Mirai Nagasu became the first American woman to land a triple axel jump in Olympic competition on Monday, helping the American team earn a bronze medal in the team ice skating competition.
The 24-year-old from Southern California earned roars of approval from the crowd at Pyeongchang, South Korea, for the rare jump, which took place during the women’s free skate part of the event.
“HOLY COW!” You just witnessed a historic triple axel from Mirai Nagasu. #WinterOlympics https://t.co/NsNuy9F46h pic.twitter.com/jCMTb4LtXv
— NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) February 12, 2018
The high-risk jump requires 3½ rotations in the air and landing backwards on one foot — a feat accomplished just twice before at the Winter Olympics, by Japanese skaters Midori Ito and Mao Asada. Two Americans — Tonya Harding in 1991 and Kimmie Meissner in 2005 — have pulled off the jump in competition, but not at the Olympics.
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