Gracie Gold addresses issues of weight

[karne]

It's not just the women, either. I read recently that Takahito Mura has lost 1.5kg or something, because he'd "bulked up too much to jump". I remember a video with Patrick Chan talking about how he lost weight and was still "bigger" than pencil-thin Yuzuru and Boyang.

Mm, I remember a couple of seasons ago Max talking about changing up his diet because he wanted a "leaner" look, and some discussion that the PTB at USFS didn't want their men to have such large engines (this was during the 2014-2015 phase where Max was at his bulkiest). It gave me the shudders. He might have been bulky but there is not an ounce of fat on that boy.

 

[Violet Bliss]

Just bumped into this flashback Toronto Star opinion piece looking at the ladies podium at Skate Canada 2013

Skate Canada: Skinny on female skaters isn't pretty

https://www.thestar.com/sports/skat...ny_on_female_skaters_isnt_pretty_dimanno.html

Ironically, Gracie who was the bronze medallist, is held up at the end of the article as the one bucking the trend/pressure..

That's such a mean disparaging of young and high achieving girls/young women. Would she put up her own picture and let others give her a taste of vile verbiage?

 

[Meoima]

It's not just the women, either. I read recently that Takahito Mura has lost 1.5kg or something, because he'd "bulked up too much to jump". I remember a video with Patrick Chan talking about how he lost weight and was still "bigger" than pencil-thin Yuzuru and Boyang.

And being too thin isn't that good either. Yuzuru has been injured so many times. If anything he needs more fat to protect his body from impact. Patrick is fine, not heavy at all. Gracie is fine. I hope they make peace with their bodies.

 

[Jaana]

I noticed from GP America that Gold has gained some extra weight. I think easiest would be if a skater keeps her diet during the whole season and does not eat food that is not good (for anyone) during the off-season. Personally, I believe that Gold´s problems in competitions have nothing to do with the weight, they look mental to me... A good sports psychologist will be needed for her, IMO.

 

[daphenaxa]

honestly I am a bit disturbed by the reactions to Gracie's comments about her weight.
Yes obviously Gracie is slim and beautiful but maybe she is not at her ideal competitive weight where landing that frickin triple flip is the easiest. I think responding to her comments with "but you're beautiful and perfect the way you are" is so patronizing too. I like that she is honest about it. One or two kg too much for competitive sports doesn't make you fat but it certainly can make you not land your jumps.
Body dysmorphia and all the problems with body image and expectations are very serious topics but I also dislike that media jumps so quickly to those issues with no proof whatsoever. I wish all the best to Gracie and hope she has the right people to help her if she suffers from those. But i also hate that an athlete just can't say they are not in the right shape to compete because it's not PC.

 

[Rissa]

That's such a mean disparaging of young and high achieving girls/young women. Would she put up her own picture and let others give her a taste of vile verbiage?

It wasn't so bad. It was biased but by no means vile and not particularly disparaging... In fact, milder than lots of things people say at this forum.

I do wish the author would follow it up with Gracie's situation.

I saw that Gracie addressed fan concernes on her instagram saying that every athlete has a different body leanness that enables them to do their sport well, which I thought was very smart and true. But it means that she thinks her perfect leanness is thinner than now, which I personally find hard to believe. She looks on the thin side - thinner and she'd look unhealthy. I remember a girl who sat next to me at last GPF commenting that Gracie looked way too skinny (she was college age and skater herself).

Now, undertrained, that sounds more like it. And is easier to fix than a weight problem which could be just in her head.

 

[brightphoton]

And being too thin isn't that good either. Yuzuru has been injured so many times. If anything he needs more fat to protect his body from impact. Patrick is fine, not heavy at all. Gracie is fine. I hope they make peace with their bodies.

Saying that a layer of fat would prevent injuries is like saying a ponytail would prevent concussions.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=YNBYz8CTB3Y&t=2m

 

[andromache]

honestly I am a bit disturbed by the reactions to Gracie's comments about her weight.
Yes obviously Gracie is slim and beautiful but maybe she is not at her ideal competitive weight where landing that frickin triple flip is the easiest. I think responding to her comments with "but you're beautiful and perfect the way you are" is so patronizing too. I like that she is honest about it. One or two kg too much for competitive sports doesn't make you fat but it certainly can make you not land your jumps.
Body dysmorphia and all the problems with body image and expectations are very serious topics but I also dislike that media jumps so quickly to those issues with no proof whatsoever. I wish all the best to Gracie and hope she has the right people to help her if she suffers from those. But i also hate that an athlete just can't say they are not in the right shape to compete because it's not PC.

After a lot of consideration, this is basically my conclusion as well, No matter our completely subjective opinions on how Gracie looks - opinions which are basically worthless and meaningless - it's all about being in peak shape, and we have no reason to believe she's engaging in unhealthy behaviors to reach that peak shape.

And of course she has inconsistency problems that are all in her head, of course she's seeing a sports psychologist, these things are all pretty evident and unrelated to her peak fitness.

 

[lyndichee]

It wasn't so bad. It was biased but by no means vile and not particularly disparaging... In fact, milder than lots of things people say at this forum.

I do wish the author would follow it up with Gracie's situation.

Gracie should not give this woman the time of the day. Yes lots of random people on this forum have said much worse but this is a forum. People don't write here for a living. This woman's professional career contains an article body-shaming and minimizing the achievements of skaters. Being aware of Akiko Suzuki's past should caution her to be more careful with the language she uses to describe people's body; instead she uses it to perpetrate negativity.

 

[TGee]

Equally, I think calling girls "over-achieving skinny-minnie freaks" is just as unhelpful, especially when one of those who is being described as such is just fifteen years old. Good grief. But I'm not surprised it was DeManno.

.

Agreed....contemptuous tone from either perspective isn't helpful at all. Thanks for making the point.:agree:

But I found it so striking that 3 years ago Gracie was being held up as the model of a healthy attitude, in comparison to the silver medallist who was recovery from publicly acknowledged anorexia, and the other who has acknowledged significant psychological issues related to her Olympic year experience and the transition of growth and puberty.

For me, it really poses the question, what happened to that confident, mentally robust sounding girl? What brought her to her current place?

And from all I've read about coaching, one has to look at the coach in that. The primary coach at the elite level is the manager of both a skater's physical and psychological development. The coach isn't a sports psychologist true enough, but he/she needs to be in charge of the support team that includes experts in sports psychology.

I've taken some time to look back through the media reports from the fall of 2013 when Gracie's coaching transition was underway. At that time, there was some question of her staying in Canton with Marina Zoueva and her group, while working with Frank Carroll on technical issues.

Frank is quoted in more than one source as saying that he believed that a skater needed to only have one voice. He was granted the responsibility of being the "one voice". So, I would see him as having taken on primary responsibility, as primary coach, for the outcome : both technical and psychological.

 

[Meoima]

Saying that a layer of fat would prevent injuries is like saying a ponytail would prevent concussions.

Nah, it is not just fat but also muscles.

 

[Tutto]

Oh Gosh another thread about Gracie being overweight. I'd rather discuss the state of Frank Carroll's brain - still seeing the flaming flip in the sp. I refrain from saying what I really think...
Ran, Gracie, ran. There is a life after Carroll, you ask Michelle if you don't believe it

 

[mrrice]

Bravo to whomever mentioned that it's not just young girls who have to deal with weight issues. Like skaters, dancers are often wearing little more than tights and bling'd out leotards. In Ballet, we didn't wear shirts in half of our pieces. You are constantly worried about your weight and if you aren't...someone else will be. God forbid you sneak into McDonalds for a burger and fries and get spotted by someone you know. The entire company will know by the time you get back to the theater. There is immense pressure to stay thin, especially during performance season.

I know this sounds disgusting but, if you were to go right outside the stage door of a Broadway Theater, in the old days. You'd see over flowing ashtrays and a mountain of cigarette butts on the ground. I was dancing in pieces themed to "Icarus" and our costumes were basically Tights and Paint. That's it. You were constantly worried about your weight and you have no idea how embarrassing it can be to have someone come up and "Pat" your stomach or you butt and say, "Watch those large fries, Honey" There's a reason that so many dancers and skaters wind up with eating disorders.


Have a look at this clip. The male dancers are basically wearing fringed speedo's and loincloths. The last thing they need is for someone to be talking about their weight in public. They are well aware of how they look. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7xVCx21okw

 

[chuckm]

I believe that what Gracie meant is not that she is overweight but that she is not at the best competition weight for her. It could just be a matter of a pound or two---she probably doesn't feel 'toned' because she is undertrained at this point.

I also couldn't help wondering about Vanessa James at Skate America. She looked so much thinner than she'd ever been, and I've never seen her miss so many jumps and throws. There gets to be a point when the weight lost is muscle, and in pairs skating, that can make it hard to hold onto those landings.

 

[mrrice]

I believe that what Gracie meant is not that she is overweight but that she is not at the best competition weight for her. It could just be a matter of a pound or two---she probably doesn't feel 'toned' because she is undertrained at this point.

100% Correct!! That's why football players and other athlete's have "Training Camp" They're not fat when they get to camp. They're just not in "Playing Shape" That's why they get fined for skipping it. If Gracie missed some training time, she may be having stamina issues and that effects every part of her performance. When you're near the end of a 4 minute program, it can be difficult to breathe and when that happens, everything about your performance will suffer as a result. I'd like to add one more thing. Nerves play a big part in early season stamina issues. We've all been nervous or scared before. I've seen my heart pound through my shirt when I was watching "nightmare on elm street" because I was so scared by Freddie.......Gracie has always been a bit of a nervous performer even when she was junior. That blank face comes from nerves. That's why her face lights up when the jumps are over.

 

[Kittysk8s]

Apologies if this has already been posted...Gracie clarified her comments in an Instagram post:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BL6ZEZPApdG/?taken-by=graciegold95&hl=en

 

[Violet Bliss]

I was dancing in pieces themed to "Icarus" and our costumes were https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/...u8Q69xDEILUvAdtnsFKkFBpGsOlJTerrgfPi&usqp=CAE

What, no shiny white tights? This is nothing compared to the diving attire. :handw:

I believe sport specific body concerns are different from general weight and body issues in societies which focus on physical and sexual attractiveness based on current skewed standards. Sports like figure skating, dance, gymnastics, etc. require slim bodies but I bet sumo wrestlers have very different preoccupations. As well, I know a hot topic with classical guitarists is how to grow and maintain strong finger nails (on the right hand) when they get together.

Currently the essential way to win figure skating competitions is to have high value jumps. A slim body enabling fast rotations in the air is highly desired and a concern for those without a naturally small body frame. Skaters near the top but without breakthroughs are looking at all possible improvements they can make including becoming thinner. It is not a problem as long as they are healthy and not get over consumed with this issue such that it turns into an obsession and overdoing into an unhealthy realm physically and mentally. I don't feel sorry for anybody not getting to eat junk food as if suck consumption is normal and healthy or the only culinary treat there is.

I think skaters and other athletes should maintain the optimal body conditions within the healthy perimeters while pursuing all improvements they can make in all areas. A slim body is just one of the competitive advantages within a holistic and balanced approach to strive for one's best. I do hope skaters, coaches, as well as the fans are not obsessed with weight and push for the impossible or unnatural and unhealthy.

I hope these young people in sports don't read comments on their bodies. They should not let them be a useless and negative occupation of their minds and influence of their lives.

 

[Biellmann]

Well, there are people who call her fat, i saw comments like this on YouTube and i heard Gracie likes to read other people's opinion :think:

 

[moriel]

Yeah as people pointed out, weight issues in sport are different from beauty related weight issues.

IE in rythmic gymnastics, the weight is a big issue for many girls. Not because they must be skinny to look pretty, but because an extra kg may damage their feet due to extra impacts etc. So yeah, the coaches do say even in interviews that gymnast X has weight issues and may have to leave the sport because she cannot keep her weight under 50kgs because she keeps getting injured because of that.
Not that its healthy, big sport has nothing healthy in it.

 

[TGee]

Apologies if this has already been posted...Gracie clarified her comments in an Instagram post:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BL6ZEZPApdG/?taken-by=graciegold95&hl=en

Hi Kitty,

Yes the clarification is posted on a few threads.....Not wanting to crosspost, but will make the point that I have previously.

The message looks as though it was either crafted by a pro, or had professional communications assistance.

One of the primary coach's roles is to know media relations and know when media relations support needs to be engaged. Gracie didn't seem to have that the night of the competition or in the interviews following.

If someone has stepped in with media relations support to help Gracie take a step back and communicate to her fans, in my view that is a good thing. Calming the situation down would be the first step in giving her space to make choices.

But it in no way means, in my view, that what was said did not represent her state of mind or feelings. Or, that it isn't reasonable to be concerned that she was so adrift and fragile and seemingly unsupported on Saturday evening.