Before she landed a historic triple axel in the women's free skate at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympic Games, Mirai Nagasu was an Ice Girl for the Colorado Avalanche. During the 2015-16 season, Nagasu represented the team as a community ambassador at charity events, in addition to cleaning the ice at Pepsi Center during breaks in the game.
Nagasu was the first American woman to land a triple axel, and only the third woman to accomplish the jump in Olympic history. The other two skaters to land the impressive feat were from Japan (Midori Ito in 1992, and Mao Asada in 2010). Only seven women have ever landed the move in a figure skating competition. That includes Tonya Harding, who landed the move in 1991.
Nagasu finished the women's free skate portion of the team event with a personal best score of 137.53 and a second place finish. The United States team finished the eight-program competition with a bronze medal.
"I tripped a couple of times going into it because I was so nervous, but to tell myself, 'No, I'm going to go for it, 100 percent and not pull back,' that was really special for me," Nagasu said in an interview with NBC following the competition.
Originally from Arcadia, California, Nagasu has been training at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, where she is also studying at the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs.
Nagasu will compete in the ladies' individual competition on February 21 and 23.
