2018-19 U.S. Ladies' figure skating | Page 207 | Golden Skate

2018-19 U.S. Ladies' figure skating

macy

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 12, 2011
IFS Mag Article: Ashley Wager on the Road to Recovery

Interesting that it says Ashley original registered for Nationals, although it sounds like she's now planning to go as a spectator.

that's a great article, i love to hear what she's doing these days and the new things she's exploring. it sounds as if she's teetering back and forth on returning, but i'm glad she's at peace and happy with how her last competitive outing went, if she decides to end on it.
 

Osmond4gold

Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 27, 2013
I agree. This is one thing I like about the ability of skaters to keep their competitive careers going longer than used to be the case earlier.

It's great for figure skating fans, to see skaters really develop in various directions, and to have some skaters with longevity, to watch their careers over time. I'd hate to think most skaters would be 15-year-old meteorites that are gone in a flash (although if that's what they prefer, okay). I like my stars to glow longer, and I like to appreciate their glowing for awhile.

Agreed skylark...15 and done is not that fun, for both the athlete or their fans.
 

chuckm

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 31, 2003
Country
United-States
Tara Lipinski hadn't turned 16 yet when she won her OGM, and then she retired from competition and made big bucks as a pro. I'm sure she thought that was a whole lotta fun!!

ETA-Tara did have 3 years of Senior Competition before she retired because age rules didn't exist when she made her debut at Worlds 1996 at age 13.
 

brightphoton

Medalist
Joined
Jan 23, 2009
Tara Lipinski hadn't turned 16 yet when she won her OGM, and then she retired from competition and made big bucks as a pro. I'm sure she thought that was a whole lotta fun!!

ETA-Tara did have 3 years of Senior Competition before she retired because age rules didn't exist in 1996 when she made her debut at Worlds 1996 at age 13.

If you read interviews from her at the time, Tara had the opposite of fun. She was always in debilitating pain during the pro circuit because of her hip, she often didn't know in the morning whether she could do the evening shows, which made management unhappy. The choreographer didn't know what to do with her because while her main fan base was kids, the main ticket buyers for pro shows were adults, and everyone on tour was much older and she had a hard time getting along with everyone.

There's a reason Tara disappeared from figure skating and had zero involvement, until her return in the 30s
 

chuckm

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 31, 2003
Country
United-States
Tara had a torn hip flexor due to over-practicing the 3lo-3lo and was in great pain during the last year of her competitive career. She had surgery to repair her hip shortly after she turned pro, and would have been fine if she hadn't disregarded medical advice and returned to performing far too soon.

Yes, she eventually gave up figure skating because of her hip pain, and tried for several years to make a go as an actress, but finally gave that up too. She ultimately returned as a TV commentator.
 

Globetrotter

Medalist
Joined
Jan 17, 2014
Tara had a torn hip flexor due to over-practicing the 3lo-3lo and was in great pain during the last year of her competitive career. She had surgery to repair her hip shortly after she turned pro, and would have been fine if she hadn't disregarded medical advice and returned to performing far too soon.

Yes, she eventually gave up figure skating because of her hip pain, and tried for several years to make a go as an actress, but finally gave that up too. She ultimately returned as a TV commentator.

Hmm that certainly didn’t sound like it was all peachy and smiley for her.
 

mrrice

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 9, 2014
Tara had a torn hip flexor due to over-practicing the 3lo-3lo and was in great pain during the last year of her competitive career. She had surgery to repair her hip shortly after she turned pro, and would have been fine if she hadn't disregarded medical advice and returned to performing far too soon.

Yes, she eventually gave up figure skating because of her hip pain, and tried for several years to make a go as an actress, but finally gave that up too. She ultimately returned as a TV commentator.

Hip Flexor injuries are no joke. My dance career was ended by a chronic Hip Injury. They are so difficult to deal with. I don't think people realize just how painful they are. You basically can't even go up a flight of stairs and getting into and out of a car is quite painful. I did see Tara act on a couple of shows and she wasn't bad. I do think she's found her calling in the booth.

Here's a short clip of Tara acting on the TV show Still Standing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8oRFD5LZ6sc
 

macy

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 12, 2011
isn't that the same injury Alissa Czisny had that ultimately ended her career? it was something with her hip i remember.
 

Casual

On the Ice
Joined
Jan 26, 2018
Hip Flexor injuries are no joke. My dance career was ended by a chronic Hip Injury. They are so difficult to deal with. I don't think people realize just how painful they are. You basically can't even go up a flight of stairs and getting into and out of a car is quite painful. I did see Tara act on a couple of shows and she wasn't bad. I do think she's found her calling in the booth.

Here's a short clip of Tara acting on the TV show Still Standing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8oRFD5LZ6sc

Do hip flexor injuries ever heal? And if so, how?
 

mrrice

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 9, 2014
Do hip flexor injuries ever heal? And if so, how?

Let me tell something. Mine didn't heal for over a year. I literally had to stop dancing for a year. I tried to come back early and re-injured it and made it worse. They're tricky because even when the pain is gone, you may not be completely healed. The muscle is in such a weird place that it's hard to wrap it like you can a calf or hamstring. This is why I was given steroids. Of course, a skater can't take steroids so there only choice is to stay off the ice until they heal.
 

ice coverage

avatar credit: @miyan5605
Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 27, 2012
Fasten your seat belts ;): Mariah, Ting, and Bradie all will be in the same practice group at Nats. (Along with Gracie :ghug: and Sierra Venetta.)

PDF listing all practice groups for all disciplines and all levels (version 2.05 as of Jan 2):



OT -- By the way, here is Michelle skating in Santa Monica on Christmas day. The MK Forumers say she is involved in filming a documentary about Randy Gardner.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Br3xxZhH1dd/

(And thre videographer is not bad, too.)

Another post-script re Jordan Cowan's breathtaking video of MK:

Jordan (former Team USA ice dancer) now has started shooting @oniceperspectives video in the U.K. for Dancing On Ice.

Per his Instastory: When he had the opportunity to shake hands with Torvill and Dean, they said something like (I'm paraphrasing), "Aren't you the one who shot the great video of MK?"
Per his emojis, Jordan just died at that recognition. :love: :hap93:​
 

kwanatic

Check out my YT channel, Bare Ice!
Record Breaker
Joined
May 19, 2011
Fasten your seat belts ;): Mariah, Ting, and Bradie all will be in the same practice group at Nats. (Along with Gracie :ghug: and Sierra Venetta.)

PDF listing all practice groups for all disciplines and all levels (version 2.05 as of Jan 2):



That's going to be interesting for sure. 3 of the top 4 contenders are in the same practice group. Hopefully they'll push each other. I think it's good Alysa's not in the group with Bradie or Mariah. She will likely freak people out:eeking:

As for Gracie, she was nowhere near ready at Rostelecom and I don't think she'll be ready here. I suppose she's just coming for the experience. Still, I hope she's mentally tough enough to handle the disappointment of a bad placement if it happens. Her reasons for withdrawing from Rostelecom were very worrying as she cited possibly undoing the progress she made as far as her mental health goes. Of course it's her decision but I worry that skating might not be the best thing for her as she's still in the early stages of the process of healing...but I trust she's in control and that she and her team know what her limits are.
 

princessalica

Final Flight
Joined
Nov 20, 2015
The thing is we have no idea where Gracie is in training - after the experience in Russia, she might have really stepped up her training, and she might be farther along in her comeback than we realize because it has been radio silence - the most we've gotten was a post of Carly and Gracie at thanksgiving and Gracie in the background of her coach's IG post yesterday. could she still be at RC level? Yes. Could she have progressed? Yes. I think with her we have to wait and see and trust her and her coaches.
 

kwanatic

Check out my YT channel, Bare Ice!
Record Breaker
Joined
May 19, 2011
The thing is we have no idea where Gracie is in training - after the experience in Russia, she might have really stepped up her training, and she might be farther along in her comeback than we realize because it has been radio silence - the most we've gotten was a post of Carly and Gracie at thanksgiving and Gracie in the background of her coach's IG post yesterday. could she still be at RC level? Yes. Could she have progressed? Yes. I think with her we have to wait and see and trust her and her coaches.

Agreed. Still, I'd be shocked if she managed to get herself back to a competitive level at this point. She was very very far outside of where she needed to be competitively at Rostelecom. I'm sure she's made progress if she's been working for the past two months but has she improved enough to be competitive for a top 10 placement? That may not even be her goal TBH...

I'd be happy to see her hit 50 points in the SP and 100 in the FS. I think that's a solid goal for her assuming she has made improvements. If not...well I just hope she can hold her head up, stay strong and get through both segments of the competition.
 

dobrevaria

Rinkside
Joined
Jun 27, 2017
So sad to see Karen has withdrawn! I really wanted to see her at Nationals. I guess she is not competing anymore this season...
 

evasorange

Final Flight
Joined
Jan 22, 2015
I’ve just saw on Instagram that Karen has withdrawn from nationals. She doesn’t give a specific reason but offers this somewhat vague statement “this season I’ve learned to put my health first. I had planned to come back strong and confident at nationals but I know that putting that determination towards recovery and preparing for the next season is ultimately the best decision I can make to reach my goals.” So I
Guess her injury still isn’t healed? Or she just doesn’t have the stamina to do a successful nationals after only competing a short program once this season?
 
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