My Vancouver memory: I have seen the future, and it is Mirai Nagasu

At the end of every Olympic Games, my editors ask those who have covered the event for our most vivid memory of our experience.

Mine looks forward rather than back. ...

Time-lapse photography of Mirai Nagasu:

In 2007, winning the U.S. junior title, she was a tiny wisp with big potential.

In 2008, winning the senior title at age 14, she was a callow, unrefined skater whose skills deserted her during a growth spurt in 2009. 

And now, the 16-year-old Nagasu, the Olympic debutante from Arcadia who came onto the ice for Saturday’s exhibition as a young woman with confidence and command as glimmering in the spotlight as her turquoise dress.

A bloody nose in the Olympic short program did not unnerve her. 

Being good enough in the short program -- sixth place -- to skate in the final, elite group of the long program did not unnerve her. Twenty minutes after Kim Yuna had clinched the gold, Nagasu closed the evening with a performance so solid, so filled with dazzling spins, she wound up fourth.  

In all her Olympic moments -- gala, short program, long program -- I saw a Nagasu who seemed to have gained four years of maturity in the month since finishing second at the U.S. Championships.  

So much can go wrong in the coming four years, but after two weeks of covering figure skating at the 2010 Winter Games, I will remember most the tantalizing vision of Nagasu as the next Olympic champion.

-- Philip Hersh  in Vancouver, Canada

Comments

[Anne Donze]

I'm with you Mr. Hersh. Mirai was my favorite part of the 2010 Olympics.

[LongTimeSkateFan]

ABSOLUTELY AGREE!

With kudos to Rachael Flatt - she is clearly a very mentally tough (and smart) athletic skater, but she is not "the complete package" - the description that Scott Hamilton and Sandra Bezic used for Mirai several times during Nationals and these Games. Mirai is more than capable in her jumps but she also has that beautiful grace and elegance on ice.

I only hope that she avoids the injury/burnout situation that happened to another promising 16 year old after her very notable Olympics debut way back in 1984 in Sarajevo: Tiffany Chin.

The Worlds in a few weeks should be quite interesting.

Here is hoping for a truly contending US Women's team in Sochi!

[lee]

Isn't 'Mirai' Japanese for 'future'?

[FC]

Mirai's bloody nose in the Olympic short program is really upsetting me. But she could complete skating with all her energy. Well done.
Hope she can develop herself phisically and metally to maximize her ability for the next Olympic in Sochi.

[Jack]

I think Mirai has a lot of potential. She is certainly one of the most promising female skaters now in the USA. Her chances of winning a 2014 Olympic medal, however, is way too soon to predict. If Yu-Na is still competing, she will win again hands down, nobody is going to beat her as long as she is healthy and skates cleanly.