Ashley Wagner: With help from Tara Lipinski, Ashley Wagner takes shot at redemption | Golden Skate

Ashley Wagner: With help from Tara Lipinski, Ashley Wagner takes shot at redemption

Phoenix347

Final Flight
Joined
Oct 24, 2009
Ashley Wagner: With help from Tara Lipinski, Ashley Wagner takes shot at redemption

The link:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/18/AR2010011802125_3.html?hpid=moreheadlines

Quotes:

"We have about six or seven girls really all in the running," Wagner said. "It's going to be a great nationals for spectators, but as far as the girls competing, it's obviously stressful. We all know what's at stake. If I think about what could possibly come for me to be top two at nationals, there is no way I could possibly skate."

Aware of Wagner's personal unrest, and knowing the importance of the year ahead, Hill approached Lipinski, who had trained in Delaware as a youth, and asked if she would act as a mentor.

Lipinski, whose electric, virtually perfect free skate secured what was considered an upset gold medal over Michelle Kwan at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan, not only agreed, she did so with enthusiasm.
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
Kind of a strange article. First, what bad or disppointing thing has Ashley done in the past that she needs "redemption" for?

Second,what were the first four paragraphs trying to say? That Ahley is estranged from her family and her parents do not support her skating career?

By the way, I always thought Ashley was born in Germany, not Alaska. (?)
 

Phoenix347

Final Flight
Joined
Oct 24, 2009
Yes, she was born in Germany. The article says she was born into a military family in Alaska... I guess that doesn't actually say she was born IN Alaska but into at military family in Alaska meaning that she could have been born somewhere else but her family settled i Alaska for a while till they moved to Virginia.

As for the "redemption", I think that refers to some of her disappointments in the past. Maybe she feels bad about not doing well in the SP at last year's nationals. I think what it means is that she really wants to make it onto the US Olympic team.

I think having to change her coach and moving out of her family home to Delaware must have been hard on her and her family. Remember she's only 18 and she's really close to her family. Now because of the move, her family is kind of split in half.
 

Trewyn

Medalist
Joined
Dec 10, 2008
The part about moving away from her family seemed a bit strange to me as well... I mean it sounded like spending Christmas with her family was a burden :p. I'm sure the Wagners just decided that Ashley living with Hill was the best situation for Ashley to be in right now.
 

R.D.

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Tara can give all the advice she wants but she cannot impart it upon another skater. I always thought it was something you either have or you don't.
 

Layfan

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 5, 2009
Tara can give all the advice she wants but she cannot impart it upon another skater. I always thought it was something you either have or you don't.

Sort of. I mean, I agree that I'm skeptical whenever someone starts "mentoring" a skater. (How many "mentors" does Alissa have at this point?) But if it's not something you have from the get-go I think you can work on it. I think Jeremy is a good example of someone whose confidence has improved. Ashley, too.
 

Trewyn

Medalist
Joined
Dec 10, 2008
So you're saying once a headcase under pressure, always a headcase under pressure? Yet, look at Jeremy Abbott; last year he really crumbled under the pressure of being the leader after the SP and he barely hung on to first place. This year; nerves? Not for Jeremy, even though he was skating dead last and the competition was his to lose. I believe that Jeremy has evolved, found a way to deal with that pressure and that Yuka Sato helped him with it (she seems such a wonderful coach!).

Sure toughness and a way to deal with pessure is not something you garner from a couple of phone calls with an ex Olympic champion; but it couldn't hurt either, right?

Anyway; this is going to be such a nerve wrecking couple of days! I have an exam in a couple of hours and then I can completely focus on skating for the rest of the week :).

EDIT: haha, Layfan; we were on the same mental plane the past few minutes :D
 

R.D.

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
I think confidence can be encouraged by others. But I believe some people are naturally better at handling the spinning emotions when it comes to performing when it counts, and that's where the "you either have it or you don't" mentality comes in. Of course, other factors play in as well, like how prepared you are, etc.
 
Joined
Jul 11, 2003
l

When the 3 Graces appeared a few years back in Juniors, everyone thought it would be Caroline or Rachael to be the star in seniors. I did take a serious look at Ashley in Skate Canada one year, and I saw WonderWoman, in the dress she wore. But she also skated like WonderWoman, if WW were to skate. So I became interested in all three.

From what I read about her, she travelled many places as military families do, and I do not know if Virginia was also a stop for the family. Anyway, Priscilla Hill brought her up to top competitive status, So the three graces are back together for a possible go at the Olys.

Three coins in the fountain, which one shall it be?
Make it hers, make it hers, make it hers.
 

Blades of Passion

Skating is Art, if you let it be
Record Breaker
Joined
Sep 14, 2008
Country
France
When the 3 Graces appeared a few years back in Juniors, everyone thought it would be Caroline or Rachael to be the star in seniors. I did take a serious look at Ashley in Skate Canada one year, and I saw WonderWoman, in the dress she wore. But she also skated like WonderWoman, if WW were to skate. So I became interested in all three.

Okay, this is an awesome comparison. :rock:
 
Joined
Jul 11, 2003
t

Yes - but kind of ironic when it was Mirai and then Alissa who went on to win USA Ladie's titles.

Who knows how will it go tomorrow :scratch:

What does ironic have to do with improvements?

Tomorrow will show who skated the best that day. - certainly, not the best ever.
 

janetfan

Match Penalty
Joined
May 15, 2009
What does ironic have to do with improvements?

Tomorrow will show who skated the best that day. - certainly, not the best ever.

The irony was that you picked a couple of girls as superior only to see different girls skate off with the US title the past two years. Nothing meant by that and many thought Caroline was the next sure thing in Ladies skating a few years ago. And she may still be. Ditto for Rachael or Ashley.

Now you can pick one of six - or your original three wonder women - but we still don't know if it will be Rachael, Caroline or Ashley. But it could be. Or it could be Mirai, Alissa or even Sasha. Or Christina, and let's not forget Alexe and Bebe.

What a dilema for the committee :)
Might be safer and more fair to select the medal winners :yes: :clap:
 

silverlake22

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 12, 2009
In order to be a headcase, you have to be really good some of the time (otherwise people would just say you're bad). I see nothing wrong with this weekend, maybe it could be Ashley's (or Alissa's or Mirai's) big break!:agree:
 

Layfan

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 5, 2009
In order to be a headcase, you have to be really good some of the time (otherwise people would just say you're bad). I see nothing wrong with this weekend, maybe it could be Ashley's (or Alissa's or Mirai's) big break!:agree:

Never thought about it that way but very true!
 
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