It was not just the two strong performances and the second-place finish

It was not just the two strong performances and the second-place finish that has Mirai Nagasu becoming the favorite, it was also the smile that escaped during her performance in the short program. Just a week before, Nagasu looked miserable after finishing fifth at Skate Canada. It wasn’t just that her jumps were off, but there was no performance. At Cup of China, Nagasu corrected her jump problems from the week prior and now she has until U.S. Nationals in January to bring out even more of that inner performer. While just one point back on the technical mark, Nagasu trailed Cup of China champion Carolina Kostner by almost seven points on the performance/choreography/skating skills mark.

She should have came in first!

Mirai Nagasu’s Short Program at Cup of China

Mirai Nagasu’s Long Program at Cup of China