--- description: Mirai Nagasu made history at the 2018 Winter Games when she became the first American woman to land a triple axel at the Olympics. title: Mirai Nagasu Lands Historic Triple Axel at 2018 Olympics image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt03a82c367035e64d/69892715096a944e346a1723/mirai-nagasu-triple-axel-0211181.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Sports](/section/sports/) ## Sports Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [2018 Pyeongchang Olympics](/tag/2018-pyeongchang-olympics/) ## 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Mirai Nagasu Makes History as the First American Woman to Land a Triple Axel at the Olympics  by [Cady Lang](/author/cady-lang/)  ## Cady Lang Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Updated: Jan 15, 2026 6:52 PM CUTPublished: Feb 12, 2018 3:44 AM CUT  USA's Mirai Nagasu competes in the figure skating team event women's single skating free skating during the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at the Gangneung Ice Arena, Feb. 12, 2018. USA's Mirai Nagasu competes in the figure skating team event women's single skating free skating during the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at the Gangneung Ice Arena, Feb. 12, 2018.ARIS MESSINIS—AFP/Getty Images  by [Cady Lang](/author/cady-lang/)  ## Cady Lang Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Updated: Jan 15, 2026 6:52 PM CUTPublished: Feb 12, 2018 3:44 AM CUT During her free skate for the figure skating team event at the [2018 Winter Olympics](http://time.com/5141157/pyeongchang-winter-olympics-opening-ceremony-tv/ "undefined") in [PyeongChang, South Korea](http://time.com/5125436/winter-olympics-2018-dates/ "undefined"), [Mirai Nagasu](http://time.com/5131773/guide-figure-skating-jumps-olympics/ "undefined") made history when she landed a triple axel, becoming the first American woman to do so at the Olympics and the third woman to do so in the history of the Winter Games. Nagasu was the only skater in the women’s free skate who attempted the difficult jump, which requires a forward takeoff and three-and-a-half rotations. She’s one of only three American women who have landed a triple axel in competition, the other two being Tonya Harding and Kimmie Meissner, though Nagasu is the only one to have done it in the Olympics. > [](https://twitter.com/NBCOlympics/status/962875892627369984) As might be expected, the internet was overjoyed when Nagasu completed the triple axel and took to Twitter to share their many emotions about it. > [](https://twitter.com/notgneissatall/status/962874958022979584) > [](https://twitter.com/nicole%5Fsoojung/status/962874357667254273) > [](https://twitter.com/RachelRoseGold1/status/962886481592438784) > [](https://twitter.com/JuliaJRH/status/962876104880087041) > [](https://twitter.com/ashwagners/status/962875008111534081) ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5143814/mirai-nagasu-triple-axel-olympics-2018/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5143814/mirai-nagasu-triple-axel-olympics-2018/"},"headline":"Mirai Nagasu Makes History as the First American Woman to Land a Triple Axel at the Olympics","datePublished":"2018-02-12T03:44:29.000Z","dateModified":"2026-01-15T18:52:46.000Z","description":"All hail Mirai","url":"https://time.com/5143814/mirai-nagasu-triple-axel-olympics-2018/","keywords":["2018 Pyeongchang Olympics","Newsfeed","Winter Olympics","onetime"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt03a82c367035e64d/69892715096a944e346a1723/mirai-nagasu-triple-axel-0211181.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Cady Lang","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/cady-lang/"}],"articleSection":"Sports","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt03a82c367035e64d/69892715096a944e346a1723/mirai-nagasu-triple-axel-0211181.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Mirai Nagasu triple axel Winter Olympics 2018","caption":"Mirai Nagasu triple axel Winter Olympics 2018","creditText":"ARIS MESSINIS—AFP/Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/sports/","name":"Sports"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/2018-pyeongchang-olympics/","name":"2018 Pyeongchang Olympics"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/5143814/mirai-nagasu-triple-axel-olympics-2018/","name":"Mirai Nagasu Makes History as the First American Woman to Land a Triple Axel at the Olympics"}}]}] ```