Ashley Wagner's future
- Thread starter Ginask8s
- Start date
Ashley may place well in grand prix events, but she's never going to make a world podium with her limited technical content. She will always be beaten by skaters with better technical abilities than her, because she can't do the difficult combos. She's been working on the 3F-3T and 2A-3T for years & still hasn't gotten them. Both combos are visibly UR every single time; a technical caller doesn't even have to review them in slow motion to downgrade them.
I have no idea what's going on with her 3F-3T. It looked great at Skate America last year in the SP and LP, and she got full credit there. She got credit for it in the LP at TEB and in the SP at the Grand Prix final, but hasn't rotated it in competition since. Did she change her technique? Is she not skating with enough speed?
- Joined
- Jan 25, 2013
She'll likely medal at TEB and qualify for the GPF. Then she'll get some more attention.
But good observation from CanadianSkaterGuy about her score, which she accomplished without a 3-3.
Question though: if she doesn't have the technical firepower / arsenal like the others do and they all go clean, then she'll likely fall down the standings. She won't be 15th or anything that low, but she'll just float between 5th and 9th, a solid 7th?
Moreover, Ashley's score was 186 points... with UR flaws and no 3-3. Polina's PB is 187. Obviously Polina's PCS will be higher this year, but Wagner having more clout and a few seasons on Edmunds is helpful to her. And the fact that Edmunds had a ho hum GP.
- Joined
- Jan 25, 2013
Not every single time. She got her 3F-3T quite a few times at the start of last season.
- Joined
- Jan 25, 2013
Ashley's future actually isn't bad. After Gracie and Polina didn't exactly light up their GPs, it might once again be Ashley Wagner at GPF.
Which is hilarious considering everyone wrote Wagner off at the end of last season. I think it's pretty apparent with everyone from Edmunds to Gold to Pogo to Lipnitskaya that there are no assured winners this year. A slightly more consistent skate from Wagner could put her in the running for a World medal if the Russians repeat their disastrous skates and the other US ladies underperform. It sucks that Wagner might have to rely on that, but that's figure skating.
- Joined
- Nov 9, 2009
Injecting some speed into her step sequences could boost Ashley's PCS up a notch, If she ever works on that.
- Joined
- Feb 17, 2010
Those shouldn't have received full credit, although they did.
- Joined
- Nov 19, 2013
I fully agree. I love Ashley's skating, but she really needs to buckle down and dig in on this. I hope she has a good showing this weekend because I would love to see her in the finals and firmly on the podium at Nationals!
She needs more speed going into her jumps too. During skate Canada, they were talking to Craig Buntin about his analytics software, and he was saying Ashley goes into her jumps slower than the other top ladies at the event. Tuk and Leonova were both going in at roughly 23 km/hr, and Ashley was just over 20.
She had her chance as US #1 for much of 2012 and 2013 and she couldn't capitalize on that. Now? Too late.
There's no future, just like there's no future for most of US ladies, save Gold. Even Gold's only offered a glimpse of potential so far. Gold is still young, so you can probably count on her to deliver at least one time.
There's no future, just like there's no future for most of US ladies, save Gold. Even Gold's only offered a glimpse of potential so far. Gold is still young, so you can probably count on her to deliver at least one time.
She earned the right to be US Number 1 during 2012 and 13. It wasn't a gift. Skating isn't cheap. Looks as though she is using her Cover Girl ads to top up her accounts to carry on skating though and continue on. Don't rule her out yet this season. She may well be US champ again.
- Joined
- Mar 2, 2012
The last two seasons she qualified for the GPF, and I believe in both cases was the only US lady in the competition (last year she faced off against four Russians and Mao). So this isn't a new position for her.
I really like Ashley, on and off the ice. She has great personality and when she skates she really is able to capture the audience's attention. I rembember the first time I saw her, it was during worlds 2012 with her black swan lp. She hasn't the classic grace or elegance but she is just a joy to watch with her energy, sass and commitment to the performance. I still think that her technical limitations could hurt her in bigger competition. However she is a well known skater and was able to establish her name in the international field... I would never count her out! I still hope she will be able to get a triple triple.
Does anyone know if she ever attempted a triple toeloop triple toeloop combination instead if a triple flip triple toeloop? Her 3flip-3toeloop is pretty much inconsistent and cannot really get credit for a full rotation... I was wondering if by opting for a simplier triple-triple could be a smarter strategy in her case.
Does anyone know if she ever attempted a triple toeloop triple toeloop combination instead if a triple flip triple toeloop? Her 3flip-3toeloop is pretty much inconsistent and cannot really get credit for a full rotation... I was wondering if by opting for a simplier triple-triple could be a smarter strategy in her case.
- Joined
- Jan 25, 2013
Uh I think she did given she made the GPF and won GP medals.
I wonder how you'd feel about people saying the same about Rachel Flatt competing as US #1 in 2010 having "had her chance" (especially given her 2011-2012 and 2012-2013 season).
- Joined
- Jan 25, 2013
I know right! Wagner gets a silver on the GP and 186 with errors and people are willing to write her off. Same with Polina and Gold having a bad GP to start the season and they're done supposedly.
Although these are the same folks who think Lip's career is done after her disastrous GP. Some people love hitting that panic button!
- Joined
- May 19, 2011
To me, Ashley is now the Akiko Suzuki of the field. Akiko had maturity and performance over the younger skaters even though she never had the strongest technical content. That's pretty much where Ashley is now. She gets higher PCS but her technical content isn't that great. Ashley's ability to turn in decent performances and sell her programs is what will keep her on the podium in the GP, get her to the Final and keep her in the top 10 at worlds. It's not likely that she'll reach the top of the podium as much due to the higher level of competition, all of whom can beat her technically, but she won't fall completely off the map either.
Point of the matter is Ashley is still competitive. Yes, Gracie and Polina have the potential to out-jump and out-score Ashley but potential counts for very little in this sport. What matters is what you do when it's go-time and right now, even with mistakes and no 3-3, Ashley has placed higher and scored higher than Gracie and Polina. Ashley is the top US lady of this season so far. It's very possible that could change in the next few weeks but for now, give some respect where it's due.
Point of the matter is Ashley is still competitive. Yes, Gracie and Polina have the potential to out-jump and out-score Ashley but potential counts for very little in this sport. What matters is what you do when it's go-time and right now, even with mistakes and no 3-3, Ashley has placed higher and scored higher than Gracie and Polina. Ashley is the top US lady of this season so far. It's very possible that could change in the next few weeks but for now, give some respect where it's due.
Early in her career, around 2005-06, she used a triple toe/triple toe combination.
- Joined
- Jan 25, 2013
This is actually a really good assessment of her. She's a veteran and people write her off even though she's very much a favourite to win GP medals (and GP events, at that). If not for the crazy depth of Russians, I doubt people would be so hard on her because Gold/Edmunds haven't exactly lit it up this season yet. And ITA... potential is nothing if you can't execute come game time.
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