Nagasu Weaponizes Triple Axel, Becomes Third U.S. Lady to Land One in Competition
Mirai Nagasu joined the elite club of women skaters who have landed a triple Axel in competition, when she landed a triple Axel in both the short program and long program at the 2017 U.S. International Figure Skating Classic in Salt Lake City in September. At the competition, Nagasu opened both the short and long programs with a solo triple Axel, both of which were called fully rotated. She placed third in the short and second in the long for a second place finish, one place ahead of 2017 U.S. Ladies Champion Karen Chen and three places ahead of Mariah Bell.
Nagasu joins Americans Tonya Harding and Kimmie Meissner who landed triple Axels in competition during their careers. Triple Axles have also been landed in competition by Midori Ito (the first one to do it), Yukari Nakano, Ludmila Nelidina, Mao Asada (who has landed three in a single competition), Elizaveta Tuktamysheva, and Rika Kihira.
Copyright 2017 by George S. Rossano
