The latest on Gracie Gold

[skatinggold]

She should look into hypnotism. I'm 100% serious.

Either way, I for one am looking forward to the 2024 Lifetime movie on Gracie Gold.

She needs to change her medication, I don't think it's working. Depression is hard to deal with, after this Championship she will be more depress for not making to Worlds. Hope she gets all the professional help she can get. You know she was out of it at the start of her short program when she did her long program pose, she's not there. She's like in another world of her own.

 

[moonvine]

Normally I don't say negative things about Gracie because I do feel sorry for her but.. it's pretty childish to throw your jacket out (even more so to make your coach do it for you). She's not Tessa Hong, she's 21 years old. At 21 years old a lot of people have children and full time jobs and mortgages. I thought Johnny was harsh last night with the whole grow up Gracie stuff but now I'm thinking maybe she really does need to grow up.

She needs to find something that she loves. If it's not skating then something else.

Ok, she's 21. Frank Carroll is what? 70? 80? 100? (I have no idea). And he did this, in front of reporters, and said she "ordered" him to do it? Has he lost his mind? And does he take orders from all his skaters?

 

[musicfan80]

I think Gracie needs to go sit down with Mirai and have a heart-to-heart about dealing with the sport of figure skating because Mirai has gone through some rough moments in the sport but has been resilient, still competing and doing what she loves.

This might be an off-the-wall idea, but maybe she needs to have a heart to heart with with Max. Aren't they good friends? I actually think talking with someone who is also struggling with their skating results could be beneficial. I think Max could help - I think taking aside his performance this weekend, he seems to be otherwise mentally and personally in a fairly strong place.

There's also Jason Brown - I think they are also good friends as well.

 

[moonvine]

Are you kidding me? Is it possible to have a little compassion for someone who is really struggling? Figure skating is a sport, nothing more. The skaters are the most important thing, and Gracie is clearly not in a good place. Does Gracie deserve to go to Worlds? No, she doesn't. But she does not deserve to be called a "petulant spoiled brat" by random people on the internet who have no idea what her situation actually is.

I'll co-sign this.

 

[Imagine]

She needs to change her medication, I don't think it's working. Depression is hard to deal with, after this Championship she will be more depress for not making to Worlds. Hope she gets all the professional help she can get. You know she was out of it at the start of her short program when she did her long program pose, she's not there. She's like in another world of her own.

Um, wow, what an incredibly stupid and inappropriate assumption to make--that she is on medication for depression. First of all, she is an athlete and can't just "change her medication," like it's nothing, assuming she is using them in the first place. Medication for mental disorders like depression affect hormones which will affect the patient physically, which using common sense, is a big no no for a sport like skating. She probably shouldn't even be allowed to compete in that case as her health is worth more than some sport. Two, if she is on meds, which she isn't, then it's nobody's freaking business. Three, she screwed up a competition in typical fashion, and is displaying symptoms of disappointment, not psychosis. Stop projecting over exaggerations about her state of mind as if you're actually qualified to make such an analysis. Her failing (although chronically) does not automatically make her "depress" or in need if meds. Talk about trying to make something out of nothing.

 

[stella luna]

Nobody here is in a position to assume anything about her state of mind, and there is a line that shouldn't be crossed. The behavior of her and her team has fueled speculation, though.

Um, wow, what an incredibly stupid and inappropriate assumption to make--that she is on medication for depression. First of all, she is an athlete and can't just "change her medication," like it's nothing, assuming she is using them in the first place. Medication for mental disorders like depression affect hormones which will affect the patient physically, which using common sense, is a big no no for a sport like skating. She probably shouldn't even be allowed to compete in that case as her health is worth more than some sport. Two, if she is on meds, which she isn't, then it's nobody's freaking business. Three, she screwed up a competition in typical fashion, and is displaying symptoms of disappointment, not psychosis. Stop projecting over exaggerations about her state of mind as if you're actually qualified to make such an analysis. Her failing (although chronically) does not automatically make her "depress" or in need if meds. Talk about trying to make something out of nothing.

 

[narcissa]

Ok, she's 21. Frank Carroll is what? 70? 80? 100? (I have no idea). And he did this, in front of reporters, and said she "ordered" him to do it? Has he lost his mind? And does he take orders from all his skaters?

THIS. HE IS 4X AS OLD AS SHE IS. Clearly he's about as wise as a 21 year old! This is just utterly ridiculous. I can't believe this happened, I actually thought that screengrab tweet must've been photoshopped/faked. I can believe Gracie's angst (she's 21, barely an adult. Whether or not there are 21 year olds out there who are mature, the reality is she's still very young.) but I cannot believe Frank. You don't air your drama with your skater to national media! Heck you don't air drama with other skaters to national media!

They are done. They should've been done a while ago, but now they must be. If Gracie stays with Frank, she's staying with someone who thinks it's okay to stab her in the back. Heck I even wonder if all these mental issues that may be caused indirectly by Frank (I wouldn't have said this before yesterday, but if he's like this to her in public, imagine what he does to her privately).

She looks like a zombie, on and off the ice. Like someone tried to take her and her skating and slowly mold all aspects of her that made her different into a perfect princess barbie doll, and she slowly loses her mind. All of the bad decisions after bad decisions after bad decisions surrounding her skating were just BAFFLING. Why keep the flip in the SP? Why skate at Golden Spin when she was never going to do well? But this quote shows: it's because her team has lost their minds. Why her parents are not intervening, I have NO idea...

 

[solani]

It's very hard to bounce back after that, but it's possible... Mirai was once leading the SP at Worlds and bombed the FS (11th). But it didn't break her, and she still skated and won GP medals after, and persevered.

It's just extremely hard to know you have your biggest opportunity to win Worlds and then you don't even make the podium, that will take its toll. We'll all faced a competitive loss or disappointment that haunts us... now imagine that loss occurring at the pinnacle of your sport (other than the Olympics).

I can see that this was very disappointing for her and I totally understand that. But she has to view her own performance objectively and she hasn't done that imo. This was one of the best competitions she ever had. I think she's in such a bad place right now because she was never realistic about what happened in Boston. She wasn't good enough that night, period. Right now she's skating as if she's afraid of making an error.

 

[Mrs. P]

This might be an off-the-wall idea, but maybe she needs to have a heart to heart with with Max. Aren't they good friends? I actually think talking with someone who is also struggling with their skating results could be beneficial. I think Max could help - I think taking aside his performance this weekend, he seems to be otherwise mentally and personally in a fairly strong place.

There's also Jason Brown - I think they are also good friends as well.

I keep thinking that combining Gracie's technical talent and Jason's positive mindset/competitive drive would be such a a great combination. Jason is going through a lot of struggles with recovering from an injury, but let he isn't letting thing go.

 

[princessalica]

There is something about a flip in the brain when you expect to have something, something worth everything to you. It might not sound super relevant, but I think it is. I'm a foster parent and I've had nearly 40 kids go through my home over the last decade. But one set I was told that I would likely be able to adopt, and I fell head over heels in love with them. I raised them for 2 years, long enough that I was the only one that they really knew. I'd talked to lawyers about adopting. In my heart they were mine. But then things changed, and they were returned home. And I am still devastated. I grieved like they had died. And until you've lost something that meant everything, its really hard to related. I realize that they are not the same situation, but it was about the mindset. I thought they would be my forever, and then suddenly thy weren't. She was so close, and she's still trying to understand. It took me a year to finally start to feel like me again, because I was hurting so much. Give her some slack, let her reboot, and yes probably she needs to find a new coach.

 

[Mrs. P]

There is something about a flip in the brain when you expect to have something, something worth everything to you. It might not sound super relevant, but I think it is. I'm a foster parent and I've had nearly 40 kids go through my home over the last decade. But one set I was told that I would likely be able to adopt, and I fell head over heels in love with them. I raised them for 2 years, long enough that I was the only one that they really knew. I'd talked to lawyers about adopting. In my heart they were mine. But then things changed, and they were returned home. And I am still devastated. I grieved like they had died. And until you've lost something that meant everything, its really hard to related. I realize that they are not the same situation, but it was about the mindset. I thought they would be my forever, and then suddenly thy weren't. She was so close, and she's still trying to understand. It took me a year to finally start to feel like me again, because I was hurting so much. Give her some slack, let her reboot, and yes probably she needs to find a new coach.

Yeah, I'm really hoping, first and foremost, that she's okay and learns to not give herself such a hard time. My friend developed a "mistake matrix." 1 is a grave mistake to never make while 4 is a mistake you can learn and grow from....her free skate at Worlds is definitely a "4" but it's really hard for her to not consider it a "1."

 

[TwinnerA]

Maybe Gracie should talk to Michelle Kwan. Michelle was in 1st after the short program in 2 Olympic Games and didn't win after people said all she had to do was not fall and the gold would be hers. Sure Michelle got Olympic silver and bronze medals, but she shook off her disappointment to continue and keep going forward. Maybe Michelle isn't the right person, but I think she needs somebody to talk to that could give her some good advice and support going forward.

 

[bytheriver]

I think Gracie just needs a break. From skating and from advice. In Johnny and Tara's FB Live segment they mentioned that Gracie said she has been getting all sorts of advice and that she is really just tired of people telling her what's good for her. She has pressure from all sides right now. The last thing she needs is more people giving her their two cents on her situation. Go on a vacation, see a movie, find a hobby. If she takes time away from skating and decides she enjoys doing other things more, more power to her. If she misses the competitive atmosphere, great. I hope she finds a way to tune out some of this unwelcome advice and listen to her heart.

 

[qwerty]

Frank Carroll will no longer coach Gracie: http://web.icenetwork.com/news/2017/01/22/214115550

 

[Jammers]

http://olympics.nbcsports.com/2017/01/22/gracie-gold-frank-carroll/

 

[frida80]

I'm not surprised, but my heart is broken nonetheless. Gracie has truly fallen now and who knows if she'll ever rise again.

 

[Jammers]

I think Frank demands dedication and he didn't see that this season with Gracie.

 

[princessalica]

Frank Carroll will no longer coach Gracie: http://web.icenetwork.com/news/2017/01/22/214115550

Wow! Can't say its unexpected, but I think something must have happened between them. oh to be the fly on the wall.

 

[jimini]

Wow, this reminds me of when Frank fired Timothy Goebel.

Interesting that the IN article mentions Frank and Gracie have a contract. I wonder if that's what has kept them limping along together for too long. They clearly have not been gelling for over a year.

 

[Plisskin]

Wow. I said in the Ladies free that I wonder if instead of Gracie leaving Frank would leave her instead. I wonder what has been going down for the past year...
I think this is for the best. It wasn't working with Frank. I think the only one who would be able to help her right now is Alex. He even said in that article that he still believes in her. She needs somebody like that at her side right now. I highly doubt top coaches like Raf and Tom Z will take her, and I don't think up and coming coaches, who would be glad to have a skater of her caliber, would be able to fix her issues. Besides her mental state and being out of shape, Frank really did change her jumps for the worse.