Who will be the next sweet heart of American figure skating? | Page 2 | Golden Skate

Who will be the next sweet heart of American figure skating?

silverlake22

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 12, 2009
Here she is skating at Janet's former rink:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wg8UyTVaNHU&NR=1

Very cute indeed. Now if Silverlake can figure out how tall she is and how much more she will grow I will start calculating her chances ;) :)

:laugh: :rolleye: This girl is really cute! Isn't she like 12 though?
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?p...80440&id=100000090401153&fbid=107921782554168
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?p...subj=782680440&id=770588273&fbid=292529443273

Looks pretty tall judging from this picture, Morgan Sowa and Ashley Cain are both 5'6", so if she's only 12 and almost as tall as those two it might make things harder, but her jumps are really solid for just having learned them so who knows. I still like Kulgeyko better though, but she is also tallish.
 

Sylvia

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 25, 2003
Gracie Gold. She was 4th in Novice this year but she's got awesome-high jumps (and went from an iffy 3S and 3T at Regionals to having 3S, 3T, 3F, and 3Lz by Nationals),
Gracie Gold will turn 15 in August and I believe she started working with a Russian jump coach as of last year. I've liked her potential for several years now, but am not one to make bold predictions about young skaters' futures. ;) I hope she will continue to progress and develop in all aspects of her skating at the Junior level this year.
 

OS

Sedated by Modonium
Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 23, 2010
This one looks like she was born to be a Princess:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENQb4iTUelA

Hehe... how weird.. you just posted my youtube video.

Anyways if you are a fan, do check out her interviews. She has the charisma to be a star of tomorrow for sure, imagine her on Larry King, Letterman or Oprah, it would be hilarious.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MObZCjKHFaY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NFlBdp1wBI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILvkV7WqxXU (really funny)
 
Last edited:

PolymerBob

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 17, 2007
Since there was no U.S. lady on the Olympic podium for the first time in decades, and since skating is a once every 4 years sport for most Americans, it would be very tough to have a skating sweetheart. But still, people do watch news. If a U.S. lady did something really spectacular, the news media would report it. People would have no choice but to hear about it.
 

mskater93

Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 22, 2005
Here she is skating at Janet's former rink:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wg8UyTVaNHU&NR=1

Very cute indeed. Now if Silverlake can figure out how tall she is and how much more she will grow I will start calculating her chances ;) :)

Actually, that's not Janet's former rink. The real Wagon Wheel burned down many years ago. Sorry to disappoint.

I just figured if Kaiser can be put on this list, so can Gracie. She was so cute when she came home from Nationals and talked about how Scott Hamilton talked to her. :)

Yes, she started working with a Russian jump coach.
 

ImaginaryPogue

Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 3, 2009
I think Figure Skating needs to regain popularity before someone's labelled a sweetheart. So while there are those who I feel will be instrumental to that process (Nagasu, Shibutanis, Davis/White, Samuelson/Bates, Rippon), I think a strong lead-up to Sochi alongside a resurgent American ladies team will do wonders and I think someone after that will get the title of Sweetheart
 

fairly4

Medalist
Joined
Oct 28, 2007
yes the strong lead up helps--that means-medaling at worlds, nationals, gp final and the events. that also means 3 girls for worlds--not two
so some has started with medaling at gp events, nationsls, but worlds, fc comes they don't fight for it and wind up not medaling or getting 3 for next years worlds, it does hurt.
so the us girls has to fight. the boys and pairs,
 
Joined
Jul 11, 2003
I'm not sure what qualifies for the America's Sweetheart. I think it would be racking up a number of gold medals (and not just one) with continuous super hype from the media.

I do not see any skater to live up to my proposed criteria.

I can imagine that there is a Japan's Sweetheart and a Korea's Sweetheart.
 
Joined
Aug 16, 2009
I think the problem is not so much the skaters as it is the skating audience. The critical mass of skating frenzy doesn't seem to be there right now. The big sports seem to be the team sports plus what I call the noisy sports: auto racing and wrestling, where they bellow and throw each other.

If we could get a gold medal skater who sang pop ballads, maybe that would pull in viewers. Kind of like Taylor Swift on skates. I know that seems unlikely...though, come to think of it, Korea has one.
 

aftertherain

Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 15, 2010
MICHELLE KWAN JR.



I'm kidding, I'm kidding.

I vote for Mirai Nagasu. She's a sweetheart of U.S. Figure Skating already. I believe she's getting there (in terms of becoming THE sweetheart), especially with her fourth place finish at the Olympics.
 
Joined
Jul 11, 2003
This is an opinion question. There is no contest for America's Sweetheart. However, only the media can boast such a title, if enough ovations are given at the competitions sites. The ISU nor the USFS will not name the sweetheart, but carry on with it for the sake of off-season trivia.
 

Figga

Rinkside
Joined
Mar 24, 2010
Evan Lysacek is famous right now due to his gold medal win. he deserves the accolades of course and i guess would be considered one of America's Sweethearts :) it's just interesting to me because i don't ever recall a male figure skater being recognized like this but then again Scott Hamilton and such were before my time.
 
Last edited:

PolymerBob

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 17, 2007
To be our sweetheart, Americans would have to know him/her at some time other than the Olympics.
 
Joined
Jul 11, 2003
Evan Lysacek is famous right now due to his gold medal win. he deserves the accolades of course and i guess would be considered one of America's Sweethearts :) it's just interesting to me because i don't ever recall a male figure skater being recognized like this but then again Scott Hamilton and such were before my time.
Evan is getting a little media attention, but, thanks to Sonia Henie (America's first sweetheart), the sport became a 'little girl's sport'. and the younger the little girl is, the bettter. That's the story of America's skating sweetheart. Skating Men do not have a chance. Button had his time in the limelight and nowadays few fans remember his prowess on the blades. And within the Sport, one has to acknowledge John Curry as the most accomplished figure skater of his time, and for all time. Who does? Curry defined Jackson Haines' musical contribution.

So, imo, in America, little girl's rule. So keep your eye on the Juvenile Division.
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
Well, there are plenty of big burly adult male athletes that get a lot of media attention and fan adoration. Folks like LeBron James and Peyton Manning. We just don't refer to them as "sweethearts." (Well, actually, I guess we do. Never mind....)

Anyway, I don't begrudge the young ladies a sport where they can have their day in the sun without getting shouldered aside by their big brothers.
 

janetfan

Match Penalty
Joined
May 15, 2009
Anyway, I don't begrudge the young ladies a sport where they can have their day in the sun without getting shouldered aside by their big brothers.

Well said :agree:

The title "America's Sweetheart" may have originated back in 1931 from the Broadway show of the same name.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/America's_Sweetheart_(musical)


Maybe the term appeared before that as well. Was Mary Pickford Amerca's first Sweetheart?
Yikes, Mary was born in Toronto :eek: but had the good sense to move to the USA ;)

http://www.neh.gov/news/humanities/2005-01/pickford.html

The title "America's Sweetheart" is not something that we can assign to an athlete or an actress, but depends on circumstances.

Shannon Miller, and the girls of our '96 gymnastics team became "America's Sweethearts."
Peggy and Dorothy for sure and I guess a few other skaters but to a lesser extent. Kristi may not have been given as much adoration as Peggy and Dorothy, but over the years she has certainly become a beloved American skating icon.

I don't know if I have ever heard Michelle or Sasha referred to as "America's Sweetheart" - atleast not in the same way Peggy and Dorothy were.

Typically the term has been used alot for starlets - Julia Roberts, Meg Ryan and Sandra Bullock all held that title at one time. Some of the press tried to label Lindsey Vonn with the title but I don't think it really stuck.

Was Amelia Earhart "America's Sweetheart"? She was wildly popular in her day.

What about young Chrissie Evert? Any others come to mind?
 
Last edited:
Top