No, That's Not a Giant 'USA' Tattoo on Mirai Nagasu's Leg

United States figure skater Mirai Nagasu started the women's individual competition during Tuesday night's primetime Olympics broadcast. Like when she helped Team USA earn a bronze medal in the figure skating team event by landing the first-ever triple axel by a US woman at the Olympics, Nagasu confused some people. 

Some have wondered if Nagasu's Olympic pride is so strong she got a huge "USA" tattoo on her thigh, which can be seen while skating. 

It's not a tattoo. It's Team USA-branded kinesiology tape used for a muscle strain, according to the NBC broadcast. The brand was quick to clear up the confusion and let viewers know it's not a tattoo, but tape for pain relief.

This isn't the only time you may have spotted KT Tape at work during the Olympics. Early in the Games, skiers were applying KT Tape to their face to protect themselves from PyeongChang's bitter cold. That's a use KT Tape doesn't necessarily recommend. 

"We did not know or expect that it was going to be used on skiers' faces. That's not the intended use for KT Tape," KT Tape chief marketing officer Russ Schleiden told Thrillist. "We have not recommended, and we have not researched or tested using it for frostbite prevention or cold prevention."

It has, however, researched how Nagasu is using it for pain relief.

Check back during the games for all of Thrillist’s continuing Olympics coverage. Think of us like an all-knowing friend watching along with you to answer all the important questions, like how heavy are Olympic medals. We'll explain everything from curling rules and figure skating scoring to what OAR means, why winning athletes are receiving stuffed animals and much, much more.

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Dustin Nelson is a News Writer with Thrillist. He holds a Guinness World Record but has never met the fingernail lady. Follow him @dlukenelson.