Mirai Nagasu's future prospects

[Jammers]

I find this : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWqmBEBd-ws FS Nationals practice

She did a clean triple flip/triple toe there
By watching this practice, I find that it is more disappointing that she didn't have the chance to represent USA at Sochi Olympic games
She was well prepared and really determined at this competition.

That's the problem. Mirai needed to be well prepared for every competition not just have one good performance a year like she did for 4 years.

 

[SkatingFun]

LOL: I think you should recommend the ISU not to host any more competitions: just asking each skaters to send their best practice video, then put together a group of judge to decide who won and then publish the results!

I find this : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWqmBEBd-ws FS Nationals practice

She did a clean triple flip/triple toe there
By watching this practice, I find that it is more disappointing that she didn't have the chance to represent USA at Sochi Olympic games
She was well prepared and really determined at this competition.

 

[karne]

I find this : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWqmBEBd-ws FS Nationals practice

She did a clean triple flip/triple toe there
By watching this practice, I find that it is more disappointing that she didn't have the chance to represent USA at Sochi Olympic games
She was well prepared and really determined at this competition.

Yeah, THIS competition. What about all the others? Not even just last season, the last four years.

You can't expect to have one good skate and that to override everything else you've ever done.

Let's just do practices shall we? I'll be sure to get videos of Max landing quad loops and Josh landing quad flips and send them off to the USFS as proof THEY should have gone to the Olympics instead. (Well, you can probably make an argument for Max over Jeremy anyway, but that's beside the point.)

 

[noskates]

Aww Karne - the voice of reason. It just seems that people are willing Mirai to return to greatness. Skate America should either put an end to the "pie in the sky" thinking or re-fuel it. As much as I would like to see Mirai be successful (which I keep saying in this thread) realistically I think it's going to take a miracle. I do not think now, nor did I think then, that Mirai should have gone to Sochi based on one good performance. I do think this is the year Mirai either has to make it or forget it.

 

[ice coverage]

... As much as I would like to see Mirai be successful (which I keep saying in this thread) realistically I think it's going to take a miracle. I do not think now, nor did I think then, that Mirai should have gone to Sochi based on one good performance. ....

One could say that Polina Edmunds went to Sochi based on one good performance. :think:

(At the same time that I wish Mirai could have gone to Sochi, I understand why Wagner went.)

 

[chuckm]

Polina had won two gold medals on the JGP and went to the JGPF before winning silver at Nationals. Mirai finished eighth at one GP and won bronze at the other before winning bronze at Nationals. You never knew what you were going to get when Mirai stepped on the ice and that is very likely why Wagner went to Sochi instead of Mirai.

 

[Mrs. P]

One could say that Polina Edmunds went to Sochi based on one good performance. :think:

(At the same time that I wish Mirai could have gone to Sochi, I understand why Wagner went.)

To be fair however, Edmunds had a very good JGP season that included winning both her events. Her only poor performance was in the SP of JGPF when she fell on her combo. But she then came back and placed second in the FS, though she missed the podium.

 

[ice coverage]

Polina had won two gold medals on the JGP and went to the JGPF before winning silver at Nationals. Mirai finished eighth at one GP and won bronze at the other before winning bronze at Nationals. You never knew what you were going to get when Mirai stepped on the ice and that is very likely why Wagner went to Sochi instead of Mirai.

To be fair however, Edmunds had a very good JGP season that included winning both her events. Her only poor performance was in the SP of JGPF when she fell on her combo. But she then came back and placed second in the FS, though she missed the podium.

I was/am aware of Edmunds' JGP results -- and I am not saying that she should not have gone to Sochi.
What I AM saying: Without placing second at Nats, would Edmunds have gone to Sochi? My guess is No.

 

[Mrs. P]

I was/am aware of Edmunds' JGP results -- and I am not saying that she should not have gone to Sochi.
What I AM saying: Without placing second at Nats, would Edmunds have gone to Sochi? My guess is No.

Oh I see what you're saying. Basically had Polina finished 4th or something, she wouldn't have gone but because she finished second at ONE event, she got the Sochi ticket.

 

[ice coverage]

Oh I see what you're saying. Basically had Polina finished 4th or something, she wouldn't have gone but because she finished second at ONE event, she got the Sochi ticket.

Yes, exactly, Mrs P.

Another way of expressing my point:

We know that Wagner went to Sochi although she placed fourth at Nats. Knowing what happened with Wagner, I think it is safe to assume that Gold would have gone to Sochi if she had placed fourth at Nats.
Those two were in a league of their own, and no other U.S. lady would have had that kind of immunity. The fate re Sochi of ANY LADIES not named Wagner or Gold rested on their performance in Boston.​

 

[aromaticchicken]

I'm actually not convinced they would have sent gracie had she gotten 4th...she only did so so on the GP last year and has otherwise been somewhat inconsistent as well. I mean, definitely more legitimacy than polina and mirai, but not enough imo to make up for a major implosion.

Ashley has an impressive resume of 4cc wins and GP success, she was the only one who could bank on her resume to makeup for a shoddy nationals showing. Really, she's the only one who had proven over the last quad "I deserve to represent USA at the Olympics"

 

[SimplyAFan]

It's a new season. Mirai has to put not going to the Olympics (right or wrong) behind her and focus on improving her jump consistency and expression/performance. If she wants to re-establish herself as a top American lady who hands down deserves to be on the world team, she needs to go out and skate her best at her GP events and place near or above other American ladies. She can't have one bad event and one good event then show up at nationals expecting to be rewarded based on one performance. I wish her all the best but she's gonna have to earn a spot on the world team if that's what she wants. Interested to see how working with Tom Z will impact her performance.

 

[chuckm]

I believe if Polina had finished 8th in one JGP and 3rd in the other and had NOT made the JGPF before finishing 2nd at Nationals, she would not have been sent to Sochi and Mirai and Ashley would have gone instead.

 

[kwanatic]

It's a new season. Mirai has to put not going to the Olympics (right or wrong) behind her and focus on improving her jump consistency and expression/performance. If she wants to re-establish herself as a top American lady who hands down deserves to be on the world team, she needs to go out and skate her best at her GP events and place near or above other American ladies. She can't have one bad event and one good event then show up at nationals expecting to be rewarded based on one performance. I wish her all the best but she's gonna have to earn a spot on the world team if that's what she wants. Interested to see how working with Tom Z will impact her performance.

This. And this is why, ultimately, I agreed with Polina being sent to Sochi over her. Mirai can't expect to be given the benefit of the doubt when she doesn't deliver consistently. That's not how stuff works. She has to deliver and she has to deliver consistently if she wants to move up. Mirai is towards the bottom half of the middle of the pack...she has the goods to be at the top of the pack IF she starts putting her talents to good use.

My fingers are eternally crossed for her...

 

[Eris]

This. And this is why, ultimately, I agreed with Polina being sent to Sochi over her.

Wasn't it Polina though who competed as a junior in the first half of the season, skated a mediocre sp two events in a raw and even with a clean fs in the final wasn't able to beat three russian baby girls who weren't super clean themselves?

Edmunds got a huge pcs boost at Nationals that helped her to finish second.

 

[drivingmissdaisy]

Wasn't it Polina though who competed as a junior in the first half of the season, skated a mediocre sp two events in a raw and even with a clean fs in the final wasn't able to beat three russian baby girls who weren't super clean themselves?

Edmunds got a huge pcs boost at Nationals that helped her to finish second.

Mirai arguably had a better season than Polina, but neither had a good enough season to knock a higher placed finisher off the team. I fully agree with aromaticchicken that Gracie in 4th would not have been sent. She also had a mediocre GP season and a poor finish at nationals would have capped off a disappointing season. Ashley had a great season leading up to nationals and was solid the year before, not losing to any American skaters for several seasons in a row.

I do agree that Polina's PCS was very inflated. I think she was fortunate to skate so late in the SP at nationals and than naturally boosted her scores, but her PCS relative to Ashley and Mirai was very surprising.

 

[Skater Boy]

This. And this is why, ultimately, I agreed with Polina being sent to Sochi over her. Mirai can't expect to be given the benefit of the doubt when she doesn't deliver consistently. That's not how stuff works. She has to deliver and she has to deliver consistently if she wants to move up. Mirai is towards the bottom half of the middle of the pack...she has the goods to be at the top of the pack IF she starts putting her talents to good use.

My fingers are eternally crossed for her...

Maybe the most fair thing would would have been to just send two ladies to the olympics are no lady since they were all so consistent - lol - if children can't play nice then treat them all the same (ironically we could be talking the judges/or committee members of the usfa. I know how irrational. But what a mess or rather difficult situation with what happened and who would have thought Edmunds would be so strong and consistent at nats, olys and worlds. off topic I have been watching Mirai and I was kind of surprised - while I am not saying she is heavy or anything she does not appear to have that tiny lithe body we expect from Asian ladies - she truly is built more like Zhang it would appear. It does make her skating look more "heavy" Ironically she looks even bigger than Joannie rochette who was a muscular lady skater but really looks more delicate than Mirai. most of these skaters have to be are actually slim; I think the only skater who was heavy and that was early in the season was Urmanov.

 

[desertskates]

I think with the Olympic team, the right thing was done, all three ladies skated well. I agree that Gracie and Ashley were on that team no matter what, and a lot of us were probably expecting Agnes to come in third. But then we have the meltdown of Agnes, and Polina and Mirai turn in great skates. It was tough the whole way around. I hope Mirai continues to practice hard and improve. I'll always root for her. But I think this year's 3 lady team will be the same as it was last year.

 

[kwanatic]

Wasn't it Polina though who competed as a junior in the first half of the season, skated a mediocre sp two events in a raw and even with a clean fs in the final wasn't able to beat three russian baby girls who weren't super clean themselves?

Edmunds got a huge pcs boost at Nationals that helped her to finish second.

Polina had a great JGP season. She won both of her events and qualified 2nd for the JGPF. At the Final, yeah, she had a bad SP but placed 2nd in the FS...everybody is going to have an off night at some point.

I do think Polina's PCS got a sizable boost at nationals but that was to be expected. She skated lights out in the SP (and was one of the highlights of the segment) and then had a very strong FS with two 3-3s. Of course they were going to boost her over Mirai. Polina threw down the gauntlet...she kinda deserved it.

I love Mirai to pieces but her leave it to the last minute skating was not the way to go. Had Mirai started off her season with that kind of determination and fight, she more than likely would have received that spot to Sochi. We all know better skating = more rep with the judges = higher PCS. Had she been skating great all season instead of just at nationals, Polina wouldn't have beat her b/c Mirai would have earned higher PCS.

Mirai is capable of getting higher PCS but when she skates slowly and with little to no performance in her performance, she doesn't deserve those higher scores. I hope she realizes that. It's amazing how much better she looks when she skates with energy and life...even if everything is going downhill, she should learn not to drop the performance. Hopefully that's a lesson she'll learn this season. Judging from SLC, she still has a way to go. As lovely as her programs were, she was still a little ZZZZzzz :disapp:

 

[chuckm]

Mirai is capable of getting higher PCS but when she skates slowly and with little to no performance in her performance, she doesn't deserve those higher scores. I hope she realizes that. It's amazing how much better she looks when she skates with energy and life...even if everything is going downhill, she should learn not to drop the performance. Hopefully that's a lesson she'll learn this season. Judging from SLC, she still has a way to go. As lovely as her programs were, she was still a little ZZZZzzz :disapp:

That's it in a nutshell. You'd think Mirai would have learned after all these years that you MUST soldier on even after making a mistake and continue as if the mistake had never happened. A champion does not give up mid-performance! Start the program with energy, end it the same way, and always smile when it's over.