In her statement, Mirai Nagasu reflects on the significant challenge she faced in achieving her Olympic dream. The Olympics represent the pinnacle of athletic achievement and require years of dedication, training, and perseverance to qualify for participation. By saying that getting to the Olympics was the hard part, Nagasu underscores the immense difficulty involved in reaching this elite level.
Beyond its surface meaning, Nagasu's quote also suggests that once an athlete has qualified for the Olympic Games, they have already overcome many obstacles and challenges. This implies that participating in the Olympics is a major accomplishment in itself. The statement can be interpreted as acknowledging the importance of the journey leading up to the competition and the relentless effort required to get there. It also hints at the idea that after overcoming such hurdles, whatever follows—whether it's performing well or dealing with the pressure and expectations—is likely manageable by comparison.
Mirai Nagasu is an accomplished American figure skater who has made significant strides in her career. She qualified for three Winter Olympics, with her most notable achievement coming during the 2018 PyeongChang Games where she became the first American woman to land a triple axel at the Olympic level. Her journey exemplifies resilience and determination, making her statement about reaching the Olympics particularly resonant within the context of her personal experiences and achievements in figure skating.
