*This content was translated by AI.
Japanese figure skater Nakai Ami (18) is drawing attention for maintaining an unflustered expression even during jumps in competition.
Japan's "The Answer" reported on the 8th that "Although Nakai narrowly missed the podium, her perfect expression captured mid-jump has shocked overseas fans."
Born in 2008, Nakai Ami is a top Japanese figure skater who competes using her signature triple axel. She made her senior debut and competed at the February 2026 Milan-Cortina d'Ampezzo Winter Olympics, becoming the youngest female singles medalist in Japanese figure skating history by winning bronze, which garnered global attention.
On the 6th, Nakai scored 127.45 points in the women's free skate at the Challenger Series "Kinoshita Group Cup" held at Tokyo Tanaka Jewelry Ice Arena. Leading after the short program (SP), she fell on her first jump, the triple axel, and made errors in her consecutive jumps later in the routine, finishing fourth with a total score of 207.72 points. The gap to third place was only 0.14 points.
Regardless of the disappointing result, photos of Nakai from the competition spread widely on social media (SNS), drawing attention because she maintained a perfect expression even during jumps where strong centrifugal force acts.
Generally, during figure skating jumps, facial muscles become severely distorted due to intense centrifugal force and extreme physical tension. The powerful centrifugal force generated when rotating 3–4 times per second in the air strongly pulls facial skin and muscles outward.
Additionally, as athletes squeeze their entire body's muscles to the limit to maintain takeoff and rotation axis, they unconsciously clench their teeth or furrow their brows deeply. As a result, jump photos captured by high-speed cameras often end up as so-called "humiliating shots" where the chin lifts and facial features appear distorted.
Overseas fans expressed amazement with reactions such as "Does anyone really have humiliating photos in life?", "Her aura is infinite even during jumps," "She overwhelms us even mid-jump," "She makes a perfect expression as if her life depends on it," and "Always perfect, beautiful, and elegant first lady," praising Nakai for remaining calm despite the intense physical pressure.
Meanwhile, the tournament winner was Maiko Shima with a total score of 231.32 points. Alexandra Ignatova (221.06 points) took second place, and Anna Frolova (207.86 points) secured third.
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*This content was translated by AI.
