 3+3 at Skate America. Her triple+triple seems to be the shakiest among the top three teenagers. Did she only land once or twice in international competitions?

 

[Pikachuusb]

I am soo excited to see Mirai's new programs and wish her the best of luck this season. I will be cheering quite loud for her even though I will be in my living room oh my poor boyfriend

I feel this will be a great learning experience for her as she has not been on the Senoir Grand Prix before, everytime you do something new it is a learning experience in my opinion. I love that all the girls have positive attitudes going into the new season

 

[oleada]

I'm wondering whether Mirai is still planning 3+3 at Skate America. Her triple+triple seems to be the shakiest among the top three teenagers. Did she only land once or twice in international competitions?

Mirai has only attempted her 3+3 in two competitions - US Nationals and Junior Worlds. It was ratified in the SP of both competitions.

 

[Tinymavy15]

Mirai has only attempted her 3+3 in two competitions - US Nationals and Junior Worlds. It was ratified in the SP of both competitions.

right. She has attempted it fewest, she claimed that she only started working on it a few weeks before Nats 2008.