Figure Skater Mirai Nagasu Becomes First U.S. Woman To Land Triple Axel At Olympics

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Team USA’s Mirai Nagasu has made history at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympic Games, becoming the first U.S. female figure skater — and third woman ever — to nail a triple axel during an Olympic competition.

Nagasu, 24, was competing in the women’s free skate in the team event on Monday when she landed the difficult jump. Nagasu received a score of 137.53 for the routine — a personal best.

Viewers, naturally, went wild.

Even Kristi Yamaguchi, the former Team USA figure skater and Olympic champion, said she was shedding “tears of joy” over Nagasu’s achievement.

Nagasu, who also landed a triple axel at the U.S. International Figure Skating Classic last year, is among just a handful of women who have successfully executed the jump in competition. Tonya Harding was the first American woman to achieve the feat, nailing the move at the national championship in 1991.

The Players’ Tribune shared a video on Twitter showing how athletes like Nagasu train to land the challenging jump. It includes using an off-ice skating harness, which can help athletes get a feel of a jump’s rotations.

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