Gracie Gold: Can she medal at JW (and beyond)? | Page 6 | Golden Skate

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

I think she should do the GP series next season regardless of placement at Junior Worlds. Even if a few mistakes keep her off the JW podium, it won't change the fact that she has all the skills and tools necessary to make her senior international debut. Next season will be crucial for her to gain international experience and build a name for herself on the road to the 2014 Olympic team. Adelina and Elizaveta already have the advantage of one year in seniors. Staying on the JGP circuit next season won't do Gracie any good, even if she wins it all in juniors. Will Julia Lipnitskaia be old enough for the senior GP next season?

Yes, Lipnitskaya next year will be able to go to senior gp but not euros or worlds. Just like Tukt and Sotnikova this year. I'm pretty sure Lipnitskaya will do it next year.
 
No matter what happens at Junior Worlds Gracie needs to get out there in front of international judges at Senior events. Sochi is only two years away. Plus how is she going to find out what she needs to compete against the big girls if she stays a Junior for another year? Doing that during an Olympic year is not the time to find out. Even if she struggles a bit next season at least she will have another season to come back and make the Olympic team.
 
No matter what happens at Junior Worlds Gracie needs to get out there in front of international judges at Senior events. Sochi is only two years away. Plus how is she going to find out what she needs to compete against the big girls if she stays a Junior for another year? Doing that during an Olympic year is not the time to find out. Even if she struggles a bit next season at least she will have another season to come back and make the Olympic team.

Will she be able to get 2 GP events next season if she doesn't medal at JW though?? That was more my concern. I'm sure she could get one just from her SB at the JGP, but if she doesn't medal at JW, it's going to be tough to get a 2nd where her WS is still so low. If she continues to skate this well, I'm sure she'd be picked for SA, but if she isn't skating as well come summer and someone like Mirai is and only has one GP event, then I'd see USFS giving Mirai the host spot over Gracie.
 
Will she be able to get 2 GP events next season if she doesn't medal at JW though?? That was more my concern. I'm sure she could get one just from her SB at the JGP, but if she doesn't medal at JW, it's going to be tough to get a 2nd where her WS is still so low. If she continues to skate this well, I'm sure she'd be picked for SA, but if she isn't skating as well come summer and someone like Mirai is and only has one GP event, then I'd see USFS giving Mirai the host spot over Gracie.

I don't see the USFSA giving Mirai the spot over Gracie....
 
Hm. I did not even think about it. It is possible for Mirai to not get 2 gps next year? She had poor results last year as well but she still got 2 this year.
 
I'm sure Mirai will probably get 2 GP events next year. I mean if Rachael Flatt can get 2 this season after her disasters at the GP final and Worlds then Mirai should get 2 as well.
 
I think Nagasu should be okay - she's currently #9 in the ISU World Standings and #10 in the Season Best Total scores list. However, she will lose all of her considerable ranking points from the 2009-10 season (currently at 70% value) and her 2010-11 rankings points will be reduced to 70%, but she should still stay in or around the top 24? We won't know until after the Worlds results are in.
 
Rachael Flatt was guaranteed two GPs for this season because she finished top 12 at Worlds 2011. Nagasu isn't going to Worlds 2012 and doesn't have that particular opportunity.
 
Hm. I did not even think about it. It is possible for Mirai to not get 2 gps next year? She had poor results last year as well but she still got 2 this year.

But she also had the monster score and bronze medal won at 4CC last season which helped. Her SB and WS are okay because of the medal she won at CoC, but not great. She should be able to get 2 GP events but I'm not sure it's a garauntee. But, Ashley was able to get 2 this season after having no post nationals assignments and fairing similarly to Mirai this season on the GP and Nats, so she should be ok.
 
She'll definitely compete as a senior at NATIONALS next season, but her decision regarding GP vs. JGP will likely depend on if she medals at JW next week or not. Where she's only competed at one international event, if she doesn't medal at JW, she could probably only get one GP, and then she could maybe hope to get named to SA, so she could decide to rather do the JGP where she would almost certainly get 2 assignments and likely earn a trip to the JGPF. If she medals or wins at JW though I think she will (and should) chose to do the GP considering she will be 17 this summer and has all the tools for seniors and the ranking points from a JW medal would likely be enough to earn her 2 assignments.

but I think Gracie should go senior even without medaling at JW
Gracie has already mature skating and she is an all around skater, she is turning 17 and I don't see any advantages on staying junior for another season.
next season will be best time to test the water with Adelina and Tukt also going full seniors. and it will be advanatge to gain recognition from international judges and familiarize with her in as early time before 2014. 2 years is not that enough.
 
I totally agree. Going Senior in an Olympic year is asking to much for Gracie. Better to get out there now and find out from the judges what she needs to work on. She seems to be a levelheaded kid and isn't buying the hype i hope. She had to work her butt off to get where she is after a disappointing year in 2010-11 and will no doubt keep trying to improve.
 
I think Gracie can certainly medal at juniors. She would have to be one of the 4 favourites for a medal and she could win gold especially with ET gone and Adeline S not skating well but it is also possible she could be off the podium. However, she has a real shot at gold or a medal but a lot will depend on her probably being clean and the others making some mistakes.Overall Julia is like Michelle Kwan - overall the better skater though the jumps were never huge or as powerful as someone like Gold or back then Slutskaya but that is only one element of the score. Her future depends a lot on timing and how well she transitions to senior imho. :)
 
Julia has some growth spurts in her future so who knows how good she will be in two years. She will be at the age that these girls struggle with body changes and their jumps. Right now she's dynamite but a lot of 13 year old skaters have come and gone.
 
Julia has some growth spurts in her future so who knows how good she will be in two years. She will be at the age that these girls struggle with body changes and their jumps. Right now she's dynamite but a lot of 13 year old skaters have come and gone.

Yes but we aren't talking about Seniors we are talking about right here and now and so I think Julia can win here. I think people are leaving out Adelina though. Adelina has had a hard season but her jumps are HUGE and her skating skills are dynamite. She may very well be the best overall of the bunch IF she's clean.
 
Julia has some growth spurts in her future so who knows how good she will be in two years. She will be at the age that these girls struggle with body changes and their jumps. Right now she's dynamite but a lot of 13 year old skaters have come and gone.

Yes, but I'm more concerned about Julia come Sochi. Right now, she's consistent and fabulous and can use her size and youth to her advantage. I'm sure she might well have a difficult year or two in her future, but JW is this week, so right now that's all a moot point. She is probably the favorite to win here.

As for Adelina, I don't think anyone is counting her out. But after all, even if Adelina and Julia both medal, that still leaves a spot for Gracie on the podium. Of course Shelepen could steal the spot away from her, but I think Gracie is stronger than Shelepen at this point and her odds against beating her are certainly better than those of beating Tukt, whose withdrawal from JW have made Gracie's medaling chances go from possible to probable IMO. I think it's more likely Shelepen will finish off the podium with scores in the range of Li, Gao, Lam, Miyahara and Shoji (if they rotate their jumps). Although if one of the podium favorites falters, one of these other strong girls could certainly sneak up there, and Shelepen is probably the most likely to do just that if this ends up happening.
 
at this point in the season, judging by how the main 3 have been skating, it's either going to be gracie or julia. adelina has the experience and maturity, but has not been skating that well all season, and judging by that i don't think she will take gold if she skates that way again, if the other 2 are clean or close to it.

btw has anyone seen the arena for jr. worlds? if you're a fan of ISU on facebook check out their newly created junior worlds album, the arena is spectacular. its SO awesome.
 
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