2013 US Nationals Senior Ladies LP

[Mathman]

What rkuang said.

Anyway, she can't understand how it feel for people at home scratching their heads watching her win either.

I can't believe you said that! Oh, the horror, oh the terror, oh the humanity! We were forced to watch someone win a figure skating contest with a less than perfect performance. Poor us. Has Ashley no shame?

 

[MK's Winter]

btw, welcome to the boards, rkuang! Post often, post long!

Well stated! I can't imagine how it would feel to try and be happy about winning a title(that she did earn) and trying to hold it together while a crowd boos behind me. Then to read about people saying that she was smirking at a devastated Mirai which I do not think she would do at all! I don't think it's fair. Mean people suck.

 

[ManyCairns]

One more reason to love Yama!

Indeed, there are many!

 

[lavender]

I have to admit that I laughed at the marching part. It's just kind of silly (to me).

Are people sending Ash mean tweets?? I hope not.


I'm far from being Ash fan and I guess I'm one of few that don't care that she won...or not.

 

[dorispulaski]

Sometimes choroegraphers get carried away, trying to represent the movie exactly, and forget that not everyone watched the movie.

I thought B&A's Amelie was incomprehensible until I watched the movie.

If you check out Life is Beautiful, there is an important point to the march sequence, AFAIR there are several marches in the movie, but it should perhaps have been left out of a skating program that was going to be performed for the general public, not movie buffs.

The final march is this one:

Guido maintains this story right until the end when, in the chaos of shutting down the camp as the Americans approach, he tells his son to stay in a sweatbox until everybody has left, this being the final competition before the tank is his. Guido tries to find Dora, but is caught and executed by a Nazi soldier. As he is marched off to be executed, he maintains the fiction of the game by deliberately marching in an exaggerated goose-step.

The next morning, Giosuè emerges from the sweatbox as the camp is occupied by an American armored division. They let him ride in the tank until, later that day, he sees Dora in the crowd of people streaming out of the camp. In the film, Giosuè is four and a half years old; however, both the beginning and ending of the film are narrated by an older Giosuè recalling his father's story of sacrifice for his family

 

[R.D.]

Are people sending Ash mean tweets?? I hope not.

You'd be surprised...people can get downright nasty on social media, especially on controversial topics like politics, or sports outcomes.

I saw one tweet that mentioned her - I'm sure there were many others.

 

[ForeverFish]

As a public figure (skater), there's always detractors. And even so, fans shouldn't coddle you either.
Anyway, she can't understand how it feel for people at home scratching their heads watching her win either. I can't believe she actually followed up with you don't know how it feel because you're not in my skates nonsense. That's an excuse 4yo gave. What nonsense!

Nonsense? I think not. She's accomplished things that would drive most people to collapse from sheer pressure and exhaustion, and fan or not, that demands a level of respect and objective appreciation. None of us DO know the intensity of her training regimen and frequent flights to international competitions, both of which must be a huge physical drain. The confusion of viewers can't hold a candle to what it must feel like to screw up on national television at the most crucial time of the season. Despite her win at Nats, she was disappointed that it wasn't her best skate, and the incessant criticism from insensitive social media users is returning her to a mindset where she'd rather not be. And that's not even to mention the fact that she isn't to blame for her score inflation--you saw her shock at staying in first place after falling twice in succession.

Have you ever heard the aphorisms "People who live in glass houses don't throw stones" and "Never judge another man until you've walked a mile in his shoes?" Both of them apply beautifully here.

 

[Tonichelle]

You'd be surprised...people can get downright nasty on social media, especially on controversial topics like politics, or sports outcomes.

I saw one tweet that mentioned her - I'm sure there were many others.

so true, and I've read some of the nastier ones... oy.

 

[Scrufflet]

These people should be grateful for the talented skaters they do have in the U.S.! Think of the many countries who have never had even one skater near the podium. I don't believe I've ever heard of an Australian medalist! Or Mexican! I think we need an Olympic gold medalist from Java, Chile or Trinidad!

 

[Mrs. P]

Nonsense? I think not. She's accomplished things that would drive most people to collapse from sheer pressure and exhaustion, and fan or not, that demands a level of respect and objective appreciation. None of us DO know the intensity of her training regimen and frequent flights to international competitions, both of which must be a huge physical drain. The confusion of viewers can't hold a candle to what it must feel like to screw up on national television at the most crucial time of the season. Despite her win at Nats, she was disappointed that it wasn't her best skate, and the incessant criticism from insensitive social media users is returning her to a mindset where she'd rather not be. And that's not even to mention the fact that she isn't to blame for her score inflation--you saw her shock at staying in first place after falling twice in succession.

Have you ever heard the aphorisms "People who live in glass houses don't throw stones" and "Never judge another man until you've walked a mile in his shoes?" Both of them apply beautifully here.

Great post. ITA.

Also thought this would be some good food for thought for Ashley (and anyone who ever dealt with trolls, etc): http://nymag.com/thecut/2013/01/haters-gonna-hate-whats-a-woman-to-do.html?mid=twitter_nymag

Rather than starving them, savvy people now brag about their trolls, and even use the haterade to their advantage. While the term “hater” has been around as long as hip-hop, it’s become so commonplace for rappers to decry their haters (or thank them, if you’re Kanye) that last year Complex named it one of the biggest clichés in the genre. Haters have also morphed into a meme of their own. You’ve seen the reality TV clips and the GIFs: Haters gonna hate. Hi, haters! Haters to the left. Keep hatin’. The lesson? Haters aren’t something to be feared. They’re validation that you’re a big deal. And they’re fuel to do better. Now you’re inspired to prove that their jealousy is warranted.

Also this:

I (the author) explained to her that I have a hierarchy of haters. High-order haters are those who really know how to hurt you; they may have real power or influence in your social or professional world. These are the folks you might consider responding to, or otherwise defending yourself against. Low-level haters are usually people of little professional or social consequence to you. These are the folks who call you fat and ugly because they disagree with your views on, say, the federal debt. The lower a hater is on the pyramid, the more likely it is that the best response is to ignore him — while taking pride in the knowledge that, wherever the hater falls in this hierarchy, his or her very existence means you’re succeeding in having an impact. If you’ve got confidence in your skills — plus a support system of friends and colleagues who are there to back you up — haters can be marginalized.

I would say most of the people flaming Ashley on social media fall under that low-level category.

 

[ice coverage]

Ashley Wagner's espnW Blog re winning Nationals:

It was stressful, but I came out on top

By Ashley Wagner
Jan 30 2013
4:20 PM ET
http://espn.go.com/espnw/blog/post/3172/it-was-stressful-came-top​

(Apologies if the blog already was posted in this or another thread.)

 

[R.D.]

You can always take a bathroom break, grab a snack, etc. while she's skating

Personally, I refuse to allow a public figure I don't particularly care for to have power over me like that. Better to pretend they don't exist. If I don't know who they are...well, ignorance is bliss!!

 

[skatel80]

I agree with what most are saying, The "hating" on skaters because of scores they get is ridiculous. Many people seem to have a problem seperating the skater from the score, the skaters dont give scores to themselves, sure I might not agree with what a skater scores or where they place but it wasnt their fault. Sure ashley had a pretty bad skate by her standards and got a score that was too high but the way she is being criticised it is as if she finished skating, sat up at the judges table and told all the judges to give her the title. All the skaters can control is their performance, many would do well to remember that!

 

[louisa05]

I agree with what most are saying, The "hating" on skaters because of scores they get is ridiculous. Many people seem to have a problem seperating the skater from the score, the skaters dont give scores to themselves, sure I might not agree with what a skater scores or where they place but it wasnt their fault. Sure ashley had a pretty bad skate by her standards and got a score that was too high but the way she is being criticised it is as if she finished skating, sat up at the judges table and told all the judges to give her the title. All the skaters can control is their performance, many would do well to remember that!

^This. I've been tempted to point out that I was in the arena and Ashley was not near the judges' table nor did she have a computer in hand while her scores were being tabulated. Unless she preemptively hired a very talented and fast hacker...she was not responsible for her scores any more than any other lady competing was.

 

[rkuang]

My concern with all this is that 1. Ashley and Gracie are being put head-to-head in the media, which was never there before. 2. Ashley's confidence will falter because she's being hit with all this negativity as if people don't want her to succeed. I really hope Ashley goes back to her normal self after she recovers a bit. I remember watching her nationals last year and how joyful she was even though she didn't have the spotlight quite yet.

 

[Mrs. P]

My concern with all this is that 1. Ashley and Gracie are being put head-to-head in the media, which was never there before. 2. Ashley's confidence will falter because she's being hit with all this negativity as if people don't want her to succeed. I really hope Ashley goes back to her normal self after she recovers a bit. I remember watching her nationals last year and how joyful she was even though she didn't have the spotlight quite yet.

I think she will be fine. I think that tweet was just a way to release frustration. Better to do it in 140 characters than to hold in in. And I think (and Mr. P does too), she has a right to defend herself.

Reading the espnW blog, I was quite impressed of Ashley's strategy to deal with uncertainty and less-than-idea training conditions. Of course, it wasn't a full success, but from my view it could have been a whole lot worse.

 

[Tonichelle]

My concern with all this is that 1. Ashley and Gracie are being put head-to-head in the media, which was never there before. 2. Ashley's confidence will falter because she's being hit with all this negativity as if people don't want her to succeed. I really hope Ashley goes back to her normal self after she recovers a bit. I remember watching her nationals last year and how joyful she was even though she didn't have the spotlight quite yet.

I would hope it would light a fire under her to silence the negativity, but you're right, it's not good for her. Though, I'm not convinced that a meltdown isn't what these "people" want.

 

[R.D.]

My concern with all this is that 1. Ashley and Gracie are being put head-to-head in the media, which was never there before. 2. Ashley's confidence will falter because she's being hit with all this negativity as if people don't want her to succeed. I really hope Ashley goes back to her normal self after she recovers a bit. I remember watching her nationals last year and how joyful she was even though she didn't have the spotlight quite yet.

Well, to be honest, if that is enough to rattle her confidence then she is not as mentally tough as I thought...

 

[R.D.]

Reading the espnW blog, I was quite impressed of Ashley's strategy to deal with uncertainty and less-than-idea training conditions. Of course, it wasn't a full success, but from my view it could have been a whole lot worse.

True, it was a weak FS (by her standards), but not necessarily a meltdown.

 

[Eislauf]

Yes, it was intended to be patterned after the film and it's a little quirky thing in there to get a small glimpse into how she really is...

Cute for a novice/intermediate or even junior program, perhaps. But at the Senior level? I think she would benefit immensely from a more creative, sophisticated choreographer who can help her communicate thematic program elements without having them be so literal. Marching is repetitive, stiff, automaton, staccato movement and could be suggested by arms, head, facial expressions and so on, in other words, it could be suggested/hinted at rather than explicitly conveyed.