Vintage Chic

Mirai Nagasu skated to Owl City’s “Fireflies” for her exhibition performance during the 2010-11 season. The Chinese commentary in this video cracks me up. She’s grown up a lot since the Olympics and her jumps are a lot cleaner now. Good luck this season, Mirai!

I love when competitors truly rise to the occasion, like Kim Yu-Na did during tonight’s short program.

Mirai Nagasu made her Olympic debut tonight at the Vancouver Games, scoring a personal best that put her in sixth place after the short program.

Mirai’s spins are always exquisite, like the catch-foot layback she performed tonight.

An interview with Mirai Nagasu after she won the 2007 U.S. Figure Skating Championships at the junior level. ADORABLE.

Last August, Michelle Kwan returned to the ice (for the first time since 2006) for one of Kim Yu-Na’s exhibition shows, Ice All Stars 2009.

Michelle calls Yu-Na a friend and “an influential role model for future figure skaters.” Yu-Na calls Michelle “an iconic figure since childhood” and said that it was “a big honor to perform together with her in Korea.”

Here’s Michelle skating to one of my favorite tunes, “Winter Song” by Sarah Bareilles and Ingrid Michaelson. The only part of the commentary I understand is “(sigh)…spiral” - no one spirals like Michelle Kwan.

She skated her second performance to “Carmina Burana.”

Will Yu-Na be crowned queen this week, or will she leave us heartbroken like Michelle did in 2002? Only time will tell. Let the Games begin!

Mirai Nagasu trains at the Trout Lake centre for next week’s competition.

(via Boston Globe | The Big Picture)

Olympic gold medalist Evan Lysacek during his short program performance at the Vancouver Olympics.

(via Boston Globe | The Big Picture)

Zhao Hongbo and his figure-skating partner and wife, Shen Xue, perform an intricate maneuver en route to the Olympic gold medal in the pairs competition.

I held my breath so hard during this moment!

(via The LA Times)

The 2010 Winter Olympic Games begin tonight in Vancouver!

Some may argue that no one cares about the Winter Olympics. The fact that the U.S. delegation to the opening ceremony will be led by Vice President Biden and his wife, Dr. Jill Biden, rather than the President, compounds this argument.

If the winter sports only consisted of men and women sliding down a hill as quickly as possible, I too would care very little about the Winter Games. But thanks to the beauty and artistry of figure skating, I am a big fan!

(via loveyourchaos)

NPR | “Figure Skating: The Olympics’ Broken Sport”
by Frank Deford

At our national championships three weeks ago, virtually the entire audience rose in acclaim, thinking Mirai Nagasu had won with a lovely, fluid performance. The air went out of the arena when the judges’ tally gave the victory to Rachael Flatt, who’d skated merely safe and solid.

Forbes | Top Earning Athletes of the 2010 Winter Olympics

World Champion Kim Yu-Na ties for first place, with total 2009 earnings of $8 million. She is South Korea’s first hope for an Olympic medal in figure skating, and as unpatriotic as it may be, I’m rooting for her to win gold at the Vancouver Games.

The Boston Globe | “Kwan puts skating career on ice”

For the past few months, I’ve taken a second glance at every Asian female that I pass in Davis Square in hopes of meeting Michelle (who is studying for a masters in law and diplomacy at Tufts’s Fletcher School). So far, no luck. Perhaps I should start frequenting Diesel Cafe…

Meet the U.S. ladies figure skating team, headed to the Vancouver Games this February: Mirai Nagasu and Rachael Flatt

After nearly four years, Sasha Cohen made her comeback to competitive figure skating this week at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships. Her short program was breathtaking, and put her in second place. Unfortunately, her free skate was underwhelming and she finished the competition a distance fourth.

Regardless of tonight’s Olympic decision, it was wonderful to see you back on the ice, Sasha!