Gracie Gold: Can she medal at JW (and beyond)?

[drivingmissdaisy]

Gracie Gold I hope will be able to skate on the senior GP? Can she?

I doubt it, I'm not exactly sure what the rule is regarding world ranking but currently she is #125 (primarily because she has competed in only one int'l competition). Come to think of it, it seems all the more bizarre that the USFSA would say that they are considering her for senior worlds, given that her low ranking would disqualify her.

 

[krenseby]

I doubt it, I'm not exactly sure what the rule is regarding world ranking but currently she is #125 (primarily because she has competed in only one int'l competition). Come to think of it, it seems all the more bizarre that the USFSA would say that they are considering her for senior worlds, given that her low ranking would disqualify her.

How much will her ranking change after Junior Worlds?

 

[chuckm]

Gracie Gold — Can she medal at JW (and beyond)?

Gold is in the top 10 on the Seasons Best scores list. Theoretically, she could be eligible for a GP event. Or she could get a Skate America host spot. But she hasn't taken the Senior test and would have to pass that.

 

[krenseby]

Gold is in the top 10 on the Seasons Best scores list. Theoretically, she could be eligible for a GP event. Or she could get a Skate America host spot. But she hasn't taken the Senior test and would have to pass that.

Now it seems like the USFSA has a lot of options for the host spot at Skate America! It could be her or someone else.

 

[chuckm]

If Gold medals at JW, she could definitely qualify for the Grand Prix and might be guaranteed at least one event.

 

[dorispulaski]

She probably would have a good chance for getting an invitation to Skate America as well, I would think.

 

[drivingmissdaisy]

A few questions for chuckm, since you seem to know the most about this among us:
1) Does Gracie have to be on the top 10 season's best list to qualify after Worlds happens? What I'm wondering is if she gets bumped off the list by competitors at Worlds and doesn't medal at Junior Worlds, would she then not qualify?
2) Can the USFSA invite someone who wouldn't otherwise qualify? (Doris's suggestion)

 

[chuckm]

A few questions for chuckm, since you seem to know the most about this among us:
1) Does Gracie have to be on the top 10 season's best list to qualify after Worlds happens? What I'm wondering is if she gets bumped off the list by competitors at Worlds and doesn't medal at Junior Worlds, would she then not qualify?

No. She only needs to be in the top 24. She is currently #9, so I don't see her being bumped out of the top 24.

2) Can the USFSA invite someone who wouldn't otherwise qualify? (Doris's suggestion)

Yes.

 

[feraina]

If Gold does well at JW and manages to bump one of the three Russian wonderbabies off the podium, then not only would she be guaranteed one GP next season, but I bet someone else will invite her for a second GP even if SA doesn't step in -- but if she's turning out to be a star like everyone seems to be hyping her to be, then I bet SA will try to snag her anyway.

 

[drivingmissdaisy]

If Gold does well at JW and manages to bump one of the three Russian wonderbabies off the podium, then not only would she be guaranteed one GP next season, but I bet someone else will invite her for a second GP even if SA doesn't step in -- but if she's turning out to be a star like everyone seems to be hyping her to be, then I bet SA will try to snag her anyway.

That will be tough. The jump content we'll see at Jr Worlds will likely surpass anything we see and Sr Worlds. And the top competitors are no slouches on PCS either. Having said that, Gracie is right there at the top with them. It will be an exciting event.

 

[Jammers]

I would love to see Gracie medal at Worlds but if she skates fairly clean then that shows she's a real competitor and isn't another headcase.

 

[R.D.]

...and if she flubs, it doesn't necessarily mean that she IS one.

 

[skateluvr]

Headcase

using that word helped get Mirai's thread closed down. Must we say this about nervous skaters, or good skaters who get frightened at big crowd, televised events? It just seems the harshest criticism. What do you think? can we come up with another phrase, like what it is for most, a case or nerves at competition. More skaters are thusly challenged than most. you need one hand to count the people who are killer intinct skaters...just a thought.

 

[mskater93]

Gracie is 7/7 this year so far for clean SP and 7/7 on the 3Lz+3T in the LP. If she has a less than stellar skate at JWs, it will likely be due to a long season rather than having mental toughness issues.

 

[Jammers]

Yeah i hope if Gracie does struggle a bit a JWs that people don't come down on the poor girl. She's due for a bad skate. But damn winning all seven of her competitions is pretty impressive for someone who didn't even make Nationals last year.

 

[mskater93]

I meant 7/7 on consistent 3+3 in SP and LP but she did win all those events as well

 

[feraina]

Gracie Gold — Can she medal at JW (and beyond)?

I meant 7/7 on consistent 3+3 in SP and LP but she did win all those events as well

On the other hand she skated in mostly low-pressure events, and mostly under the radar. So it remains to be seen how she will handle the pressure of JW.

Adelina has not been looking good all year. She could have a miraculous resurgence at the end of the season, but I think she out of the three Russian ladies is the most beatable. Elizaveta has also been up and down a little, showing a bit of fatigue now especially toward the end of the season. Julia has been the most consistent and fierce of the three, and furthest away from puberty troubles, plus unlike the other two, she's been skating junior programs all season. Junior champions returning to JW after a GP season have not done so well in recent memory (e.g. Mao losing to Yuna after winning GPF, Caroline Z losing to Flatt after placing 4th at GPF).

I think Gold has a chance at beating Adelina. But she will be disadvantaged wrt Julia and Elizaveta in PCS. There's also Zijun Li, who could be a medal threat if she brings both her 3F-3T and 2A-3T-2T combos.

 

[mskater93]

Looks as if Tuktakysheva may be bowing out of JWs from some comments made by Mishin about being tired and too many events...we'll see though

Why do people assume Gold has had no pressure on her this season? What about self imposed pressure to skate well and prove yourself (which she's had since she failed to make it out of mids in the 2010-11 season)? She had to skate well at Detroit and Glacier Falls to even be considered for an international event and she had great events there. Then people thought she would melt from the pressure of having a JGP event and other than a 3Lo that she popped in the LP, she skated well there. Then everyone thought she would melt at Nationals because of the pressure because she had generated some buzz, but she skated well there...and now you are saying that that was no pressure at any of the events she's been to so far. I really question that.

 

[macy]

Looks as if Tuktakysheva may be bowing out of JWs from some comments made by Mishin about being tired and too many events...we'll see though

Why do people assume Gold has had no pressure on her this season? What about self imposed pressure to skate well and prove yourself (which she's had since she failed to make it out of mids in the 2010-11 season)? She had to skate well at Detroit and Glacier Falls to even be considered for an international event and she had great events there. Then people thought she would melt from the pressure of having a JGP event and other than a 3Lo that she popped in the LP, she skated well there. Then everyone thought she would melt at Nationals because of the pressure because she had generated some buzz, but she skated well there...and now you are saying that that was no pressure at any of the events she's been to so far. I really question that.

ooh where are you seeing those comments? kind of a good and bad thing...good for gracie, bad because i would like to see liza skate.

if you read the article on IN when gracie won, she talked about having to deal with the pressure of living up to the hype and expectations of everyone. she felt she had a lot to prove. even though a few of her competitions weren't normally important ones, they were for her.

 

[drivingmissdaisy]

Gracie had pressure, but Jr Worlds is an entirely different level of competition than what she has faced all season. Some of the Russian girls she will face will match her on every jump and had experience competing on the senior GP. For Gracie, Jr Worlds is the pinnacle of her season, what she has been working towards all year. As well as she has done this year, I think she will be disappointed if she can't bring her best. Regardless of what happens though, she is probably our best bet for a medal in Sochi at the moment.