Mirai Nagasu's future prospects

[mrrice]

Oh come now. Nicole Bobek didn't even compete that long ago and was much much more inconsistent than Mirai. Alyssa Czisny was more inconsistent. I could go on. I know you were stating this for dramatic effect, but really. No one is saying she's consistent, but the most inconsistent ever? No sir.

I guess I'm not seeing what everyone else seems to be seeing. Polina is lovely girl. In fact, she kind of reminds me of Kimmie when she started making waves early in her career. Nice jumps, clean performances and decent, not spectacular, costuming. However, I also thought she had the benefit of some weak performances from Sasha and Alissa along with Michelle's retirement.

I loved Sarah Hughes because she was able to hold her own at a very young age, in an era that included an in form Michelle, Irina, Maria B., Sasha, Angela Nikodinov and others. Though I didn't see it happening in 2002, I always thought she's be a champion. I just don't see Polina in the same way. I'm looking forward to seeing her progress and hope she has a great season.

Inconsistent......I love all these skaters however, I'd place Sasha, Angela, Alissa, and Bebe ahead of Mirai on the that scale.

 

[jenaj]

Inconsistent......I love all these skaters however, I'd place Sasha, Angela, Alissa, and Bebe ahead of Mirai on the that scale.

Alissa, really? She is a two-time National champion but every performance was a nail-biter. She is probably the least consistent jumper of any top US ladies skater. And Angela and Bebe??? Let's not forget that Mirai is a former US champion and Olympian. She placed 4th in Vancouver, has stood on the US podium three times in addition to her gold medal, and has done pretty well on the Grand Prix circuit over the years. Only Sasha ranks above Mirai on that list, in my opinion.

 

[mrrice]

Alissa, really? She is a two-time National champion but every performance was a nail-biter. She is probably the least consistent jumper of any top US ladies skater. And Angela and Bebe??? Let's not forget that Mirai is a former US champion and Olympian. She placed 4th in Vancouver, has stood on the US podium three times in addition to her gold medal, and has done pretty well on the Grand Prix circuit over the years. Only Sasha ranks above Mirai on that list, in my opinion.

Maybe I wasn't very clear. I think Mirai is more consistent than the skaters I named. I have always been able to watch Mirai perform without having to wait until I knew she skated well. Especially her SP's.

Believe it or not, after 2010, I never saw an Alissa performance without knowing how she skated beforehand. I loved her skating so much that after 2010 Nationals, it depressed me for a week. It sounds crazy now but, I knew how badly she wanted to make the Olympic Team and seeing her miss that dream in front of so many people was very sad to me.

 

[jenaj]

Maybe I wasn't very clear. I think Mirai is more consistent than the skaters I named. I have always been able to watch Mirai perform without having to wait until I knew she skated well. Especially her SP's.

Believe it or not, after 2010, I never saw an Alissa performance without knowing how she skated beforehand. I loved her skating so much that after 2010 Nationals, it depressed me for a week. It sounds crazy now but, I knew how badly she wanted to make the Olympic Team and seeing her miss that dream in front of so many people was very sad to me.

Oh, OK. That makes sense. Sorry for the misunderstanding.

 

[drivingmissdaisy]

I find Mirai to be consistent. Unlike Alissa or Sasha, Mirai almost never falls. Mirai's outcome usually depends on how strict the tech panel is on <. She is almost always right at 1/4 short on the triples, so her scores can vary 10-20 points on whether multiple close jumps are downgraded or not.

 

[Jammers]

Mirai over the years faltered when she had a lead after the SP so in that way she was as much a headcase as Alissa was. I could barely watch her LP's when she had a lead because you saw that terrified look in her eyes and you just knew she was going to collapse for instance at Worlds and Nationals in 2011.

 

[mrrice]

Mirai over the years faltered when she had a lead after the SP so in that way she was as much a headcase as Alissa was. I could barely watch her LP's when she had a lead because you saw that terrified look in her eyes and you just knew she was going to collapse for instance at Worlds and Nationals in 2011.

Mirai is difficult for me to understand. After her performances at the Olympics, I really thought she'd be the next big thing especially after she won the short program at Worlds. I know how talented she is and she was such a great performer. lately, she's like Ann Patrice was during her last season. I could see it her eyes that she was done but she still went out there.

I don't think Mirai is done but, she can't afford to have another OK season.

 

[Mathman]

Mirai is going to be great this year. I can't wait for Skate America!

 

[fallingsk8er]

Mirai is going to be great this year. I can't wait for Skate America!

Agreed. Her future prospects look pretty good. Coming off of last year's podium finish, she's going in the right direction. Her new programs are elegant and mature and she moves beautifully across the ice. Her new coach seems to know what he's doing.

 

[mrrice]

Agreed. Her future prospects look pretty good. Coming off of last year's podium finish, she's going in the right direction. Her new programs are elegant and mature and she moves beautifully across the ice. Her new coach seems to know what he's doing.

I hope you're right. I have never doubted her talent, only her desire. She should have made the most of her assignment to 4CC last year. I realize she may have been emotionally spent after Nationals and being left off the team. I just wish she'd have shown them what a mistake they made instead of proving they were right.

I love Mirai's skating and personality. I also think she'd be a great asset to the US if she were to regain her title. IMO, she's one of the few skaters that even non skating fans think is " Cool. " After Nationals, my students were really sad for her as they kind of see her as someone they'd be friends with and believe me, they don't feel that way about most skaters.

I think she needs some tough love from Tom but, I also think she needs some real love from her friends. I hope she gets that fire in her eyes again. In any case, I'll be watching.:agree:

 

[aromaticchicken]

I hope you're right. I have never doubted her talent, only her desire. She should have made the most of her assignment to 4CC last year. I realize she may have been emotionally spent after Nationals and being left off the team. I just wish she'd have shown them what a mistake they made instead of proving they were right.

Wish she could've done better here too, especially against such a weak field! But apparently she was sick that whole week, on top of being heartbroken right after nationals. Not the best circumstances to be skating, especially for a skater who already has headcase issues. And let's face it, she wasn't in the best athletic shape at nationals either (I don't mean she needs to lose weight, but literally at nationals you could tell she was exhausted after both programs and didn't have the stamina)

Luckily it looks like the stamina issues aren't there anymore since she started working with Tom! She seemed a lot more plucky and cardio-fit at the US classic, even though she didn't do her best technically!

 

[mrrice]

This is great to hear. I felt the exact same way. She's thin enough and when I saw her at Nationals I thought, what she needs are more double runs of her programs. She looked winded even when she was just posing in her long program. It is really difficult to perform well when you're tired and under so much stress. Stamina is critical for any skater in order to perform at their best.

My ballet teacher used to scream at us

" It doesn't come in a can, people. You have to work. "

 

[mskater93]

I find Mirai to be consistent. Unlike Alissa or Sasha, Mirai almost never falls. Mirai's outcome usually depends on how strict the tech panel is on <. She is almost always right at 1/4 short on the triples, so her scores can vary 10-20 points on whether multiple close jumps are downgraded or not.

I disagree that she's "right at 1/4 short". When she's off or really slow in her programs, she's usually closer to 1/2 short and to only get a < is a gift when that happens. Also, she's a skater that carries mistakes like "toilet paper on her shoe" which makes them compound. That, more than anything, is what needs to be fixed!

 

[drivingmissdaisy]

I disagree that she's "right at 1/4 short". When she's off or really slow in her programs, she's usually closer to 1/2 short and to only get a < is a gift when that happens. Also, she's a skater that carries mistakes like "toilet paper on her shoe" which makes them compound. That, more than anything, is what needs to be fixed!

You're probably right. Her fully credited triples usually look borderline < but when things aren't going well they are more short.

 

[noskates]

Well - hope springs eternal!!! I just remember these same discussions about Alyssa. So much promise, so much hope, so much of a big letdown.

 

[Layfan]

Well - hope springs eternal!!! I just remember these same discussions about Alyssa. So much promise, so much hope, so much of a big letdown.

Depends on how you look at it! Her last competitive season certainly was but 2011 was awesome and by that time she had already been around for so long and had faltered so often - so her GPF win and second US championship made it all more than worth it for those who kept rooting for her And of the USA ladies, her long program that season is still the only one I truly want to rewatch from from the 2010-2014 period. Along with maybe Mirai's exhibition from last year's nationals.

 

[aromaticchicken]

Well - hope springs eternal!!! I just remember these same discussions about Alyssa. So much promise, so much hope, so much of a big letdown.

Personally, I think mirai has more natural talent and potential than alissa ever did. Alissa seemed like a hard worker who just faltered under nerves. (that being said, i love watching Alissa skate though, such a beautiful skater and spinner!!). Mirai doesn't seem to me to have been fully prepared over the last quad since she left frank carroll, and obviously even more so when she was coach less.

I love both of these ladies, though, so I hope mirai and Tom z can work together to tap into her full potential!!

 

[jenaj]

Well - hope springs eternal!!! I just remember these same discussions about Alyssa. So much promise, so much hope, so much of a big letdown.

Mirai is not in the same category as Alyssa. Alyssa, as beautiful as she was, was always a tentative jumper. She was prone to falls, not underrotations.
Mirai can jump and land her jumps, but tends to land them short. She skates with more confidence than Alyssa and more speed. I think Mirai's problems are more fixable than Alyssa's were.

 

[hippomoomin]

The problem of Mirai is that she has not improved in any aspect of her skating since Vancouver; unfortunately the opposite is true. She is not as flexible as before, and does not spin as fast as before. When she skates, she hardly shows any emotions now; Not to mention her jumps. I think it is the "puberty monster" everyone is talking about. She basically grew much bigger, and on top of that, she has a very wide bone structure, but not as explosive as Hicks.

 

[jenaj]

The problem of Mirai is that she has not improved in any aspect of her skating since Vancouver; unfortunately the opposite is true. She is not as flexible as before, and does not spin as fast as before. When she skates, she hardly shows any emotions now; Not to mention her jumps. I think it is the "puberty monster" everyone is talking about. She basically grew much bigger, and on top of that, she has a very wide bone structure, but not as explosive as Hicks.

I think she's just as flexible if not more so. Her spins in this exhibition are unreal. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6IOSpwgF9W4 Her Ina Bauer is second only to Shizuka's. There's plenty of emotion there, too. And to read your comments, it would appear she's huge. She's not. I think she looks good.