Nagasu Steals the Thunder in Junior Ladies Short
by Troy Schwindt
 (1/21/07) - Mirai Nagasu admits she felt the butterflies when she took the ice Sunday night at the State Farm U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Spokane, Wash.
But the 13-year-old from Arcadia, Calif., didn’t show it for a second.
“I turned my nervousness into gasoline to get me going,” said Nagasu, whose fun and upbeat performance to music from the “Swing Kids” soundtrack earned her the top finish in the junior ladies short program with a score of 54.26. “The audience was really behind me.”
Junior Grand Prix champion Caroline Zhang fell on her double Axel midway through her program but still managed to finish second with a mark of 53.87. Blake Rosenthal, of Radnor, Pa., placed third at 51.67, while Ashley Wagner of Alexandria, Va., finished fourth with a score of 51.20.
The junior ladies free skate is slated for 5:40 p.m. on Tuesday.Nagasu entertained the audience at Spokane Arena with an energetic program that commenced with a triple Lutz-double toe combination followed by a triple flip.
“My choreographer (Susan Austin) chose it (music) for me because she wanted it to represent my personality,” said Nagasu, who added that she’s happy most of the time.
Her bright red- and pink-striped dress provided a perfect complement to her music.
“I just wanted to have fun and perform for the audience,” Nagasu said.
For Nagasu, this marks her second national competition. In 2005, she qualified as an intermediate for the U.S. Junior Championships but failed to get past the opening round.
“I didn’t do what I wanted to do and wasn’t as prepared as I was today,” she said.
Nagasu’s coach Charlene Wong had high praise for her star pupil.
“She’s incredibly disciplined, very driven,” said Wong, who recently coached retired skater Amber Corwin. “She has a passion for skating, and when you combine that with talent and discipline and determination, I think she has what it takes to make a good career for herself.”
Zhang, 13, of Irvine, Calif., turned in a polished performance to the music of “Olga” from the “Ladies in Lavender” soundtrack. She nailed her opening triple Lutz-double toe combination and displayed remarkable extension on her spins and spirals.
The only miscue came on her double Axel, which was an eye-opener for Zhang, who last year placed eighth at the U.S. Championships in the junior ranks. She received a one-point deduction for the fall.
“I was really surprised because I usually don’t fall on the double Axel,” Zhang said. “So, it was like, wow.”
Zhang said she is looking forward to the free skate.
“I want to do the double Axel and concentrate on doing a good program and not have any stupid falls,” she said.
In 2006, Zhang won both of her Junior Grand Prix events in dominating fashion before running away with the Junior Grand Prix Final by 20 points.
Rosenthal, second last year in the novice ranks, landed her opening triple Lutz-double toe combination and followed that up with a triple flip.
The performance was a personal best. |