born April 16, 1993 is an American former competitive Figure skating. She is a 2018 Olympic Games team event bronze medalist, three-time Four Continents medalist (silver in 2016, bronze in 2011 and 2017), the 2007 JGP Final champion, a two-time World Junior medalist (silver in 2007, bronze in 2008), and a seven-time U.S. national medalist (gold in 2008, silver in 2010 and 2018, bronze in 2011 and 2014, pewter medal in 2016 and 2017).
In 2008, Nagasu became the youngest woman since Tara Lipinski in 1997 to win the U.S. senior ladies' title, and the second-youngest in history at the time. She is the first lady since Joan Tozzer in 1937 and 1938 to win the junior and senior national titles in consecutive years. Nagasu represented the United States at the 2010 Winter Olympics at the age of 16 and placed 4th in the ladies' event. In 2017, she landed the difficult triple Axel jump jump for the first time in international competition at the 2017 CS U.S. Classic. During her free skate in the team event at the 2018 Olympics, she became the first American ladies' singles skater to land a triple Axel jump at the Olympics, and the third woman from any country to do so. This also made her the first senior ladies skater ever to land eight triple jumps (the maximum allowed in the free skate under the Zayak rule) cleanly in international competition.
Nagasu graduated from Foothills Middle School in the spring of 2007 and entered 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 and was accepted into the University of California, Irvine but said the commute was not feasible. Around 2015, she enrolled at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs and has taken courses in the business field. Nagasu graduated from UCCS with a degree in business administration in December 2020.
During the 2015–16 NHL season, Nagasu worked for the Colorado Avalanche as an ice girl and worked as a franchise ambassador at events in the Greater Denver such as learn to skate programs.
In June 2024, Nagasu announced her engagement to Michael Bramante (a year prior) and the birth of her son, Tai.
In the 2002–03 season, she competed on the juvenile level. She placed fifth at the Southwest Pacific Regional Championships.
In the 2003–04 season, Nagasu moved up to the intermediate level. She placed fourth at the Southwest Pacific Regional Championships. She competed at the 2004 U.S. Junior Championships, the national-level championships for Juvenile and Intermediate skaters. She placed eighth in her qualifying group and did not advance to the short program. In the 2004–05 season, she remained on the intermediate level. She won the Southwest Pacific Regional Championships. At the 2005 U.S. Junior Championships, she placed 11th in her qualifying group and did not advance to the short program.
For the 2005–06 season, Nagasu advanced to the novice level, the lowest level that competes at the U.S. Championships. Skaters qualify for Nationals by placing in the top four at regionals and then going on to place in the top four at Sectionals. At the Southwest Pacific Regional Championships, the first step to qualifying for Nationals, Nagasu placed fifth. She did not advance to Sectionals.
Nagasu was coached by Sandy Gollihugh for most of her early career. She changed her coach to Charlene Wong in October 2006. During this period, Wong was her primary coach. Nagasu's secondary coaches included Sashi Kuchiki, Sondra Holmes, Bob Paul, and Jim Yorke, with whom she worked on a once a week basis to refine various details of her skating.
At the U.S. Nationals, Nagasu won the Junior level short program 0.39 ahead of second-place finisher Caroline Zhang, who came to the event as the reigning Junior Grand Prix Final champion and the heavy favorite. After placing first in the free skate by a margin of 3.19 points over Zhang, Nagasu won the overall title with a combined score of 155.46.
At the Junior Worlds Nagasu skated in the first half of the ladies' short program due to her lack of international skating experience which meant she had no ISU Personal Best on record. Ranked second behind Zhang in both segments of the competition (-1.95 points in the short, -3.46 points in the free), she won the silver medal with a total score 5.41 points less than champion Zhang and 6.69 points greater than bronze medalist Ashley Wagner. Zhang, Nagasu, and Wagner constituted the first ever sweep by the United States of the World Junior ladies' podium.
In the fall of 2007, after winning her two JGP events, Nagasu took part in the International Counter Match "made for television" event in Japan, competing as part of Team USA against Team Japan. At the 2007–08 Junior Grand Prix Final in Gdańsk, Poland, she won the short program by a margin of 4.72 points over the second-place finisher, Yuki Nishino. In the free skate, Nagasu placed second by 4.81 points behind Rachael Flatt. Nagasu won the title overall by 2.43 points ahead of silver medalist Flatt.
Skating as a senior, Nagasu won the short program at U.S. Nationals, 5.08 points ahead of second-place finisher Ashley Wagner. During the program, Nagasu landed a triple Lutz-triple toe loop combination for the first time in competition. She placed third in the free skate, 5.64 points behind Rachael Flatt and 3.23 points behind Wagner, and finished first overall by a margin of 1.68 over silver medalist Flatt. Nagasu became the first skater to win back-to-back U.S. junior and senior ladies' titles since Joan Tozzer in 1937 and 1938. She also became the second-youngest American senior ladies' champion in history, after Tara Lipinski.
Although now a senior national champion, Nagasu did not meet the International Skating Union's age criteria to compete at the World Championships. Of the four top finishers at the 2008 U.S. Championships, only Ashley Wagner was old enough to compete at senior Worlds, with the other medalists sent to Junior Worlds in Sofia. In Bulgaria, Nagasu outscored Zhang by 2.47 points in the short program. She placed third in the free skate, 14.21 points behind Flatt and 11.42 points behind Zhang. For the second year in a row, Nagasu was part of an American sweep of the podium, winning the bronze medal 8.95 points behind silver medalist Zhang, and 9.30 behind Flatt, who took the gold.
During the off-season, she toured in Japan. She was a recipient of a Michael Weiss Foundation scholarship, which is for young American figure skaters.
At the U.S. Nationals in January, Nagasu finished fifth overall after a free skate that included two downgraded triple flip jumps.
Nagasu was selected to compete at the 2009 World Junior Championships but decided not to participate due to a foot injury. She worked as a television commentator in Japanese for Fuji TV during the 2009 World Championships, which were held in Los Angeles.
In May 2009, Nagasu changed her coach to Frank Carroll. She also worked with ballet coach Galina Baranova.
In January 2010, Nagasu competed at U.S. Nationals, where she placed first in the short program with a score 70.06 points. She placed third in the free skate, winning the silver medal behind Rachael Flatt. Following the event, she was nominated to represent the United States at the 2010 Winter Olympics and was also selected to compete at the World Championships along with Flatt.
During the 2010 Winter Olympics, she placed sixth in the short program. She placed fifth in the free skate and fourth overall, earning new personal bests for the free skate score and combined total. At Worlds, Nagasu led the short program with a personal best score of 70.40 points, positioned ahead of Mao Asada by 2.32 points. Ranked eleventh in the free skate, she finished in seventh place overall.
During the off-season, she toured in the show Stars on Ice.
At U.S. Nationals, Nagasu was in first place after the short program with a small lead. In the long program, she received zero points for a botched flying sit spin and finished third overall to win the bronze medal. Nagasu was assigned to the 2011 Four Continents, where she won the bronze medal with an overall score of 189.46. She was the first alternate to the 2011 World Championships but did not compete despite Rachael Flatt being injured.
Looking back on the season, Nagasu said, "Getting my body back into shape after was tough. I really did not get back into shape until Four Continents, where I did the best I could." Focus had also been an issue; "She was thinking of some things that didn't go so well before or something that was coming up -- all kinds of different thoughts instead of getting out there and doing each thing that was coming along and just doing the program", according to Carroll.
Nagasu finished seventh at the 2012 U.S. National Championships. At the time, she was coached several days a week by Frank Carroll in Cathedral City, California (near Palm Springs), and also worked with Rafael Arutyunyan in Lake Arrowhead, with Galina Barinova in Artesia, and on her own in Pasadena.
In April 2012, Nagasu ended her collaboration with Carroll because of the distance to the training location. Carroll said: "The two-hour drive each way was too much. She was exhausted by the time she got here." She decided to be coached by Wendy Olson and Amy Evidente at the Pickwick Ice rink in Burbank, California, which was a short drive from her home.
Nagasu had the flu before the U.S. Nationals. She finished seventh overall after under-rotating multiple jumps in her long program.
Nagasu was listed as the alternate to the 2013 ISU World Team Trophy.
After the Rostelecom Cup, Nagasu parted ways with her coaches Wendy Olson and Amy Evidente and started training in Okayama where Takashi Mura became her coach.
Nagasu won the bronze medal at the 2014 U.S. Championships behind gold medalist Gracie Gold and silver medalist Polina Edmunds. Although the United States was able to send a three-woman team to the ladies' singles figure skating event at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, U.S. Figure Skating awarded the third position on the team to Wagner despite her fourth-place finish behind Nagasu, due to Wagner's stronger international competitive record. It was reported in the January 12, 2014 televised broadcast of the championship that Nagasu would file a protest of the association's decision. However, The New York Times later reported that, after inquiring about the appeal process, Nagasu accepted the decision of U.S. Figure Skating, although she disagreed with it. Nagasu was assigned to the Four Continents Championships, placing tenth.
In March 2014, Nagasu moved to Colorado Springs, Colorado to train after feeling the need for a "change in scenery" and chose Tom Zakrajsek as her coach a month later.
At the 2015 U.S. Championships, Nagasu skated a solid short program and was in fourth place going into the long program. However, she placed 12th in the free skate after crashing into the boards and injuring her knee. She received several downgrades for under rotations on her jumps. Nagasu finished 10th overall.
In the spring of 2015, Nagasu briefly worked with Alexei Mishin on her jumps when he and his students went to temporarily train at the Broadmoor Skating Club, the rink Nagasu trains at, in Colorado Springs, for a week due to the lack of ice time they were getting in Saint Petersburg.
Nagasu suffered from an equipment malfunction at the 2016 U.S. Championships; her right boot (her landing foot) ripped during the short program and remained loose through the rest of the program. Nagasu was nonetheless able to complete her skate, and the boot was repaired in time for the free skate. She ultimately finished fourth, winning the pewter medal, and was assigned to compete at the 2016 Four Continents Championships. Nagasu hopes to give drama the boot in Taipei City
At the 2016 Four Continents Championships in Taipei, Nagasu placed third in the short program and second in the free skate. Her combined score of 193.86 at the competition earned her a new personal best, and won her the silver medal behind Satoko Miyahara. In March, she was called up to replace the injured Polina Edmunds at the 2016 World Championships in Boston, where she finished 10th.
Nagasu competed at the 2018 U.S. Figure Skating Championships and won the silver after placing second in both the short program and the free skate. She, with teammates Bradie Tennell and Karen Chen, were named to the 2018 US Winter Olympic Team for the 2018 Winter Olympics. It was Nagasu's second appearance in the Winter Olympics, after an 8-year absence.
At the 2018 Winter Olympics, Nagasu competed in the free skate portion of the figure skating team event. On February 11, 2018, during the team event free skate, Nagasu became the first American woman, and third woman overall, to land a triple Axel at an Olympic Games. The triple Axel jump allowed Nagasu to be the first woman to land eight clean triple jumps in a long program at World championship or Olympic competition. She landed one triple Axel, one triple Lutz, two triple flip jumps, one triple loop, one triple Salchow and two triple toe jumps. Because of the Zayak rule, eight is the maximum number of triple jumps any skater can attempt in a long program. She won a bronze medal in the team event as part of the U.S. team. She placed 10th in the Ladies event, during which she again planned eight triple jumps but landed only six.
As of December 2020, Nagasu announced that she was "most likely done competing" and is currently working as a coach at the North Star Figure Skating Club in Westboro, Massachusetts.
Nagasu has worked on improving her jumps to avoid under-rotations. She has added a Axel jump to her programs, landing two fully rotated triple Axel jumps at the 2017 CS U.S. International Figure Skating Classic with the negative grade of execution. She is the second US woman skater to have landed a triple Axel jump internationally after Tonya Harding. In 2018, she became the first U.S. woman skater to have landed the triple Axel in an Olympic competition.
Nagasu has stated that the athletic side of figure skating had come naturally to her and she has learned to love the artistic side of the sport.
GP: Grand Prix; CS: Challenger Series; JGP: Junior Grand Prix
Skating career
Early career
2006–07 season: Silver at Junior Worlds
2007–08 season: Senior national title
2008–09 season: Senior international debut
2009–10 season
2010–11 season: Bronze at Four Continents
2011–12 season
2012–13 season
2013–14 season
2014–15 season
2015–16 season: Silver at Four Continents
2016–17 season: Bronze at Four Continents
2017–2018 season
2018–2019 season
2019–2020 season
Skating technique and style
Programs
Records and achievements
Competitive highlights
2006–07 to present
3rd T
6th P2nd T
6th P1st T
1st P
Detailed results
Senior level
October 7, 2022 2022 Japan Open – 6
100.882T/6P October 5, 2019 2019 Japan Open – 6
111.043T/6P August 24, 2019 Aurora Games 30.0 29.5 1T March 21–23, 2018 2018 World Championships 9
65.2111
122.3110
187.52February 15–23, 2018 2018 Winter Olympics 9
66.9312
119.6110
186.54February 9–12, 2018 2018 Winter Olympics (Team event) – 2
137.533 January 3–5, 2018 2018 U.S. Championships 2
73.092
140.752
213.84November 10–12, 2017 2017 NHK Trophy 5
65.174
129.294
194.46October 20–22, 2017 2017 Rostelecom Cup 9
56.157
122.109
178.25October 7, 2017 2017 Japan Open – 4
134.693T/4P September 13–17, 2017 2017 U.S. Classic 3
63.812
119.732
183.54February 15–19, 2017 2017 Four Continents Championships 5
62.912
132.043
194.95January 14–22, 2017 2017 U.S. Championships 2
71.954
122.954
194.90November 25–27, 2016 2016 NHK Trophy 4
63.498
116.845
180.33October 28–30, 2016 2016 Skate Canada 9
53.1911
98.239
151.42Sept. 29 – Oct. 1, 2016 2016 CS Autumn Classic International 1
73.402
115.711
189.11September 8–11, 2016 2016 CS Lombardia Trophy 2
61.292
115.573
176.86Mar. 28 – Apr. 3, 2016 2016 World Championships 10
65.7411
120.9110
186.65February 16–21, 2016 2016 Four Continents Championships 3
66.062
127.802
193.86January 16–24, 2016 2016 U.S. Championships 5
59.644
129.204
188.84November 27–29, 2015 2015 NHK Trophy 5
61.106
114.545
175.64October 27–31, 2015 2015 Ice Challenge 2
57.851
111.531
169.38September 24–25, 2015 2015 Nebelhorn Trophy 11
48.092
111.585
159.67January 18–25, 2015 2015 U.S. Championships 4
65.2812
101.3510
166.63November 13–16, 2014 2014 Rostelecom Cup 4
58.906
106.984
165.88October 23–26, 2014 2014 Skate America 10
49.296
108.926
158.21October 4, 2014 2014 Japan Open – 5
106.852T/5P September 11–14, 2014 2014 CS U.S. Classic 5
55.463
104.035
159.49January 20–26, 2014 2014 Four Continents Championships 9
55.3910
104.3910
159.78January 9–11, 2014 2014 U.S. Championships 3
65.443
125.303
190.74November 22–24, 2013 2013 Rostelecom Cup 4
60.443
114.933
175.37November 8–10, 2013 2013 NHK Trophy 8
51.018
90.708
141.71October 4–6, 2013 2013 Finlandia Trophy 4
54.014
110.504
164.51January 19–27, 2013 2013 U.S. Championships 3
64.3911
109.367
173.75November 22–25, 2012 2012 NHK Trophy 2
61.183
115.503
176.68November 2–4, 2012 2012 Cup of China 3
59.764
103.704
163.46October 5–7, 2012 2012 Finlandia Trophy 3
52.753
110.343
163.09January 22–29, 2012 2012 U.S. Championships 5
59.028
104.977
163.99November 4–6, 2011 2011 Cup of China 2
60.962
112.262
173.22October 28–30, 2011 2011 Skate Canada International 5
52.735
98.995
151.72September 20–24, 2011 2011 Nebelhorn Trophy 1
58.381
109.021
167.46February 15–20, 2011 2011 Four Continents Championships 4
59.783
129.683
189.46January 22–30, 2011 2011 U.S. Championships 1
63.353
113.913
177.26November 26–28, 2010 2010 Trophée Éric Bompard 2
58.721
109.072
167.79November 5–7, 2010 2010 Cup of China 1
58.765
87.474
146.23March 22–28, 2010 2010 World Championships 1
70.4011
105.087
175.48February 14–27, 2010 2010 Winter Olympic Games 6
63.765
126.394
190.15January 14–24, 2010 2010 U.S. Championships 1
70.063
118.722
188.78November 22–25, 2009 2009 Skate Canada International 3
56.343
100.494
156.83Oct. 29 – Nov. 1, 2009 2009 Cup of China 1
62.206
93.185
155.38January 18–25, 2009 2009 U.S. Championships 6
54.795
105.205
159.99November 27–30, 2008 2008 NHK Trophy 8
50.149
74.088
124.22October 23–26, 2008 2008 Skate America 4
56.427
86.485
142.90
Junior level
Feb. 25 – Mar. 2, 2008 2008 World Junior Championships Junior 1
65.07 (WJR)3
97.823
162.89January 20–27, 2008 2008 U.S. Championships Senior 1
70.233
120.181
190.41December 6–9, 2007 2007–08 Junior Grand Prix Final Junior 1
59.352
102.741
162.09September 26–29, 2007 2007 Junior Grand Prix, Croatia Junior 1
52.121
91.401
143.52Aug. 30 – Sept. 2, 2007 2007 Junior Grand Prix, USA Junior 1
55.361
103.781
159.14Feb. 26 – Mar. 4, 2007 2007 World Junior Championships Junior 2
57.222
106.622
163.84January 21–28, 2007 2007 U.S. Championships Junior 1
54.261
101.201
165.46
Reality television
Dancing with the Stars
+Mirai Nagasu - Dancing with the Stars (season 26)
! scope="col" Week
! scope="col" Dance
! scope="col" Music
! colspan="3" scope="col" Judges' scores
! Total score
! scope="col" Result Street dance
(Team 1970s Football)"Instant Replay" — Dan Hartman 9 9 9 37 Jive
(Dance-off)"Johnny B. Goode" — Chuck Berry Loser
Celebrity Big Brother
Filmography
+
!Year
!Media
!Role
!Notes 2018 Dancing with the Stars Herself (contestant) Celebrity, season 26, 4th place (three-way tie) 2019 RuPaul's Drag Race Herself (guest judge) Episode: "The Draglympics" 2022 Celebrity Big Brother (U.S.) Herself (contestant) Celebrity, season 3, 10th place
External links
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