American figure skater Mirai Nagasu just made United States history at the Winter Olympics in Gangneung, South Korea this weekend.
Team USA first woman to land triple axel jump in Olympics
History was made on Sunday at the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games
GANGNEUNG, SOUTH KOREA - FEBRUARY 12: Mirai Nagasu of the United States of America celebrates after competing in the Figure Skating Team Event Ladie's Single Free Skating on day three of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at Gangneung Ice Arena on February 12, 2018 in Gangneung, South Korea. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Imagen Maddie Meyer/Getty Images
The 24-year-old ice skater from Montebello, California landed a successful triple axel in which only a handful of people in the world had accomplished since the start of the Winter Olympics in 1924.
Figure ice skater, Tonya Harding from Portland, Oregon successfully did the triple axel back in the 1991 in the U.S. figure skating championships. Nagasu is the eighth woman overall and the second American to land a triple axel in an international competition.
The "triple axel" was created by Axel Paulson in 1882. There are also a "single axel" and "double axel" The forward facing triple axel jump is one of the most difficult jumps to date in ice skating. The triple axel consists of the ice skater spinning three and a half rotations while in the air.
Team USA took the bronze medal Sunday.