JGP Tallinn Entries

[Mrs. P]

ITA. Looking at protocols the downgraded 2lz and silly mistakes like not holding her spins long enough resulting in a level 3 and level 2, not adding a 3rd combination, and then somehow getting a level 1 on her footwork, cost her some points. The result is right, but I don't agree with Gracie's PCS being higher than Risa's, especially where Gracie was not totally clean herself either. Risa's program is also a little frontloaded but for her I think that's probably a good call for her where she struggles with URs. Today her jumps looked good though, they aren't big like Gracie's but not distractingly tiny like Vanessa Lam's (who I still love!), and no URs issued except for the popped lutz. I hope she and her coach can go back and address these little issues because I really think she can medal at the JGPF this season. Julia will likely run away with gold but IMO, Risa is the next strongest skater out of the remaining qualifiers. Funny though, she reminds me a lot of Arakawa who was also often overlooked from an artistic standpoint even though I found her artistry and basics some of the best in the business. Oh well, Gracie was awesome so I'm happy for her and hope she makes the JW team and prevents a Russian sweep of the podium there. Risa also seemed nervous today which may have affected her PCS, as did Cesario and Shershak. I felt especially bad for Samantha who looked borderline terrified while skating. I really wanted her in the final this season but am happy Polina K now gets a chance as she is a gorgeous skater as well.

Actually the two main mistakes Goldie got is that she got a Level 2 combo spin and that single loop. Neither mistake really disrupted her program, in fact, I was impressed that she just kind of moved on to the next thing. Also I noticed with her spin that she clearly saw she was not doing some of those last rotations, so she smartly finished it up. She was very focused, which bodes well for her in the future when the pressure's on.

I agree Risa has beautiful skating and I agree the nervousness and tentativeness she show in some parts of the program probably cost her some PCS points.

I will say her 2A-3T is one of the best in the biz. What ice distance! and she got all +1 and +2s on GOE! She and Julia got the exact points for that element and if both are clean and hit all the levels their BV are nearly the same (57.61 for Julia vs 57.21 for Gracie) Junior Worlds is going to be interesting...

[colleen o'neill]

Very Happy for Aldridge and Eaton ! Good luck to them.

I hadn't seen Gracie before. She's a total revelation to me.

[margiemo]

The us girls have struggled with ur calls on jumps for awhile now.Sarah Hughes with her Olympic performance her jumps would have been questionable under COP.It is nice to see Gracie with the correct jumping technique which includes triple triples and getting good GOE's.The rest will come with more international experience.

[fairly4]

congratulatons to all womens and dance medalist , good job all
congrats to all who made the final

yes, gracie showed mental fortitude during her first jgp event. For me she showed me here i come, look out. like the russian young ladies and the way michelle, tara in their first nationals, irina when i saw her at worlds in 1995,
mao and yu-na in their first gp in seniors.

but anyway good job all skaters.

[euroskate]

Gracie Gold - this girl rocks! Hughe jumps and entrances without any question she is going to land them. Also a type of technique wich will survieve a grow-spurt (and some pounds more). She needs to polish Components wise, but hey this was her first interntional outing. I would also like to see more of her smiling wish came out after the last landed jump. I am sure she will make her way.

[euroskate]

love cesarios long program AND dress. I am really sorry for her, that she misses JGP Final.

[figureskatingfan22]

Gracie Gold - WOW. Just WOW. The best US lady in years! She can do a clean 3f-3t AND 3lz-3t combo!!! With that jump content she would even be able to win the US Senior Nationals!!! (I know that junior and senior programs have not the same number of elements.) And she's 16 years now. Let's hope she's past most of her growth changes now - and that she can survive (mentally) the upcoming hype / live up to the upcoming hype.

[Jammers]

Sadly i think Gracie will skate as a Junior at Nationals. She would put a scare into some of the top Senior ladies who can't seem to rotate or land their jumps. Someone like Gracie would make them either start getting it together or get left in the dust.

[LeCygne]

Sadly i think Gracie will skate as a Junior at Nationals. She would put a scare into some of the top Senior ladies who can't seem to rotate or land their jumps. Someone like Gracie would make them either start getting it together or get left in the dust.

It would actually be good for her to do Junior Nationals because she'd very likely get sent to Junior Worlds if she skates well. Vanessa Lam opted to do Senior Nationals last year, and while she skated very well and placed like 5th or something, it wasn't enough for an international assignment. If Gracie does go to Junior Worlds and holds her own against the Russian girls, I could see her skipping the JGP and going straight to seniors in the 2012-2013 season, like Agnes Zawadski.

It also might be good that she didn't get a second JGP assignment and potentially qualify for the JGPF, because that's a lot of traveling and competing for someone who's never competed internationally before, especially after her loaded summer schedule. This way she'll have more left in the tank for Nationals and whatever might come after that.

[dorispulaski]

Does Gracie have to do Sectionals, does anyone know? If so, it will be hard on the girls in her Section!

[Chemistry66]

Does Gracie have to do Sectionals, does anyone know? If so, it will be hard on the girls in her Section!

She's registered for the Junior Ladies events at Upper Great Lakes Regionals, with the SP starting October 17th.

[Mrs. P]

It would actually be good for her to do Junior Nationals because she'd very likely get sent to Junior Worlds if she skates well. Vanessa Lam opted to do Senior Nationals last year, and while she skated very well and placed like 5th or something, it wasn't enough for an international assignment. If Gracie does go to Junior Worlds and holds her own against the Russian girls, I could see her skipping the JGP and going straight to seniors in the 2012-2013 season, like Agnes Zawadski.

It also might be good that she didn't get a second JGP assignment and potentially qualify for the JGPF, because that's a lot of traveling and competing for someone who's never competed internationally before, especially after her loaded summer schedule. This way she'll have more left in the tank for Nationals and whatever might come after that.

Vanessa Lam was in 7th. And the reason she didn't get to JW was because Agnes and Christina placed above her in 4th and 5th and I think Courtney Hicks got in automatically as the junior nationals champion.

In any case I agree with you, I think it was better for her to make her one statement during JGP and then focus on Nationals. Let's face it, while she's great, there's something to be said about conquering your prior demon (in her case, Midwestern sectionals).

ETA: Obviously I had a slip there...with Courtney's titles.

[silverlake22]

Does Gracie have to do Sectionals, does anyone know? If so, it will be hard on the girls in her Section!

AFAIK yes. This JGP event gave her a bye through regionals, but sectionals isn't for another few weeks, so I assume she will be there as she doesn't have another international assignment around that time.

As as for "skipping the JGP", even if Gracie opts to do GP next season (which I think she probably should considering her age and that she won this JGP with one of the deepest fields handily) she still would have competed on the JGP this season, so it doesn't seem as arbitrary as Agnes's decision last season. Of course, if Gracie doesn't medal at Junior Worlds then giving the JGP another go round might not be a bad idea, but considering the field, she could very well end off the podium and still score 170+!

[dorispulaski]

This is true. JW's is going to have a scary, deep field.

[Mrs. P]

This is true. JW's is going to have a scary, deep field.

No kidding. Since Liza and Adelina still aren't old enough for seniors, they're going to be back at JW, along with Julia, likely. That said, while Grace does not have the lines of the Russian babies, she does have solid jump technique and I think she has the potential to surprise, just as she did here.