Gracie Gold

[moonvine]

Vincent posted a new clip of Gracie and said, "You are so determined to train and focused that even the construction isn't bothering you." Something to note: construction at IceWorks ended months ago. I don't want to get into rumors and stuff, but I'm sure you guys have heard what I've heard.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B0ruI5_nf0p/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

I have not heard what you’ve heard. But one of the comments asks if it is during a competition and Vincent says “There is a competition going on but it is just practice.” I can confirm she was at the rink during Philly and either she was practicing or just toting her skates around for no reason.

 

[halulupu]

So what is going on with gracie? I am getting a little worried. Shouldn`t she be out there doing summer competitions in order to recomand herself for some challagenger assignments? When does she want to start her season? How does she intent do qualify for nationals? Do you guys really think she going to do sectionals-it doesn't seems do be fitting for her mindset.
Well maybe she wants to give her best at champschamp and recomand herself. However, so many traumatic experiences at champschamp for her. It barley seems a good enviroment to show your best.

 

[macy]

So what is going on with gracie? I am getting a little worried. Shouldn`t she be out there doing summer competitions in order to recomand herself for some challagenger assignments? When does she want to start her season? How does she intent do qualify for nationals? Do you guys really think she going to do sectionals-it doesn't seems do be fitting for her mindset.
Well maybe she wants to give her best at champschamp and recomand herself. However, so many traumatic experiences at champschamp for her. It barley seems a good enviroment to show your best.

since we haven't seen her at any summer comps this year i'm going to assume she is going to take the regular qualifying route and do regionals>sectionals>nationals. i think she and her team are making sure she is going to be 100% ready before she goes out for competition again.

 

[moonvine]

since we haven't seen her at any summer comps this year i'm going to assume she is going to take the regular qualifying route and do regionals>sectionals>nationals. i think she and her team are making sure she is going to be 100% ready before she goes out for competition again.

I agree. When I talked to Jamie from USFS in Philly last week and she told me Gracie was not doing Philly, I asked if she would do Regionals and Jamie said “well, she has to” (if she wants to go to Nationals this year.). She was at the rink and they were kind enough to get her to sign my skate, but they kept her very hidden. I saw her a couple times in a giant black sweatshirt with a cap pulled down over her eyes.

 

[ice coverage]

I agree. When I talked to Jamie from USFS in Philly last week and she told me Gracie was not doing Philly, I asked if she would do Regionals and Jamie said “well, she has to” (if she wants to go to Nationals this year.). She was at the rink and they were kind enough to get her to sign my skate, but they kept her very hidden. I saw her a couple times in a giant black sweatshirt with a cap pulled down over her eyes.

Thanks again to moonvine for all your reports from IceWorks this year.

Two comments/thoughts re Gracie:

Last year at Philadelphia International and PSC, Gracie was not hidden (or hiding) at all.
During my own random movements through the IceWorks lobby, hallway, parking lot, etc., I happened to see her several times.
As is perfectly normal for elite skaters, she was not deliberately trying to draw attention to herself -- but I did see her happily chatting with a variety of people (skaters, coaches, fans). If someone wanted a selfie with her, she readily took part.
I wasn't there this year, when things could have been different. (I will mention that within the last few days, at least one person posted an Instagram selfie with Gracie at IceWorks.)
Just sayin' that last year, there was no vibe of hiding. I never saw a cap pulled down over her eyes.

As an option for how to qualify for Nationals:
Theoretically, any skater still has time to compete in this year's NQS, if s/he wants to. The series lasts into mid-September, with quite a few NQS comps for singles skaters coming up between now and then.
For a singles skater, an NQS score in the top six for her/his section would earn a bye to sectionals -- meaning the person could skip regionals.
Jaimie from USFS (whom I know ) would be well aware of NQS. From moonvine's post, it is not clear to me whether or not Jaimie intended to imply that Gracie definitely will not compete in NQS??​

 

[moonvine]

Thanks again to moonvine for all your reports from IceWorks this year.

Two comments/thoughts re Gracie:

Last year at Philadelphia International and PSC, Gracie was not hidden (or hiding) at all.
During my own random movements through the IceWorks lobby, hallway, parking lot, etc., I happened to see her several times.
As is perfectly normal for elite skaters, she was not deliberately trying to draw attention to herself -- but I did see her happily chatting with a variety of people (skaters, coaches, fans). If someone wanted a selfie with her, she readily took part.
I wasn't there this year, when of course things could have been different. (I will mention that within the last couple of days, at least one person posted an Instagram selfie with Gracie at IceWorks.)
Just sayin' that last year, there was no vibe of hiding. I never saw a cap pulled down over her eyes.

As an option for how to qualify for Nationals:
Theoretically, any skater still has time to compete in this year's NQS, if s/he wants to. The series lasts into mid-September, with quite a few NQS comps for singles skaters coming up between now and then.
For a singles skater, an NQS score in the top six for her/his section would earn a bye to sectionals -- meaning the person could skip regionals.
Jaimie from USFS (whom I know ) would be well aware of NQS. From moonvine's post, it is not clear to me whether or not Jaimie intended to imply that Gracie definitely will not compete in NQS??​

I just don’t know the answer to your question. That was a direct quote. As far as Gracie...I left her a card and stuffie and my skate to sign, they came and got me later and said “Gracie has signed your skate” - there was never any suggestion I do it in person...however Jamie knows me pretty well, they may have been afraid to have me in the same room...LOL...

 

[ice coverage]

... As far as Gracie...I left her a card and stuffie and my skate to sign, they came and got me later and said “Gracie has signed your skate” - there was never any suggestion I do it in person...

Ohhh, sorry … I did not realize how it came to be that Gracie autographed your skate.

I'm glad that she did autograph it for you , but I had envisioned that it was the result of a chance encounter (by a stroke of good luck) -- meaning that you also would have had a chance to speak with her in person for a moment. Sorry that it was not so.

... however Jamie knows me pretty well, they may have been afraid to have me in the same room...LOL...

p.s. Nice of Jaimie to help you. Glad to hear that part.

 

[StitchMonkey]

Im not going to lie, I will be disappointed if Gracie goes the regional route. Not disappointed in her of course, but the structure that leads to this. Sectionals really should be for... well skaters like Carly Gold, i.e. people for whom US Nationals is a reasonable goal for them to achieve. And it is great to achieve that! And we need Carly Golds in the sport.

If Gracie is in shape to qualify via Regional/Sectionals, i would much much rather her get a bye than take up someone else's potential happy pewter spot. I am always a more the merrier type, so i say give Gracie a bye and give someone else a chance to qualify.

 

[moonvine]

Im not going to lie, I will be disappointed if Gracie goes the regional route. Not disappointed in her of course, but the structure that leads to this. Sectionals really should be for... well skaters like Carly Gold, i.e. people for whom US Nationals is a reasonable goal for them to achieve. And it is great to achieve that! And we need Carly Golds in the sport.

If Gracie is in shape to qualify via Regional/Sectionals, i would much much rather her get a bye than take up someone else's potential happy pewter spot. I am always a more the merrier type, so i say give Gracie a bye and give someone else a chance to qualify.

I have to agree. I know there used to be a way to petition onto Olympic/World teams - I remember Michelle Kwan used it to successfully petition onto the Olympic team and Jason unsuccessfully attempted to use it to petition onto Worlds. It would be nice if such a thing existed for Nationals. I’m not clear on the new qualifying pipeline, though. And all I know is what Jamie said - for all I know it was a way to quickly get rid of this very minor donor (me) without having to have a 20 minute conversation with me about every potential way Gracie might qualify for nationals.

 

[moonvine]

Ohhh, sorry … I did not realize how it came to be that Gracie autographed your skate.

I'm glad that she did autograph it for you , but I had envisioned that it was the result of a chance encounter (by a stroke of good luck) -- meaning that you also would have had a chance to speak with her in person for a moment. Sorry that it was not so.





p.s. Nice of Jaimie to help you. Glad to hear that part.

It is ok though because I was able to sit and write her a card and be composed instead of doing something like I did after Olympic gymnastic trials in 2016 when I stood in the autograph line and grabbed John Orozcos hand and said “I’m so happy for you.” And it’s unlikely I would have been wandering through Iceworks with my skate and a gold sharpie and just happen to run into Gracie. Although I now have my Gracie skate and my skate that I get everyone else to autograph.
Now I just need some skates to actually skate in. And I have a skate to take to the FOFS breakfast at Nationals.

 

[catjohnsn2]

Didn't Michelle have to skate for a committee in order to get the bye for Nationals? Surely someone has to see her skate in order to make a fair decision.

I'm a Gracie fan and think the sport is better off with her in it, but she has to skate somewhere in the next few months to prove she's competition ready.

 

[ice coverage]

Starting this season, a minimum TES score *from the same season* is a requirement to compete as a senior at U.S. Nats.

https://www.usfigureskating.org/content/TN 229 Minimum TES for Championships.pdf
​

I don't think that U.S. Nats could be a skater's first competition of the season??

---

… And it’s unlikely I would have been wandering through Iceworks with my skate and a gold sharpie and just happen to run into Gracie. …

LOL, I did wander through IceWorks with a fairly massive bag for my stuff -- extra layers, gloves, hat, notebook, water bottle, snacks, laptop, etc. I did not bring a skate for anyone to autograph, but if I had, there would have been room for it too.
That's why the running-into-Gracie scenario did not seem far-fetched to me.

… And I have a skate to take to the FOFS breakfast at Nationals.

2020 Nationals? If I go, hope to meet you -- at the FOFS breakfast or earlier in the week.

 

[moonvine]

Didn't Michelle have to skate for a committee in order to get the bye for Nationals? Surely someone has to see her skate in order to make a fair decision.

I'm a Gracie fan and think the sport is better off with her in it, but she has to skate somewhere in the next few months to prove she's competition ready.

Yes, she skated for a committee, then withdrew and Emily Hughes came and replaced her.

 

[moonvine]

Starting this season, a minimum TES score *from the same season* is a requirement to compete as a senior at U.S. Nats.

https://www.usfigureskating.org/content/TN 229 Minimum TES for Championships.pdf
​

I don't think that U.S. Nats could be a skater's first competition of the season??

---

LOL, I did wander through IceWorks with a fairly massive bag for my stuff -- extra layers, gloves, hat, notebook, water bottle, snacks, laptop, etc. I did not bring a skate for anyone to autograph, but if I had, there would have been room for it too.
That's why the running-into-Gracie scenario did not seem far-fetched to me.



2020 Nationals? If I go, hope to meet you -- at the FOFS breakfast or earlier in the week.

What about the skaters with byes?

And yes, 2020. Lord willing and the creek don’t rise. I hope she’s there.

 

[ice coverage]

What about the skaters with byes? ...

My understanding is that the minimum TES requirement applies to all senior skaters -- including those with byes.

From the 2019-20 USFS Rulebook (p. 132) [emphasis added]:

2501 Singles competitors qualify for the U.S. Figure Skating Championships:

B. For the senior events by meeting the minimum required technical score per rule 2505 and:

1. Placing in the top 4 in senior at their respective sectional singles final;
2. Earning a bye: …​

​

 

[doublequad]

Yas girl yas

 

[figurefan0726]

Didn't Michelle have to skate for a committee in order to get the bye for Nationals? Surely someone has to see her skate in order to make a fair decision.

I'm a Gracie fan and think the sport is better off with her in it, but she has to skate somewhere in the next few months to prove she's competition ready.

I have heard that she will go through the qualifying series like sectionals and regionals.

 

[Artemisa]

I have heard that she will go through the qualifying series like sectionals and regionals.

I think is better. Practice their programas without the pressure ... Even in a worst day she is better than the maiority of the ladies in USA ...

 

[natsulian]

Happy birthday golden girl! Love sharing a birthday with such a wonderful and talented individual.

 

[moonvine]

Has anyone linked this? https://www.instagram.com/p/B1cbCYeHUkN/