Gracie Gold's prospects for 2018 season?

[Moxiejan]

I don't know where Gracie has been assigned but, if she were to drop out, or be replaced at say, Skate Canada, the spot would most likely go to a Canadian Skater.

IIRC, countries can't have more than 3 entries, so if Gracie were to drop out of Canada (or whatever GP she is assigned to), the replacement couldn't be from Canada. It would have to come from one of the top 10 skaters on the official replacement list. I think Amber, Courtney and Bradie are in the top 10, so it's reasonable that a Gracie withdrawal could get an invite for one of these ladies.

ETA: Gracie is assigned to China & France.

China: Gracie is the only American assigned, so it seems probable that the Chinese would want to replace her with another American. Three Chinese ladies already are assigned.

France: The other U.S. entry is Polina. France has only 2 French ladies assigned, so they could assign a third lady. But I don't think they have another who has qualified.

 

[VIETgrlTerifa]

I don't have to come on and give first hand accounts of anything. I did so for the few here that actually appreciate it.
If it's so much of a problem then forget about any further accounts of Gracie today. I'll leave people to their delusions.

Thanks for the reports. I appreciate the effort. Try not to take the less-than-kind responses too personally as it's clear they're still in the denial and anger part of the five stages of grief.

 

[qwerty]

Not Champs Camp news, sorry.

If I were advising Gracie, I'd say withdraw from the fall events and stay at the Olympic Training Center with her trainer for a few months. Maybe do a December Senior B. Going from her form at Nationals to the Stars on Ice form was quite shocking, but that it lasted throughout the summer is perhaps more worrying. No idea what's going on- hope she's ok.

 

[skatinggold]

Poor Gracie, the way she looks I don't think she is going to be ready for the season. I am not sure if she can lose all that weight in such a short time for the Olympics.. I think she is ready to move on, she no longer has the motivation to skate anymore.

 

[mrrice]

Not Champs Camp news, sorry.

If I were advising Gracie, I'd say withdraw from the fall events and stay at the Olympic Training Center with her trainer for a few months. Maybe do a December Senior B. Going from her form at Nationals to the Stars on Ice form was quite shocking, but that it lasted throughout the summer is perhaps more worrying. No idea what's going on- hope she's ok.

This is exactly what I would do. Michelle did it and she skipped the GP following her Olympic disappointment in 2002. She came back and went undefeated in 03. She won Nationals and Worlds that year. Gracie is not in shape at this point and if she pushes her body too hard, she will injure herself and be out for the season. The jumps I saw her do over the summer not only lacked height, they lacked in speed of rotation. Even the doubles she did, did not have good air position and that's part of the problem. Even if she were jumping high, she would not have gotten those jumps around with that horrible wrap she had. Gracie is a beloved skater and I bet there are a ton of people of who would drop everything to help her in any way they could. I'd write her daily notes of encouragement if I thought it would help.

Seriously, Maybe she can get Yuka to come back and coach her. Kristi Yamaguchi, Brian Boitano, and Scott Williams are all former skaters that I've seen in the audience at events. I just think Gracie needs extra attention and one on one time with a coach. Unfortunately, Marina simply doesn't have time in her busy schedule to deal with Gracie's struggles. Is Karen Kwan still coaching Caroline Zhang? Maybe she could go to her. Her top skaters are Grant and Caroline and it might be good for all involved to have another elite skater in the rink.

Here's Michelle's interview where she admits that she only did 1 international event before going to nationals and winning. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5bCzKzvV1g

 

[NAOTMAA]

Is Gracie withdrawing from all events until shortly before nationals, as some here seem to be suggesting, really the solution Wouldn't that be as much a killer for her confidence and mental state as attending the GP and flopping As a person isn't it just as "humiliating" that your federation and your coaches take you out, for reasons other then injury, as going into competition and flopping

Not making last year's world's team (and seeing the US ladies retain 3 spots without problem and her) was probably just as devastating to her mental state as losing the gold, and any medal at all, at worlds in 2016 after leading the SP. Instead of regrouping during the summer she seems to have let herself go even more. Not even performing her best possible SP, after the tragic GP series, seems to be taken as a positive by her.

Her problems, at least from the outside, appear to run so deep that anybody, outside of skating, would probably suggest that staying away from skating for a long period of time until she sorted out her issues would be best, Olympics be damned. In hindsight, after 2016 worlds, it might have been best for her to take off the 2016-17 season to regroup mentally and physically, and then comeback roaring the Olympic season. But of course I don't think anybody during that off season, including herself, thought it would fall so low despite the issues. Now it feels almost too late to do anything drastic and if the reports are all correct something drastic needs to be done. Except the Olympics are only six months away!!! Its like the only thing she can do now is pray for a miracle turnaround.

 

[Ic3Rabbit]

This is exactly what I would do. Michelle did it and she skipped the GP following her Olympic disappointment in 2002. She came back and went undefeated in 03. She won Nationals and Worlds that year. Gracie is not in shape at this point and if she pushes her body too hard, she will injure herself and be out for the season. The jumps I saw her do over the summer not only lacked height, they lacked in speed of rotation. Even the doubles she did, did not have good air position and that's part of the problem. Even if she were jumping high, she would not have gotten those jumps around with that horrible wrap she had. Gracie is a beloved skater and I bet there are a ton of people of who would drop everything to help her in any way they could. I'd write her daily notes of encouragement if I thought it would help.

Seriously, Maybe she can get Yuka to come back and coach her. Kristi Yamaguchi, Brian Boitano, and Scott Williams are all former skaters that I've seen in the audience at events. I just think Gracie needs extra attention and one on one time with a coach. Unfortunately, Marina simply doesn't have time in her busy schedule to deal with Gracie's struggles. Is Karen Kwan still coaching Caroline Zhang? Maybe she could go to her. Her top skaters are Grant and Caroline and it might be good for all involved to have another elite skater in the rink.

Here's Michelle's interview where she admits that she only did 1 international event before going to nationals and winning. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5bCzKzvV1g

Two things:

1. Yuka does coach for a living. She was Jeremy Abbott's coach for years and has also coached Alissa Czisny and Adam Rippon to name a few.

2. Please stop making assumptions about Marina Z and what she is capable of and that she doesn't have time for Gracie.

Thanks.

 

[qwerty]

Is Gracie withdrawing from all events until shortly before nationals, as some here seem to be suggesting, really the solution Wouldn't that be as much a killer for her confidence and mental state as attending the GP and flopping As a person isn't it just as "humiliating" that your federation and your coaches take you out, for reasons other then injury, as going into competition and flopping

Not making last year's world's team (and seeing the US ladies retain 3 spots without problem and her) was probably just as devastating to her mental state as losing the gold, and any medal at all, at worlds in 2016 after leading the SP. Instead of regrouping during the summer she seems to have let herself go even more. Not even performing her best possible SP, after the tragic GP series, seems to be taken as a positive by her.

Her problems, at least from the outside, appear to run so deep that anybody, outside of skating, would probably suggest that staying away from skating for a long period of time until she sorted out her issues would be best, Olympics be damned. In hindsight, after 2016 worlds, it might have been best for her to take off the 2016-17 season to regroup mentally and physically, and then comeback roaring the Olympic season. But of course I don't think anybody during that off season, including herself, thought it would fall so low despite the issues. Now it feels almost too late to do anything drastic and if the reports are all correct something drastic needs to be done. Except the Olympics are only six months away!!! Its like the only thing she can do now is pray for a miracle turnaround.

Prescribing solutions for Gracie is en vogue right now, as fans like me cling on to some hope, but the blunt truth is there probably isn't a solution. A turnaround at this late date would be unprecedented as far as I know.

 

[mrrice]

Two things:

1. Yuka does coach for a living. She was Jeremy Abbott's coach for years and has also coached Alissa Czisny and Adam Rippon to name a few.

2. Please stop making assumptions about Marina Z and what she is capable of and that she doesn't have time for Gracie.

Thanks.

Once the season begins, I would assume that Marina will be traveling with her Dance Teams. My suggestion was that Gracie skip the GP and train at an intense level. Marina simply can't be in 2 places at the same time. As I've stated, I don't believe that Marina is the problem. It's just my opinion but, I think Gracie needs a friend, and coach. Do remember when Angela Nikodinov switched from Richard Callaghan to Elena Tcherkasskaia. She said that Elena was the coach who was responsible for making her believe in herself. At this point, I think Gracie needs someone like that to be close to her. It's a very difficult balance but, it turned Angela's career around when she went to Elena and I think a coach like that might help Gracie get her confidence back.

 

[Ic3Rabbit]

Once the season begins, I would assume that Marina will be traveling with her Dance Teams. My suggestion was that Gracie skip the GP and train at an intense level. Marina simply can't be in 2 places at the same time. As I've stated, I don't believe that Marina is the problem. It's just my opinion but, I think Gracie needs a friend, and coach. Do remember when Angela Nikodinov switched from Richard Callaghan to Elena Tcherkasskaia. She said that Elena was the coach who was responsible for making her believe in herself. At this point, I think Gracie needs someone like that to be close to her. It's a very difficult balance but, it turned Angela's career around when she went to Elena and I think a coach like that might help Gracie get her confidence back.

You can't say that Marina isn't that person for Gracie. You really can't. She hasn't even been training with Marina for very long.

Also, Marina travels with all of her students to competitions, she will be with Gracie at US Nationals and as last year sent Oleg Epstein her assistant coach to Canada with Patrick. The are 4-5 people on Marina's team that work with all of her students to a point and her students are comfortable working and/or travelling with them.

And because you mentioned it, Angela N. was a special case because she had so many tragedies in her short career on the ice, injuries and her mother being killed in an accident amongst them. Angela N. was forced to switch coaches when Elena passed away from pancreatic cancer.

You can't classify Angela and Gracie in the same category.

 

[mrrice]

You can't say that Marina isn't that person for Gracie. You really can't. She hasn't even been training with Marina for very long.

Also, Marina travels with all of her students to competitions, she will be with Gracie at US Nationals and as last year sent Oleg Epstein her assistant coach to Canada with Patrick. The are 4-5 people on Marina's team that work with all of her students to a point and her students are comfortable working and/or travelling with them.

And because you mentioned it, Angela N. was a special case because she had so many tragedies in her short career on the ice, injuries and her mother being killed in an accident amongst them. Angela N. was forced to switch coaches when Elena passed away from pancreatic cancer.

You can't classify Angela and Gracie in the same category.

Ok, I think we're going circles. let's move on.

 

[Ic3Rabbit]

Ok, I think we're going circles. let's move on.

 

[mrrice]

Please don't be upset. I enjoy our conversations and we don't always to agree.

 

[Seren]

I think the issue mrrice is that none of us know what Gracie's situation is. We can't say Marina isn't the right coach for Gracie- we have absolutely no objective info to back that up. Gracie has only been with Marina a few months- we don't know either of them and thus can make no assumptions about their coaching relationship. Anything we say is pure speculation.

All elite coaches are busy and most all have more than one elite student. I don't think this is anything new for Gracie or any elite skater.

 

[Skatingcat]

Will ask this question the gracie thread, but did she perform last night? How did she skate?

(ps, I'm not interested in her weight).

 

[sammy78]

I think Gracie looks like she has lost weight from the pictures I've seen recently. She looks like she lost some of the summer weight.She's not in olympic shape yet, but it looks like she's trying to get there which explains why her jumps and program aren't ready yet.
To me it seems like personal issues with family have been the problem if you check online.
This is just speculation but i know my family is very close and something like this would affect me.
She might also miss her family and California. Who knows.
I just wish her the best and hope she comes back raring to go in time for us championships.
Whatever makes her happy.

 

[Ic3Rabbit]

Will ask this question the gracie thread, but did she perform last night? How did she skate?

(ps, I'm not interested in her weight).

Yes she skated two numbers last night with one being her exhibition to "Golden" by Ruth B that she had done in SOI this past spring. The other number (first one) she wore all black for. Single/double jumps and the jumps were scarce.

That's all I have to say.

 

[Moxiejan]

Single/double jumps and the jumps were scarce.
That's all I have to say.

Thanks much for the info.

Really, this is all so perplexing. I know club skaters who never made it out of regionals 10 years ago & now skate maybe once a month.
And they can do at least that much.

 

[drivingmissdaisy]

If she isn't doing triples yet, I don't know how she'd be ready for her first GP event.

 

[BackSpiral]

I've always been one of Gracie's biggest fans and thought she would make it to the top. But looking at her right now, there is no way she will be ready for her GP events. I think she should withdraw and try to get in the best possible shape for Nationals if she still has the desire to compete. It honestly doesn't look like she does though.