Can Gracie Gold finally win US Nationals ?

[CarneAsada]

It's no longer only being a headcase, now one - well, Sotnikova for you - does headcase.
Headcase is now a verb, and an action. Like I make a sandwich, it's also I headcase.
It's so confusing, yet enriching for my level of English :scratch:

English is an evolving language and yes, we do verb nouns.

 

[Frenchie]

English is an evolving language and yes, we do verb nouns.

I know, I'm just amazed at the success story of the word headcase and its biggest lobbyist

 

[Krislite]

Gracie will take inspiration from Suzuki and finally have the skate of her life at Nationals. She will be clean and score big, north of 200 points (US Nationals inflation of course).

Disclaimer: I do not own a crystal ball. This is just a wild guess.

 

[macy]

Pls Gracie has medaled in 2 out her 4 GP events
her 3rd place finish score at 2013 SC would have been enough for her to medal in NHK or win at CoC even with mistakes and her score
she came in 6th in her Worlds debut, No doubt she will be in the podium in the coming years

I suspect Wagner will bring into the pressure and make a lot of mistakes
Gracie will have less to worry about Nationals unlike Wagner whose steam has been losing since the GPF

gracie is basically a headcase right now, and will be an even bigger headcase at the olys if she goes in as US champion. ashley will still be a bigger threat for a medal because she is a better overall skater and has better packaging, but her reputation will probably have gone down some amount because after two years of being US champion she is now going in the silver medalist, and she doesn't have all that momentum built up anymore. but really...this situation is not ideal for the US.

 

[Sochi_2014]

I admit that calling Gracie’s results “terrible” was an overstatement. But her results have been very mediocre. She has yet to deliver two clean programs in one senior competition or show any sort of consistency in her performances.

Even Yuna Kim has said herself that she has only ever skated in two competitions where she has had a clean short and long program. 2010 Olympics & 2013 Worlds. So let's not nitpick Gracie about not doing so.

 

[CanadianSkaterGuy]

yes you're right I mistyped
also I meant CoC her scores would have won her the event not CoR

Actually, you're wrong... only Gold's Skate Canada score would have won her CoC... her NHK score would have still placed her 2nd at CoC.

Either of Wagner's GP scores, however, would have EASILY beaten the field at CoC.

And frankly, if you're going to promote how good or how much of a threat Gold is, your argument probably shouldn't be: "Gold totally could have won the CoC event where the field was mediocre! It was just her bad luck that she had to skate at more competitive events." :sarcasm:

 

[kwanatic]

I feel like saying "Just shut up already!!" would be seen as a personal attack, so I'm going to calmly counter your always pleasant comments with some level headed responses.

she wouldnt even have made the podium at the GPF had Elena not fallen in the FS
and most certainly thanks to Sotnikova headcasing in the FS

This argument is never a valid excuse, no matter how much we want it to be. I myself have attempted to use it on a few occasions but it always comes back to the same thing: what could have happened vs what actually happened. A million things could have happened but none of that matters in the end. What happened happened and Ashley placed 3rd. Maybe in a parallel universe Elena didn't fall and Adelina skated better...but in this world (which, judging by a lot of your comments, I'm not too sure you live in) they did have issues and Ashley placed ahead of them.

this is typical Wagner losing steam at the middle of the season
it will be wise for the USFS to support and propp Gracie as the No.1 lady for Sochi
if Gracie will go clean she must have higher PCS than Wagner at Nationals

I don't see how one bad FS equals losing steam. She had an off night. After two strong skates at her other events she was due for a not so great one. Now had she had a weak FS at TEB and followed it up with a weak SP and weaker FS at the Final (a la Gracie in her GP events) then that would be losing steam.

The USFSA has no reason to prop Gracie as #1 b/c she hasn't done anything to deserve that position over Ashley. You keep wanting to crown Gracie as #1 yet you don't seem to understand that in order to be #1, you have to unseat the champion. Earn it. Gracie had a decent season on the GP (bronze, 4th); Ashley had a better season (all podium finishes). Gracie had very good scores (highest total: 186.65 @ SC); Ashley had even better scores (highest total: 194.37 @ TEB, 3rd highest of the entire season for the ladies). These are facts...

I doubt a clean Gracie will top a clean Ashley in PCS, but they will be close. A clean Gracie will top a clean Ashley in TES which means if they both go clean, there's a good chance Gracie will win. A clean Gracie can beat a flawed Ashley in PCS, but a flawed Gracie will not beat a flawed Ashley in PCS.

 

[ForeverFish]

Even Yuna Kim has said herself that she has only ever skated in two competitions where she has had a clean short and long program. 2010 Olympics & 2013 Worlds. So let's not nitpick Gracie about not doing so.

Yuna got an edge call on the triple flip in her 2013 Worlds SP, so really, she's only skated two *completely* clean programs ONCE in her career. That said, Yuna's always been a very level-headed performer who doesn't let her mistakes snowball -- the most recent evidence being at the Golden Spin of Zagreb, where she fell on the 3-3 in the FS but proceeded to land all of her other triples (as well as sticking a -2T on the back of a planned solo 3Lz).

I understand that Gracie has a long way to go in the managing-her-nerves department, but she's been a senior for less than two seasons, so I'm not sure why the fact that "she has yet to deliver two clean programs in one senior competition" is cause for such harsh criticism from Selene.

 

[CanadianSkaterGuy]

This argument is never a valid excuse, no matter how much we want it to be. I myself have attempted to use it on a few occasions but it always comes back to the same thing: what could have happened vs what actually happened. A million things could have happened but none of that matters in the end. What happened happened and Ashley placed 3rd. Maybe in a parallel universe Elena didn't fall and Adelina skated better...but in this world (which, judging by a lot of your comments, I'm not too sure you live in) they did have issues and Ashley placed ahead of them.

That's indeed the stupidest argument ever. If Elena skated cleanly in her SP, and Ashley got 4th, how ridiculous would it be to say "Radionova wouldn't have even made the podium at the GPF has Wagner not fallen on her lutz in her FS". It's typical sky_fly playing with hypotheticals to prop up her favourites "If Gracie were at CoC, she would have made the GPF" and then bring down the skaters she hates "If Radionova skated better, Wagner would have lost to her".

I swear, if Wagner loses US nationals with a fall in her FS and a clean Gracie places ahead of her, I'm totally using the excuse "The only reason Gold won was because she skated cleaner and Wagner fell."

 

[CanadianSkaterGuy]

The USFSA has no reason to prop Gracie as #1 b/c she hasn't done anything to deserve that position over Ashley. You keep wanting to crown Gracie as #1 yet you don't seem to understand that in order to be #1, you have to unseat the champion. Earn it. Gracie had a decent season on the GP (bronze, 4th); Ashley had a better season (all podium finishes). Gracie had very good scores (highest total: 186.65 @ SC); Ashley had even better scores (highest total: 194.37 @ TEB, 3rd highest of the entire season for the ladies). These are facts...

:agree: You'd think this would be painfully obvious to anyone.

 

[drivingmissdaisy]

If Gracie is actually to win Nationals (could happen, probably won't), Ashley must beat her in the SP -- otherwise, the pressure of skating last in the FS will mess with her head, and she'll have an epic meltdown in front of everyone. It's a pretty stressful position to be in, since you know how all of your competitors performed and are mentally tallying points, trying to see where you can or can't make a mistake.

The good thing for Gracie is that she never changes her layout, so she never has to alter her programs to what others have done. I agree that skating last, with all the time to think about winning between the warm-up and the performance, could negatively impact Gracie more than some other women. I'm curious to see if her ability to handle the pressure has improved under Frank's tutelage.

 

[Jammers]

The good thing for Gracie is that she never changes her layout, so she never has to alter her programs to what others have done. I agree that skating last, with all the time to think about winning between the warm-up and the performance, could negatively impact Gracie more than some other women. I'm curious to see if her ability to handle the pressure has improved under Frank's tutelage.

Coaches can only do so much for a skater's nerves as we saw with Frank when he coached Mirai. Mirai was still a headcase when the pressure was on. Some skaters like Alissa are just not good competitors while some like Yuna are.

 

[Icey]

Gracie will win nationals. That is why she is in so many of the recent Sochi promos and Ashely isn't.

 

[mskater93]

That word again...OT but really curious if you read the bestseller, "The Harbinger?"

I read it, very interesting book

 

[mskater93]

Coaches can only do so much for a skater's nerves as we saw with Frank when he coached Mirai. Mirai was still a headcase when the pressure was on. Some skaters like Alissa are just not good competitors while some like Yuna are.

This is an area where I REALLY think FrankC will help Gracie. My coach is a former FrankC pupil and focuses on the mental preparation of being competitive in addition to training on ice, technique, etc. FrankC is very calm and even keeled in his teaching style and at the boards before the skater takes the ice. One thing she needs is that calming influence. I noticed that before her SP at SC when she took the ice, she was smiling (genuinely) and looked relaxed. If FrankC can bore that relaxation into her repeatedly, she can gain that consistency because she won't be trying so hard (she doesn't have to and when she does are when things go south).

 

[ForeverFish]

In Gracie's teleconference earlier today, she said that Frank's been calming her down by making her skating less frantic, so she's clearly aware of WHY her mistakes often pile upon each other. This also makes the issue easier to remedy; she just needs to learn how to take her time executing each element without losing the exuberance that makes her so exciting to watch (for me, at least). Frank truly is a godsend -- he exudes a very calm, cool-headed persona, and I can only hope that some of it has rubbed off on Gracie. When she allows herself to truly enjoy competing, like in the SP at 2013 SC, she's pretty remarkable.

Being around skaters like Denis Ten and Evan Lysacek must also have made an impression on her -- four years ago, it was Evan's work ethic, in part, that pushed Mirai to train harder and eventually place 4th at the Olympics.

 

[CanadianSkaterGuy]

Gracie will win nationals. That is why she is in so many of the recent Sochi promos and Ashely isn't.

Um, just like Akiko was in all those promos leading up to Japan Nats?

 

[Jammers]

In Gracie's teleconference earlier today, she said that Frank's been calming her down by making her skating less frantic, so she's clearly aware of WHY her mistakes often pile upon each other. This also makes the issue easier to remedy; she just needs to learn how to take her time executing each element without losing the exuberance that makes her so exciting to watch (for me, at least). Frank truly is a godsend -- he exudes a very calm, cool-headed persona, and I can only hope that some of it has rubbed off on Gracie. When she allows herself to truly enjoy competing, like in the SP at 2013 SC, she's pretty remarkable.

Being around skaters like Denis Ten and Evan Lysacek must also have made an impression on her -- four years ago, it was Evan's work ethic, in part, that pushed Mirai to train harder and eventually place 4th at the Olympics.

I'm just worried after watching Gracie this season that Frank has reined in her power and speed a bit to much. Her jumps looked rather average compared to what she's shown in the past. Her speed power and big jumps are why she gets the big scores that she does when she skates well take away that from Gracie and she doesn't have much left. Also she has to learn to push through when she makes a mistake and keep competing. To often when Gracie makes a mistake you know a couple others are just around the corner.

 

[supsu]

I swear, if Wagner loses US nationals with a fall in her FS and a clean Gracie places ahead of her, I'm totally using the excuse "The only reason Gold won was because she skated cleaner and Wagner fell."

 

[mskater93]

I'm just worried after watching Gracie this season that Frank has reined in her power and speed a bit to much. Her jumps looked rather average compared to what she's shown in the past.

It's a process. She's actually nearly as fast as she was but MUCH less frantic looking (she in no way looks slow). Also, reigning in the EFFORT going into those jumps is what he's trying to do. It will keep her on her rotational axis better AND will save energy for later in the program which if she is rotating on the correct axis (instead of too far forward/back/right side), she can land ANY jump (see Michelle Kwan during the FrankC years) and will enable her to skate more clean programs consistently (because she hasn't used up all her effort early in the program).