There's a very high chance that she will podium because of her good showings at her JGPs this season. She has very flowy arms and an artistic maturity that the other junior ladies might not necessarily have. All she needs is a 3-3!
2018-19 U.S. Ladies' figure skating
- Thread starter Spirals for Miles
- Start date
There's a very high chance that she will podium because of her good showings at her JGPs this season. She has very flowy arms and an artistic maturity that the other junior ladies might not necessarily have. All she needs is a 3-3!
- Joined
- Aug 12, 2014
All of this compassion, and all these posts supporting Gracie and Karen, and assuming the best, are very heartwarming. As a person who tries and hopes to be encouraging and positive, I'm glad to see it.
And at the same time, I'm thinking about the event just a little less than a year ago, when Ashley had to WD from her fs at SA. The wave of derision around here, and the condemnation, and people questioning her motives, was just stunning. I was at the event, and even though she did very well in the SP, considering her injury, it was plain that she was in pain. You could see it on her face.
Taking it to the way she was treated at Nationals by the judging, which in my opinion should have been either inflated equally, or severely marked equally, it's again hard not to think about what could have been. Looking at the posts in this thread detailing ladies' medals in the past decade, it's clear how valuable Ashley was, and how much she has done for US ladies' figure skating. I don't know, maybe it's an example of the adage "No good deed goes unpunished."
For the record, I am not wishing or hoping that either Karen, Gracie, or anyone else would get the treatment that Ashley got. I've been accused of that, when it hadn't even occurred to me. So that's why I feel that I have to make this clear. I just wish like anything that people in general had given half the compassion, good will, and benefit of the doubt to Ashley that others get.
I miss Ashley's skating, and I wish she'd return, because I still think we need skaters like her in competitions. She brought a lot of charisma, ice presence, personality, and staying power that no one else did.
And at the same time, I'm thinking about the event just a little less than a year ago, when Ashley had to WD from her fs at SA. The wave of derision around here, and the condemnation, and people questioning her motives, was just stunning. I was at the event, and even though she did very well in the SP, considering her injury, it was plain that she was in pain. You could see it on her face.
Taking it to the way she was treated at Nationals by the judging, which in my opinion should have been either inflated equally, or severely marked equally, it's again hard not to think about what could have been. Looking at the posts in this thread detailing ladies' medals in the past decade, it's clear how valuable Ashley was, and how much she has done for US ladies' figure skating. I don't know, maybe it's an example of the adage "No good deed goes unpunished."
For the record, I am not wishing or hoping that either Karen, Gracie, or anyone else would get the treatment that Ashley got. I've been accused of that, when it hadn't even occurred to me. So that's why I feel that I have to make this clear. I just wish like anything that people in general had given half the compassion, good will, and benefit of the doubt to Ashley that others get.
I miss Ashley's skating, and I wish she'd return, because I still think we need skaters like her in competitions. She brought a lot of charisma, ice presence, personality, and staying power that no one else did.
Where's the idea that Bradie doesn't tend to make mistakes come from, while she may not have a track record of falls, pretty much all of her competitions in the last year (since Skate America) have under-rotations or edge calls.
- Joined
- Feb 24, 2012
RIght now we are cautiously optimistic with Mariah, Gracie and Bradie. Ashley and Mirai are wonderful skaters and will be welcomed back if they want too for Nats or 2019. There's also Polina and then the real upstarts. It is just ab it unclear who is the American contender for the world crown or podium at least. Bradie seemed very clear but she didn't slay it at Skate America.
- Joined
- Feb 17, 2010
I think people here have been pretty tough on Karen, too. I'm sure if Gracie isn't at least doing most of the triples, her participation in the GP will be questioned.
Few skaters get NO URs or edge calls these days. Medvedeva has gotten both, and Zagitova got 3z<+3lo< in her FS at the Finnish GP. Satoko got edge calls on both her lutzes at NHK and URs on a 2a and a 2lo. Mariah Bell gets edge calls on her lutzes every time out, and she's prone to falls on her 3z+3t attempts in the SP.
Bradie got URs and edge calls in the FS at 2018 Worlds, but still managed to place 4th in that FS because everyone else was subjected to the same level of strictness.
I pray that everyone will embrace Gracie whether she has all her triples or not. Just coming back to skating after what she went through and how much she lost as a skater is a Herculean feat. This is just one competition. Her comeback will take a while and we should be encouraging rather than judgemental.
- Joined
- Oct 30, 2012
I think Gracie should be on the way to Russia now, or latest tomorrow. Hope we can have a peek at her practice to adjust our expectations.
- Joined
- Jan 17, 2014
It will be interesting to see her competition ready state. Among the US ladies, Gracie is the only one whose basic SS is anything to talk about and she is generally solid in her techniques and not prone to UR, minus the 3Fe. Hopefully this period out of the skating world gets her recharged, refreshed and all ready to slay without the pressure and scrutiny and expectations.
I would hope Gracie is there already. Jet lag is no joke, and their practice time is tomorrow
- Joined
- Nov 20, 2015
Not to mention that there is an 8 hour time difference from the US east coast, so its already Wednesday evening there. She's surely there. They are just being completely radio silent. But I also noticed that Alex Krasnozhon has also been silent for almost a month on instagram. Maybe USFS has asked for silence or relative silence from US skaters, (Not that Ashley Cain has been completely silent, and she's been in Russia for over a week to adjust to the time difference.)
- Joined
- Mar 23, 2014
This seems doubtful. I think a lot of skaters are still trying to figure out how best to navigate social media. Everything they post is under a lot of scrutiny - especially for someone like Gracie who is making a comeback. And it might be the case that some skaters are learning that social media is more trouble than it's worth.
Alex Krasnozhon's skating at his first GP had improved so much over his late summer competitions that I suspect he's been working harder in the rink than he's been busy instagramming. He knows he has to improve further if he wants to do well at Rostelecom and still better yet at Nationals, so maybe that's why he's not been commenting.
As for Gracie, for all we know she may have left for Russia last week to avoid jet lag.
As for Gracie, for all we know she may have left for Russia last week to avoid jet lag.
- Joined
- Aug 29, 2016
If it wasn’t already, it’s now completely official that Gracie is competing! She is on the practice schedule. She will practice either her short program or free program last. http://www.isuresults.com/schedules/gprus2018_PracticeGroupsAndMusicRotation.pdf
- Joined
- Mar 3, 2007
So excited, and I don’t care if she only does doubles.
- Joined
- Nov 20, 2015
Did anyone see the trailer from us figure skating. https://twitter.com/USFigureSkating/status/1062475415632015360
- Joined
- Feb 17, 2010
Gracie being off social media isn't too surprising, but I am surprised that there are essentially no news stories at all about her comeback this weekend. I do think the USFSA is playing a big role in keeping the spotlight off of her.
- Joined
- Nov 20, 2015
I think that once she competes, that then we might get to see news about her. At least I'm hoping. Actually I'm a big fan of everyone in TeamUSA competing this weekend.
- Joined
- Jul 9, 2014
I agree. I am surprised however, that they didn't try to create a "Buzz" around her comeback. She was extremely popular and with Mirai and Ashley out, I'm hoping they'll be stories as Nationals approaches.
Social media is hard work. It may have started out as a fun thing - but now it’s commercializing fast and the last thing a skater should be handling or thinking about unless they have a natural interest in it. I’m perfectly ok with the radio silence. At the end of the day, I’m here for the skating, although the social media posts when done well are indeed fun.
