Gracie Gold's prospects for 2018 season?

[andromache]

Discussing her weight is absolutely inappropriate, considering how figure skating fosters a culture of disordered eating (especially among young women) which can in turn easily transform into an eating disorder.

When I say "out of shape," I'm speaking in terms of her ability to perform jumps, spins, etc. - nothing to do with the physical appearance of her body, and in the future I can be more precise with my language.

I also think it's important not to ignore the reality that skaters undoubtedly have peak performance weights in terms of being able to execute jumps - but that's the business of a skater and their team - not fans. And that I also think it's 100% likely that some coaching teams' treatment of peak performance weight and physical fitness/appearance are more likely to lead to eating disorders than others', and that kind of behavior from adults who are responsible for the physical and mental well-being of children is just as harmful (probably more so) than the nastiness that people say online.

 

[ice coverage]

... If something is bothering Gracie, or if she has lost the desire to skate, then by all means she should do something else. It seems that the USFS no longer has confidence in her. ...

I am not aware of any evidence that USFS no longer has confidence in Gracie.

I did listen to the Lynn Rutherford episode of IceTalk, but I do not claim to remember every single word. Did Lynn state such an opinion?

 

[Skatingcat]

Did Lynn state such an opinion?

I apologize if I was unclear.

When I said "It seems," I am not stating my words as a Fact. It is my reading of the situation, and I very well maybe be incorrect.

I do not know what Lynn said.

 

[Seren]

Discussing her weight is absolutely inappropriate, considering how figure skating fosters a culture of disordered eating (especially among young women) which can in turn easily transform into an eating disorder.

When I say "out of shape," I'm speaking in terms of her ability to perform jumps, spins, etc. - nothing to do with the physical appearance of her body, and in the future I can be more precise with my language.

I also think it's important not to ignore the reality that skaters undoubtedly have peak performance weights in terms of being able to execute jumps - but that's the business of a skater and their team - not fans. And that I also think it's 100% likely that some coaching teams' treatment of peak performance weight and physical fitness/appearance are more likely to lead to eating disorders than others', and that kind of behavior from adults who are responsible for the physical and mental well-being of children is just as harmful (probably more so) than the nastiness that people say online.

Your last paragraph is exactly true. The adults around these athletes, what they say and how they act has a huge impact on young skaters. Focusing on a skaters weight as a positive or negative thing will never end well- yes athletes have peak performance weights but it is not the end all to everything.

I would also ageee with your assessment. I don't care what any skater (Gracie included) weighs. Fitness and weight are not the same thing.

The pressure these skaters are under is already intense, when a coach or trainer puts a large emphasis on weight it can have disastrous results.

 

[Jammers]

If Gracie can't do triple jumps anymore then she needs to pull out of the GP and maybe just end her career now instead of embarrassing herself which is what she would be doing if all she did was single and double jumps. This will go down as one of the great collapses to end a career in the history of the sport.

 

[Bluediamonds09]

Maybe we all just dump this thread completely for now???? It's all just guesswork right now. Think how Gracie would feel if she reads this thread. Especially since none of us really truly know what is going on. Who's with me??

 

[KatGrace1925]

If Gracie can't do triple jumps anymore then she needs to pull out of the GP and maybe just end her career now instead of embarrassing herself which is what she would be doing if all she did was single and double jumps. This will go down as one of the great collapses to end a career in the history of the sport.

We don't have any idea if she can or can not do triple jumps. We know what she has skated in shows the past few months has been singles and doubles. That doesn't mean she hasn't done a triple jump in practice in months.

 

[mrrice]

Your last paragraph is exactly true. The adults around these athletes, what they say and how they act has a huge impact on young skaters. Focusing on a skaters weight as a positive or negative thing will never end well- yes athletes have peak performance weights but it is not the end all to everything.

I would also ageee with your assessment. I don't care what any skater (Gracie included) weighs. Fitness and weight are not the same thing.

The pressure these skaters are under is already intense, when a coach or trainer puts a large emphasis on weight it can have disastrous results.

This sentence is extremely accurate!! When I was taking ballet and training with a Russian Coach, she gave us lists of things that we could eat when we were having cravings. She told us to eat pretzels because they had a higher protein to fat ratio than other chips. She also got us all to switch from Soda to green tea. I remember one time she brought a chef salad and a steak with baked potato to rehearsal and asked..."Which one of these is better for you?" Believe it not, It was the steak and baked potato.

She actually had us reading food labels and we thought it was fun. She told us movie popcorn was bad for us, so we used to air pop ours and put fresh parmesan on it. We'd sneak it into the movies and think we were so cool. I don't think you can shame people into losing weight and it certainly wouldn't have worked on me. We felt empowered that she trusted and encouraged us to take care of our bodies. Gracie is a champion and no matter what happens to her for the rest of her life, she can proudly say that on more than one occasion she was the best skater in the USA.

 

[mrrice]

If Gracie can't do triple jumps anymore then she needs to pull out of the GP and maybe just end her career now instead of embarrassing herself which is what she would be doing if all she did was single and double jumps. This will go down as one of the great collapses to end a career in the history of the sport.

IMO, it's not even about her being embarrassed, it's about giving another skater who is prepared for the season the opportunity to take her place. I feel sorry for Gracie but, I'd feel worse for Courtney Hicks who has proven that she can land her triples and is the best shape of her life. I do feel sorry for Gracie and if this thread is locked, I'll be fine with that. Trust me, I'm only posting because I care about her.

 

[yyyskate]

Gracie's condition is really bad for skating, let us be realistic.
here is my 2 cents as someone who cares about her and wishes her well:
according to the couple of videos from CC and SOI, her body proportion seems changed, she still has relatively thin limbs but enlarged at thigh, hip and waist areas comparing to her former athletic physique and body proportion.
This somehow reminds me of this ballerina and her story https://www.youtube.com/watch?annot...&feature=iv&src_vid=ao9pA6z_0uI&v=VXfYXtYFVYE
she told her story in the link above.
sometimes, it is really difficult to lose weight, even if you are excise a lot and eating healthy.
in the case of this ballerina , it is hormonal imbalance caused her weight gain and unfortunate termination of her professional ballerina career. Lucky for this ballerina, eventually, she found the cause and can manage her body weight and health through targeting it.
As we all know, Gracie may has suffered depression for some time, which can leads to hormonal issues.
Don't know what exactly is happening with Gracie. if her minds is still in figure skating, I wish she can find the demons and come back strong.
maybe the story about this ballerina can share some perspective.

 

[pjskater]

Maybe we all just dump this thread completely for now???? It's all just guesswork right now. Think how Gracie would feel if she reads this thread. Especially since none of us really truly know what is going on. Who's with me??

yes, yes! please!

 

[Moxiejan]

IMO, it's not even about her being embarrassed, it's about giving another skater who is prepared for the season the opportunity to take her place. I feel sorry for Gracie but, I'd feel worse for Courtney Hicks who has proven that she can land her triples and is the best shape that I have ever seen her. I do feel sorry for Gracie and if this thread is locked, I'll be fine with that. Trust me, I'm only posting because I care about her.

Yes to this! Above all, it is the duty of USFS to ensure that its best-prepared athletes are the ones who are sent to international competitions to represent this country.

To do otherwise is unfair and unproductive for all.

 

[el henry]

Trying again for positivity

From Jason's Instagram:
A photo of Jason, Gracie, Tarah and Danny

Jason says: "Life isn't always easy. We fall, we struggle, we fail, we get criticized, and we make mistakes...but we always get up and are there for each other when we try again! #WeGetUp"
The IG post was "liked" by many skaters, including Gracie.

(and yes, I'm just some Pollyanna who's walked this earth for lo-these-many decades not understanding the meaning of criticism. Or what is necessary to succeed in skating. Or the difference between wondering about someone's triples and wondering about their appearance. I guess I'll just stay in my bubble )

 

[Icey]

This is probably just a sneaky strategy on Gracie's part. Do any of you really believe she can't do a triple?

 

[stella luna]

Thank you for the reports. It's not a very merry read, but Gold has my compassion. She seems to have huge confidence issues now, and maybe she's suffering from health issues as well. She's one of the reasons I bought tickets for the Nepela trophy, but I'm slowly resigning myself to the idea of her not participating. IMO these Autumn competitions, including GP, can damage her self-confidence further, and it might be for the best to just let the entire season go for the long-term good. If a year spent with family and friends and other activities than skating makes Gold content and eager to skate again, it would be a good exchange for one lost season. Just my 2 cents...

I think she needs a year to deal with her issues and return to form, but this is probably her last realistic shot at the Olympics before she retires.

 

[Moxiejan]

I think she needs a year to deal with her issues and return to form.

Counting from her disappointment at 2016 Worlds, the "form" hasn't been the same for 17 months. Not sure what another 12 months would do.

 

[Scout]

Why would it be her last realistic short? She is only 22, so age isn't really a factor (see Ashley, Carolina, Meghan Duhamel,...) and she's got the talent and natural jumping ability. She's not injured. Four more years at this point would seem to be more about personal desire than anything else.

 

[stella luna]

Counting from her disappointment at 2016 Worlds, the "form" hasn't been the same for 17 months. Not sure what another 12 months would do.

She could rebuild from the ground up out of the public eye. Or is that just a Lifetime movie plot?

 

[hippomoomin]

Gracie's condition is really bad for skating, let us be realistic.
here is my 2 cents as someone who cares about her and wishes her well:
according to the couple of videos from CC and SOI, her body proportion seems changed, she still has relatively thin limbs but enlarged at thigh, hip and waist areas comparing to her former athletic physique and body proportion.
This somehow reminds me of this ballerina and her story https://www.youtube.com/watch?annot...&feature=iv&src_vid=ao9pA6z_0uI&v=VXfYXtYFVYE
she told her story in the link above.
sometimes, it is really difficult to lose weight, even if you are excise a lot and eating healthy.
in the case of this ballerina , it is hormonal imbalance caused her weight gain and unfortunate termination of her professional ballerina career. Lucky for this ballerina, eventually, she found the cause and can manage her body weight and health through targeting it.
As we all know, Gracie may has suffered depression for some time, which can leads to hormonal issues.
Don't know what exactly is happening with Gracie. if her minds is still in figure skating, I wish she can find the demons and come back strong.
maybe the story about this ballerina can share some perspective.

I think you have a valid point. I've been thinking the same thing: thyroid, or similar type of health issue can make a person gain weight rapidly, and unless the right treatment is found, you cannot lose it. It also affects all aspects of your life.

We have to be honest based on the recent videos of Gracie, her body changed a lot. It is quite possible she can no longer do triples. Its just simple physics. Triples or not triples, it does not matter that much at this point. I think the more important thing is if her body change is health related or not. I've been thinking it cannot be, because her dad is a doctor, and athletes much go through physical exams frequently. After watching the video, I realized that not every issue can be identified correctly.

Gracie has been doing exercises, and I don't believe she eat unhealthy food either. If now it is just how she naturally should be at this age, it is OK, but if it is something else, I hope the cause can be found, and positive change can go from there.

 

[StarSprinkles]

Long time lurker, but first time poster here. Gracie reminds me SO much of British diver Tom Daley. Both are insanely, naturally talented, achieved amazing success at young ages, both well known headcases, and both were within one good routine away from Olympic/World glory. In Tom's case, at the Olympics in Rio 2016, he won the Men's 10 meter preliminary with such a high score that he set an Olympic record, but somehow, the next day at semis, his whole world collapsed when his mind and body did not work together, and he finished dead last in the semis and did not make the Olympic final. He took 6 months completely off from training after that, collected himself, did a whole lot of soul searching, and decided that he did want to compete again, after contemplating quitting the sport altogether. His coach advised him against it, but he was stubborn. He ended up having the best World Series (like the figure skating Grand Prix) of his life in 2017, and he came back in June to the World Championships and won the World title. He and Gracie are so much alike, but in Tom's case, he did take the time off he needed to regroup, started doing meditation and yoga, and he's been very open about how a whole attitude change was what helped him. He had to stop being so serious and learn how to have fun again. I wish Gracie would learn those lessons.