When Nationals were in Omaha in 2013, I snapped several photos of skaters posing with my friend, who as a lifelong follower of track has done the same pose (arms crossed behind each other at backs) dozens of times with those athletes, who are certainly not tiny. She said she was shocked by the way that Ashley Wagner had the same "sinewy" feel as a sprinter; Allyson Felix came to mind. My friend said that type of muscular-but-lean development is the result of consistent serious training with gym equipment and is not achieved by just being skinny.
Gracie Gold opens up about body standards
- Thread starter Taan
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When Nationals were in Omaha in 2013, I snapped several photos of skaters posing with my friend, who as a lifelong follower of track has done the same pose (arms crossed behind each other at backs) dozens of times with those athletes, who are certainly not tiny. She said she was shocked by the way that Ashley Wagner had the same "sinewy" feel as a sprinter; Allyson Felix came to mind. My friend said that type of muscular-but-lean development is the result of consistent serious training with gym equipment and is not achieved by just being skinny.
What about someone like Maé-Bérénice Méité she tall and large boned compared to other skaters, but very muscular. I know she isn't incredibly high in rankings, but she can do triples, right?
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- Jul 26, 2003
I do think skating culture needs to figure out that although skating may self-select certain types of bodies (more height than anything) like all sports, individual skaters can still be successful and go far by being the fittest and healthiest version of themselves. Although it's been conventional wisdom that smaller, thinner skaters can rotate faster and be successful, we've also seen many examples of women with different bodies being capable of jumping and competing in the elite level (some of them are the greatest jumpers in ladies history). I think from the bottom up, there may be a need for more competency training on how to encourage women to welcome and be proud of the bodies they have and work with it (rather than hide it or making them fit some physical aesthetic they cannot have) to become the best skater they can be. Like stop calling natural process of maturing and aging "the puberty monster" (that makes it sound like something to hide from and then be ashamed of when it does happen and thus the skater may develop an unhealthy attitude about it or even blame themselves for letting it happen at that important time in their competitive career). The more aesthetic aspects of the sport with regard to body line, posture, flexibility, etc. can still be achieved with any body type so long as a skater's training makes it a priority. I also think if a coaching style requires a skater have a certain body type to maintain her jumps and cannot adapt (within reason) then it's really a failure of coaching technique. I think there have been too many women in the past with hips who have completed difficult 3/3s and 7-triple programs in the past for any sort of skating school to advocate that only a certain body type can jump.
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- Mar 7, 2011
OMG, that's terrible. :eeking:
Does anyone think that the reason older, bigger or more "womanly" ladies don't stick it out in skating has nothing to do with the body type, but with the amount of time they can afford to train per day? At the elite level, training is a full time job. A lot of things can come into play preventing full time training: lack of funding, wanting a different career, motherhood, injuries, etc. IMO if everyone could train on a full time schedule, they would naturally develop an athletic physique capable of elite skills.
If you look at the older gymnast Chusovitina, she has given birth but can put in that time for training. Chusovitina is tiny but I think it's a result of the amount of training it takes to be a gymnast. I don't believe it's impossible to train with these issues. It just takes the willpower to do it with the distraction of other adult responsibilities. It might give the illusion that only young, tiny things can do it. I once saw a lady on a freestyle who must have been 180 lbs, reel off a double axel. I was shocked because we are led to believe tricks at that weight are not possible, but it's obviously not true.
- Joined
- Dec 29, 2013
Could not agree more!! I prefer to call it a beauty spurt
I've been saying this to people for years about the negative affects those comments may have on young skaters who might tune into GS. Just because the skaters they are discussing may not see their remarks doesn't mean other skaters facing similar situations don't.Everyone who makes it to worlds can do triples, and most of them 3-3s or 2a+3t, even the ones that place near the bottom.
Compared to other skaters, yes.
Put her in a room full of elite female swimmers or volleyball players or skiers, not to mention basketball players, and she will look small.
Put her in a room full of gymnasts or jockeys and she'll look very large.
They're all fit athletes, but different body types tend to excel at different sports.
If you choose your sport at age 7 based on what you're passionate about, you don't necessarily know what kind of body type you'll end up with as an adult (though family trends can give an idea).
If you get to age 13 and your body suddenly changes into a size and shape that would work better with a different sport and not so well with the one you chose, what do you do then?
Same as if you choose a sport that favors larger body size and then end up not growing much.
- Joined
- Jul 26, 2003
Gracie is taking some time off to seek professional help:
https://www.usatoday.com/story/spor...ng-time-off-seek-professional-help/624408001/
https://www.usatoday.com/story/spor...ng-time-off-seek-professional-help/624408001/
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- Jan 1, 2014
Good for her, but how is she supposed to seek professional help whilst preparing for GPs? That doesn't make sense to me...
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- Mar 23, 2014
Agreed that it is very confusing. Time off from what, aside from the Japan Open?
I'm so sad.
This makes me so sad. I hope Gracie can regroup and come back, even if not for this season. The skating world would be diminished without her. Sending all good thoughts to her.
I think she's just leaving things open ended since she has no idea how long it will take to sort things out. I'm glad for her and she should take as long as she needs.
- Joined
- Jan 25, 2013
Oh no, more depressing news 
Trying to make some sense of it - maybe Gracie wanted to let it be known in advance that she is withdrawing from Japan Open and a B-comp (was it Ondrei Nepela?)
at the same time keeping her options open regarding participation in GP and Nationals?
Anyway it certainly doesn't look good as regards this season but on a larger scale of things maybe it is a positive development that Gracie is reaching for help...
Trying to make some sense of it - maybe Gracie wanted to let it be known in advance that she is withdrawing from Japan Open and a B-comp (was it Ondrei Nepela?)
at the same time keeping her options open regarding participation in GP and Nationals?
Anyway it certainly doesn't look good as regards this season but on a larger scale of things maybe it is a positive development that Gracie is reaching for help...
I said almost the exact same thing in a different thread. No, it doesn't make sense.
Glad she is getting help though. This is about her future life, not a skating season.
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- May 17, 2017
Exactly, she should out her health first. I hope she will feel ok soon.
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- Jun 18, 2008
I just want to point out that Nicolas is practically 6'1" as he's listed as 185 cm on his Patinage Québec profile: https://www.patinage.qc.ca/ressources/documents/fiches-equipe-quebec/senior/2016-2017_NadeauN_SeniorMess-CANADIENS.pdf He also has a large frame, which I assume is an extra obstacle in addition to his height.
Roman could've competed on the JGP circuit this season, but either he and/or Tracey decided he should move up the senior ranks.
Well, people having been hoping to hear something from her directly about what is going on. I would imagine the public statement is just that rather than pulling out of the Japan Open with no explanation at all.
While it is true that I have never seen Maé-Bérénice Méité in person, I have seen her next to other skaters like Ashley Wagner. And I've seen Ashley Wagner in person. Sorting through those comparisons, I would bet that even compared to the general population Maé-Bérénice is tall and large boned --though also very muscular. My point is that even though certain body types will be the trend for each sport, we shouldn't rule someone out just because they are not that type.
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- Feb 10, 2014
If the "professional help" she's seeking is counseling of some sort, it wouldn't necessarily preclude her from simultaneously training at a high level, if that's what she wants to do.
Then she's not "taking a break" while she seeks help. She's simply opting out of one cheesefest (Japan Open) and likely one Senior B (Nepela).
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