Can Gracie Gold handle the pressure?

[bigsisjiejie]

I also don't think Gracie needs to water down the content. She CAN do these jumps and she has sound technique, her issues are mental and come from inexperience. After watching her FS a couple of times, it looks like she's just rushing a little bit and it's throwing off her usual timing. That's pretty classic nerves and/or over-excitedness. The only way to get better at riding this horse is to climb back on it again and give it another go. Only a defeatist would head back to the little kids' pony ride area. That goes for Adelina, too. Both of these young ladies are going to be winning competitions sooner or later, mark my words.

 

[ForeverFish]

I think we can agree that she has the ability, 100%, to dazzle at the big international competitions. Skate Canada was disastrous because she was clearly jittery from the start, rushing through her SP and displaying none of the sass and pomp that she usually does, but the fact that we recognize it as such shows that we're used to much, much better performances from her. And since when does she ever have issues with jumping? If anyone should be landing those triple-triple combinations, it's Gracie--and Adelina, who made similar flubs at Skate America last week. It's Gracie's first-ever senior GP, and the hype and expectations got to her, but in no way should she concede to the worst program of her life by dumbing down the jumping passes when she has obvious potential for massive marks. She dipped her feet into the senior international pool this weekend and now knows the quality of programs she needs to put out in order to have a good shot at placing on the podium. The sad thing is, had she not missed the triple toe and double axel in her short program, she would have placed in the top three going into the free skate, which I think would have given her more confidence, but it's better that she learns this at the Grand Prix than at Nationals or Worlds. She doesn't need to skate in the GPF this season, but next season, qualification is a must. As of now, she and Ashley are still the only two plausible contenders for the ladies of the Team USA.

Since this thread is a result of her Skate Canada performance, though, I'm going to be honest here and say that there was some clear bias from the judges. Osmond is a talented upstart and the majority of the women weren't anywhere close to delivering their best, but placing the sixteen-year-old ahead of Suzuki, Makarova, Murakami, and Tuktamysheva is an injustice to their stylistic maturity.

 

[ForeverFish]

Give Gracie a break! I frankly thought the hype was a bit much. She had like one or two good skates and the girl was annointed as the second coming (at least the baby Russians won a few more competitions) Its a huge pressure and this girl is just getting use to it.. Its much easier to come out and skate well if people aren't expecting much...

Give her, Adelina and others time to get use to the competition at this level-before you anoint her as failures.

Honestly, it's always disappointing to see the amount of hype being piled on the talented teenage skaters, and that goes for the Russian girls, too. Lipnitskaia still seems too young to really grasp the meaning of pressure--her mindset mirrors Nadia Comaneci's at the 1976 Olympics, who was the same age and said that "the only pressure you have as a kid is to do well"--but Adelina, Elizaveta, and Gracie are clearly flubbing due to a hard time juggling skating and adolescent struggles with school, puberty, etc. Mishin even suggested that Liza lose weight to improve her jumps, which--aside from being ridiculous, since she suffers from no lack of exercise--demonstrates that skating fans and writers, caught up in the hype, take their disappointment to the extreme when the fifteen- and sixteen-year-olds fail to turn out perfect performances. The plain truth is that they don't have the experience to be as consistent as veterans like Suzuki, Wagner, etc. Osmond just dug herself into a hole with her Skate Canada win because the next time she flubs, the criticism and doubts will descend on her like vultures.

 

[BlackAxel]

I have never jumped on Gold's bandwagon due to my reservations with her skating. She has the jumps though I think that there are other aspects of her skating that she needs to work on to become more of a complete skater. The girl is 17 and its quite obvious that she under a lot of pressure due to the nervous skating that we saw over the past couple of days. I think we should give her time to get her herself together. Being new on the senior scene is a new thing for her and maybe we will see a different Gracie later in the season.

Out of all the junior-turned-senior skaters, I am putting all my money on Lipnitskaia. She has nerves of steel and as we saw last season, she is very consistent....

 

[chuckm]

Gracie chose to skate junior last year because the only other time she made it to Nationals was as a Novice in 2010 (she was 4th); she didn't make it out of junior sectionals in 2011. It would have been a huge jump from Novice to Senior with a gap year in between.

 

[museksk8r]

lol ok Ksenia and Elene have been in the top 10 at Worlds three times each. Losing to the likes of them isn't a travesty.

They both can also skate circles around Gold from a PCS perspective, and rightfully so. Team Gracie must learn that skating encompasses so much more than just jumps. When those go south for Gracie Gold, she has nothing else about her skating to fall back on.

 

[ForeverFish]

They both can also skate circles around Gold from a PCS perspective, and rightfully so. Team Gracie must learn that skating encompasses so much more than just jumps. When those go south for Gracie Gold, she has nothing else about her skating to fall back on.

I found Gracie's short program (when it's skated correctly) to showcase much, much more than her jumps. She has a naturally flashy, showy style, and Hernando's Hideaway is a great complement for that. Plus, as was noted at Junior Worlds, she never fails to put on a show.

 

[prettykeys]

I found Gracie's short program (when it's skated correctly) to showcase much, much more than her jumps. She has a naturally flashy, showy style, and Hernando's Hideaway is a great complement for that. Plus, as was noted at Junior Worlds, she never fails to put on a show.

I agree.

However, something about her puts some doubt in my mind as to whether she can handle the pressure. She reminds me a bit of Carolina Kostner - very different skaters, but they both have all the qualities to be a top skater. Their natural temperaments, though, seem to be of the gentler type and maybe not fierce enough to make a competitor that regularly lands on the podium.

I hope I am wrong.

 

[Mrs. P]

From icenetwork: http://web.icenetwork.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20121027&content_id=40080118&vkey=ice_news

"I just really need more experience competing this program at the senior level," Gold said. "I was kind of taken with the crowd and the lights and the signs, and after I'd land one jump, I would get ahead of myself again and kind of mess it up. I have to work on keeping that in check."

This is why I think she'll do fine in the long run. No excuses. No "I don't know what happened." Just "I need more experience." That makes sense, Skate Canada was her third international competition after all and her first GP!

She's been saying a lot her challenge is not to get ahead of herself. And given the amount of hype that she's received in the last year, I can see how it can be quite difficult to not to do that. We forget that just a year ago, nobody really knew who she was....

 

[ForeverFish]

I agree.

However, something about her puts some doubt in my mind as to whether she can handle the pressure. She reminds me a bit of Carolina Kostner - very different skaters, but they both have all the qualities to be a top skater. Their natural temperaments, though, seem to be of the gentler type and maybe not fierce enough to make a competitor that regularly lands on the podium.

I hope I am wrong.

Actually, from the consistency we saw from her last season, she seems to revel in the pressure--or at least gain strength from it. In interviews she seems like a passionate skater who, aside from enjoying herself, also wants to win. What we need to remember is that she's only seventeen, and is still balancing skating with school and adolescent issues. One misstep is natural--she simply does not have the maturity of the older skaters, which will come with time--and isn't the death nail for her career as some have been saying.

 

[Mrs. P]

Actually, from the consistency we saw from her last season, she seems to revel in the pressure--or at least gain strength from it. In interviews she seems like a passionate skater who, aside from enjoying herself, also wants to win. What we need to remember is that she's only seventeen, and is still balancing skating with school and adolescent issues. One misstep is natural--she simply does not have the maturity of the older skaters, which will come with time--and isn't the death nail for her career as some have been saying.

And that death nail talk is crazy considering she's been skating at the senior level for all of five months! Just think of the number of skaters we would be deprived of enjoying if we based one's career on a five-month period....

And I agree she's nothing like Carolina Kostner -- Gracie does like to compete and she can be fierce. In fact, I'd argue that a lot of her mistakes as of late has been the result of, as she says, getting ahead of herself and rushing to the next element. At SLC, for example, she generated a ton of speed and rush took quickly, resulting in the 2F-2T combo. I'd say she's more like Ashley Wagner, actually. Wagner in her early years was so fierce and wanted it so badly that she mess up due to rushing it (key example fall on 3Z in 2010 Nationals SP). Over the years Ashley's learned to be patient (it's something she's noted in interviewed) and to not rush into every jump.

And Gracie already knows this, judging from her quote in the icenetwork article.

 

[prettykeys]

Actually, from the consistency we saw from her last season, she seems to revel in the pressure--or at least gain strength from it. In interviews she seems like a passionate skater who, aside from enjoying herself, also wants to win. What we need to remember is that she's only seventeen, and is still balancing skating with school and adolescent issues. One misstep is natural--she simply does not have the maturity of the older skaters, which will come with time--and isn't the death nail for her career as some have been saying.

Perhaps, although I don't believe anyone was making the argument that Gracie's career is over, hehe. Still...have you seen the look in Michelle Kwan's eyes when she was 15 years old? She was out for blood...

Did even yu-na kim win her first senior GP? I don't think so. Mao did (i think) but she's hardly unbeatable now. Gracie has the technique to be great--but she won't be a champion for another season or two. give the girl some time.

No, YuNa did not win her first senior GP. Joannie Rochette and Fumie Suguri got first and second, respectively (both had considerable more experience)...and YuNa grabbed the bronze. YuNa has never been off the podium in her competitive career. At her second outing, she won over Miki Ando (who would become World Champion that season) and Kimmie Meissner (World Champion the season just before.)

I like what I've seen so far of Gracie Gold, who, just based on her potential, may beat Ashley Wagner at US Nationals this year. I am just not yet sure that I see the fire.

 

[Mathman]

YuNa has never been off the podium in her competitive career.

:yes: Think about it. Never.

 

[ForeverFish]

Perhaps, although I don't believe anyone was making the argument that Gracie's career is over, hehe. Still...have you seen the look in Michelle Kwan's eyes when she was 15 years old? She was out for blood...

No, YuNa did not win her first senior GP. Joannie Rochette and Fumie Suguri got first and second, respectively (both had considerable more experience)...and YuNa grabbed the bronze. YuNa has never been off the podium in her competitive career. At her second outing, she won over Miki Ando (who would become World Champion that season) and Kimmie Meissner (World Champion the season just before.)

I like what I've seen so far of Gracie Gold, who, just based on her potential, may beat Ashley Wagner at US Nationals this year. I am just not yet sure that I see the fire.

Gracie herself has said that she can never be compared to Michelle, who was skating at the senior level at twelve. Also, have you watched her programs from Junior Worlds last season? She definitely meant business when she beat out Sotnikova for silver.

 

[ForeverFish]

And that death nail talk is crazy considering she's been skating at the senior level for all of five months! Just think of the number of skaters we would be deprived of enjoying if we based one's career on a five-month period....

And I agree she's nothing like Carolina Kostner -- Gracie does like to compete and she can be fierce. In fact, I'd argue that a lot of her mistakes as of late has been the result of, as she says, getting ahead of herself and rushing to the next element. At SLC, for example, she generated a ton of speed and rush took quickly, resulting in the 2F-2T combo. I'd say she's more like Ashley Wagner, actually. Wagner in her early years was so fierce and wanted it so badly that she mess up due to rushing it (key example fall on 3Z in 2010 Nationals SP). Over the years Ashley's learned to be patient (it's something she's noted in interviewed) and to not rush into every jump.

And Gracie already knows this, judging from her quote in the icenetwork article.

If I had to compare Gracie to any big skater of the past decade, it would be Sasha Cohen. In spite of their very different styles, both girls had the fire to go far and both have been held back by striving to be too perfect--that is, to live up to the standards set by the media. Hopefully the hype around Gracie will die down just a little so she can prepare for the Cup of Russia in peace.

 

[Kitt]

Good comparison -- she does have the lovely lines, pointed feet, and she's a beauty. No wonder everyone got so excited about her. Let's see what she does in Russia. Hope she does well. I liked what I saw.

 

[R.D.]

If I had to compare Gracie to any big skater of the past decade, it would be Sasha Cohen. In spite of their very different styles, both girls had the fire to go far and both have been held back by striving to be too perfect--that is, to live up to the standards set by the media. Hopefully the hype around Gracie will die down just a little so she can prepare for the Cup of Russia in peace.

Hmm, not sure I see the parallel. Cohen's international debut was at the Olympics, and she was 4th to boot, even if she had an imperfect FS. Meanwhile, everyone is going crazy over Gold over her name but so far, the product (i.e. her skating) doesn't live up to the advertisement. If Gold makes the World team and finishes top 4 THEN I think the two might be comparable. The thing about Cohen is that she could make mistakes and still medal (or finish 4th at worst). Gold made mistakes at SC and finished 7th...say what you will.

 

[mskater93]

Gracie was INCREDIBLY nervous here - more so than her JGP debut last year, her Nationals (JR) skate, or Junior Worlds last year. I haven't seen her that nervous since her first competition as a Junior. She needs to go back to the drawing board (mentally) on how to deal with that as it was apparently unexpected from her and so she hadn't considered how to channel it properly. The thing about this girl is that she DOES learn from her mistakes and that means it can only get better.

 

[clairecloutier]

I agree with Tulosai's earlier comments. We need to maintain perspective about these up-and-coming skaters. Just because a girl has one or two good years in juniors doesn't mean she's going to come out and win Worlds or the OGM the next season. Even if she wins a senior Grand Prix or two, like Tukt, it still doesn't necessarily mean she's going to medal at Worlds or the GPF final or even have the same level of success the following year. The reality is, pressure happens. Puberty happens. Despite what Polina Shelepen might say, it's a heck of a lot more difficult competing as a senior in the international spotlight, with millions potentially watching, than as a junior with very few people paying any attention except your coaches, family, friends, and to some extent the federation.

I'm disappointed about Gracie's performances so far this season, but I'm not overly surprised. It's her first year in seniors. Give her time to adjust, time to learn how to compete. Sometimes I think it's better to come out of juniors a little under the radar, like Osmond did, instead of at the top with all those expectations.

 

[drivingmissdaisy]

Gracie was INCREDIBLY nervous here - more so than her JGP debut last year, her Nationals (JR) skate, or Junior Worlds last year. I haven't seen her that nervous since her first competition as a Junior. She needs to go back to the drawing board (mentally) on how to deal with that as it was apparently unexpected from her and so she hadn't considered how to channel it properly. The thing about this girl is that she DOES learn from her mistakes and that means it can only get better.

I think Gracie will be just fine because she has good technique on her jumps. It seems the girls who struggle when their bodies transition do so because they have tiny jumps. When they grow up they can't spin as fast, but they haven't learned how to jump "up" so they end up underrotating the jumps or losing them completely. That's why I think skaters like Gracie and Adelina will be successful very soon; they just have to adjust to their bodies a bit more but the technique is there.