- Joined
- Jan 5, 2016
I want a world medal for Ashley Wagner and I think a world medal will seal her place among America's greatest female skaters. But does she need it to seal her place in the long legacy of American ladies figure skating?
Ashley has been one of the most competitive American ladies of this era - 3 Nationals Titles, 3 Bronze medals, and 2 pewters. This "era" in American skating, if it were called one, has definitely belonged to Wagner and Gold - successors of sort to Meissner before her, Cohen before that, and Kwan before that. However, Meissner, Cohen, and Kwan all had success (to varying degrees) at the World Championships. Stretching back even further, Lipinski, Bobek, Kerrigan, Yamaguchi, Trenary, Thomas, Harding, Thomas, Chin, all had success on the international stage.
So I guess my question is this: Does Ashley need a world medal for her to be considered a torch bearer for this era and for American ladies skating, in general? Sure, Ashley has been successful on the grand prix circuit, but is that enough? Does she need a world medal to even be mentioned in the same breath as the aforementioned ladies? Without a world medal will she just be seen as a representation of the decline of American skating, or at best, a transitional time for better things to come?
Ashley has been one of the most competitive American ladies of this era - 3 Nationals Titles, 3 Bronze medals, and 2 pewters. This "era" in American skating, if it were called one, has definitely belonged to Wagner and Gold - successors of sort to Meissner before her, Cohen before that, and Kwan before that. However, Meissner, Cohen, and Kwan all had success (to varying degrees) at the World Championships. Stretching back even further, Lipinski, Bobek, Kerrigan, Yamaguchi, Trenary, Thomas, Harding, Thomas, Chin, all had success on the international stage.
So I guess my question is this: Does Ashley need a world medal for her to be considered a torch bearer for this era and for American ladies skating, in general? Sure, Ashley has been successful on the grand prix circuit, but is that enough? Does she need a world medal to even be mentioned in the same breath as the aforementioned ladies? Without a world medal will she just be seen as a representation of the decline of American skating, or at best, a transitional time for better things to come?