Celebrate! Wagner's Silver Ends Drought

[skylark]

So proud of Ashley. Was there at Worlds in Boston and it was electrifying. Props too to Shae-Lynn Bourne. That short program will go down in history as one of the classics. It was powerful from the start! Since being home from Worlds, I've watched that program daily on YouTube with the British Eurosport analysts because they are so complimentary of the program, the choreography, and Ashley's execution. I think her program components should have been closer to 10, so I think she was underscored there. It really is the best in terms of transitions, amazing skating skills, interpretation, choreography, and execution. It'll be hard to top for me, but I'm looking forward to her next programs and I hope Shae-Lynn is at hand. She really designed a program with dance-like edging, flow, and power and it spotlighted (and possibly improved) Ashley's skating skills in the step sequence and transitions. It's right up there with Lyra Angelica in terms of a signature piece that fans will remember her by. But, so too is her long...Ashley as Satine. Looking forward to what's next.

^^ What you said.:yes:

 

[SarahSynchro]

Oh! I just remembered, there were two minor parts in Ashley's short program that were just friggin awesome:

When she puts her index finger up to the judges as if to say "Watch this!" and goes into her triple loop.

When she wipes her brow after completing her step sequence, as if to say "no big deal".

I wish someone could make a gif and/or an avatar of both those moments, I wish I knew how to!

 

[skylark]

It's part of her story that Ashley had to overcome crushing remarks. She had to learn to depend on her own belief in herself and on her team and loved ones; and it was a long hard journey. The end of this instagram message from Ashley is transcendent. But she's honest: "I have had so many people say no to me, so many people question whether I belonged .... I have consistently been demanded to prove my existence in this sport...."

http://ftw.usatoday.com/2016/04/ashley-wagner-on-instagram-post-didnt-listen-telling-me-no

She ends by saying "Never give up and never say never!" I feel this belongs in this Celebrate Ashley thread as well. And enjoy the gorgeous picture!

 

[AsadaFanBoy]

Love Love Love Ashley!

:hap93:

The maturity, the artistry, the passion.

 

[Sophie-Anna]

While I think what Raf has done for her has been huge and she wouldn't be here without him to have helped her on the technical side, I think John Nicks deserves some credit for this too, even though it's been a few years since he was her coach. Just as Raf helped her break out technically, in mo opinion it was Nicks who first helped her break out artistically and to emote in the way that we now take it for granted that she emotes. She's been really smart in her coaching decisions.

Absolutely true. Both, Mr. Nicks and Rafael were a great choice for Ashley but Mr. Nicks was the one, who helped her figure skating to actually look like a high-level FIGURE skating.

 

[temadd]

I think I've watched Ashley's worlds FP about fifteen times since Saturday, I tear up with joy every time when she hits her final pose.

She's the epitome of perseverance. :yes:

Me too! At least 15 times.

 

[badknees]

Posted her response after her silver medal win already at the fan thread, but can do here again.



She replied to the question if she had any regrets of winning "only silver" as she was so close to the first place with,

Do you have a link to the interview where she said this about the big bucks?

I love Ashley being a mature person who can speak her mind!

 

[KatGrace1925]

I agree with your Mom! He acts pretty scary too. I've watched him closely over the past season, and I think that's his protective shell. I feel he's very invested with Ashley emotionally. Maybe with Adam too, maybe with more.

Thats what I like to see with him. You get the sense that he is invested and that he cares very much about her success! I am excited to watch next season, I wonder if Ashley will introduce her re-worked Lutz soon!

 

[KatGrace1925]

While I think what Raf has done for her has been huge and she wouldn't be here without him to have helped her on the technical side, I think John Nicks deserves some credit for this too, even though it's been a few years since he was her coach. Just as Raf helped her break out technically, in mo opinion it was Nicks who first helped her break out artistically and to emote in the way that we now take it for granted that she emotes. She's been really smart in her coaching decisions.

You are right about that, I often forget about her time with John Nicks. She really made the right decision when she moved to California!

 

[Alex D]

Do you have a link to the interview where she said this about the big bucks?

I love Ashley being a mature person who can speak her mind!

Sadly no, it was an interview at the kiss & cry after the medal ceremony.

 

[Alex D]

You gotta love this girl! I'm wondering about the journalist who asked that. I'll try to exercise my angel thinking ... maybe he/she didn't intend to minimize Ashley's accomplishment, but wanted to give her a chance to give such a great quote. Maybe he trusted her to say the truth, with such humor.

Oh he was actually very supportive, for him she did wonderful and was the winner of the night, he also mentioned

"for me it was so close, I mean your performance was amazing"

it was a very relaxing atmosphere, but Ashley in general is very cool at interviews, I remember this from Barcelona too, always a little joke here and there, it´s very natural what she comes up with, not staged if you know what I mean?

If I wouldn't know better, I´d say he had a little crush on her

 

[Sugarpova]

well I AM still celebrating:yay::yes2:

 

[Lillian]

:yes2: :hap93: :gclap:

 

[dreamsk8]

I was never really a fan of Ashley's. I always respected her and her skating but I started to lean her way with her quote (Wagner: “I know it doesn’t sound PC (politically correct), but I don’t need this medal,” the three-time U.S. champion said of the pressure to finish on the World podium. “I need to let myself skate and the rest happens. I have focused too much on placement and medals before and that has gotten me absolutely nowhere.” ) I really liked that quote and really like her for it. And during her free skate I was on feet cheering for her!!! That was truly and amazing great performance!!

 

[SarahSynchro]

Posted her response after her silver medal win already at the fan thread, but can do here again.



She replied to the question if she had any regrets of winning "only silver" as she was so close to the first place with,

LOL, there's always going to be that one journalist who just has to go down that dark and twisted road of cynical negativity.

 

[Skater Boy]

This has been a sweet three days for US figure skating fans. Even more so for Ashley Wagner fans; we always believed!

I'm thrilled for her. I can't get over every moment of her brilliant skate, every moment as she realized she'd performed up to her ability, and every moment of the roof-raising ovation. She really earned this World Silver Medal, and she appreciates it.

Ashley performed that program with emotion and musicality, portraying a vulnerable, gutsy character to perfection. She also worked for two years to change her jumps, improve them and add new, difficult combinations. She's competing in a field of girls who are nearly all six, seven or eight years younger than she is, with all the physical advantages that bestows. She earned this silver, and she did it by being a woman and knowing her strengths, cherishing them and hanging onto them. But also by addressing where she was weak and needed work.

She's such an inspiration to all, and especially to anyone who's ever been told they're too old, too washed up, too inconsistent, too late, too whatever.

Ashley Wagner rocks, big time!

"The fact I won a silver medal because of something I did and not because of something everyone else didn't do is so sweet," Wagner said at the press conference following the Ladies free skates. And: "I knew there had been a bunch of phenomenal skates before me."
Read more: http://web.icenetwork.com/news/2016...er-seizes-moment-after-gold-falters-in-boston

Do you have any Ashley quotes, stories or miscellany from before, during, after these championships? I'll start.

1. Some time ago I googled "Ashley Wagner quotes" and this one leapt out at me: "I'm not a crier." I loved this acknowledgement --or warning -- that she might not be everyone's cup of tea, or what you might expect. Since then, I've seen her tear up at the end of her FS at the 2015 Grand Prix Final, and at the end of her 2016 World Championships FS. Quite something, since I knew what she meant... I'm not a crier either.

2. I tried to read Raf's lips in K&C while they were waiting for her FS scores 3 days ago. Couldn't quite figure it out, but I could see his nervous impatience. I finally found a video that let me hear what he said. It's just before the scores came up, but he couldn't stand the wait. "Come on!" he barked. "Give us something!" A few seconds later, he started pumping his legs with joy.

Well i know we like a movie of the week of triumph over tragedy but lets not make ashley something she isn't lol. Gutsy skater, amazing confidence and fighting spirit but it is not like she came back from a huge deficit or the amount of negativity like Maria Butyrskaya wo actually won the world title. AShley still has been touted one of two or three Americans to end the drought and she did. She worked hard of course. She has great skating skill especially right now against such young and undeveloped physically ladies or girls. She should be proud of herself just as Gracie should be proud too - so close to a medal and it was not like she spent all her time on her butt. But give to Ash she skated well when it counted against several other good skates.

 

[Skater Boy]

^^ What you said.:yes:

i think suggesting Ashley's programs or skate was a choreography genius or masterpiece is a bit much. i mean the odds are it would have been recongnized much earlier on ie 2010 fd of Virute and moir. don't misunderstand me moulin rouge was wonderful but in life you can truly have few special programs otherwise there is no specialness but thd norm. Ashley did wonderful and the us has waited long and patiently for a medal anda sp ot on the podium which they use to own. But let's not get too crazy. Ashley's skates were well done, very nice, solid, confident, done with great aplomb, wonderful maturity and style, great power and speed and wonderful finish. The world or the us had been waiting for this from h er. But a masterpiece or some program that stood out in history probably not at the top - many of kwan's even cohen's would suprass this not to mention mao, yuna, joannie, liz manley, katarina witt, Adelina's olympic program, julia, dorothy hamill, peggy flemming, yamaguchi, hughes, maria b, irina, lipiniski, midori ito, certainly she is the it girl of the moment But in comparison to other great skates this one will find it tough qualifying so to speak. But that being said kudos to Ashley

 

[megenta]

By the way, how has the US media taken Ashley's silver? Is it a big deal in the media or just a mention on page 6 etc? Just wondering if it takes a multiple charismatic World & Olympic winner to make skating relevant again in the US or is the silver gathering some attention. OT, I kind of rooted more for Gracie than Ashley, and I was SURE Ashley couldn't land all the jumps etc so I was SURE Gracie would medal- I was proven very wrong..and I do find her inspiring, she's had so many obstacles, starting from the fact that I presume that most of her career she wasn't considered being anywhere near World podium based on her talent, but hard work sometimes pays off. And obviously she is also talented, just not the most talented.

 

[ranjake]

It was great to see how excited Rafael was too. I never imagined him to be the type to jump up and pump his fists

That was my favorite part. He sort of kept punching her! I love him. Is the blond Woman with them Mrs. Raf? Her and Ashley seem to have a great rapport.

 

[desertskates]

So nice to see a celebration for Ashley! What an accomplishment to her! A silver medal in a competition where the level of skating was so high has to be the best feeling in the world. And how nice that there is no real judging controvery! She can relax and feel good knowing that medal is hers fair and square. I really think that shes going to use this as motivation and come roaring back with next season totally ready to continue to show us what a true champion she is.
I hope she has a little break in there after Stars on Ice and Team Challenge Cup to celebrate and relax Nobody deserves it more