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- Jan 9, 2017
Ashley has said that in one of her most recent interviews, she also laughed at how everyone makes her out to be an old lady at 26, she has every right and ability to stay on after the Olympics for as long as she wishes.
2017-18 State of U.S. Ladies Skating
- Thread starter R.D.
- Start date
Ashley has said that in one of her most recent interviews, she also laughed at how everyone makes her out to be an old lady at 26, she has every right and ability to stay on after the Olympics for as long as she wishes.
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- Aug 12, 2014
I wish Gracie only the best.
But I gotta say that I find it ironic that so many comments on GS had blamed Frank for her troubles last season.
I agree. I hold out hope that Marina will be able to reach Gracie and help her, especially with mental strength in competition. But clearly, Gracie's jumps have deteriorated alarmingly since leaving Frank. I'm not qualified to guess whether with good coaching, she has time to get them back or not.
Slightly OT, but I could even sympathize with Frank, at Nationals, clearly being at wit's end, to the point that when Phil Hersh, (I think it was?), or some other journalist asked him if their coaching situation would change, in the moment's impulse, Frank answered the question truthfully. Granted, it wasn't a thought-out response and not the best way, but it was human.
And to bring my post back toward topic, was anyone else surprised that Frank is coaching Tessa? From his TSL interview, I thought he was winding down and only staying with the skaters he'd already committed to coach for this Olympic cycle. I may have missed this information if it was discussed somewhere else.
At first a little. But then I remember that for two Olympic cycles Frank has taken a talented young skater and got them to the Olympics with a fourth place finish. I have some doubts it will happen with Tessa since the field is much deeper than 2010 and 2014. But I think a strong coach is important for Tessa. I'm hoping she keeps up the training with the 3A. We will need it.
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- Aug 12, 2014
I believe that Ashley was asked in an interview if she planned to retire after this Olympics, and she said that for her, it would put too much pressure on the Olympic year to say she was going to retire afterwards. So she's leaving the decision open.
She also said that she'd (much) earlier thought that if she made the 2010 Olympic team, she'd consider making it there and having the Olympic experience, whatever the results, the highlight of her career. Quit the sport and go to college. I'm so glad it didn't happen that way, think of how much so many of us have enjoyed her skating and her career, watching it develop, since then.
Not to mention how much more bleak US Ladies figure skating would have been.Maybe, maybe not. She may rediscover her love for skating, realize how much she'd miss it, and dedicate herself anew.
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- Aug 12, 2014
And don't forget that he took a talented young skater, got him to the 2006 Olympics with a fourth place finish, and then coached him to an
Olympic Gold Medal in 2010! I remember Evan saying that he was disappointed with his '06 4th place finish, until someone pointed out to him several skaters who'd placed 4th in an Olympics and then won the next one.
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- Nov 13, 2012
This happened to me recently too, when I tried to copy/paste a text - and I scanned and scanned it, but yet could not find any word that seemed even mildly objectionable. It was quite odd.
Probably a good idea on her part, knowing her history. Mind games...
Still, easier said than done. The sound of the ticking clock must be deafening at times.
If she's fallen out of love with skating in general, I don't think skatefans will begrudge her the decision to move on should she choose to do so. If she still loves skating - she, her fans, AND the US program all will be better for it should she get her confidence back.
Personally, I'd love to see her back and better than before. It'd keep things interesting for sure. It's tough to witness such a struggle/rapid descent and while TBF I'd rather not see her at all in that case, I will not tell her she should retire.
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- Nov 12, 2011
in my complete honest opinion, i think she should have gone back to alex FT and used marina PT with presentation, edges, skating skills, etc. watching gracie over the last few years, her jumps are SO much smaller and her technique is completely different than she had with alex, and it obviously didnt benefit her, as she began missing/popping them more. (this also connects back to it being a mental thing too, but her jumps look COMPLETELY different when she does land them as opposed to before). it looks almost like she wont get the rotation sometimes, where under alex she completed the rotation in the air way before her blade hit the ice. they were HUGE and just looked more natural, and she hit her jumps almost all the time. under frank i believe they have continually gotten smaller and the quality has gone down. but i'm hoping for the best and her decision to go with marina will really benefit her. i had the impression the environment there with frank wasn't very healthy so i'm hoping this will really mentally help her.
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- Jan 9, 2017
That's because she has yet to full time train under Marina so blaming Gracie looking like a mess on Zueva is putting the blame where it doesn't belong. So saying Alex would have done a better job is also unknown and/or incorrect.
- Joined
- Jul 9, 2014
Completely true. Gracie is now a grown woman. She could be coachless and still skate better than she has this summer. Good grief, Michelle Kwan went to the Olympics and Worlds in 2002 with her FATHER. A man I have never seen in a pair of skates. Gracie could skate and train with her sister Carly. I simply think Gracie wanted a break away from the "Rink" I don't think it's a matter of training badly, I don't think she put her skates on or attempted to train at all after missing the world team.
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Agree! Though many skating fans focus on the "puberty monster" that can significantly affect young skaters up to mid-teens, many female athletes continue to see changes in their bodies' shape & muscular response well into their twenties. And this is not just an issue of gaining weight or poor coaching. Compare photos of Gracie at 15, 17, 19 and 21. It's easy to see why her jumps have lost height and power. And then do the same with Ashley and Carolina (and also the top pairs girls), who also look more "womanly" now than when they were 18. The difference is their obvious focus on upper-body muscle development. So, yes, Gracie might have survived the "puberty monster" but so far is being done in by the "adult woman monster."
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- Jan 9, 2017
Gracie's biggest problem is herself right now, when she conquers that she'll find success again. Also, her sister retired a few years back and doesn't skate much anymore, she's attending college and focusing on her love of photography.
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- Jul 9, 2014
That's true. I feel like I'm grasping at straws here. Gracie could call any number of former skaters and I bet they'd come running to help. When I started coaching, I often had former students contact me and ask for my help. I was always happy to do whatever I could. Even if it was just to give them the phone number of a dancer I knew who could help them. The first thing I'd recommend is that she starts doing cardio. She has a glaring lack of stamina at this point and she needs to fix that before anything else....
Gracie is not just your average skater. She is a star and there are probably several coaches who would drop everything to get the chance to work with her. Good grief, I'd help her if she called me but, I don't think she's really searching for help. If she believes she can pull herself up on her own, I'm going to trust her and hope that my worry has been for not. I'll still be her fan if she packs it in tomorrow......
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- Aug 12, 2014
Yes! And good for Carly. I was thinking about this too, after someone mentioned Carly. I mean, putting myself in Gracie's place ... I can only wishfully imagine having someone from birth for whom we were always in each others' corner. (that's how their relationship seems from the outside, and of course it isn't as simple as that. But I know a set of twins who grew up that way. Then conversely, one of my best friends is a twin, and she didn't have that experience; being a twin was a struggle for her.) I think training every day was a lot more fun for Gracie with Carly. Also, it seems they encourage(d) each other verbally quite a lot.
That's an incredibly enviable relationship to have. I don't know, as no one does, what issues Gracie's faced in the past year that seemed to be the straw that broke the camel's back. But losing Carly's companionship in the rink could be a big factor.
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- Jan 9, 2017
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- Jun 2, 2014
I mean feel free too though some of us are there pretty on the regular.
Ok Ic3Rabbit -- you're assigned! :cool14: We're looking for a Gracie sighting. Or is she even back in town yet? I really don't know.
- Joined
- Nov 30, 2014
Gracie was back at Arctic Edge as of last week. I'm not sure if she left town again for Memorial weekend though.
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- Jan 9, 2017
She was back after the Stars on Ice US tour ended as of the 22nd. I haven't been to Canton in days though so I don't know if she is still here or not.
Johnny Weir mentioned during Nationals that Gracie just needed to "burn the house to the ground and re-build". I know I've been saved from a funk from just making a change. Sometimes it doesn't matter if it was the best possible change, just changing things helps. I think that makes the Alex vs Marina argument moot to a point. (And, IMO, Frank seemed to be thinking along those lines too. Just my impression that he's veteran enough as a coach to recognize that kind of thing.)
As far as SOI, maybe she was told to do jumps she knew she could land for awhile just to build confidence (rather than falling on jump after jump and just feeling more down on herself). Plus, I read in a thread here somewhere that she was doing a new fitness class, so she is working on her cardio. Maybe it is best to work one thing at a time. Again, I'm NOT a coach or anything other than a fan. But, I know from other activities that I've had to learn and the step back to re-learn, you start small. So, this would make sense to me.
Or possibly I just want to see her make a good come back
As far as SOI, maybe she was told to do jumps she knew she could land for awhile just to build confidence (rather than falling on jump after jump and just feeling more down on herself). Plus, I read in a thread here somewhere that she was doing a new fitness class, so she is working on her cardio. Maybe it is best to work one thing at a time. Again, I'm NOT a coach or anything other than a fan. But, I know from other activities that I've had to learn and the step back to re-learn, you start small. So, this would make sense to me.
Or possibly I just want to see her make a good come back
