2017 U.S. Nationals Championship Ladies FS

[Seren]

Gracie should move to Michigan, get in on Zoueva's new singles program. Zoueva strikes me as nurturing but ruthless, and Gracie needs both. She needs nurtured but she also needs someone who is going to toughen her up. Consult with Alex on the side for jumps.

Choreography and packaging is all just secondary at this point. But dramatic hair cuts/dyes do have an incredible mental impact, especially after a dramatic breakup. Burn down the house and build it back up, make it new and better.

The definition of insanity according to Einstein is doing the same thing over and over again while expecting something new to happen. At this point especially - how much worse can things get? It's not like leaving Frank will make them any worse.

My second choice for Gracie is whoever coaches Grant and Caroline. Caroline's jump technique has never been better and she's psychologically in a great place. Part of that has to be due to coaching, right?

Zoueva is an interesting choice and one I could really see working. But I do think Gracie needs a big change. It's not the Frank is a bad coach but when you are stuck in this kind of awful cycle sometimes it takes drastic measures to get back on your feet.

 

[museksk8r]

I don't know much about Gracie's personal life, but I was thinking it would do her some good to have a life separate from the skating world to give her life balance and perspective. Has she ever attended college or had a serious boyfriend or a social circle that is not at all involved in figure skating? It seems as if her disappointment and depression is indicative of someone who has put too much weight on skating, which is only one aspect of her life. Wagner, Nagasu and Zhang have experienced their own fair share of skating career disappointments over the years, but having a significant other in their lives certainly appears to have allowed them to flourish emotionally and mentally. I hope Gracie finds the right solutions for her situation soon because so many are worried about her.

 

[Princessroja]

I don't know much about Gracie's personal life, but I was thinking it would do her some good to have a life separate from the skating world to give her life balance and perspective. Has she ever attended college or had a serious boyfriend or a social circle that is not at all involved in figure skating? It seems as if her disappointment and depression is indicative of someone who has put too much weight on skating, which is only one aspect of her life. Wagner, Nagasu and Zhang have experienced their own fair share of skating career disappointments over the years, but having a significant other in their lives certainly appears to have allowed them to flourish emotionally and mentally. I hope Gracie finds the right solutions for her situation soon because so many are worried about her.

I've heard Gracie is very good friends with Taylor Swift, so she does have friends outside of skating.

 

[noskates]

Oh wow - now we're saying Gracie is clinically depressed? I'm quite sure that her father, being a physician, would be more informed about that than any poster on this board. As for my Tootsie reference, people are teeing off on her as if its their job - which doesn't make it right anymore than criticizing Johnny. We're all guilty of assuming what's wrong with her and what she needs to do about it. We're all being "bad babies!" I'm being hypocritical by even staying in this thread. Adios.

P.S. Her mom is an ER nurse. Bet she's seen truly depressed people. Just saying.

 

[futurepupdoc]

Mariah, Ashley, Karen worlds and 4 continents official!


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[stella luna]

I didn't say that; I was just stating my opinion, like you. I don't always agree with the judges. I am happy they got it right this time.

Yes, of course. I guess i didn't realize it was discouraged on this forum to have an OPINION other than the judges decision; I guess that page in my rule book was missing (and I'm the first one that ever has?!)

 

[museksk8r]

Oh wow - now we're saying Gracie is clinically depressed? I'm quite sure that her father, being a physician, would be more informed about that than any poster on this board. As for my Tootsie reference, people are teeing off on her as if its their job - which doesn't make it right anymore than criticizing Johnny. We're all guilty of assuming what's wrong with her and what she needs to do about it. We're all being "bad babies!" I'm being hypocritical by even staying in this thread. Adios.

P.S. Her mom is an ER nurse. Bet she's seen truly depressed people. Just saying.

Both Frank Carroll and Gracie Gold herself are the ones who initiated saying she is depressed. This has been quoted from Gold on television and from Carroll in a USA Today article.

 

[brightphoton]

Isn't Gracie originally from Michigan? Or Wisconsin?

Think about what she already did, at age 18:

- win junior Nationals the year before, get buzz
- do 3-3-3s on YouTube, more buzz
- do huge 3-3 and win 2nd at first senior Nationals, buzz off the roof
- suddenly, for reasons????
- change coach to Frank
- pack bags and move entire family to California
- have to go new school and make new friends
- new jobs for parents?
- everything is different
- but at least you have Carly, your dear sister and skating practice partner and she cheers you up

And then Carly went off to college.

Gracie has been through a lot already

 

[satine]

Mariah, Ashley, Karen worlds and 4 continents official!


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I am glad they went with these three. Has Ashley said whether she will be attending 4cc? If not, I assume Mirai will be the replacement.

 

[futurepupdoc]

I am glad they went with these three. Has Ashley said whether she will be attending 4cc? If not, I assume Mirai will be the replacement.

The alternates for both are different. But I think Mirai was 1st alternate for both competitions. I think Gracie was second alternate for one and Caroline Z for one. Can't remember now which.


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[ks777]

I just love Mariah Bell's East of Eden. So beautifully Choreographed.

 

[moonvine]

ETA I just heard Terry Gannon say ( at the end of Gracies skate) that the champion is not guaranteed a spot on the world team. I did n't know that.

It is a very new rule. Passed last December I believe. They look at results of various competitions and they are all weighted differently. If I can find the info I'll post it. Not sure how I feel about it.

 

[moonvine]

As for Gracie, I don't think she is a factor. She "Maoed" out. Like Mao they are too far down the list and really need to take a look at their life and skating and what they want. I agree it isn't over for Gracie necessarily. It really is up to her. Now in some countries placing 6th she is off the national team. It is a bit different in the US but I wonder if she will be on the B team / funding?

.

I was freaking out last night over this as I realized she won't even get an automatic bye to Nationals next year. Will she even get a Grand Prix assignment? As she seems to suffer from depression, are antidepressants on the list of banned substances? Depression is no joke. I suffer from bipolar depression and if I were not on antidepressants there would be days I couldn't force myself to get out of bed, let alone go and train in a physically demanding sport for hours a day. Depression is a real illness. You don't just "get over" it any more than you just "get over" pneumonia.

 

[LiamForeman]

1. Karen Chen- I LOVED her SP. Her FS was worthy of 1st place. I called it two years ago when Karen broke out two years ago. She has the IT factor and amazing jumps and spins. My only gripe is that I hope she has a real choreographer for her LP next season. She did an amazing job with choreographing her SP, but I think a real professional should do her long.
2. Ashley- I've never liked this LP. It's not a great vehicle for her, and she's pretty much said the same thing and will go back to feisty and fierce next year. This program was just too slow and monotonous.
3. Mariah- My favorite LP of the evening. I was impressed that she started off badly and then just got better as she got into the program.
4. Mirai- Again the monotonous LP. A terrible choice of music. I was hoping she'd switch to Meryl Streep's version that built up and finished with a flourish. If she's not going to emote, then she needs music that won't weigh her down. I'd be happy if next year she goes back to Carmen.
5. Caroline- What a performance and triumph to come back from hip surgery! But it's the same old complaint with her. She should be arrested for loitering she is SO SLOW. One wonders why she doesn't seem to work on her speed after nine years of being super slow. Her marks even with a seven triple program will never improve if she skates this slowly. When I was learning to skate I always skated as fast as I could because it made everything easier. Falling on a jump when you enter it full speed didn't hurt as much because your energy was going horizontal, so the falls looked worse than they really were.
6. Gracie- Oy. There was no fight in her. Her jumps are much smaller now and she's regressed. I would place money on her leaving Carroll now. In a way it could be good for her starting next season off on such a low point. It only will get better.

Tessa- This is the problem with backloading. HOWEVER, unlike Zagitova (my pick for Oly gold), Tessa really did NOTHING until the halfway point. I don't even remember a spin in the first two minutes. All she did was skate around boringly and annoyingly until the mid mark. But she's only 14 and has major potential.

All in all I was happy. It wasn't a splat fest, and Karen deserved to be champion.

 

[Matilda]

It is frustrating to hear this comment from a skater who had his own battles with confidence and many seasons of problematic competitions. You would think he would have some empathy for talented skaters who are clearly experiencing complex problems.

Johnny DOES have a lot of empathy--which is exactly why he has reached out to Gracie, to offer support and advice. He said precisely that he's been in the same situation as Gracie and the way back for him was to change everything--coach, where he lived, etc.

 

[KwanIsALegend]

Mariah, Ashley, Karen worlds and 4 continents official!


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Good team! I hope all three skate well and get three spots again!

 

[KatGrace1925]

People have been commenting that Gracie should go for change, including cutting her hair/dying it.

I can attest from personal experience how this can help. I was stuck in a life rut for awhile and really just beaten down and berating on my own life. I decided at a year mark to implement changes to make things be different. One think i did was cut my hair of and dye it. It really helped my mindset to have changes go all the way in everything old gone and everything new. Nothing the same. It changed my life.

That may be what Gracie needs, any change in general that can help. I think her team knows this so if they come back next season same old same old it would be tragic.

Going to Alex was a step in the right direction. She needs to keep taking those steps.

 

[futurepupdoc]

Congrats to the medalists!

Karen needs a choreographer stat. I loved her but she will need that long program spiffed up before Worlds. I am so happy she won here but it needs to be addressed asap. If you look at Mariah and Ashley's long (with few transitions) they are still more international ready. GO Karen!


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[skatelikewind1966]

What an event! So very happy for Karen making it back to the podium and doing it in style - earning the title of US Ladies Champion! So many on this board wrote her off after her GP events earlier in the year, yet what she was able to do in her FS yesterday was remarkable - this girl showed nerves of steel and the desire to WIN when it counted the most. With all of the pressure on her to make 2 or 3 mistakes and drop to 2nd, she did exactly as her coach prepared her to do, stay focused and skate within herself - nothing more and nothing less.

Mariah was less than stellar and allowed her nerves to get the better of her though she fought back like a warrior and certainly got the benefit of some happy go lucky judging. Ashley was vintage Ashley, I'm not a fan of her personal persona, but this gal certainly has the goods. Several mistakes along the way that I'm sure she'd love to have back but Silver, while it's not Gold, is nothing to hang your head about. Mirai, what can I say, maybe 1 of my top 5 all-time skaters, I got tears in my eyes when she made the mistakes as she wanted it so badly and pushed a little too much. The door is closing quickly for her and I think she knows it, but what an unbelievable career!

I can't conclude without mentioning Amber and Tessa. All I could think when Amber was getting ready to skate her FS was how badly is this girl going to do and I was pleasantly surprised to see her not blow-up. Amber has some serious talent like so many, but just has not been able to put it together and seems to still be fighting some demons. After all, it was always her Vs. Karen as they advaned thru the ranks and I think we all know who has the upper hand in this battle. Lastly, Tessa, OMG, what a horrific evening for this young skater. I truly think it was simply a lack of experience and the event was too big for her. Her Short was beautiful and seeing her in 4th after the short was crazy - here's a skater who just competed in a JGP and couldn't come close to the podium yet was sitting in 4th after US Nationals Sr short program. Maybe she will get another chance and go to Jr Worlds and then she skated her FS - NO WAY! Glad to see Amber being selected for Jr Worlds and not so sure about the Bradie selection.

 

[stella luna]

Gracie is second alternate for both.

The alternates for both are different. But I think Mirai was 1st alternate for both competitions. I think Gracie was second alternate for one and Caroline Z for one. Can't remember now which.


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