Mirai Nagasu's future prospects

[Tavi...]

Yes, the FS. Hongo's score for IN was the highest, 7.50. Miria's 6.96 is only .54 lower than that. Maybe that score objectively is considered low, but in this competition, which included Anna, comparatively it is not a bad score.

I see your point. But to me that just says the judges didn't think much of any lady's artistry.

 

[amc987]

I really like Mirai's programs this year. I think they're the best vehicles she's had since 2011 (I thought the Witches of Eastwick program suited her well).

I just wish she had jumps that were rotated. It wouldn't be such a problem if it was just the 3-3 she got downgraded. But she has lots of trouble getting full credit for garden-variety triples. Tom Z is supposed to be a technical coach. Hopefully they're working on it.

 

[mskater93]

A big problem is that even if you watch her 6 minute warm up, she has a lot of questionable jumps. Couple that with putting them right in front of the judges/tech panel in the warm up, anything even sort of questionable will be reviewed. I was sitting behind the judges at SkAm a few rows and looked intently at the 2A and 3Lo she did right near us and BOTH were very questionable (saw the toe pick check mark on the landing which typically indicates an UR).

 

[kwanatic]

A big problem is that even if you watch her 6 minute warm up, she has a lot of questionable jumps. Couple that with putting them right in front of the judges/tech panel in the warm up, anything even sort of questionable will be reviewed. I was sitting behind the judges at SkAm a few rows and looked intently at the 2A and 3Lo she did right near us and BOTH were very questionable (saw the toe pick check mark on the landing which typically indicates an UR).

Agreed. The major tell-tell UR sign I look for (in real time) when I'm watching Mirai's jumps is that little jarring stutter her skate has when she lands as well as that "J" shape on the ice. But in all honesty, sometimes they're really hard to catch. The URs at SA were tough to catch in real time b/c she was going into and coming out of her jumps with a lot of speed. That's is a definite plus for her in terms of her skating, but it also made spotting the URs really hard. However, if you got to a YT video and slow it down to 0.25 speed, you can clearly see the URs on jumps that actually looked clean in real time...

 

[mskater93]

I didn't find them hard to catch in real time at SkAm. I counted them easily in the arena, even across the rink. I thought she was lucky with just the few she had. I am also very used to looking for them at (my own) practices, so I have a lot of experience.

 

[kwanatic]

You're really good then. :thumbsup: In real time I thought both her second 3F and 3Lz were clean if not borderline. She just had so much speed it was hard to see until I slowed down the footage...then I could see it.

 

[LiamForeman]

You're really good then. :thumbsup: In real time I thought both her second 3F and 3Lz were clean if not borderline. She just had so much speed it was hard to see until I slowed down the footage...then I could see it.

I don't know. There are "Sarah Hughes" URs and then there are the skimpy nitpicky Mirai URs. I don't know how she can change. She's always landed on a fish hook. It won't ever change.

 

[Jammers]

It's easy to see what one of Mirai's problem is with her jumps. She doesn't have nice tight position in the air like someone like Gracie has for instance. Her legs are too far apart when she goes for the jumps and are not tight enough.

 

[Poodlepal]

I haven't even seen Mirai's performance and I see what's wrong with it. Her two best performances have her playing a doll and a cutesy Carmen. She is probably a bad choice to play a suicidal person, for honor or otherwise. Some people can do pain and misery, for some it isn't their forte, yet anything other than that is considered "juniorish."

If she does better with cute, let her do cute. If her face isn't expressive, find something that doesn't need it. Maybe she can do a robot to techno music or something. It won't fix her underrotations, but it might be a suitable program to start from. I think a lot of problems come from programs that aren't suited to them.

 

[andyjo24]

TBH, I don't believe that Mirai will ever "come" back. People say that she is still only 21, and Carolina was able to bloom late. But the key difference between Carolina and Mirai is that Carolina has solid jumping technique, while Mirai does not.
jhju
I would be happy if Mirai surprises me, but at this point, I don't think it will ever happen. Fixing jumping technique is, as you guys know, one of the hardest, if not the hardest, to fix in the sport.

 

[andyjo24]

I haven't even seen Mirai's performance and I see what's wrong with it. Her two best performances have her playing a doll and a cutesy Carmen. She is probably a bad choice to play a suicidal person, for honor or otherwise. Some people can do pain and misery, for some it isn't their forte, yet anything other than that is considered "juniorish."

If she does better with cute, let her do cute. If her face isn't expressive, find something that doesn't need it. Maybe she can do a robot to techno music or something. It won't fix her underrotations, but it might be a suitable program to start from. I think a lot of problems come from programs that aren't suited to them.

IMO, it's not the program that's the problem. She's just too focused on her jumps due to her constant URs and therefore doesn't have the leisure to perform. If you look at the top skaters, the reason that they can actually perform is that their jumping techniques are solid.

 

[ice coverage]

Double Axel Commentary – Mirai Nagasu’s Double Axel Part 1 (Trevor Laak)

The two videos at the link below are not new, but are temporarily available for free as part of the iCoachSkating's Annual Top Rated Videos series.

Jump specialist Trevor Laak comments on a monster double axel performed by Mirai Nagasu at the 2014 Grassroots to Champions Supercamp in Lansing, MI on July 9, 2014. This jump was performed during G2C’s “Just Jump” contest which is a contest focused entirely on jumping high. Mirai was at camp to train with coach Tom Zakrajsek and she also taught at the camp.

As you can see in the video, Mirai’s double axel had an air time of 0.617 seconds which is huge for a female double axel. This part of the analysis by Trevor covers most of the take-off details. ...

Watch the first video to see the jump in real time and in slow motion.... [0:47]

The bottom video on this page is [Part 1 of] Trevor’s commentary video .... [8:57]

http://icoachskating.com/double-axel-commentary-mirai-nagasus-double-axel-part-1-trevor-laak/​

 

[Warwick360]

This girl breaks me. I mean literally breaks me considering how much expectation I had of her after Vancouver.

While everyone keeps stressing about her Jumps, I just find myself in disbelief at the way how her main strength, ie, her spins have even started to deteriorate. Her speed in I spin from Vancouver, Gone. Her usual speed in biellmann and the number of rotations she used to find, Gone. I believe I saw in a competition before GP this season where she only got level 3 on Layback. That my friends is not promising. Not for a spinner of her calibre and someone who can pull the positions still. :hopelessness:

And as for her program, it used to be so overwrought (Pirates of the carribean) but it has become so much full of holes/pauses (Her J.Bonds at Nationals). I wish she could find something in the middle. But mostly I think she really needs to work on her fitness to improve her stamina and to get some tight zip in her spins and jumps.

 

[noskates]

OMG - are we still talking about this? I would think her performances at Nationals will be the telling factor in her future. Discussing the past has no benefit at this point. She needs to put out 2 good performances to have any kind of future.

 

[ice coverage]

OMG - are we still talking about this? I would think her performances at Nationals will be the telling factor in her future. Discussing the past has no benefit at this point. She needs to put out 2 good performances to have any kind of future.

If by "this," you mean Mirai -- it was not my intention to stir up fresh debate about her (her past, present, or future).
Was just looking for an existing Edge thread in which to post the axel video analysis. It certainly did not warrant a new thread of its own, and the American Ladies thread did not seem like the right place.

 

[karne]

OMG - are we still talking about this? I would think her performances at Nationals will be the telling factor in her future. Discussing the past has no benefit at this point. She needs to put out 2 good performances to have any kind of future.

I disagree with this. To have any kind of future she needs to start having consistent performances, not having ordinary seasons and then throwing out two decent skates at Nationals and expecting that to be enough.

 

[noskates]

Karne, I don't disagree with what you're saying. However, she didn't have the best season so far and in my mind if she's to continue as any kind of a challenge for the other skaters she's going to have to really put it on at Nationals. But yes, she has to become more consistent without a doubt.

 

[karne]

I do agree she needs to start picking up her game. But I dread yet another merry-go-round of Mirai chucking out two decent skates and then someone who's had a more consistent season - let's say Gracie, since she's injured and may not be at full capacity at Nationals - gets (correctly) put on the team and Mirai bumped off.

 

[MaxSwagg]

This girl breaks me. I mean literally breaks me considering how much expectation I had of her after Vancouver.

While everyone keeps stressing about her Jumps, I just find myself in disbelief at the way how her main strength, ie, her spins have even started to deteriorate. Her speed in I spin from Vancouver, Gone. Her usual speed in biellmann and the number of rotations she used to find, Gone. I believe I saw in a competition before GP this season where she only got level 3 on Layback. That my friends is not promising. Not for a spinner of her calibre and someone who can pull the positions still. :hopelessness:

And as for her program, it used to be so overwrought (Pirates of the carribean) but it has become so much full of holes/pauses (Her J.Bonds at Nationals). I wish she could find something in the middle. But mostly I think she really needs to work on her fitness to improve her stamina and to get some tight zip in her spins and jumps.

I agree. I was SO prepared and excited for her to be the next big star after Vancouver, not only in the US, but internationally.

 

[drivingmissdaisy]

I do agree she needs to start picking up her game. But I dread yet another merry-go-round of Mirai chucking out two decent skates and then someone who's had a more consistent season - let's say Gracie, since she's injured and may not be at full capacity at Nationals - gets (correctly) put on the team and Mirai bumped off.

Those "decent" skates are actually similar to the poor skates with no falls but a ton of <. It's just those < aren't called in the decent skates.