Gold vs. Wagner

skateluvr · Jan 18, 2016

I totally cannot choose who I enjoy more. I am rooting equally and honestly love both this elegant mature total package skaters. I think they are both worthy of World and Olympic medals. With Worlds in Boston the crowd will carry them both.

But first is nationals and the all important title they go with. I love Gracie, her jumps her style everything. If she were a better competitor she would have a world title by now. She has it all. And Diva Wagner has shown how relatively late in the game you can up the technical ante.

I wonder if all the other fans around the world get how hard it is to root for one and not the other? Well it is hard for me and maybe I am projecting that onto other fans of these women.

I am wondering who you are hoping to take first place. It is possible someone else will this year but I hope it's a beautifully skated battle and no matter who skates best I will feel bad. The gold cannot be shared. How are all the fans feeling about this? Who is the favorite American skater of the two?

I really don't know who is the fave here in America or around the skating world. I'm sure we all want the best skates from both but I'm totally conflicted here. I don't think I have ever felt this way before because it was always clear who was numerous uno with the American public in past years.

They are both talented and beautiful champions. For those who do have a preference who is it! Wish we still had polls here!

Skater Boy · Jan 18, 2016

It is like choosing between your two children you don't know which one you want to win because you love them so much. I don't think it will matter who wins per se - when it come to worlds they will be judged fairly and the best who skates there will place higher.

brightphoton · Jan 18, 2016

Ashley! Ashley! Ashley! Ashley!

Goooooooo Ashley!

tinlizzie · Jan 18, 2016

I love them both too! I just want them to both skate clean and see who comes out on top.

alskling · Jan 18, 2016

Without any doubt.
In Wagner we trust.

solar · Jan 18, 2016

I've watched both skaters live, and while I do enjoy both, my heart is pulling for Ashley just a little bit more

I love the way she performs and sells her programs like nobody's business, and I love her honesty and sass in interviews :laugh:

I also like the way Ashley interprets and pays attention to her music. She drew me in immediately when I first watched her. She knows how to grab an audience! Gracie is a little more stoic of a performer in my opinion, so I hope she can loosen up and really sell her programs! She's been improving, so there's lots of potential! (I also don't enjoy Gracie's programs as much this year, but if she can skate to them up to her full potential, it could change my mind

)

However, a part of me believes that Gracie is favored to win more than Ashley. Probably because she's more solid technically. But if it were up to me, I would have both skaters skating brilliantly clean, and leaving the rest to the judges :cheer:

Hanmgse · Jan 18, 2016

Gracie :luv17: Still hoping she learns to control her nerves one day.

edenlover · Jan 18, 2016

Love them both, but Ashley's fire is amazing. So is her drive and determination. She has survived disasters much like Johnny Weir and Alyssa Czisny, and come back stronger. She is mature. She is stunning when she's on. She is passionate on the ice. She is powerful.

skateluvr · Jan 18, 2016

Well it is sort of even so far. Why is it GS did away with polls? Statistically there must be a favorite unless it really ended up 50/50. I think one reason I may favor Gracie a tiny bit is simply for her to have that title going in to worlds. Then it is 3 to 2 with Ashley in the lead. It is clear international judges love to watch Ashley and Gracie but Evgenia seems unbeatable this year. Gracie needs that confidence going intonWorlds so I decided I am rooting a bit more for her because she must get on that podium at Worlds. I think Ashley will go better as the underdog and try to prove in Boston she is the best skater. As for third I do think Polina is seasoned and should go to worlds but I'd be happy with a breakthrough from maybe Ashley Cain. I'm not yet a huge fan of Karen Chen so I don't feel much invested in her as yet.

I read where Rachel Flatt did Choreo for Angela Wang. I have not seen that program.

I would love to see Mirai back on the podium. I'm surprised she is still in there trying. I must admit I live her programs but her bling dresses are too much on the eye. Well good luck to all. I do love Polina's short program but her LP is so underwhelming and I must say everyone seems to hate the LP dress. I hope they have tweaked that long and bought her a new costume. That LP is killing her imo.

Layback11 · Jan 18, 2016

Gracie, which one would know if one had read anything I ever posted on my blog. She's been my favorite since I started watching skating and I've never looked back. #uber

Hanmgse · Jan 18, 2016

Layback11 said:
Gracie, which one would know if one had read anything I ever posted on my blog. She's been my favorite since I started watching skating and I've never looked back. #uber

#uberlifestruggles

jersey1302 · Jan 18, 2016

Wagner.. shes so fierce and I think she still wants to bad to prove that she is relevant and has it in her. I pick her to win. Going to be a tough call if both skate clean.. not sure where the judges will go with it.

noskates · Jan 18, 2016

I just want them to both skate clean and do the best they can....then, no regrets.

kiara_bleu · Jan 18, 2016

I don't even care how they skate in the Nationals and who wins...all I want is that at least one of them do a clean SP and LP at Worlds. I actually love their programs this year and just want them to have a good Worlds competition regardless where they place. I would like both of them to deliver at Worlds but maybe that's asking to much from the gods :laugh:

skylark · Jan 18, 2016

For me, figure skating is just sport unless there's a fiery emotional connection between skater and her music, between skater and the audience, and/or between skating partners. Ashley is passionate about giving something to the people in the audience; and she interprets her music like nobody's business. She can own a powerful piece of music better than any other woman in the world.

When Gracie's landing her jumps, she can dazzle with her smile and her performance. I like her a lot when she's enjoying her skating. But she lets it all go if her jumps are a little off. And when she skates after someone who's skated a great program, you can see the fear in her eyes from the beginning, and she never gets the program off the ground (ice). Her technique is perfect, so she has the edge in today's scoring system. But in figure skating, technique isn't the whole ball game.

So for me, it's Ashley:luv17: all the way. But I want to see them both :cheer:

skate lights out this week, and both have that confidence boost going into Worlds. I think they're both Real Ladies Skating, and I want them both to skate lights out at Worlds so that the judges will award them scores that demonstrate to the World that figure skating doesn't have to be all about the next new 15 or 16 year old jumpers.

drivingmissdaisy · Jan 18, 2016

I prefer Ashley, mostly because I like her competitive spirit. Gracie is starting to remind me of Sasha with her inability to put it all together at important events.

skatefan17 · Jan 18, 2016

Ashley is by far my favorite. She is the skater that reignited my passion for watching skating. While her career trajectory has been unsteady to say the least, she proves that hard work and dedication do and can pay off. Unfortunately, I do think she, like Gracie, gets in her own way. She doesn't believe, deep down in her heart of hearts, that she belongs on the podium. She believes she can get to the podium, but she doesn't feel she belongs there. Until she believes that, she will continue to improve but have inconsistent results. A happenstance podium at the world's level would be amazing though; I hope she gets there!

In my gut, I think Gracie will win this year, though I'd love if Ashley could win. I actually think Ashley might be third this year. I don't know why! I just don't hear her same passion in her voice this year.

Mathman · Jan 18, 2016

skateluvr said:
I think one reason I may favor Gracie a tiny bit is simply for her to have that title going in to worlds.

On the NBC preview show Tanith Belbin -- I mean Tanith White

-- made the point that, with the Olympics "only" two years away, winning Nationals is very important because you need to start building your reputation as a champion. Applies both to Gracie and to Ashley, though.

TwinnerA · Jan 18, 2016

Gracie is my favorite by far, but I get so nervous watching her skate. Didn't she say something recently about not wanting to be a skater that makes people nervous to watch? So show us this week what we all know you can do every day in practice like Tara Lipinski said in the preview show!

As for Ashley, I'm not sure why, but she turns me off for some reason.

skylark · Jan 19, 2016

Ashley, like Jason, has charisma. (magnetism, compelling attractiveness, appeal, allure)

Gracie, according to Sandra Bezic, has star quality.

Those two qualities are different, aren't they. Ashley and Gracie both have great presence on the ice.

Theoretically, I would think that star quality would inspire confidence in those watching. But Ashley inspires more confidence in me with her skating, despite her ups and downs.

Gold vs. Wagner

skateluvr

Skater Boy

brightphoton

tinlizzie

alskling

solar

I got cat class and I got cat style

Hanmgse

edenlover

skateluvr

Layback11

Hanmgse

jersey1302

noskates

kiara_bleu

skylark

Gazing at a Glorious Great Lakes sunset

drivingmissdaisy

skatefan17

Mathman

TwinnerA

skylark

Gazing at a Glorious Great Lakes sunset

Similar threads

Connect with us