Chris Knierim Steps away from Competitive Skating | Page 4 | Golden Skate

Chris Knierim Steps away from Competitive Skating

moonvine

All Hail Queen Gracie
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Mar 14, 2007
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United-States
He's a very nice guy. They're both super nice! Here they are at the San Jose 2018 Friends of Figure Skating Breakfast. Very personable and down-to-earth people. Glad he is prioritizing his health and doing what is best for himself and for their partnership.
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/08/5f/ed/085fedadfccd523da42ac09713b9816a.jpg

They are awesome. Look how cute! And he and Tai BOTH retweeted my tweet! https://twitter.com/riverofchange/status/1222034196182552577/photo/1
 

CoyoteChris

Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 4, 2004
I don't know about all skaters, but I know Chris had at least one wrist injury. I would imagine that repetition injuries are common, especially for skaters who have been skating at such a high level for so long.

From Yahoo sports.
Chris suffered a broken leg in 2013 and Alexa had a life-threatening gastrointestinal condition in 2016. Chris said he has also battled depression, which worsened late in 2019.
"I've been struggling with injuries -- one gets better and then another pops up," he said. "I've been struggling with my jumps a lot this season and now I'm ready to move on."
https://sports.yahoo.com/chris-knierim-retires-pairs-wife-alexa-skates-001508994--spt.html
I have false memories, but I remember lots of good performances that fell by the wayside due to one or the other of them muffing the jumps.....
And I am here to tell you first hand depression is hideous....I am hoping his body and mind both heal....:pray:
 

moonvine

All Hail Queen Gracie
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Mar 14, 2007
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United-States
From Yahoo sports.
Chris suffered a broken leg in 2013 and Alexa had a life-threatening gastrointestinal condition in 2016. Chris said he has also battled depression, which worsened late in 2019.
"I've been struggling with injuries -- one gets better and then another pops up," he said. "I've been struggling with my jumps a lot this season and now I'm ready to move on."
https://sports.yahoo.com/chris-knierim-retires-pairs-wife-alexa-skates-001508994--spt.html
I have false memories, but I remember lots of good performances that fell by the wayside due to one or the other of them muffing the jumps.....
And I am here to tell you first hand depression is hideous....I am hoping his body and mind both heal....:pray:

Depression is hideous, but with the correct medication and therapy it can be managed very well. I speak from first hand experience. Just stopping skating is not going to cure his depression.

Selfishly, I wish they had dropped out of Worlds, given him the summer to try medication and therapy, and then re-evaluate. But their marriage and happiness are far more important than my wish to watch them skate together. I'd say maybe they can finally take that honeymoon, but I'm guessing she'll be working hard at the rink.
 

blue_idealist

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 25, 2006
Depression is hideous, but with the correct medication and therapy it can be managed very well. I speak from first hand experience. Just stopping skating is not going to cure his depression.

Selfishly, I wish they had dropped out of Worlds, given him the summer to try medication and therapy, and then re-evaluate. But their marriage and happiness are far more important than my wish to watch them skate together. I'd say maybe they can finally take that honeymoon, but I'm guessing she'll be working hard at the rink.

I think he doesn't want to skate competitively any longer for more reasons than just the depression. Physical burnout, wanting to focus on other interests, etc.
 

skylark

Gazing at a Glorious Great Lakes sunset
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Aug 12, 2014
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United-States
From Yahoo sports.
Chris suffered a broken leg in 2013 and Alexa had a life-threatening gastrointestinal condition in 2016. Chris said he has also battled depression, which worsened late in 2019.
"I've been struggling with injuries -- one gets better and then another pops up," he said. "I've been struggling with my jumps a lot this season and now I'm ready to move on."
https://sports.yahoo.com/chris-knierim-retires-pairs-wife-alexa-skates-001508994--spt.html


I have false memories, but I remember lots of good performances that fell by the wayside due to one or the other of them muffing the jumps.....
And I am here to tell you first hand depression is hideous....I am hoping his body and mind both heal....:pray:

As I read the narrative they gave in the article at the beginning of this thread, I had an impression that confirmed what I've felt all season: Chris was doing everything he could not to disappoint Alexa. But the telling detail for me was that he physically could hardly get himself onto the ice (after NHK), and he'd go home early. That sounded to me like a last-ditch message from depression, when you know what you want to do or what you need to do, but you can't make yourself do it.

I don't usually have false memories, and I also remember lots of their performances that fell by the wayside due to one or the other muffing the jumps. I just couldn't get invested in them during those performances ... possibly because they were themselves putting everything into improving their jumps.

I'm sorry to hear you've had depression, and I'm happy that you've moved past it. Same to moonvine.


I think he doesn't want to skate competitively any longer for more reasons than just the depression. Physical burnout, wanting to focus on other interests, etc.

Agree. I'm starting to sound like a broken record, but tinkering on his cars was an activity he loved and gave so much pleasure to him. Selling them wasn't just about selling some treasured possessions.

I can only imagine that getting over one injury just to suffer another one, it must have been really hard to deal with the constant pain.
 

Skater Boy

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 24, 2012
Depression is hideous, but with the correct medication and therapy it can be managed very well. I speak from first hand experience. Just stopping skating is not going to cure his depression.

Selfishly, I wish they had dropped out of Worlds, given him the summer to try medication and therapy, and then re-evaluate. But their marriage and happiness are far more important than my wish to watch them skate together. I'd say maybe they can finally take that honeymoon, but I'm guessing she'll be working hard at the rink.

I wish both of them well. this must be hard on them. They love each other; one loves the sport more or in a different way and has olympic dreams. This won't be easy - lots of prayers for them. Money, time,relationship, pressures, reminders of what might have been, another man even though not romantic, different goals one more in the rink practising, this is a soap opera. The difference with some other situations is that as husband and wife they skated pairs; it is not like they had idfferent events or partners. It will be hard to find a partner right for Alexa and hard to get it all t ogether in less than two years. Also hard no matter what one says he is h uman to see his wife pursue their one time dream together now with someone else whil e dealing with his own demons. top it all off there are financial issues, healig time. I guess we need to wait almost two years and see how this all plays out. Maybe Chris can coach like V and T? Mind you that had the ex husband coaching the ex wife and new husband I think. Strange bed fellows.
 
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