The Winter Olympics took place in PyeongChang this year, and millions of people tuned in to see all the nations come together. This provided many national achievements, as well as individual olympian’s personal goals. These included nailing a triple axel, getting on the podium, and even making history. One figure skater that shined bright and went down in history this year was Mirai Nagasu of the US.
Mirai Nagasu is a 24 year old female figure skater who has made history. She was born in Monterbello, California. She is a Japanese American, and represented the US. Her figure skater coach is Tom Zakrajsek, who helped Nagasu win a bronze medal in the 2018 Olympics. Nailing one of the hardest skills to master, that only a few females have done, Nagasu successfully landed the triple axel. She made it look effortless and graceful. Landing a triple axel is worth 8.50 points, giving her a grand total of 137.43 points! Nagasu practices 30 triple axels a day. She has made an exhilarating accomplishment, and I can’t wait to see new breathtaking and memorable moments from the women who did the impossible.
Another memorable achievement belongs to the sibling duo of Alex and Maia Shibutani. They are a figure skating duo, also representing US of A. Maia is 23 years old and Alex is 26. They are Japanese American, and were born in different places. Alex was born in Boston, Massachusetts, on April 26, 1991. Maia was born in New York City, on July 20, 1994. Alex and Maia won the bronze medal, and could not be happier. They chose the song “Paradise” by Coldplay, and they selected that song because the Shibutanis are proud of how far they have gone, and the song is very inspirational. The song reminds them of how people believed in them, and how people supported them. The Shibutani skated so in sync, their routine was thrilling.The Shibutani’s danced their routine in a astonishing way and Maia’s costume was absolutely stunning. I can’t wait to see their new choice of song in the future and their new dance routine.
Alina Zagitova is a female figure skater that is only 15 years old. Zagitova, was born in Izhevsk, Russia, on May 18, 2002, represented the Olympic Athletes of Russia(OAR). Zagitova’s coaches are Eteri Tutberidze, and Sergei Dudakov. Zagitova brought in a whopping 239.57 points! With this, of course, she won the gold medal. Zagitova’s costume was elegant and stunning. When Zagitova practiced before the competition, she showed off her amazing figure skating skills, landed 5 triple jumps! Zagitova achieved such a great goal and I am so excited to see Zagitova win another medal soon.
Many people in the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics have achieved amazing accomplishments. They have worked extremely hard, practiced for many days, and finally got the chance to show off their skills to the world. They all did a wonderful job, and I can’t wait to see what they will do next time.
Kyla Penafiel, 2024 – Feature Writer
Photo credit: WOODTV
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