Mirai Nagasu facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mirai Nagasu
Nagasu at the 2010 Trophée Eric Bompard
Personal information
Full name	Mirai Aileen Nagasu
Country represented	United States
Born	(1993-04-16) April 16, 1993 (age 32) Montebello, California, U.S
Home town	Arcadia, California, U.S
Height	1.63 m
Former coach	Tom Zakrajsek, Wenxian Zhang, Takashi Mura, Wendy Olson, Amy Evidente, Christa Fassi, Frank Carroll, Charlene Wong, Sandy Gollihugh
Choreographer	Jeffrey Buttle, David Wilson
Former choreographer	Tom Dickson, Adam Rippon, Catarina Lindgren, Cindy Stuart, Lori Nichol, Susan Austin
Skating club	Pasadena FSC
Training locations	Colorado Springs, Colorado
Former training locations	Okayama, Japan Burbank, California Lake Arrowhead, California Pasadena, California
Began skating	1998
Retired	2020
World standing	11 (2017–18) 7 (2016–17) 12 (2015–16) 27 (2014–15) 24 (2013–14) 21 (2012–13) 9 (2011–12) 12 (2010–11) 13 (2009–10) 14 (2008–09) 21 (2007–08)
Season's bests	14 (As of September 23,  2016 (2016 -09-23)[ref]) 23 (2017-18)
ISU personal best scores
Combined total	194.95 2017 Four Continents Championships
Short program	73.40 2016 CS Autumn Classic
Free skate	137.53 2018 Winter Olympics Team Event

Mirai Aileen Nagasu (長洲 未来, Nagasu Mirai, born April 16, 1993) is an American former competitive figure skater. She won a bronze medal at the 2018 Olympic Games team event. She also earned three medals at the Four Continents (silver in 2016, bronze in 2011 and 2017). Mirai was the 2007 JGP Final champion. She also won two medals at the World Junior events (silver in 2007, bronze in 2008). Nagasu is a seven-time U.S. national medalist. She won gold in 2008, silver in 2010 and 2018, and bronze in 2011 and 2014.

In 2008, Nagasu became the youngest woman since Tara Lipinski in 1997 to win the U.S. senior ladies' title. She was the second-youngest in history at that time. She was also the first lady since Joan Tozzer (1937 and 1938) to win junior and senior national titles in a row. Nagasu represented the United States at the 2010 Winter Olympics when she was 16. She finished 4th in the ladies' event. In 2017, she successfully landed the difficult triple Axel jump in an international competition. This happened at the 2017 CS U.S. Classic. During her free skate at the 2018 Olympics, she made history. She became the first American ladies' singles skater to land a triple Axel at the Olympics. She was also the third woman from any country to do so.

Mirai Nagasu's Life Story

Mirai Aileen Nagasu was born in Montebello, Los Angeles County, California. She grew up in Arcadia, California. Her parents own a Japanese sushi restaurant in Arcadia. They moved to the U.S. from Japan. Mirai had dual citizenship (both U.S. and Japanese). However, Japanese law required her to choose one before her 22nd birthday. She chose to be a U.S. citizen. At home, Nagasu speaks a mix of Japanese and English with her parents. Her mother, Ikuko, was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 2009. The name Mirai (未来) means "future" in Japanese. Her last name is written as 長洲 in kanji.

Education and Hobbies

Nagasu finished Foothills Middle School in 2007. She then started Arcadia High School in the fall of 2007. In 2009, she began attending an online high school. She graduated from the Capistrano Connections Academy in June 2011. She was accepted into the University of California, Irvine. However, she said the travel was too difficult. Around 2015, she enrolled at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs. She took classes in business. Nagasu earned a degree in business administration in December 2020.

During the 2015–16 NHL season, Nagasu worked for the Colorado Avalanche. She was an ice girl and a team ambassador. She helped at events in the Greater Denver area, like "learn to skate" programs.

In June 2024, Nagasu shared exciting news. She announced her engagement to Michael Bramante. She also announced the birth of their son, Tai.

Mirai Nagasu's Skating Journey

Starting Out in Figure Skating

Nagasu began skating when she was five years old. She looks up to famous skaters like Yuna Kim, Michelle Kwan, and Mao Asada.

In the 2002–03 season, she competed at the juvenile level. She placed fifth at the Southwest Pacific Regional Championships. The next season (2003–04), Nagasu moved up to the intermediate level. She placed fourth at the Southwest Pacific Regional Championships. She also competed at the 2004 U.S. Junior Championships. This event is for Juvenile and Intermediate skaters. She placed eighth in her group and did not move forward. In the 2004–05 season, she stayed at the intermediate level. She won the Southwest Pacific Regional Championships. At the 2005 U.S. Junior Championships, she placed 11th in her group. She did not advance to the short program.

For the 2005–06 season, Nagasu moved to the novice level. This is the lowest level that competes at the U.S. Championships. Skaters must place in the top four at regionals and then sectionals to qualify for Nationals. At the Southwest Pacific Regional Championships, Nagasu placed fifth. She did not move on to Sectionals that year.

Nagasu's first coach for most of her early career was Sandy Gollihugh. In October 2006, she started working with Charlene Wong. Wong was her main coach. She also worked with other coaches like Sashi Kuchiki, Sondra Holmes, Bob Paul, and Jim Yorke.

Junior Success and First Senior Title

2006–07 Season: Junior World Silver Medal

In the 2006–07 season, Nagasu moved up to the junior level. She won both the Southwest Pacific Regional Championships and the Pacific Coast Sectional Championships. These wins qualified her for the U.S. Figure Skating Championships. This was her first time at this big event.

At the U.S. Nationals, Nagasu won the Junior level short program. She was just ahead of Caroline Zhang. Nagasu then won the free skate, beating Zhang by a good margin. She won the overall title with a score of 155.46.

At the Junior Worlds, Nagasu skated early in the short program. This was because she was new to international skating. She placed second behind Zhang in both parts of the competition. She won the silver medal. Zhang, Nagasu, and Ashley Wagner made history. They were the first U.S. ladies to sweep the World Junior podium.

2007–08 Season: Winning the Senior National Title

Nagasu (center) at the 2007 JGP United States podium.

For the 2007–08 season, Nagasu competed at the senior level in the U.S. but stayed junior internationally. At her first 2007–08 ISU Junior Grand Prix event in Lake Placid, New York, she won gold. She won both the short and free programs. She had a big lead of 26.47 points. At her second event in Zagreb, Croatia, she also won gold. These two wins qualified her for the Junior Grand Prix Final.

Nagasu (center) at the 2007–08 Junior Grand Prix Final podium.

At the 2007–08 Junior Grand Prix Final in Gdańsk, Poland, she won the short program. She was 4.72 points ahead of the second-place skater. In the free skate, she placed second. Nagasu won the overall title by 2.43 points over Rachael Flatt.

Nagasu (second left) at the 2008 U.S. Championships podium.

Skating as a senior, Nagasu won the short program at U.S. Nationals. She was 5.08 points ahead of Ashley Wagner. During her program, Nagasu landed a triple Lutz-triple toe loop combination for the first time. She placed third in the free skate. She finished first overall by 1.68 points over Rachael Flatt. Nagasu became the first skater since Joan Tozzer (1937 and 1938) to win back-to-back U.S. junior and senior ladies' titles. She was also the second-youngest American senior ladies' champion ever, after Tara Lipinski.

Nagasu (left) at the 2008 World Junior Championships podium.

Even though she was a senior national champion, Nagasu was not old enough for the World Championships. She was sent to Junior Worlds in Sofia. In Bulgaria, Nagasu scored higher than Zhang in the short program. She placed third in the free skate. For the second year in a row, Nagasu was part of an American sweep of the podium. She won the bronze medal.

During the break, she toured in Japan. She also received a scholarship from the Michael Weiss Foundation. This scholarship helps young American figure skaters.

Senior International Career

2008–09 Season: First Senior International Competitions

Nagasu performs an arabesque spiral during her short program to City Lights at the 2008 NHK Trophy.

For the 2008–09 season, Nagasu moved up to the senior level internationally. She had injured her ankle and had grown a lot. In her first senior Grand Prix event, Nagasu placed fifth at the 2008 Skate America. At the 2008 NHK Trophy, Nagasu finished eighth.

At the U.S. Nationals in January, Nagasu finished fifth overall. Her free skate included two triple flip jumps that were downgraded.

Nagasu was chosen for the 2009 World Junior Championships. However, she decided not to go because of a foot injury. She worked as a television commentator for Fuji TV during the 2009 World Championships in Los Angeles.

In May 2009, Nagasu changed her coach to Frank Carroll. She also worked with ballet coach Galina Barinova.

2009–10 Season: Olympics Debut

Nagasu performs during her short program to the Pirates of the Caribbean at the 2010 Winter Olympics.

For the 2009–10 season, Nagasu competed at the 2009 Cup of China and the 2009 Skate Canada International Grand Prix events. She won the short program at the 2009 Cup of China. However, she placed sixth in the free skate, finishing fifth overall. A few weeks later, she competed at the 2009 Skate Canada, where she finished fourth.

In January 2010, Nagasu competed at U.S. Nationals. She placed first in the short program with 70.06 points. She placed third in the free skate, winning the silver medal behind Rachael Flatt. After this, she was chosen to represent the United States at the 2010 Winter Olympics. She was also selected for the World Championships with Flatt.

During the 2010 Winter Olympics, she placed sixth in the short program. She placed fifth in the free skate and fourth overall. She achieved new personal best scores for her free skate and total score. At Worlds, Nagasu led the short program with a personal best score of 70.40 points. She finished seventh overall.

During the off-season, she toured with the show Stars on Ice.

2010–11 Season: First Four Continents Medal

Nagasu performs a spread eagle during her short program to The Witches of Eastwick and Un Sospiro at the 2011 Four Continents.

A stress fracture kept Nagasu from training for a month in the summer of 2010. She returned to practice in September. Nagasu started her 2010–11 Grand Prix season by finishing fourth at the 2010 Cup of China. At the 2010 Trophée Eric Bompard, she placed second in the short program. In the free skate, Nagasu had trouble with her layback spin. However, she still earned enough points to win the free skate. She scored 109.07 and won the silver medal overall. This was her first senior Grand Prix medal.

At U.S. Nationals, Nagasu was in first place after the short program. In the long program, she had a mistake on a spin. She finished third overall and won the bronze medal. Nagasu was assigned to the 2011 Four Continents. There, she won the bronze medal with a total score of 189.46.

2011–12 Season: Nebelhorn Trophy Gold

Nagasu began the 2011–12 season at the 2011 Nebelhorn Trophy. She won her first senior international title there. At her 2011–12 Grand Prix events, Nagasu placed fifth at the 2011 Skate Canada International. She then won the silver medal at the 2011 Cup of China.

Nagasu finished seventh at the 2012 U.S. National Championships. In April 2012, Nagasu stopped working with Frank Carroll. The long drive to his training location was too much for her. She decided to be coached by Wendy Olson and Amy Evidente in Burbank, California. This rink was close to her home.

2012–13 Season: Grand Prix Medals

Nagasu (right) with Akiko Suzuki (left) and Mao Asada (center) at the 2012 NHK Trophy podium.

In the 2012–13 season, Nagasu won the bronze medal at the 2012 Finlandia Trophy. At the 2012 Cup of China, she placed third in the short program. She had some under-rotated jumps in the free skate and finished fourth overall. Nagasu competed at the 2012 NHK Trophy after another skater withdrew. She won the bronze medal at this event.

Nagasu had the flu before the U.S. Nationals. She finished seventh overall.

2013–14 Season: Olympic Team Controversy

Nagasu started the 2013–14 season at the 2013 Finlandia Trophy, finishing fourth. She was eighth at her first Grand Prix event, the 2013 NHK Trophy. At the 2013 Rostelecom Cup, she won the bronze medal.

After the Rostelecom Cup, Nagasu changed coaches again. She started training in Okayama, Japan with Takashi Mura.

Nagasu won the bronze medal at the 2014 U.S. Championships. She placed behind Gracie Gold (gold) and Polina Edmunds (silver). The United States could send three women to the ladies' singles event at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. However, U.S. Figure Skating chose Ashley Wagner for the third spot. This was despite Wagner finishing fourth, behind Nagasu. The reason given was Wagner's stronger international record. Nagasu was assigned to the Four Continents Championships, where she placed tenth.

In March 2014, Nagasu moved to Colorado Springs, Colorado to train. She felt she needed a "change of scenery." A month later, she chose Tom Zakrajsek as her coach.

2014–15 Season: Challenges and New Coaches

Nagasu was assigned to the 2014 Skate America and 2014 Rostelecom Cup for the Grand Prix series. She started her season by finishing sixth at the U.S. International Figure Skating Classic. At Skate America, Nagasu finished sixth. At Rostelecom Cup, she finished fourth.

At the 2015 U.S. Championships, Nagasu skated a good short program and was in fourth place. However, she placed 12th in the free skate after falling and hurting her knee. She finished 10th overall.

In the spring of 2015, Nagasu briefly worked with Alexei Mishin on her jumps.

2015–16 Season: Four Continents Silver Medal

For the 2015–16 Grand Prix series, Nagasu competed at the 2015 NHK Trophy. She started her season by finishing fifth at the 2015 Nebelhorn Trophy. She then won the 2015 Ice Challenge. In late November, Nagasu finished fifth at the 2015 NHK Trophy.

Nagasu had a problem with her equipment at the 2016 U.S. Championships. Her right boot ripped during the short program. She still finished her skate. The boot was fixed for the free skate. She finished fourth, winning the pewter medal. She was then assigned to compete at the 2016 Four Continents Championships.

At the 2016 Four Continents Championships in Taipei, Nagasu placed third in the short program and second in the free skate. Her total score of 193.86 was a new personal best. She won the silver medal behind Satoko Miyahara. In March, she replaced the injured Polina Edmunds at the 2016 World Championships in Boston. She finished 10th there.

2016–17 Season: Another Four Continents Bronze

For the 2016–17 season, Mirai Nagasu competed at 2016 Skate Canada International and 2016 NHK Trophy. Before her Grand Prix events, she won two Challenger Series medals. She won bronze at the 2016 Lombardia Trophy and gold at the 2016 Autumn Classic. At the Autumn Classic, she scored a new personal best in the short program with 73.40 points. She also competed at the 2017 Four Continents. She was fifth after the short program. However, she fought back and was second in the free skate with a personal best of 132.04. She finished third overall with a total score of 194.95, another personal best.

2017–2018 Season: Olympic Bronze and Triple Axel History

Nagasu began the 2017–2018 season at the 2017 CS U.S. International Figure Skating Classic. She won the silver medal there. She landed the triple Axel jump for the first time in competition. She then competed in the 2017 Japan Open as part of Team North America. For the Grand Prix series, she competed at the 2017 Rostelecom Cup and the 2017 NHK Trophy. She finished ninth at the Rostelecom Cup and fourth at the NHK Trophy.

Nagasu competed at the 2018 U.S. Figure Skating Championships. She won the silver medal. She, along with teammates Bradie Tennell and Karen Chen, were named to the 2018 U.S. Winter Olympic Team for the 2018 Winter Olympics. This was Nagasu's second time at the Winter Olympics, after an 8-year break.

At the 2018 Winter Olympics, Nagasu competed in the free skate part of the figure skating team event. On February 11, 2018, she made history. Nagasu became the first American woman to land a triple Axel at an Olympic Games. She was also the third woman overall to do so. This triple Axel jump also made her the first woman to land eight clean triple jumps in a long program at a World or Olympic competition. She won a bronze medal in the team event as part of the U.S. team. She placed 10th in the Ladies event.

2018–2019 Season: Break for Surgery

Nagasu did not compete in the 2018–2019 season. Later, Nagasu shared that she had surgery to fix a torn hip labrum. This injury had bothered her since she started practicing the triple Axel jump.

2019–2020 Season: Retirement and Coaching

Nagasu competed in both the short and free programs at the 2019 Aurora Games.

As of December 2020, Nagasu announced that she was "most likely done competing." She is now working as a coach at the North Star Figure Skating Club in Westboro, Massachusetts.

Skating Technique and Style

Nagasu performs a catch-foot layback spin during her short program to I Got Rhythm at the 2007 Junior Grand Prix, USA.

Nagasu is known for her strong spins. She often gets perfect scores for her layback spin. She sometimes performs the Biellmann spin in a special way. She holds the boot of her skate instead of the blade.

Nagasu worked hard to improve her jumps and avoid under-rotations. She added a triple Axel jump to her programs. She landed two fully rotated triple Axel jumps at the 2017 CS U.S. International Figure Skating Classic. She is the second U.S. woman to land a triple Axel jump internationally, after Tonya Harding. In 2018, she became the first U.S. woman to land the triple Axel in an Olympic competition.

Nagasu has said that the athletic part of figure skating came easily to her. She learned to love the artistic side of the sport over time.

Programs

Nagasu competes at the 2011 Four Continents.

Nagasu performs a Biellmann spin variation during her exhibition to A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes at the 2008 World Junior Figure Skating Championships.

Mirai Nagasu's Achievements

• Mirai Nagasu is the third woman to land eight triple jumps in a free skate. This happened at the 2018 Winter Olympics team event. The other two were Mao Asada and Rika Kihira from Japan. She was the first woman to land eight clean triple jumps in a senior international free skate. This means she had no deductions for under-rotations or edge calls.

Competitive Highlights

• 

  Nagasu (center) in the 2008 U.S. Championships ladies' podium

• 

  Nagasu (left) at the 2010 Trophée Éric Bompard podium

• 

  Nagasu (right) at the 2017 Four Continents podium

GP: Grand Prix; CS: Challenger Series; JGP: Junior Grand Prix

2006–07 to Present

Detailed Results

Senior Level Results

Nagasu at the 2011 Four Continents Championships.

Nagasu at the 2010 Winter Olympics.

Small medals for short and free programs are only given at ISU Championships. At team events, medals are only for team results. Pewter medals for fourth-place finishes are only given at U.S. national and regional events.

Junior Level Results

Nagasu at the 2008 World Junior Championships.

Small medals for short and free programs are only given at ISU Championships. Previous ISU world best is highlighted in bold.

Television Appearances

Dancing with the Stars

On April 13, 2018, Nagasu was announced as a celebrity contestant on season 26 of Dancing with the Stars. Her professional dance partner was Alan Bersten. Nagasu and Bersten were eliminated in the third week of the competition.

Celebrity Big Brother

In 2022, Nagasu was a HouseGuest on the third season of U.S. Celebrity Big Brother. The season started on February 2, 2022. Nagasu was nominated to leave the house in the first week. However, she stayed in the house. She was nominated again, and all contestants voted for her to leave on February 7.

Filmography

See also

In Spanish: Mirai Nagasu para niños