State of U.S. Ladies' skating 2016-17

[Nathan13]

They would put the announcement on hold and send Gracie to 4CC so she can (hopefully) put out a decent enough performance so they can justify putting her on the Worlds team. They'll know it, other skaters'll know it, and she'll know it.

This is probably the most likely outcome, even though there is no guarantee for her to go to worlds. In fact, she would have so much pressure on her at 4CC to skate well, who knows if she would be able to crank out two decent skates.

First of all, that would never happen... the domestic judges wouldn't place her in 9th at Nationals even if she missed half her jumps. Gracie is talented enough to deliver most of the technical elements and get the PCS scores that very few other US girls can reach.

The US ladies field is simply not deep enough for Gracie to fall that low. She hasn't even dropped that low internationally in her entire career. I need a more realistic scenario.

Well, I think we'll just have to agree to disagree. I know that there is rampant inflation at Nationals, but if she got the score in St Paul that she got in France, she would have placed 10th. The field is not deep, for sure, but there are certainly a handful of ladies that can deliver.

 

[R.D.]

Unless Gracie voluntarily ends her season early, I've got dollars to doughnuts that Gracie makes it to Worlds even if she finishes off the podium at Nats.

I COULD see her being granted the "Wagner VIP Package" should she be a close 4th (although given how she's skated all season, not sure how that could be strongly justified)...but 5th or lower, I'm willing to bet $$$ that she's out. Only exception: if those above her are too young to go.

 

[R.D.]

The skating lesson just posted this.

@SkatingLesson: Polina is not competing at Nationals @storyologist_ap


This is very upsetting because nothing has been announce by anyone. How could they know? Have the spoken with her? Or some officials about this? I hope this is wrong because I can't deal with anymore bad news today with skating.

How do they know this? Why not wait for an official source? Again, the desire to be first at all costs, they really are the TMZ of the skate world...

Anyway, IF true, I venture to say she's just about done.

 

[princessalica]

Did anyone see Gracie's post from yesterday on Twitter "If you are going through hell, keep going." Thoughts?

 

[Matilda]

Gracie's current coaching situation, for whatever reason, is clearly not working for her and she needs a change. But she has to figure that out for herself, and that may be hard to do in the midst of the daily practice and being surrounded with the team you're used to. Maybe she should call the season quits and take a few months off to rest and re-evaluate what she wants from skating?

I was very glad to hear in the Ice Talk interview that Johnny had called Gracie to encourage her. Talking to Johnny and other skaters who have experienced a bad season and then turned things around might help Gracie get ideas for how to find the motivation and joy in skating and training again.

 

[lyndichee]

Did anyone see Gracie's post from yesterday on Twitter "If you are going through hell, keep going." Thoughts?

I think she's trying to encourage herself and send a message to everyone that she's not giving up. She probably feels very alone right now and I hope she has a good support system in her family and friends. She is one of the older competitors amongst the ladies' field but I think she's still a little kid at heart and needs some nurturing as well.

 

[chuckm]

I was dismayed to hear that Gracie was going to Golden Spin because I didn't see that her performance would be any different from that at TDF, and that's what happened. Gracie needed to stay home and train for Nationals, not face another humiliation. I feel so bad for her.

 

[princessalica]

I can't help wondering if Gracie's fall-off in her jumps this season might be related to her losing weight quickly in the fall. Quick weight loss is linked to a decrease in muscle, and her jumps look nothing like they did last year. I may be off base; I'd like to hear a skater's perspective; and I realize that she was probably talking about only a few pounds. (I remember Tanith Belbin saying after she and Ben switched from Marina, that she'd gained a few pounds with her new coaches' encouragement, and she had a significant increase in stamina.)

I wondered the same. She dropped the weight, but I wondered too if she actually harmed herself more in doing so.

 

[pjskater]

Did anyone see Gracie's post from yesterday on Twitter "If you are going through hell, keep going." Thoughts?

I guess I'm still worried about her and I'm not sure if she should really be on social media at this point, because along with the support there are folks out there that post negative things in response to her posts. I think she is fragile at this point and needs all the support she can get - I hope she has it at home. As a fan of Gracie's I hope she gets the help she needs and does what is right for herself.

 

[drivingmissdaisy]

As a fan of Gracie's I hope she gets the help she needs and does what is right for herself.

Me too. We see so little of what is going on in the lives of these skaters but are so quick to judge the coaches, the skaters' motivation, etc. She could be going through some personal hardships (unrelated to skating) that we have no idea about. Even something like ending a romantic relationship can have a serious impact on people, so we really don't know what is behind these results.

 

[stella luna]

I wouldn't be surprised.

The skating lesson just posted this.

@SkatingLesson: Polina is not competing at Nationals @storyologist_ap


This is very upsetting because nothing has been announce by anyone. How could they know? Have the spoken with her? Or some officials about this? I hope this is wrong because I can't deal with anymore bad news today with skating.

 

[skylark]

I wondered the same. She dropped the weight, but I wondered too if she actually harmed herself more in doing so.

Glad I'm not the only one. The strength, stamina and precision that FS jumps require are very demanding as we know.

Originally Posted by princessalica
Did anyone see Gracie's post from yesterday on Twitter "If you are going through hell, keep going." Thoughts?

I think it's hopeful; it shows her grit and determination in an apt quote from Winston Churchill. To me, the meaning is that if you're going through hell and pause, you'll still be there, maybe longer. The only way out of it is to go through it, whether "it" is a physical struggle, a mental struggle, or an emotional one.

 

[princessalica]

That was my take, and I hope that is what she means. She just has to push herself through and come out better for it on the other side....

 

[concorde]

Did anyone see Gracie's post from yesterday on Twitter "If you are going through hell, keep going." Thoughts?

Its a relatively common quote. I chose to not add more into it.

 

[skatelikewind1966]

Even Ashley is not dependable at this point. She could be 7-12 range herself. Even worst. She was 6th in a random GP.

You took the words right out of my mouth.....

 

[skatelikewind1966]

I'm trying my hardest to hold my judgment off till Nationals, but it's hard not to be concerned about the U.S. women. Especially after the Olympics.

I'm not sure Nationals will add any clarity to the overall situation, especially not to the international scene.

 

[skatelikewind1966]

On a positive note, Amber Glenn skated her SP so well at Golden Spin, scoring 67.93 and sitting in second place behind Kostner!

After the horrible year Amber put up last year I so desperately want to cheer her own going into the FS but I just feel like the inevitable is right around the corner. Though she has put herself in a great position so job well done!

 

[skatelikewind1966]

He does have a lot of haters.

Or just time for the two of them (Frank and Gracie) to go separate ways without admitting failure on either party. Some times just agreeing to disagree and move on makes the most sense......

 

[skatelikewind1966]

Will the fed stop to push the same skaters at Nationals? let's be honest: both Ashley, Gracie, Mirai were disappointing this season, now every skater has to prove something, let's treat each skater at the same way and see then what happens.

Amber Glenn skated a great SP at Golden Spin and i didn't even know who she was.



Morozov could be better: he's so experienced to train skaters going into the Olympics, he's doing great things with Denis Ten.

Amber is a tough one to analyze, though she was a Jr National Champion not too long ago. Karen and Amber often went head to head. Amber is someone who has so much ability but just cannot bring it all together. She is a very powerful skater but her mental game is light years behind her skating ability. She bombed last year and went thru a very difficult period of time that ended up with her withdrawing from Sectionals so not even giving herself the opportunity to qualify for Nationals. She came back this season and changed coaches. She typically does well in the SP but does not have the mental stamina to keep things together in the FS.

 

[skatelikewind1966]

They would put the announcement on hold and send Gracie to 4CC so she can (hopefully) put out a decent enough performance so they can justify putting her on the Worlds team. They'll know it, other skaters'll know it, and she'll know it.