She is getting generous PCS from judges. Her problem is she isn't landing her jumps.
You mean consistently? Well, the season is just getting started, just like Gracie's career. And, apparebtly Gracie did land her jumps in the sp. Look at Carolina K after all and how many years it took her to deal with the pressure and reign in her speed and perfect her technique. And Carolina is still a work in progress in some of those aspects. I must say tho' it was pretty predictable that Gracie would falter under the pressure to skate well in the lp here. With Frank at her side, maybe she'll chalk it up to experience and actually learn how to perform flawlessly with nerves and butterflies. Hey, what say you now, Phil Hersh?! Ashley's got silver with two consistent skates, and Gracie's got bronze with one good skate under her belt so far.
I think Akiko is underrated quite often and should have been the winner here. It's not just what the skaters do on the ice. It's all about perception, reputation, politics, and what you do on the ice, and sometimes the luck of the draw. This is figure skating. If there's this many variations in preferences and likes and dislikes among fans, imagine among judges, federations, ISU with the politics thrown in for good measure.
Since the Olympics is in Sochi, I'd say Julia Lip has a great chance to medal. Hopefully, all the top skaters will give her a run for her Schindler's List money.