Mirai Nagasu became the second-youngest U.S. champ (behind only 1998 Olympic gold
Mirai Nagasu became the second-youngest U.S. champ (behind only 1998 Olympic gold medalist Tara Lipinski) and the first skater since the 1930s to win the U.S. junior title and U.S senior crown in consecutive years.
Nagasu was skating in Rockefeller Center on NBC’s “Today” show. She was on the cover of Sports Illustrated for Kids.
The 16-year-old former U.S. champion surprised the field with a crisp, lively short program that racked up 70.06 points, leaving her in first place heading into the finale. If she skates just as well today, she might be the future of the sport in as little as three weeks, at the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver.
Mirai Nagasu was only 14 when she won the U.S. title in 2008, but she was too young to go to the world championships that year.