Gold withdraws from 2018 US Nationals

[Osmond4gold]

We love and miss you Gracie! Remember, that Caro is 31 and an Olympic podium threat. You have so much time to find your passion once again for the sport and competing. Look after yourself first and foremost.

God speed!

 

[Tolstoj]

Ironically Gracie at her best would still be the best skater in US and one of the best in the world.

There is still time for her to get back in the competition in the near future.

 

[desertskates]

Big props to Gracie for putting her health first. She's setting a tremendous example for young ladies in admitting that she needs help and that's okay!
Wishing her the best. The way she's playing this by pulling out of things as they approach instead of just retiring, she leaves the door open to return in the future if it feel right <3

 

[mrrice]

Big props to Gracie for putting her health first. She's setting a tremendous example for young ladies in admitting that she needs help and that's okay! Wishing her the best. The way she's playing this by pulling out of things as they approach instead of just retiring, she leaves the door open to return in the future if it feel right <3

^^^^Great post!!! She does have time and words like these can ease the pressure of thinking "It's Now Or Never" You don't need an Olympic Medal to be a role model. She already 2 US Championships and OBM from Sochi, and a Pewter from Boston. That's a hall of fame career right there.

 

[ruffledgrouse]

I would have been shocked to see her at Nationals, honestly, and I'm relieved she's not going to try to put herself through that ringer. I hope every day is another inch forward for her

 

[ask]

Ironically Gracie at her best would still be the best skater in US and one of the best in the world.

There is still time for her to get back in the competition in the near future.

Lol. No. Best in the US. Not anywhere near best in the world. This year, best of Gracie is about 6th in the world.

 

[danse]

Anxiety, depression... God, how could that sunny-smiling girl have got such a diseases... Hugs to Gracie!..

It can happen to absolutely anyone. Some of the sunniest-smiling people are also the people who are fighting an internal battle that no one knows about.

 

[zanadude]

I don't think she is ever coming back. Perhaps she shouldn't come back…

 

[thegreendestiny]

For her sake, I hope she doesn't come back and go through another period of anxiety and depression like now or even worse. She has already in a way made her mark in FS. I just hope she lives the rest of her life happy and contented.

 

[Tastetherainbow]

I feel the same... I hope she doesn't come back too, for the sake of her mental and physical health. Fans of singles skating these days are just toxic, chastising skaters on anything from perceived jump under-rotations to interpretation and expression to even things like body size, which is why I mostly confine myself to the pairs threads these days. It's one thing to express opinion, but what Gracie has experienced is almost borderline abuse. It's about time she put down figure skating and search for something else meaningful in life. Whether or not she comes back to figure skating, I wish her the best.

 

[Weathergal]

Lol. No. Best in the US. Not anywhere near best in the world. This year, best of Gracie is about 6th in the world.

Sixth in the entire world, out of all the ladies figure skaters there are IS one of the best in the world. And really that's beside the point, there is no reason to be unkind. Talk about kicking someone when they're down. Sorry but that comment was just unnecessary.

 

[jFarrisFAN]

I think if Gracie wants to come back it should be on her own terms and I think she should be skating for herself, not her family, not her coaches and not to please her fans. If she comes back with all the pressure on her then we could end up in this situation once again. Please Gracie choose what is best for you

 

[mrrice]

I think if Gracie wants to come back it should be on her own terms and I think she should be skating for herself, not her family, not her coaches and not to please her fans. If she comes back with all the pressure on her then we could end up in this situation once again. Please Gracie choose what is best for you

I agree 100%. Plus, there are several ways for Gracie to "Come Back" that don't involve her competing. She could end up in the commentary booth like Yulia. She could become a tech specialist and judge. She could also become a jump specialist for one of the high caliber coaches. She has several options and once she's feeling healthy and ready, I have no doubt we'll see her again somewhere.

 

[Moxiejan]

Lol. No. Best in the US. Not anywhere near best in the world. This year, best of Gracie is about 6th in the world.

And as Tolstoj said, that indeed would be "one of the best in the world."

Yes (lol) it can greatly affect meaning if the entire sentence is not considered.

 

[mrrice]

And as Tolstoj said, that indeed would be "one of the best in the world."

Yes (lol) it can greatly affect meaning if the entire sentence is not considered.

Wasn't Gracie 4th just 2 seasons ago. I believe she won the SP at that event as well. So yes, at one point she was indeed among the best skaters in the world.

 

[louisa05]

For her sake, I hope she doesn't come back and go through another period of anxiety and depression like now or even worse. She has already in a way made her mark in FS. I just hope she lives the rest of her life happy and contented.

I have never felt like Gracie enjoyed skating--at least not competing. Some skaters seem to thrive on competing (Kwan or Wagner, for example in ladies). Gracie never seemed to. I remember at Nats before her free skate last year, the screen in the arena showed her up close at the boards right before she was announced. My mom asked me "how does she look?" (mom has low vision and cannot see those details well on a screen far away from her), I said, "like she's going to the gallows". She never had a game face. She almost always looked fearful and unhappy.

I knew teens when I taught who had talents for things they did not enjoy. And their parents and coaches or teachers got really invested in their achievements. And in English class when told to "free write", they would write about how trapped they were in those sports or activities because it would let down those other people invested in it if they quit. One extremely talented volleyball player took her life into her own hands as a senior, ignored college recruiters and took off to the west coast for college where she never set foot on a volleyball court again. And she thrived then. Gracie has often struck me as being one of those kids. She could skate. People got invested in that. Whether or not it was her real love was not at all apparent and it often appeared that it was not.

 

[Hevari]

I have never felt like Gracie enjoyed skating--at least not competing. Some skaters seem to thrive on competing (Kwan or Wagner, for example in ladies). Gracie never seemed to. I remember at Nats before her free skate last year, the screen in the arena showed her up close at the boards right before she was announced. My mom asked me "how does she look?" (mom has low vision and cannot see those details well on a screen far away from her), I said, "like she's going to the gallows". She never had a game face. She almost always looked fearful and unhappy.

I knew teens when I taught who had talents for things they did not enjoy. And their parents and coaches or teachers got really invested in their achievements. And in English class when told to "free write", they would write about how trapped they were in those sports or activities because it would let down those other people invested in it if they quit. One extremely talented volleyball player took her life into her own hands as a senior, ignored college recruiters and took off to the west coast for college where she never set foot on a volleyball court again. And she thrived then. Gracie has often struck me as being one of those kids. She could skate. People got invested in that. Whether or not it was her real love was not at all apparent and it often appeared that it was not.

For someone talent is a gift, bit for someone other - a burden...

 

[jenaj]

Lol. No. Best in the US. Not anywhere near best in the world. This year, best of Gracie is about 6th in the world.

One of the best. And Gracie at her best was World Champion caliber. I direct you to her free skate at 2016 Nationals.

 

[mrrice]

One of the best. And Gracie at her best was World Champion caliber. I direct you to her free skate at 2016 Nationals.

Exactly. Combined with her SP from Boston and you could debate that she was one of the best skaters in the World. Remember, 2 weeks earlier, she defeated WSM Ashley Wagner at Nationals.

 

[Skater Boy]

So many thoughts. Most of all I just hope and pray that Gracie gets healed and the help she needs. I hope she can find peace and happiness whether it involves competitive skating or not. Am I surprised she will not be competing at Nats - no sadly not really. This sounds like a contradiction but it is good she pulled out now (though how she was still eligible beats me - a lot of twisting the rules it would seem on the team medall - the wording did sound it had to be the actual event but anyways I digress) because Ithink she does not have that "burden" or pressure to keep on preparing with inthe back of the mind thought can I do it but I have to get it together at least well enough to compete and not be seen falling all over the ice. I am sad because Gracie at her best is the best (okay or one of the best in the world). The fact she doesn't have an individual world or olympic title doesn't change that - there have been several other great skaters without such medals ie Josee chouinard, viktoria Volckova?, Emmanual Sandu et al. In a way the last couple of years the growth and focus on such technical difficulty has been amazing - exciting yes but it seems to have killed some great aspects of competitive skating and some great skaters. Directly and in directly (injuries indirectly I suppose) Gracie, Yulia, Adelina, Joshi, Liam Firus, Patrick Chan, Jason brown, Denis Ten are some wonderful skaters with great specialness (okay maybe not Joshi) but cannot compete technically with the crazed quad rush in men or triple triples back load ladies. now we have winning skates with two falls and stumbles. I know they say "growth" brings about challenges but I am not so sure I so excited about quit such a rush for craziness in tech skills. But the public including us like it. We have elevated tech prowess and some how dragged the pcs with it to the point the scores are ridicululous in pcs and true pc skaters can't get rewarded enough. I hope Gracie can truly now go for her Gold. Even if she does not compete again she has left her legacy.