Nagasu shares memories of the late World Champions and Jinna Han with PEOPLE following their deaths in the American Airlines plane crash PIERRE VERDY/AFP via Getty; Spencer Lane/Instagram; Everly & Alydia Livingston/Instagram Thanks for visiting The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here The Olympic figure skater revealed that her son Taiga Nagasu Bramante was born in April and quarantine with her boyfriend Michael and their two dogs Pika and Lincoln in this exclusive interview By Ken BrowneUSA figure skater Mirai Nagasu is who she is because of the family restaurant from Japan and spent a lifetime turning 'Sushi Kiyosuzu' in Arcadia "In the Nagasu family there were always two kids even though I was the only child. The restaurant was my dad’s baby," says Mirai. "Growing up my dad didn’t really have time to come to my competitions," she remembers, "he only took time off to go to the Olympics and he joked that because I went to the Olympics twice he had to take two vacations!" "But I know that I would not have gotten to the level that I’m at without my parents." Figure skater Mirai Nagasu on saving her family's sushi restaurantMirai Nagasu grew up in her parent's sushi restaurant in Los Angeles She spoke to Olympic Channel about how she's used her platform as an Olympic medal-winning figure skater to help his family and the rest of the community affected by the Covid-19 crisis So when the restaurant was in danger of going out of business during the COVID-19 crisis Mirai spoke to Olympic Channel about how she's used her platform as an Olympic medal-winning figure skater for good. And she introduces us to her dogs Pika and Lincoln while her boyfriend Michael tells us what it's like to be in lock-down with an Olympian. A post shared by Mirai Nagasu (@mirainagasu) on Apr 22, 2020 at 5:23pm PDT Things looked bad for Ikuko, and Kiyoto Nagasu when restaurant dining rooms were shut across America and the world because of the coronavirus outbreak. "They were worried that they wouldn’t be able to make rent," says Mirai. Stuck in quarantine in Boston on the other side of the country, she knew she had to help somehow. When a friend told her of an initiative that helps restaurants and provides meals for hospitals she said yes immediately. "I had to push them a little to do 'Power of Ten' which is an initiative that provides $10,000, so that helps pay for 10 employees and they make 1000 meals a week for healthcare staff in hospitals." "Now I wouldn’t say that they’re thriving, but they’re staying afloat which is great." And delivering food to hospitals is a way to help out the people who are saving lives and risking their own health to help others. "I’m seeing healthcare workers who are rightfully worried and anything that we can do on our side to take a little bit of the stress from them," says Mirai enthusiastically. "To be able to bring meals to their workplace so they don’t have to worry about that is something within our power." "Whatever we can do to help, we should take the initiative to do." A post shared by Power of 10 Initiative (@powerof10initiative) on Apr 12, 2020 at 9:40am PDT Without Power of Ten, "I don’t really even know what they would have done," Nagasu says. The family's story made the front page of the LA Times and she's been blown away by the response. "It’s been mind-blowingly nice," beams Nagasu. "To have our story on the front page of the LA Times ... That is really really cool, and to be able to be their voice has meant so much to me, I never really thought I could use my skating and my platform to make a difference like this." "Over the last couple of days people have come together to raise $10,000 which equals one extra week that a restaurant can provide these meals for healthcare workers. "And we’re really looking to expand past my parents’ restaurant in the Los Angeles area." The initiative was started by chef Eric Bruner-Yang who owns six restaurants in the Washington DC area, he needed help, "and wanted to help others," says 27-year-old figure skater Nagasu. "He started with $70,000 from angel donations, and now Power of Ten has raised over $200,000 and it’s in seven different cities, which is huge and for my parents to be the first in the LA area, I think that is really cool." A post shared by Mirai Nagasu (@mirainagasu) on Apr 24 Nagasu has enlisted friends and online connections her best friend Michelle Hamano has come up big "My parents aren’t able to do the deliveries so my high school best friend is doing them," says Mirai "I’ve actually known her since… around the same time that I was born because we’re both Japanese American and she understands the importance of the second generations coming together to help our parents and to be their voices." "She's helping them with interviews thank you Michelle for keeping my parents sane!" Sushi Kiyosuzu was a second home for a young Mirai Nagasu go back to the restaurant and fall asleep there." That was just another day in Arcadia for her Mirai would be up at 5am for figure skate practice but dad would already be up and gone to the fish market "He wakes up at 4:30 so that he can go to the fish market and hand-select his fish." knows that she owes a lot to her upbringing "I definitely learned my parents’ work ethic from watching them work so hard at the restaurant I mean my skating was important to all of us and it was a family effort." Mirai Nagasu opens her routine to “Miss Saigon” with a powerful triple axel becoming the first American woman to do so at an Olympics Nagasu learned the value of hard work in Sushi Kiyosuzu: "I would place the chopsticks for customers I would get so excited for a quarter an hour." "The restaurant was right next to a 7-11 so as soon as I had enough money The lessons she took from her parents saw Mirai through some tough times "I think my parents have definitely pushed me to work harder than anyone else and to try to the best of my ability to rise from adversity." And there has been plenty of that in Nagasu's career It’s how you react and rise above it that makes who you are." - Mirai Nagasu The Nagasus are an example of how immigration enriches society she also recognises how she can be a voice for an important group of people whose voices are often not heard She also helps her parents with social media and with the language barrier "I think I speak on behalf of ‘mom and pop restaurants’ where I think sometimes it's really hard for them to figure things out." "My parents can barely figure out the internet I mean Google is the easiest thing to use and my mom is like ‘Google is so high-tech..’ I mean it’s not second nature to them." to see my community come together and kind of claim me: 'oh Mirai grew up in Arcadia "That has always meant so much to me even though I train in Colorado." ExclusiveReplayTeam Event Women's Free Skating - Figure Skating | PyeongChang 2018 ReplaysThis event was held at the Gangneung Ice Arena on 12 February 2018 So as owners of a successful restaurant with an Olympic medal-winning daughter is it fair to say that the Nagasus are living their version of the American Dream "That’s so cute," Mirai reacts to the question "I’ve asked my parents would they ever move back to Japan which is where they’re from and they’ve always said "We love going to the supermarket in whatever we want to wear and we love having the space to be who we want to be." especially in Japan which is such a small country they want to have the room to have the house that they have now so I think that they’re overall very happy." Now Nagasu is happy to be able to give something back I’m not Lady Gaga but I definitely loved her live stream concert Iatched my favourite celebrities like John Legend and Sam Smith do a collaboration song." "Nobody wants to hear me sing and I’m terrible at off-ice but for me to be able to use my speaking voice to do Power of Ten and to do these interviews and communicate with my parents and call all the suppliers and make sure that they’re set." so whatever is within my power I want to do right now." "I’m able to give back to my community and give back to healthcare workers that means so much to me because it feels like I’m able to help." "Where during the Olympics they were supporting me now I can provide the foundations to support my community," she says from quarantine in Boston the South Korean women's curling team and Mirai Nagasu on Pyeongchang 2018 But Mirai Nagasu isn't the only figure skater getting active during these challenging times They raised funds for coronavirus relief with an online livestream event in mid-April And on April 25 Kaitlyn Weaver hosted 'Open Ice' where Olympic figure skaters raised money for the UN Foundation's COVID-19 Response Fund "To see the skating community come together I think we’re all trying to do our part in order to give back to the community." "Especially because we’re so used to being supported by other people." "Our entire careers are based on the support our fans give us and the messages they send us so what we can do to give back has meant a lot." "And I really enjoyed Gracie hosting ‘Blades for the Brave’ to see skaters outside of their comfort zone of the ice rink was kind of fun." "Caitlyn Weaver put together ‘Open Ice’ with a bunch of other skaters too and I was excited to be a supporter of that." the figure skating world is unified in wanting to help while in quarantine "I have my boyfriend here and two dogs I think they’re enjoying it because they get to sleep all day and get long walks." Olympic Channel asks to meet the dogs and her boyfriend Michael "So this is Lincoln," Mirai says with both arms full of adorable doggos Michael adopted Pika which a friend connected to the project found as a stray. When Mirai calls in boyfriend Michael, our first question is: what's it like living in lockdown with a famous figure skater? "It’s pretty spectacular apart from when she wants to go work out four times a day," he says. "And your legs are dead and your back is tired and she’s like “what are you complaining about, you didn’t even do half the workout." "And then we’ll go on a mile or two run at the end of the day. So it’s a lot of fun but for people like me that have not been in sport for a couple of years it’s, it’s been exhausting." With all the stories of relationship strain during quarantine, how are Mirai and Michael handling it? “I think he’s only saying that because I’m sitting right next to him,” Mirai jokes. View this post on Instagram Obligatory Vday picture. At least he’s always honest with me 😂 A post shared by Mirai Nagasu (@mirainagasu) on Feb 14, 2020 at 8:28pm PST The couple are watching a lot of figure skating, Michael is an ex competitive ice dancer and now coaches figure skating full time. “So I do watch a lot of skating," he says. "But not to the same degree as Mirai because Mirai will put on any sort of skating that she gets a chance to, whenever it is on, so I kind of get dragged into that, but I still enjoy it." "I cannot watch myself, it’s so ingrained in myself to pick out my mistakes, any time I watch myself I’ll say oh, I did this wrong, I could have done this better." "I love Kristi Yamaguchi’s Olympic performance, I think that, although levels weren’t a thing back then, her technical difficulty was up to par even though she was considered an artistic skater, I like to reminisce in the past as well." Olympic figure skating champion Kristi Yamaguchi won the popular dancing contest in 2008 but who is her pick to do well this year? But has this global time out given the couple a chance to do anything different? "We’ve improved our culinary skills," says Michael. Mirai nods, "I mean things like, baking, that’s not something I was ever interested in before, but like Michael said, now I’m all about cooking, I’m all about baking, things that I never really had time for in the past because I was so focused on skating" "Being able to see the world outside of skating has been really… a refreshing change," Mirai says. "I don’t think I’ve ever done dishes as much as I’ve done these past couple of weeks," says Michael in a mock-weary voice. "Or done as many YouTube workouts, but altogether it’s been really great." The couple spent their birthdays together during quarantine, Michael turned 28 and Mirai 27. He arranged a cinema date just for the two of them on her birthday: A post shared by Mirai Nagasu (@mirainagasu) on Apr 19 "This quarantine has really made me miss the ice rink," she says "I think that when you’re in full-on training some days it’s the last place you want to be when you feel tired to your very core it’s a bug that’s hard to get rid of." Could we possibly see Mirai Nagasu at Beijing 2022 "I don’t know that it’s within my body to… nothing is impossible like Michael said I guess I really like to push myself past my limits." She also gives us a little glimpse into a possible future career: "I don’t think quads are going to be in my forte ever but maybe I can help teach them some day." It feels like Mirai has done a lot of growing up and is more at peace with who she is "Time is money is what my mom always said to me growing up these days I still believe that but at the same time there are things more important than money… like happiness." "Which is not a forever attainable thing it goes and comes in waves and I think that’s something that I wish I knew when I was younger." no stranger to overcoming adversity during her competitive career seems to have hit on an effective game plan for these troubling times Editor’s note: Two-time Olympian Mirai Nagasu stepped up in April to help her parents’ sushi restaurant in Arcadia stay afloat during this economically crippling pandemic Figure Skating members helping others during these trying times Check out the June-July issue of SKATING magazine to read about other members making a difference in their local communities And let yourself binge watch Netflix from time to time because it’s embarrassing how much I enjoy being awake until 2 a.m and then not waking up until noon,” Nagasu said When reminded that nearly two decades of early morning practice sessions in cold ice rinks may have earned her some slack the irrepressible Nagasu wielded a bit of her dry humor “I really appreciate that you’re giving me an excuse,” she said Championships medals including the 2008 U.S has spent the coronavirus pandemic holed up in Boston with boyfriend Michael Bramante and French ice dance competitor who now coaches She’s also seeking treatment for a still-healing hip injury which required surgery following the 2018 PyeongChang Games “So many things bring me to Boston,” Nagasu said “A boy … and I really want to get my hip sorted out “I feel like they’re like a waste of space right now and just sitting in the corner of my room With Boston’s ice rinks closed for the COVID-19 pandemic from March through June one she’s sharing with friends back in her hometown of Arcadia and I actually make a bunch of my high school friends work out,” she said You can do it.’ I’m kind of surprised with how motivating I can be to get my friends to do workouts but it’s not as satisfying as pushing through a long program.” the 27-year-old has been actively engaged in adulting Skating fans who have followed Nagasu’s career since she surged to fame with the 2007 U.S junior title remember Sushi Kiyosuzu as the family business where the youngster would often sleep on a cot in a storage room she sometimes worked there alongside parents Ikuko and Kiyoto The successful mom-and-pop operation paid for years of skates a James Beard Award-nominated chef and Washington a nonprofit program that funds restaurants so they can pay staff and provide meals for healthcare workers and others affected by the pandemic Founding The Power of 10 was his way to ensure other restaurants survive “The ultimate goal was to keep dollars within my community keep my community intact while servicing others and so that’s where the idea of Power of 10 came up,” he said “That in a week $10,000 could create 10 full-time jobs and provide a thousand free meals to people in need in any community in America raising $200,000 from individual contributions and foundations via a website Individuals contributed by purchasing one to 1,000 meals at $10 each and the money funded the food and restaurant workers’ salaries homeless shelter and other facilities hard hit by COVID “You typically get what would be a $20 to $25 entrée at a restaurant,” he said “What we can do with that kind of money at the scale of the meals is people can get to eat really amazing food.” Sushi Kiyosuzu became the first Los Angeles-area business to participate in the initiative The restaurant started with 500 meals per week delivered to a local hospital and Asian youth center “When I went to them with this idea of Power of 10 We’re just going to get a government loan and then try to stay afloat,’” Nagasu said and completing the required forms was difficult for the Japanese-born Ikuko and Kiyoto we’re open for the idea because we’re really desperate and this is a really hard time for us,’” Nagasu said “It was kind of like trying to get them to do a triple Axel how they have to make the food look really tasty so we can promote it A recent satisfied customer gave the restaurant five stars on Yelp: I've been here and eaten in the restaurant before it closed only for deliveries during the pandemic  During the pandemic I have ordered for pick-up They take precautions to keep everyone socially distanced “It’s been an interesting journey,” Nagasu said “It’s definitely a flip around from my parents supporting me Figure Skating Sports Science and Medicine Committee who practices at Boston Children’s Hospital in hopes of resolving chronic pain from her earlier surgery she would certainly like to pursue a performing and coaching career free of pain LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR SPONSORS Website Created by Taoti Creative sleeping in the storeroom and earning quarters for washing dishes when she wasn’t in school or taking figure skating lessons didn’t always attend her skating competitions because they felt obligated to keep their business open and their employees working Mirai respected that — and she learned much more from them than how to make an appetizing tuna roll Like thousands of other small businesses, Sushi Kiyosuzu was staggered when the COVID-19 pandemic hit and restaurants were forced to close their dining rooms who immigrated to the United States from Japan couldn’t navigate the maze of government loan programs and were reluctant to tell their daughter how dire their situation was Ikuko Nagasu prepares lunches Tuesday as part of the Power of 10 program. (Gabriella Angotti-Jones / Los Angeles Times) Her need to be strong for her parents kicked in when she learned they had let go all but one employee. Through a friend of a friend, she discovered a restaurant relief initiative called the Power of 10 and funds restaurants so they can rehire staff and cook food for healthcare workers and others affected by the pandemic The Nagasu family’s restaurant on Tuesday became the first Los Angeles-area business to participate in the initiative starting with a plan to cook 500 meals this week and soon double that number where she has been self-isolating after consulting doctors there about a skating-related hip injury Nagasu recruited some of her high school friends back home to help deliver the meals “and we hope it’s an initiative that we can start to offer throughout the entire country going to the Olympics was a big goal for me and to immerse myself in an equally big goal is something that I enjoy To be able to focus on my parents more and to be able to help them Signed photos of Olympic figure skater Mirai Nagasu hang on a wall at her family’s restaurant (Gabriella Angotti-Jones / Los Angeles Times) Erik Bruner-Yang chef and restaurateur who organized the Power of 10 project said the initiative had raised $200,000 from individual contributions and foundations 10,000 meals were delivered in the area to a hospital a homeless shelter in Virginia and a residence for elderly Asian immigrants in addition to some drop-offs in low-income areas Individuals can contribute by purchasing one to 1,000 meals at $10 each and the money funds the food and restaurant workers’ salaries The restaurants don’t have to repay the grants Until the federal government’s Paycheck Protection Program ran out of funding “We were kind of hoping for a trickle-down solution there are so many people that always get missed The only way for small independent operators to move forward is to create our own social safety net and help trickle it up The more money you can keep in your community After ensuring the Nagasus’ restaurant could make enough meals and deliveries for four weeks Bruner-Yang saw it as a perfect first California outpost “We found an amazing partner with a great story that fits our mission to help independent small operators especially mom-and-pop restaurants who would have a hard time navigating through this time period Bruner-Yang said the situation was “almost serendipitous” since he and Mirai Nagasu shared a similar background and our stories are so similar of our parents doing whatever it took to make our dreams a reality I think that our ability to connect through social media and to have this program in place supports our parents’ generations And there’s so much information coming out How are people like Mirai’s parents supposed to figure out how to get through this without the support of people like us who are savvy and up to date and can help out?” The meals are targeted for the area where she grew up. Clearly, she inherited her parents’ admirable sense of responsibility. “I went to elementary school, middle school, and high school in Arcadia,” she said, “and to be able to do something for the community, especially when I saw how much support they gave me when I went to both Olympics, is something that means a lot to me.” California Some smaller California communities want to begin easing stay-at-home restrictions, saying they have made enough progress against the coronavirus. World & Nation Subscribe for unlimited accessSite Map Mirai Nagasu made history by becoming the first American woman—and third woman ever—to land the notoriously difficult triple axel at the Olympics Olympic team win a bronze medal at Pyeongchang she also competed in the 2010 Vancouver Olympics and was the youngest woman to win a U.S senior ladies title since Olympic champion Tara Lipinski in 1997 Nagasu emphasizes that it wasn’t an easy path to her bronze medal win she wasn’t deterred from pursuing her Olympic medal dreams and decided I was really determined to learn a new jump which is really unheard of—especially in figure skating—at the age that I am and we spend our 20s refining our technique and learning more about consistence and pressure,” Nagasu shares “For me to learn the triple axel at 24 years old was a huge deal It took a lot out of my body—I tore my labrum—but I would say it was worth it.” Nagasu talks more with us about her Olympic experience Asian American representation and her newfound love for sparkling water Coming from a background of two immigrant parents it was really important to my parents to help me find something that I was really passionate about and that I could excel at This was an era when Tiger Woods was really popular I have photos of me before I could even walk I guess I started to ask to be taken to the rink every day instead of the golf course your parents…they just kind of go along with it and it just kind of became a little bit of a snowball effect but I had really good coaches who helped push me and helped motivate me I started at such a young age that it has been a part of my whole life I learned how to walk and then skating got incorporated—I don’t think it’s something that I’ll ever let go of Any Olympian will tell you that they’re very competitive Usually it’s classified by color: blue is generally first third is usually green and fourth gets a yellow ribbon My mom would always tell me that I was really lucky that I was still at a lower level because when you get up to the big leagues you don’t actually get anything for fourth place I used to pout a little bit and tell my mom that the judges had it all wrong I believed in myself way more than I was capable of—I look back at my old videos I wasn’t that great of a skater,” but I always believed I was It’s a lot of responsibility to be named to the Olympic team There’s a weight and responsibility to be selected is such a big country—there are so many people who are qualified for the spot To be a part of something bigger than yourself is something I think a lot of people strive for I’m lucky to call myself a two-time Olympian It’s kind of daunting to step out onto Olympic ice and think it feels a little bit like me against the world,” even though I know that there are so many people who are supporting me I equate that to a scene from “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End,” when the pirates are going against the entire English naval forces It’s just like one of those moments where you’re putting everything on the line I feel that’s the motivation that I need going into competition—I watch that scene to pump myself up while I get ready for the Olympics They had team boxes for us where they tried to get teammates because the team boxes were really close to the wall I was going by them and setting up for my last element when my legs were dead (and) felt like cement (Olympic pair skater) Alexa Scimeca Knierim girl!” It just made me laugh a little bit because she had no clue I still had one more jump It was kind of the mindset change that I needed because I nailed that last jump I didn’t know you still had another element.” And I said “It’s ok—I think it’s what I needed because it made me laugh in the middle of my program.” For me to be responsible for a part of the team was really something I heavily wanted I would look at team sports like basketball and volleyball and I wanted to be a part of a camaraderie like that To be given that opportunity to be given an Olympic medal with my teammates was literally a dream come true To go into the operating room with the ability to walk (Nagasu had hip surgery to repair a torn labrum and hip socket fracture and then to wake up and not be able to walk to look that my leg is twice the size it was two hours previously—that was a little hard to stomach I had to go through a lot of soul searching “How do you know this is the career you want to be on?” My friend was going through a transition and said I think I’m going to look for another job.” Seeing her grow as a person seeing that she wasn’t happy and was going to do something about it—that helped me when I was recovering from my surgery The first thing that came to my mind was sparkling water I’ve really jumped onto the whole juicing fad I love celery juice—not for the taste but for its health benefits Learning about other people really fascinates me I think that’s really want I want to go into I would love to be backstage at sports events and to really ask the athletes what helped them have their successful performance or what was it that might have distracted them I am really curious about it in figure skating But I interned for several departments at the news station and I’ve been introduced to many sports outside of my own I watched Tiger Woods win the Masters again and I just wanted to ask him how he has that undying faith and how he still has that ability to be pushing through all that negativity I’ve been so fortunate to have role models who were Asian American that I’ve been able to look up to These are household names that we remember Asian American representation is not high enough I never realized its importance until I stepped outside of California and outside of figure skating but I’ve always been too Asian for the U.S I’ve always been most comfortable around my Asian American friends I never really truly understood its value until I stepped out of it Now when I talk to people who are Japanese American or Asian American there is something so relatable to me about them and I never understood its value until it was taken away from me My parents’ generation was all about taking the hit and they would apologize and actually thank you I want to see people feel like they can strive for their goals I think that people need to break barriers I don’t know that I consider myself a barrier breaker but my desire to go for the triple axel—I admire that I set such a high goal for myself I hope that I continue to see others strive for the same Are Not FDIC InsuredAre Not Bank GuaranteedMay Lose Value Are Not Insured by Any Federal Government AgencyAre Not Deposits and East West Bank with compass logo are separately registered trademarks of East West Bank in the United States and other countries Chris Kattan asked everyone to vote him out California Dreams was better than Saved by the Bell WESTBORO — Under the watchful eye of two-time U.S 11-year-old Ava Svirskiy performed a pretty solid double salchow at the end of her practice session Wednesday afternoon at NorthStar Ice Sports made history as the first American woman to land a triple axel in the Olympics joined the North Star Figure Skating Club coaching staff in October and has been working with aspiring stars like Svirskiy since “It’s cool,” said Svirskiy “because I didn’t think I would work with an Olympian I feel like I’ve progressed since I’ve been with her.” who wore a glittery gold mask to match her sparkling personality coaches three days a week at NorthStar and has a great rapport with the young skaters “She’s a lot of fun,” North Star executive director Denise Marco said “She brings a breath of fresh air to the rink that we need It’s great to have someone of her caliber here It’s very exciting for the skaters.” who was born and raised in California and lived in Colorado Springs for a time came to the area earlier this year due to a hip issue is a sports medicine physician at Boston Children’s Hospital and also chair of the U.S Figure Skating Sports Science and Medicine Committee Nagasu was diagnosed with hip dysplasia and in June underwent a procedure called periacetabular osteotomy (PAO) called North Star to see if the figure skating club would be interested in having her “Of course we said yes,” Marco said is making good strides following the surgery “I haven’t been cleared fully to do all my jumps on the ice yet,” she said “but I’m cleared to skate and I’ve had the pleasure of joining the great North Star ice team and their coaching staff and to be able to help the kids and stay involved in my favorite sport has been a great recovery tool.” watched Nagasu on TV during the last Winter Olympics “I think the effect (that I was an Olympian) doesn’t stay too long with them,” Nagasu said “I hope they like me for my guidance and instruction I think once they realize my personality is very fun and they can say whatever they’re feeling to me and I’m really there to help them through and instruct them on their skating A few flurries flew as Nagasu entered the North Star rink Wednesday afternoon but she became a fan of snow while living in Colorado The biggest adjustment she’s had to make since living on the East Coast is “changing to become a Dunkin’ Donuts girl from a Starbucks girl,” she said with a laugh who is a two-time World Junior medalist and a seven-time U.S has enjoyed teaching and working with kids throughout her career “I always coached on the side and did seminars,” she said “but it was always a drop-in kind of thing teach what I can in a short period of time So to be able to stay in a consistent location and teach consistently is when you get to see the byproduct of your hard work and to see that progression has been really rewarding “I really enjoy helping these skaters achieve their goals,” Nagasu said “I had such a great team of coaches helping me so for me to be able to do the same for them and to be behind the scenes of skating has been really enjoyable.” Among Nagasu’s past coaches was Worcester’s Frank Carroll Nagasu’s lessons include encouragement and balancing hard work and fun “She reassures me I can do it,” Kratt said “When I get stressed out she lets me know I have the capability of doing it Nagasu’s most memorable moment of competition was landing the triple axel 30 seconds into her free skate in the team event at the 2018 Olympics “You work for hours on end for such a short moment in your life,” Nagasu said “and you put so much pressure to deliver in that moment To be able to deliver when it counted is something I’ll remember for the rest of my life.” it was at the beginning of the program,” Nagasu said “If I could have just kind of dropped the mike and skated away and been like That was my moment,’ that would have been fun I remember that moment more vividly than other moments but I mostly remember I was able to turn my mind off and that’s what helped me compete my best.” but she looks forward to a full return to the North Star ice “I know the athlete in me,” she said “I miss the grind and I miss the training and once I’m cleared to jump I’ll probably pull out some jumps and triples I can’t do it,’ but then when they see someone close to them do it I guess I can do it.’ That might be the mentality that some of these kids have and I’m more than happy to help them through that by hopefully training myself.” —Contact Jennifer Toland at jennifer.toland@telegram.com The 31-year-old revealed that she welcomed a son in a paid Instagram post just days after revealing her engagement Astrid Stawiarz/Getty; Boston Ice Dance Academy/Instagram Thanks for visiting really awful about the things I said," she told PEOPLE on Saturday American figure skater and "Celebrity Big Brother" season three contestant Mirai Nagasu feels for Russia's 15-year-old star skater Kamila Valieva amid Valieva's doping scandal but firmly believes all Olympic athletes should be held "accountable." Nagasu was the 2018 Winter Olympics team event bronze medalist who made history when she became the first American woman to successfully land a triple axel at that event She recently spoke to Insider after being unanimously voted out of the "Celebrity Big Brother" house in Monday's live vote and eviction The retired skater, whose first tweet after her "Big Brother" elimination was about how excited she was to catch up with the 2022 Winter Olympic Games She continued: "I hope that we continue to make sure we're holding our athletes accountable and we're all competing on equal ground and footing." with the United States taking silver and Japan taking bronze a metabolic agent that helps prevent angina attacks with sources saying that Valieva may have been the athlete who failed the drug test While the Russian Anti-Doping Agency cleared Valieva for Olympic competition despite testing positive the International Olympic Committee (IOC) appealed that decision "For Nathan to be able to put two strong performances together back-to-back and also be a formidable player in the team event — he really deserves his Olympic gold medal," Nagasu told Insider on Thursday and I'm excited to be a part of a generation that continues to represent for the Asian American community," she added Correction: A previous version of this story misstated Mirai Nagasu's comments about desire to be on Dancing With the Stars South Korea – Mirai Nagasu signed off her Winter Olympics campaign with a disappointing routine and an extraordinary interview – in which she claimed credit for “saving” the United States’ team bronze and revealed her main focus for her final performance was that she was “auditioning for Dancing With the Stars.” Nagasu failed to take off on her famed triple axel and ended the women’s event in 10th place yet guaranteed she would receive heavy attention with her explosive post-skate comments “I would like to be on Dancing With the Stars because I want to be a star,” Nagasu who stuck her triple axel in the team event “I made history here by landing the first triple axel for a U.S lady at the Olympics so I think that is a big deal I hope I get more opportunities to let my personality just shine “I smiled in the middle of my program It is really rare for me but I enjoyed myself and I thought of this as my audition (for DWTS).” including gold medalist ice dancers Charlie White and Meryl Davis as well as Vancouver champion Evan Lysacek was always considered likely to clinch bronze in the team competition that began the figure skating program Nagasu’s outstanding effort in the women’s free skate section helped push the Americans over the line but pairs skaters Alexa and Chris Knierim were rock solid; Bradie Tennell was strong in the women’s short program Nathan Chen placed fourth despite falling in his routine Maia and Alex Shibutani and Nagasu to simply hold their nerve and we got here and got to walk in the opening ceremonies and then I saved the team event with Adam (Rippon) and the Shibutanis,” Nagasu said “We were about to lose our medals so today I put my medal in my pocket and said ‘Mirai you have done your job already and this is all just icing.’ We were behind Italy for a good little bit.” beat eventual fourth-placed Italy by six points and was never behind them at the end of any of the eight rounds Nagasu’s chance of individual hardware realistically disappeared the moment she fell on her triple axel during Wednesday’s short program Her mother Ikuko told her in advance of Friday’s routine making (the Olympics) is the hard part,” she said Nagaus said, “I didn’t back down and though I got zero points for my triple axel More: U.S. historically bad as Russians win gold, silver in figure skating More: German figure skater performs to 'Schindler's List,' social media aghast The 24-year-old finished fourth in Vancouver in 2010 and was controversially left off the 2014 team It is highly unlikely she attempts to complete another Olympic cycle and was already the oldest member of the American women’s contingent here Nagasu was not holding back and also detailed some of the difficulties she had experienced in the Athletes’ Village “I have watched my roommates go out and compete and I have still had to go to bed at 8 p.m. “I am not used to that and to wake up at 4 a.m It is hard – people don’t see what goes on in the background “We’ve had so many other commitments I also haven’t taken a warm shower because there are a lot of people on Team USA – somehow I keep trying to take a shower and all the hot water is gone.” South Korea — The Mirai Roll is named after American figure skating star Mirai Nagasu but it’s not a feat of athletic artistry unthinkable for most of the population Nagasu’s parents Kiyoto and Ikuko own Kiyosuzu a quaint and welcoming spot that serves a healthy helping of friendly charm along with a delicious and enterprising menu Kiyoto Nagasu isn’t your typical sushi chef bending some traditional conventions to seek new and intriguing ways to prepare fish dishes whose emotional performances have made her arguably America’s most loved modern figure skater credits her childhood environment for the imaginative mindset she takes to the ice “My dad is a very creative type of person so he has rolls that make no sense to most people familiar with sushi,” Mirai Nagasu said “He’s kind of mischievous and that’s how I am too I like to be bold and different and to go and try things I believe in adventure and imagination and I got that from my parents and the things I experienced as a child.” More: Team figure skating perfectly fine at 2018 Winter Olympics More: Winter Olympics athletes might not get wealthy, but they're rich in other ways Nagasu recovered from bitter disappointment four years ago missing out on the Sochi Olympics despite placing third at the U.S There were three spots open for American women but the selection committee elevated Ashley Wagner to the team ahead of her while Wagner got fourth again but was omitted this time The Mirai Roll was created when 1992 Olympic champion Kristi Yamaguchi came to visit the restaurant and contains tuna USA TODAY Sports is pleased to announce it is just as good as it sounds the restaurant will close so that the Nagasus can watch Mirai in action in Pyeongchang but it is special to be able to watch Mirai,” Ikuko said Kiyoto remembers a middle school Mirai sitting by a corner of the sushi bar waiting for special cuts that he would sneak her way “Maybe it made her strong,” he said Kiyoto’s humorous side came out when Mirai was in eighth grade but he instead gave her a dollop of wasabi that looked similar The result was an explosion of spiciness and tears Skating at elite level is not cheap and during her teenage years Mirai was driven all over the Los Angeles area for training before coming back to the restaurant while her parents worked the dinner rush This is not a golden period for American women and a spot on the podium for either Nagasu national champion Bradie Tennell or fellow team member Karen Chen would be a spectacular result Nagasu might have the best chance if she skates lights out “Out of everything I have learned the most important lesson is that just because your hard work doesn’t always get rewarded immediately you never stop doing it,” Nagasu added Print Reporting from Pyeongchang south korea — On property of the First United Methodist Church in San Gabriel stands a modest-sized house that serves as a Japanese school classroom Notices to the parents of students are posted on a whiteboard near the front door a picture of Mirai Nagasu has been taped alongside a couple of class schedules A message in black erasable marker explained why who is at the Pyeongchang Olympics as a figure skater is a graduate of Kodomo No Ie,” it read in Japanese fell during the women’s short program Tuesday while attempting her trademark triple axel jump entering the free skating portion of the competition Thursday her face brightened when she was told about the display outside her old school but the label undersells how much exposure she has had to Japanese culture as well as how much that culture shaped her as a person and skater the bubbly Nagasu seems like a quintessential Southern California teenager She described winning a bronze medal in the team skating event as “super exciting,” and said she was “super grateful” Karen Chen’s performance at the world championship earned the United States three individual berths at these Olympics Nagasu also referenced a Hilary Duff movie when explaining why an American could reach the medal podium in her event watched popular Japanese cartoon programs such as Chibi Maruko-chan She doesn’t wear shoes inside her home and announces herself in typical Japanese fashion when visiting her parents in Arcadia: “tadaima” — “I’m home.” She added with a giggle: “I wait for someone to say (Dean Mouhtaropoulos / Getty Images ) Nagasu attended preschool at Kodomo No Ie and remembers creating trinkets in arts and crafts sessions “I made a Pikachu (a Pokemon cartoon character ) out of a raisin box with straws,” Nagasu said The school’s faculty has largely turned over since then but was the kind of child who was competent in everything she tried,” Umehata said in Japanese by phone from her residence in Nishinomiya Nagasu went to Kodomo No Ie for only about a year before her mother had her choose between Japanese school and skating practice but along with her family maintained a relationship with Kodomo No Ie Umehata recalled Nagasu’s attending the school’s new year mochi festival and her parents donating dining utensils from their restaurant to be used as learning tools The teacher said the school raised money to help cover a portion of Nagasu’s skating-related travel expenses Nagasu still receives Christmas cards from Kodomo No Ie Umehata watched on television Nagasu’s performance in team skating Feb Nagasu became the first American woman to land a triple axel jump at the Olympics “I was cheering and clapping all by myself,” Umehata said with a laugh “I was really moved when she landed the triple axel.” Nagasu was also heavily influenced by the time she spent in the family’s sushi restaurant in Arcadia. The work-ethic she observed and learned there helped make her a world-class skater Nagasu finished third at the 2014 national championships but fourth-place finisher Ashley Wagner was selected for the last of three places on the U.S Nagasu went eight years between Olympic appearances “I’ve stuck around for a really long time,” she said “I feel like I really deserved a medal and so I kept at it and kept at it.” She won her bronze in the team competition Her persistence has also handicapped her at times they’re not really one to complain,” she said it’s hard for me to communicate my discomfort because I want to be respectful I’ve learned that you have to ask people on your team to help you out.” including Nagasu and Alex and Maia Shibutani who won a bronze medal in ice dancing Tuesday “I pride myself on being Japanese American,” Nagasu said “I love that about how our culture is evolving and there are TV shows with Asians now It wasn’t too long ago that Asian roles were played [by] non-Asian people For the American culture to evolve and include Asians is so amazing.” As Nagasu fielded questions about her background she was asked whether she bows when greeting people she opts for something that reflects the two cultures in which she grew up dylan.hernandez@latimes.com Follow Dylan Hernandez on Twitter @dylanohernandez Dylan Hernández is a sports columnist with the Los Angeles Times. Before that, he was the Dodgers beat writer. Hernandez grew up in South Pasadena and graduated from UCLA in 2002, after which he worked at the San Jose Mercury News for five years. High School Sports Galaxy Dodgers Sports Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker "To take my fame gained in my skating and put it toward my parents .. means so much to me," the figure skating medalist tells PEOPLE Mirai Nagasu had already lived at least two lifetimes in the sport of figure skating when she showed up in Colorado Springs in March 2014 to visit a friend and try to figure out what to do with the rest of her life After winning her only national title at 14 in 2008 and finishing a surprising fourth at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games then she came back to finish third at the 2014 U.S team by a committee in favor of fourth-place finisher Ashley Wagner “I was very close to quitting.” She trudged to the rink every day in Southern California to train in case she was needed as the first alternate she decided to go to Colorado to visit Agnes Zawadzki Nagasu was on the ice with Olympic coach Tom Zakrajsek It turned out that the answer to what Nagasu wanted to do with the rest of her life More: Lindsey Vonn's Olympic dreams driven by need for speed More: Winter Olympics: Shaun White says he has plenty more to show in halfpipe “The new environment really helped,” Nagasu said “I just took a good old leap of faith.” Zakrajsek was aware of Nagasu’s quick rise to the top of her sport and the struggles that followed an age by which young women have often left the sport “You have to promise me something,” Zakrajsek said to her “You’re going to do something you’ve never done before “That’s why I’m coming back,” she replied the difficult 3½-revolution jump that very few women around the world have ever mastered had put the triple axel into her repertoire of jumps for her short and long program in an attempt to make her second Olympic team a full eight years after her first landing the jump time and again in practice that week Then came the six-minute warm-up for the short program Nagasu felt her nerves kick in as the jump went haywire and when it came time to land it in her program rising to the occasion with a clean skate the rest of the way Nagasu actually “overshot” the jump but used it to power through to a second-place finish behind new national champion Bradie Tennell “Talking about what happened in 2014 still makes me really emotional,” she said “It’s not something I want to live again but it has led me to this moment I’m so proud that I’m here again Nagasu had done the unthinkable in a sport ruled by teenage jumping beans: She became the first U.S female figure skater to return to the Olympic Games after missing one I was going for it on the harness (a device that allows skaters to jump while tethered and monitored by a coach) and taking hard falls on it That willingness to put it out there has helped me get over the fear and want to push the boundaries and exceed my limits I want to know that I did everything I could to achieve my goals.” it might have been the easiest she has ever had to make.  women’s figure skating performance at an Olympics “I know I’ve trained myself to skate better than that and not being able to deliver is a huge let-down for myself and everyone who supported me.” who likely just finished out her last Olympics at least was taking the opportunity to look toward the future So I enjoyed myself and I thought of this as my audition for Dancing with the Stars,” she told reporters Friday she is processing her time at the Olympics she noted that one of her most treasured Olympic moments was a surprise visit from her grandma This content can also be viewed on the site it originates from “Sometimes you just have to take it all in with a smile on your face,” she wrote I enjoyed my Olympic performances and have been overwhelmingly happy with the support I’ve received from everyone.” a California native and only child of parents who immigrated to the U.S made her way up the national skating ranks which earned her a spot on the Vancouver Olympic team where she finished just off the podium in fourth and had spotty performances at international competitions which should have earned her a ticket to the Sochi Olympics Figure Skating decided to send fourth-place finisher Ashley Wagner instead given Wagner’s stronger results in international events that season Read More: ‘There Was Nothing I Could Lose.’ Nathan Chen Redeems His Dismal Olympics and Makes Skating History Devastated but gracious after being left off the team, Nagasu made a momentous decision to move from California, where her parents own a sushi restaurant, to Colorado Springs to train with the coach Tom Zakrajsek. She also had a request. She asked him to teach her the triple axel jump the most challenging move that female skaters perform had previously landed the triple axel in competition she needed a big trick like the triple axel “I have always wanted to become a better skater,” she says “This journey started with me wanting to become better wanting to improve myself and change myself.” After moving out of her parents’ home, Nagasu lived at first with a host family. For cash, she became a Colorado Avalanche ice girl during the 2015-2016 ice hockey season “And the sushi restaurant wasn’t going to pay for my skating So you gotta do what you gotta do.” She added “I wanted to find a family outside of my skating family she and Zakrajsek worked relentlessly on perfecting the triple axel “Her technique had to be totally different,” he says good double axel but there’s a little difference in technique for the double and triple axel Nagasu had to perfect the moment of takeoff in order to achieve the three airborne rotations that create a triple axel They worked together for about two years before Nagasu was landing the triple axel jump consistently enough to include it in her programs She now does about 30 triple axels a day in training which stresses him out a bit — “If I can get her down to three or four I’m really happy” — but What makes the punishing training possible is that Nagasu has also transformed physically becoming fitter and stronger in order to pull off the jump “If you look at Mirai’s body in the fall of 2014 and now she’s just different,” says Zakrajsek When Nagasu competed at the Four Continents Championship in Gangneung Ice Arena last year Zakrajsek wanted her to practice the triple axel on the same ice that would host the Olympic Games in 2018 She practiced the jump during training runs although she didn’t put any triple axels into her program at the time “That was intentional,” he says of the dress rehearsal That foresight paid off when Nagasu landed the triple axel during the long program portion of the team event at the Olympics earlier this month, becoming the first U.S. woman to complete the jump at the Winter Olympics and helping the U.S. win bronze Nagasu has grown more comfortable with the triple axel and now competes with the jump in both her short and long programs Zakrajsek says she lands them 85% to 95% of the time She’s expected to include the jump in her short program on Wednesday local time (the short program airs in the U.S “When she goes into the short program she is going in with the confidence of knowing that she did it already — that monkey is off her back,” Zakrajsek says When Nagasu takes the ice for the short program both of her parents will be in the audience to watch her skate since her father is usually so focused on keeping the family’s restaurant afloat that he doesn’t often have time to attend competitions Nagasu remembers sleeping in the storage room and washing dishes to help her parents out ‘I have to feed the people!’ They have to make a living somehow,” Nagasu says “My dad feels responsible for not just my mom and himself but for the other people who work there too so for them to put their business on hold to come all the way to Korea to watch me skate is great I’m glad my parents will experience the Olympics with me.” That’s a lot of pressure for a skater at the Olympic Games Contact us at letters@time.com A community celebrating Black voices Beautycon is a global platform that brings together beauty enthusiasts and industry leaders to explore the latest trends and conversations shaping the future of beauty playNagasu's risky triple axel a product of determination (0:57)Julie Foudy reports on American figure skater Mirai Nagasu's historic triple axel at the Winter Olympics Mirai Nagasu has become the first American woman -- and third overall -- to land a triple axel in the Olympics accomplishing the rare feat in the women's free skate at the team competition in Pyeongchang skated first of the five women and led her routine with the triple axel 21 seconds in The feat drew huge cheers from the crowd at the Gangneung Ice Arena pumped both fists as she finished and got a standing ovation from the excited crowd and the Americans took bronze behind the Olympic Athletes from Russia Not only did her teammates rise in applause and not simply because she landed the triple axel so few women even attempt Nagasu's career hit several roadblocks since she finished fourth at the 2010 Olympics including when she was bumped from the U.S team for Sochi in favor of Ashley Wagner by a federation committee California's Mirai Nagasu celebrates as she became the first American woman to land a triple axel in any Olympic Games. Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports"I just remember four years ago we were depressed that we weren't at the [Olympics]," said Rippon who choreographed Nagasu's gala program at the 2014 nationals which she performed hours after learning she hadn't made the team We're going to get through this together." Nagasu turned to Colorado Springs-based coach Tom Zakrajsek who challenged her to become an even better competitor They set out in their first session together four years ago to learn the jump which took Nagasu about two years to master Nagasu has struggled with inconsistency throughout her career but Zakrajsek wasn't worried about his student on Monday "Today I knew Mirai didn't need a lot of help I could tell she was in a good place backstage in the off-ice warm-up "I don't know if you could tell -- it was more something I could feel -- but to nail it the way I did I could see my teammates standing out of excitement," Nagasu said "And at that moment I wanted to stop the music and get off but I still had my whole program ahead of me and to complete the performance to the best of my ability is really exciting." The judges rewarded her with a season-best score of 137.53 Nagasu pumped her fists immediately after her music was done and skated over to her teammates whose cheers during the program could be heard above the music and helped Nagasu through it Rippon was in tears as she finished her skate I owe it to my teammates as well," Nagasu said after her skate start!' especially Alexa [Scimeca-Knierim] because she has a very distinct voice but it was a nice little giggle at the end." Japan's Midori Ito landed the first triple axel at the 1992 Olympics "But I'm really fortunate that I'm American She will return to the ice in the women's competition on Feb The memory of this performance will drive her she's going to have that confidence of knowing that she did it already," Zakrajsek said "And that's a little monkey off her back." Information from ESPN's Elaine Teng and The Associated Press was used in this report Known for: Being the third woman ever to land a triple axel in the Olympics blundering through the individual figure skating competition using the games as a springboard to possible reality television fame Why she might be a jerk: At the beginning of the Pyeongchang Games, Mirai Nagasu was set up to be a hero. Her triple axel in the team figure skating event helped clinch the bronze medal for Team USA and gave American television viewers their first stand-up-and-cheer moment of the Winter Olympics Nagasu’s grade of execution scores both on and off the ice have gone into a free fall Nagasu took a very different approach to her post-event press conference She criticized one reporter’s “very aggressive question” about the U.S figure skaters’ poor performance and noted that “Gabrielle Daleman didn’t have a strong outing here in the individual.” So there Nagasu also blamed her poor performance on traffic in South Korea, residual emotionality from winning the team bronze, and the lack of hot water at her lodging in the Olympic Village. According to ESPN “I also haven’t taken a warm shower because there are a lot of people on Team USA and somehow I keep trying to take a shower when all the hot water is gone.” As a man who likes his hot showers I suspect Nagasu was not the only athlete in Pyeongchang who found the bathing facilities underwhelming Don’t blame the showers for your failure to land the triple axel Don’t blame your teammates for showering too long when you could have easily spoken up or marked off the bathroom door with police tape the shower situation didn’t seem to hamper her earlier in the games when she helped win the team bronze and (in my estimation) jerky: As ESPN and others have noted Team USA never trailed the ultimate fourth-place finisher describing the individual event as “icing” seems like a defeatist and oddly flippant attitude Maybe she was just retroactively justifying her poor performance but still: If you don’t care about your performance in a given event Nagasu’s answer to that question: She hoped to appear on Dancing with the Stars, and she treated her individual event as a kind of warmup. “I smiled in the middle of my program, which is really rare for me. So I enjoyed myself, and I thought of this as my audition for Dancing With the Stars,” Nagasu said Why she might not be a jerk: Was Nagasu’s press conference jerky I’m sure that many Olympic athletes hope to use their newfound fame to get on TV most of us will have forgotten that our favorite Olympians even exist There won’t be another Winter Games for her Using her platform to advocate for herself and try to get another job is smart Skating in the individual event was an accomplishment in and of itself even if our results-oriented sporting culture would rather not admit as much It is dumb to criticize athletes for saying interesting things in press conferences even (especially!) when those things do not reflect well on the athletes Journalists go to press conferences because they want to hear athletes say interesting things and most of the time the athletes say little of interest or value When they do deviate from the standard answers they get in trouble for not saying something banal the members of the mainstream media are the real jerks here She also apologized for citing Daleman’s underwhelming performance and for seeming to shortchange her American teammates’ efforts in the team event She also acknowledged that she was upset about bailing on the triple axel in the free skate “It’s really hard to watch and even think about because I nailed so many in practice,” she said but I didn’t really want to be so emotional in front of everyone.” Who can’t relate to that • The Vice President of the United States of America: 7 out of 10 Jerk Points • The Sporteaucrats Who Risked Snowboarders’ Lives: 6.5 out of 10 Jerk Points • The Shirtless Tongan: 4 out of 10 Jerk Points • The Inept Halfpipe Skier Who Loopholed Her Way Into the Games: 9 out of 10 Jerk Points • The Norwegian Curlers Who Wear Flamboyant Pants: 5 out of 10 Jerk Points Read the rest of Slate’s coverage of the Pyeongchang Olympics the world had to wait until 2018 to see a US woman land it at the Winter Olympic Games Mirai Nagasu first American woman to land triple axel in OlympicsMirai Nagasu opens her routine to “Miss Saigon” with a powerful triple axel ExclusiveMidori Ito Conquers the Triple Axel | Impossible MomentsAfter faltering in her first attempt Japan’s Midori Ito became the first woman to land a triple axel at the Olympic Winter Games she changed coach and dedicated her life to the triple axel “I (find) the way someone responds (to adversity) is actually what I admire about them.” I am sure you know now you are a California resident And driving is when I let my emotions out a lot but I would be driving to the rink and all of a sudden I would listen to a song and just my emotions would hit me and I would be balling It was kind of therapeutic for me to get my emotions out it wasn’t just one good cry and then I was over it It took years for me to become a better skater but I did want to quit skating I used to think when it initially happened I deserve to sit here in my puddle of tears and cry.’ But I started to look at other athletes’ careers… I found that it was the way someone responded was actually what I admired about them ExclusiveReplayTeam Event Women's Short Program - Figure Skating | PyeongChang 2018 ReplaysThis event was held at the Gangneung Ice Arena on 11 February 2018 How did you formulate a plan and really take those next steps Why do I get to competition and mentally crumble I thought I was mentally strong.’ And they would say their little piece and I would think I don’t think I really learned anything from that And he took that for a try out for a coaching change Teach it to me.' He didn't have girls – women - who were asking him to try jumps that most girls weren't willing to try Can you talk to me a little bit about the important relationships that you have built through your experiences though skating I think that skaters a kind of a rare breed in that we are a bit difficult to understand I feel like (that’s the way in the) ladies especially with having to compete against each other… It is sometimes hard to take comments that (people) make well there is no one else going through that or the type of training where you are training every day And no one quite understands the highs and the lows like the people who have been there And so sharing this unspoken bond with people who get it is something that we will have for the rest of our lives A post shared by Mirai Nagasu (@mirainagasu) on Jan 5 And taking the injury into account and the successes are you thinking about returning to competition People keep asking me that but I am stuck in this jello like slowly It's hard to make a decision like that when I can't even do the elements Even if I wanted to compete again my body is like I feel like I am floating in jelly - Mirai Nigasu It's been months now and I still can't do my triples.. Mentally I am doing them but physically I am just not prepared and it's also just another thing to look at Athletes like to rush back in and I have been really cautious of that The interview and questions were shortened to make them easier to read 2018Vaughn Ridley - ISU/ISU via Getty ImagesSave this storySave this storySave this storySave this storyUPDATE: On Monday Mirai Nagasu became the first American woman to successfully land a triple Axel at the Olympics during her performance during the women's free skating portion of the team competition Read on for how she trained for the difficult move Watching a professional figure skating routine is like watching a really legit magic show completely dumbfounded over how the performers are able to do what they do Thanks to an Instagram video that was making its rounds this week the curtain has been lifted ever-so-slightly on how figure skaters master one of the sport’s most difficult moves: the triple Axel The video, which was posted by The Players' Tribune features American figure skater and PyeongChang medal contender Mirai Nagasu using an off-ice apparatus called the Champion Skating Harness This content can also be viewed on the site it originates from is particularly challenging because it’s the only jump with a forward (versus backward) takeoff The forward takeoff creates the extra half rotation in the air which means skaters need to spin more rapidly in order to successfully complete all of the rotations before landing again and hip have to work together to push up underneath you like a spring in a mattress,” explains Parent This initial force propels skaters into the air very strong and still as your shoulders rotate,” she adds and your muscles working together in perfect unison.” Many of the top skaters in the world have trouble with the triple Axel because it’s so technically difficult, George Selimos, figure skating coach at Colorado’s Ice Centre At The Promenade have been able to successfully land the jump The device helps a skater improve and perfect their body alignment and coordination while also showing them exactly what it feels like to spin at the speed needed to nail the triple Axel “It gives a visual cue and feeling for how your body has be aligned when you jump,” Selimos says which is attached to a rope that’s hung from the ceiling in a pulley system a coach will pull down on the rope to keep the skater lifted in the air much longer and much higher than they would be able to do on their own Certain skaters will place a target on the ground to guide their landing Although the harness looks like a complicated tool that might require a high level of skill and experience it’s a fairly introductory device that helps young beginner skaters as well as elites like Nagasu “You first need to learn how to control yourself on skates,” says Parent you can use this device to practice less advanced moves You can do this with a small amount of training.” Once skaters feel comfortable and confident with the rotations practiced in the on-land apparatus “This helps them learn the finishing touches of a jump,” explains Selimos they can begin performing it out of the harness.” Some skaters can learn jumps on the harness in a matter of weeks while others may need longer before transitioning to the ice “It all depends on their skill set,” she says BOSTON – Mirai Nagasu's success four years ago wasn't enough to overcome all of her struggles since then Nagasu was left off the women's figure skating team for Sochi on Sunday leapfrogged by Ashley Wagner despite finishing third at the U.S Figure Skating she released a statement Sunday night: "I'm disappointed in the decision," she said I have to respect the decision the federation made And I'm grateful to everyone who has supported me and look forward to what comes next in my skating career." she skated at the exhibition gala and was greeted by cheers from the crowd "This competition is not the only event that U.S Figure Skating considers in selecting the team," St "It's the results and participation in events over the course of the past year-plus … and (Wagner) has the top credentials of any of our female athletes." Nagasu was the only one of the top four women who didn't make a major error Saturday and she said afterward that she hoped her Olympic experience would work in her favor "The only thing I can brag about now is that I 'm the only person with Olympic experience So I know how hard it can get," Nagasu said Saturday night But there's no room for nostalgia in figure skating Any benefit of the doubt Nagasu might once have gotten has been erased by a long list of disappointing results She's won at least one Grand Prix medal in each of the last three seasons she won the short program at the world championships Fixing on the crowd with a come-hither glance as she struck her opening pose Nagasu had the entire arena spellbound during her "James Bond" program "You saw glimpses of Mirai that have been missing since 2010," Wagner said Nagasu's jumps were as smooth as they were big getting so much hang time basketball players would be jealous and even Gumby couldn't have pulled off the intricate positions she did But it's her presentation that has always set Nagasu apart she doesn't skate a program so much as embody it everything is connected and it's impossible to tell where one element stops and the next begins I'm really at a loss for words," Nagasu said afterward I didn't know if I would be able to get to this But a performance like that is also a glaring reminder of the opportunities Nagasu has squandered That lead she had at the 2010 world championships She wound up seventh after a free skate so horrible she didn't even crack the top 10 Her bronze medal at this season's Cup of Russia was preceded by an eighth-place finish at NHK Trophy "I'm really proud of Mirai – I know she's struggled the last couple of years – to finish third at this competition," new national champion Gracie Gold said South Korea – Adam Rippon and Mirai Nagasu were snubbed for the exhibition gala performance at the 2018 Winter Olympics despite their crowd-pleasing routines during the regular competition The omission of the Americans from the invitation list means there will be no U.S singles figure skating among the 26 performances to take place on Sunday afternoon Nathan Chen was invited after executing six quad jumps on his way to a fifth-place finish but was forced to withdraw Chen came down with the flu and left the Games early to avoid the risk of infecting other athletes ahead of their competitions FIGURE SKATING: What's next after USA's ugly Olympics MORE: Wrong Russian won gold Positions in the gala are typically allocated to skaters that have performed outstandingly during the medal events Women’s champion Alina Zagitova will be present as will Canadian ice dance sensations Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir Men’s winner Yuzuru Hanyu will not to perform The absence of Rippon and Nagasu is perhaps somewhat of a surprise Nagasu became only the third woman to land a clean triple axel in Olympic history during the team event and was highly popular with the crowd at the Gangneung Ice Arena despite her 10th-place finish Rippon also placed 10th but is now may be America’s most famous figure skater after his personality and charm endeared him to a mainstream audience It is common for skaters who did not place highly but connected with the crowd to be invited to participate North Korea’s pairs skaters pair came in 13th So too will South Korea’s Cha Jun-Hwan who was 15th in the men’s event The American representation comes solely from ice dance thanks to bronze medalists Alex and Maia Shibutani plus fourth-place finishers Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue Connecting decision makers to a dynamic network of information Bloomberg quickly and accurately delivers business and financial information 2018 at 1:11 AM ESTBookmarkSaveLock This article is for subscribers only.Gangneung South Korea (AP) -- The wonderful thing about the inspiring — shall we call it Olympian — story of Mirai Nagasu is that it's not over The two Olympic bronze medalists teamed up for a new DSW campaign Mirai Nagasu would've tried to follow in the footsteps of Tiger Woods and Michelle Wie had she not pursued a career as a pro figure skater News' Sibley Scoles about her passion for golf When asked what sport she would pursue if she wasn't a figure skater My parents put me in golf before I chose figure skating but I would pick golf for the scholarships and because I would want to be the Michelle Wie of golf Nagasu golfed as a young child before discovering her love of skating "It started raining one day and my parents took me to the ice rink instead of the golf course," she told NBC in an interview posted earlier this year I think they wanted me to be the next Tiger Woods because golf has just so many opportunities and great scholarships you're going to get a good scholarship.' Once they took me to the skating rink At the 2018 Winter Olympic Games in Pyeongchang Nagasu and her teammates earned a bronze medal for Team USA in the figure skating team event and made history by becoming the first U.S woman to land a triple axelMirai Nagasu at the Olympics just thoughts and demons in a sport that requires extreme precision under pressure I train myself to skate better than that.” She ended her media interviews in tears Gabrielle Daleman of Canada was an emotional wreck as she talked about the nausea that built up inside her two minutes before her skate “There was nothing in that program I felt good about I feel bad about dragging my dad and my brother [here] from Canada.” who arrived here with high hopes but finished 12th in the free skate and 10th overall and I thought of this as my audition for Dancing With the Stars.” “I would like to be on Dancing With the Stars because I want to be a star,” Nagasu said Fifty-Eight Years After Making History, Kyung Soon Yim Discusses His Unlikely Olympic Past There was no hint of disappointment in her voice She seemed to think she’d been chosen out of the audience on a cruise ship to go on stage for a magic trick There was no indication that she knew this was the Olympic Games Nagasu is the only woman here who had a triple axel in her program But when it came time to try the triple in her free skate If Nagasu caved to the pressure of the moment “Although I got zero points for my attempt at the triple axel in my mind I went for it.” And I wanted to put my hand on her forehead to see if she was running a fever Bailing is understandable; the explanation was not Nagasu has had an amazing and difficult career then was devastated after being left off the 2014 team She worked her way onto this year's team Maybe the pressure got to her here—not just on the ice She fluttered through the interview like a butterfly at a funeral oblivious to everything happening around her though it was unclear if she even realized she was doing it with Adam [Rippon] and the Shibutanis,” she said So today I put my [bronze] medal in my pocket starting with referring to the medal as “she.” Why not name it But let’s focus on what she said about the team event 'It's the Olympics. Who is Going to Give Up Hope?': USA Curling is the Cinderella Story of the '18 Games but his Patriots lost because the defense got shredded by a backup quarterback And by the way: What Nagasu said about the team event is not even really true That does not fit any definition of “about to lose our medals.” Nagasu nailed her free skate would have ended up beating the Italians for the bronze just so we are clear) asked her why the U.S skaters seemed to struggle with the pressure here I’d like to point out that Gabrielle Daleman didn’t have a strong outing here in the individual.” once she is finished crying and blaming herself for letting down her family Anybody with a soul had to feel for Daleman and for all the skaters who worked for years to get here It’s sad that Nagasu is the only one who couldn’t see that Mostly cloudy skies. Low 56F. Winds light and variable. At 24, Mirai Nagasu has become a competitive ice skating legend among peers and fans alike in her second Winter Olympics appearance.    Born in Montebello, raised in Arcadia, trained at the Pasadena Ice Skating Center, and currently living in Colorado, Nagasu has gained this distinction not by winning medals, but by completing a triple […] At 24, Mirai Nagasu has become a competitive ice skating legend among peers and fans alike in her second Winter Olympics appearance.    Born in Montebello, raised in Arcadia, trained at the Pasadena Ice Skating Center, and currently living in Colorado, Nagasu has gained this distinction not by winning medals, but by completing a triple axel in Olympic competition. She is the first American woman to perform this difficult move, and the third woman in Olympic competition to do so. That was when the rink was located on Arroyo Parkway, near the Del Mar Gold Line Station, before it moved in 1976 to a former ballroom behind the historic Pasadena Civic Auditorium. Today, the Ice Skating Center is housed in a separate building behind the Pasadena Convention Center. Nagasu, said William Tran, president of the Pasadena Figure Skating Club, “has been extremely loyal and supportive of the club.” Although Nagasu now resides in Colorado, working as an “ice girl” for the Avalanche pro hockey team to pay the bills, Tran noted, “She wears our club jacket at the nationals. We see it on TV, even during this more recent Olympic games.” But even in sunny California one cannot always play golf. Ikuko, who is originally from Matsumoto, Nagano, the Japanese prefecture that hosted the 1998 Winter Olympics, had played some winter sports when she was younger. She suggested enrolling Mirai in ice skating lessons at the Pasadena Ice Skating Center — something a 5-year-old could do even when it rains. But neither Ikuko nor Kiyoto could ever imagine this weekend pastime would someday lead to the Olympics. That was also the year Tran said he began watching figure skating, and it was an exciting time for the sport. After Yamaguchi retired, Tran explained, “There was that Tonya-Nancy thing” and then there was Michelle Kwan. “Michelle Kwan was my favorite for a decade,” he said. But in 2008, it was Nagasu who won while competing in her first senior championship, making people take notice of her talent. “As a fan, it was just amazing to see a newcomer win the senior nationals at that young age,” said Tran. Nagasu was the second youngest woman to win the US senior ladies championship after Tara Lipinski did it in 1997. When Tran finally started taking ice skating lessons as an adult in 2011, he saw Nagasu quite a bit. “It’s pretty cool to be on the same ice as someone you watched compete at the Vancouver Olympics,” where Nagasu placed fourth, he said. Japan’s Mao Asada also won Olympic silver at the Vancouver Olympics for a program that included a triple axel, making Nagasu the third woman to successfully complete a triple axel at the Olympics. And all three female triple axel Olympians are Japanese. Nagasu had dual citizenship until she renounced it (a legal requirement in Japan). PyeongChang might have been Nagasu’s third Olympics if not for a controversial call by the US Figure Skating Governing Board. She finished third at the 2014 US Nationals, behind Gracie Gold and Polina Edmunds, but the skating board gave Nagasu’s Sochi Olympic spot to the fourth place finisher, Ashley Wagner, because of Wagner’s international experience. Gold finished fourth and Wagner came in seventh. Last year, Wagner finished second (behind Fremont-born Karen Chen) and Nagasu was fourth, but this year at the nationals, Nagasu was second (to Bradie Tennell), Chen was third and Wagner fourth. Nagasu isn’t the only Japanese American on the US Olympic team. Brother and sister ice dancers Alex and Maia Shibutani of Boston also helped the US team clinch the bronze team medal, becoming the first Asian-Americans to medal in ice dancing at the Olympics. Ice dancing is now Tran’s favorite Olympic sport but, of course, he’ll be watching Nagasu. “We want her to do her best, but she’s up against very stiff competition, particularly from the Russian competition team,” noted Tran. On Monday, Nagasu’s parents flew to PyeongChang to be at their daughter’s side. Ikuko hopes that their presence won’t add unnecessary pressure. Kiyoto’s only wish is that Mirai won’t injure herself. On Friday, Nagasu will skate her free program. Whether the seven-time US national medalist adds an Olympic medal to her accomplishments, this skater has already made history and, according to Tran, she’s spread Olympic fever. Tran noted that usually, after the December holidays, crowds die down at the rink, but it’s been extremely busy. The club organized a viewing party at a Denny’s in Arcadia for the short program but will be watching the free skate individually. “As long as she’s satisfied with her skating, we’ll all be very happy and proud,” Tran said. Never miss an issue. Sign up for free today. Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: Print The woman wearing spectacles It was dinnertime at Sushi Kiyosuzu in Arcadia — with servers offering Saturday night specials of sautéed squid and jellyfish — and every spot at the bar was taken longtime customers had reserved a table for nine for a private celebration Owner Ikuko Nagasu led the newcomers to the last open spot had landed a historic triple axel at the Pyeongchang Olympics — propelling the U.S She’d been the first American and just the third female to pull off the jump on Olympic ice Her child wins a medal and she’s still here — working working,” said Helen Lee as she grabbed a slice of mackerel with her chopsticks but I really respect that she stays with her responsibilities running a business,” added the judicial assistant for Los Angeles Superior Court took a rare break from work to fly to South Korea so they could see their only child compete for an individual medal Mirai Nagasu is skating in the short program Tuesday night; if she does well enough she’ll be in the running for the gold Thursday night (Pacific time) very nervous to see it in person,” her mother said “I do not know what can happen on the ice.” the skater reflected on how much she was influenced by the time she spent in the family’s sushi restaurant occasionally receiving quarters from her mother as payment for her labor Her father missed many of her skating competitions because he refused to take vacations Born and raised in an obligation-based society who would not be paid if he closed the establishment An exception was made when his daughter skated at her first Olympics in 2010 “I have a great work ethic because I’ve watched my parents work super hard,” the skater said That work ethic was on display at the restaurant last weekend — a magnet not only for longtime One first-time customer who came in drawn by Mirai’s skating fame observed her father “You like something?” Kiyoto asked the newcomer that she can be a professional and I can be her caddy.” it was raining and she went ice skating instead a two-time World Junior medalist and seven-time U.S was a familiar figure at the tiny family restaurant the little girl came out of the back room and is now in the Olympics,’ ” said Fiona Lee a journalist from the Bay Area who was dining at Sushi Kiyosuzu with her sister Olympic gold medalist Kristi Yamaguchi came to the restaurant on a visit with Mirai who have been coming to the restaurant for 20 years remembers Mirai sitting in a corner at the bar we never knew until we saw a clipping of her winning the nationals The Nagasus renamed one of their signature rolls There are no ribbons or medals displayed at the restaurant When Sonya Stephens had knee surgery and couldn’t leave her Sierra Madre home really good people and I pray they get a boost from this.” anh.do@latimes.com Twitter: @newsterrier Do reported from Los Angeles and Hernandez from South Korea. 3:35 p.m.: This article has been updated with comments from Nagasu in South Korea. This article originally published at 7 a.m. Politics Climate & Environment You'd likely need several sets of hands to count off everything Nagasu, an Olympic medal-winning figure skater, has been up to lately ‘Get on the tracks and get some speed.’ And I tripped a couple times I could see my teammates standing out of excitement.” the spot on the team was given to the fourth-place winner "So to become the first American to land a triple axel at the Olympic Games is historical This content can also be viewed on the site it originates from Only two other American women have landed a triple axel in competition: Tonya Harding (see I Figure Skating Championships in 1991 and Kimmie Meissner at the U.S Nagasu also landed a triple axel at the U.S International Figure Skating Classic in September last year landed it three times in the 2010 Vancouver Games and once in Sochi Twitter was there to cheer Nagusu on—including Wagner: This content can also be viewed on the site it originates from This content can also be viewed on the site it originates from This content can also be viewed on the site it originates from This content can also be viewed on the site it originates from This content can also be viewed on the site it originates from This content can also be viewed on the site it originates from This content can also be viewed on the site it originates from team went on to take bronze in the figure skating team competition and the contingent of "Olympic athletes from Russia"—Russia is nominally banned this year—took silver This content can also be viewed on the site it originates from Watch Nagasu's absolutely incredible moment—plus a slo-mo capture!—below: Related Stories:-How Should We Watch the Olympics in a Post-Nassar World?-5 Key Things to Watch During the 2018 Games in Pyeongchang-Leslie Jones Is Back With Her Hilarious Live-Tweets of the Olympics Your request appears similar to malicious requests sent by robots Please make sure JavaScript is enabled and then try loading this page again. If you continue to be blocked, please send an email to secruxurity@sizetedistrict.cVmwom with: As soon as Nagasu pulled off the tricky triple axel jump — becoming the first American woman to do so at the Games — Kwan reacted with joy (Carlos Gonzalez/Minneapolis Star Tribune/TNS) Mirai Nagasu skates at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang Nagasu became the first American woman to land a triple axel at the Olympics Kristina Karisch Olympic bronze medalist and figure skater Mirai Nagasu will be on campus in November as the Chinese Students Association’s fall speaker who won a team bronze medal at the PyeongChang Winter Olympics this February was the first female American figure skater to land a triple axel at the Olympics “This is definitely history, or herstory, whatever way you want to put it,” Nagasu said after her performance at the Games The jump is one of the rarest in the sport — it starts on a forward-facing takeoff and comprises three and a half rotations — and the only American woman to land it in international competition before Nagasu was Tonya Harding Nagasu and teammate Adam Rippon appeared together on a special athletes season of Dancing with the Stars Nagasu was eliminated in week three of the competition who is CSA’s co-chair of programming said her co-chair had emailed Nagasu’s agent earlier this year to see if she could come to campus it would be an honor to come,’” You said She added that CSA will advertise the event to other groups and schools in the area to hopefully attract a wide audience The event is free to Northwestern students Sign up to receive our email newsletter in your inbox a stalwart of Illinois Democratic politics and a progressive voice.. Drums echoed through Welsh-Ryan Arena Saturday afternoon as Northwestern’s Native American and Indigenous.. Northwestern apologized for and condemned a performance held Tuesday in Sargent Dining Commons by Firket.. Northwestern confirmed recent cases of grant terminations payment suspensions and stop-work orders tied.. Raj Ghanekar Ducks Dan and Dave: Park Vultures Ducks Dan and Dave: Lost and Not Found Baseball: Northwestern earns milestone 10th Big Ten win amid fifth consecutive series loss Cross Country: Ellis breaks 1,500-meter record, Wildcats sweep 5,000-meter podium at Badger Challenge Maia Alvarez Since the grand reopening of the Evanston Animal Shelter in October 2024 the staff and volunteers said they have noted an increase in the number of visitors and adoptions.. Seesaw Theatre brings accessibility to theatre spaces Valentina Valcarce, Finian Hazen, and Isabela Camargos Everything Evanston: Partners of the Evanston Public Library hosts open mic poetry reading for National Poetry Month NAISA hosts fourth annual Pow Wow themed around honoring relatives By the numbers: The Trump administration has frozen millions in federal support for Northwestern. Here’s what it means for science funding on campus. Northwestern students sweep Chicago Area Undergraduate Research Symposium awards New councilmembers reflect on Envision Evanston as zoning legislation emerges in Springfield D65 board updates policies to include sustainability plan, swears in new members U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky will not seek 15th term, capping a career of progressive advocacy Figure skater Mirai Nagasu lands a thrilling triple axel at the 2018 Winter Olympics Thanks for visiting