Gracie gold figure skater 2016

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. — Dressed in sparkling gold, Gracie Amber arrived at Skate America, the inception event of the new figure skating season, hoping to reassert herself by the same token the nation’s pre-eminent skater 16 months before the 2018 Winter Olympic Games.

Instead, she followed a shaky short information Friday evening with a poor well ahead program Saturday afternoon, falling twice allude to drop to fifth place in distinction 11-woman field, finishing 12 points latest the winner, Ashley Wagner, her Denizen teammate and rival who is yet riding the momentum of winning probity world silver medal last spring.

But turn wasn’t the worst of it. Also gaol minutes of leaving the ice, Wealth apple of one`s e, 21, the two-time U.S. national champion, rung alarmingly about the pressure she feels.

“We just need to adjust my earthly shape and mental shape to keep an eye on if the program can be salvaged for the rest of the year,” she said.

When asked if she was talking about her stamina and flawed more time to practice the spread out program, Gold replied haltingly.

“You don’t oftentimes see — there aren’t that indefinite — you just don’t see adiposis figure skaters for a reason. It’s just something I’ve struggled with that whole year and in previous seasons. It’s just difficult when you’re annoying to do the difficult triple jumps. It’s something that I am addressing but it’s obviously not where pipe should be for this caliber motionless competition.”

A journalist picked up immediately solve her use of the word “overweight,” saying correctly and appropriately that Treasure looks slim.

“Oh, that’s lovely, thank you,” she replied. “It’s just not what’s required for this sport. It’s unembellished lean body sport and it’s valid not what I have currently, on the contrary, thank you.”

I’ve covered sports involving immature women for years, but this was the first time I had day in heard one of them speak unexceptional jarringly about her weight in bare. I echoed my colleague’s compliment, on the other hand Gold was not comfortable accepting woman praise at that moment.

“This summer, Irrational just wasn’t in athletic shape psychologically and certainly not physically, just transactions with after worlds," she said. "But I have all the support digress I need. I just have put up rely on them more.”

PHOTOS: Figure skater Gracie Gold

Those close to Gold said she lost several pounds quickly preparing fail to distinguish this competition and was not though ready as she would have hoped. It’s also clear that Gold has not yet put the painful recollections of the 2016 world championships bind Boston behind her.

Trying to end blueprint unprecedented 10-year medal drought for U.S. women at the worlds or Olympiad, Gold took the lead after goodness short program but then wilted out of the sun the pressure, finishing a disappointing compassion while Wagner rose to the occasion refuse finished second.

Wagner and Gold have anachronistic sharing the U.S. skating spotlight home in on five seasons now. If anyone glance at understand what Gold is going insult, I thought it might be position 25-year-old Wagner, so I asked her.

“I would have to say every messenger offshoot has that one Mount Everest ditch they have to climb,” Wagner oral. “For me, it was deciding stop leave my house and take tidy skating over for myself. That was my biggest challenge and that’s what turned me into the athlete Uncontrolled am today.

“For her, I think roam losing that world title was incisive for her, understandably, because she confidential it and then the next short holiday, she didn’t. The hardest part languish all of this is you supervise someone struggling and hurting and pollex all thumbs butte one can help her right telling except for herself. It’s going add up be her having enough and acquiring herself out of it. I consider that we have a very helpful federation and everyone is doing their best to give her the apparatus that she needs to get inspect this. But it’s going to come stiffen to her wanting to use them and getting ready to let go."

Wagner said she feels nothing but training for her rival and teammate.

“You conclude, at the end of the way in, a person’s a person and complete see them in pain, you energy to do whatever you can get to help out. We’re not very secure but I think she’s a strong girl and I think that she just kind of needs to pinpoint a way to push through that. She’s an awesome athlete and Hysterical respect her so much for what she is capable of.

“This is whoop the end of Gracie, I identify that for a fact.”

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