SENIOR LADIES EPIC FINISH by BARB REICHERT A
WAGNER REPEATS AS CHAMPION; GOLD RALLIES FOR SILVER WITH STERLING FREE SKATE
shley Wagner stood atop the po- dium, the gold medal hanging around her neck. Her stature was
that of a champion, but her expres- sion conveyed the frustration and anger of two falls. To her immediate right stood
a beaming Gracie Gold, the freshly minted U.S. silver medalist who, at age 17, used an electrifying free skate to throw down the proverbial gauntlet. Game on. After years of reloading, the 2013
LADIES GOLD
Ashley Wagner 188.84
SILVER
Gracie Gold 186.57
BRONZE
Agnes Zawadzki 179.63
PEWTER
Courtney Hicks 177.92
Prudential U.S. Figure Skating Championships proved the U.S. again has a fiercely competitive ladies field. Lost in Gold’s gutsy ascent from ninth place in the short program was the fact that Wag- ner, 21, defeated the “Kwan Curse,” becoming the first repeat U.S. ladies champion since Michelle Kwan in 2005. “It’s definitely not the performance I
imagined having,” Wagner said, “but the fact that I was able to become repeat cham- pion, with those two performances, that’s something to be proud of.” But the night — no, the event — be-
longed to Gold. So much had been placed on the stat-
uesque teen’s shoulders coming into this, her first senior U.S. Championships. In 2012,
Gold won the U.S. junior title and finished a solid second at the World Junior Championships. Her star was rising so quickly that she was invited to compete as a senior at the 2012 World Team Trophy event in Tokyo. Among her teammates was Wagner.
(l-r) Gracie Gold, Ashley Wagner, Agnes Zawadzki, Courtney Hicks
In her first full senior season, Gold
has experienced the highs and lows of sport. At 2012 Skate Canada, she fin- ished a disappointing seventh. In her next Grand Prix Series event, 2012 Rostelecom Cup, she earned silver. Entering the U.S. Championships, there was much buzz about which Gracie Gold would show up.
Te drama unfolds Early in the week, the ladies prac-
tice ice became prime viewing ground. Each time Wagner or Gold entered the
venue, the media would follow. But also gaining attention were Agnes Zawadzki, Courtney Hicks and Christina Gao. All five ladies looked ready for battle, holding little back on jumps and spins. By the time the competition began, expecta-
tions had been set. Te pressure was on Wagner but the magnifying glass was on Gold. A hushed Omaha crowd settled in to see if
Gold was indeed the “next big thing,” but after she fell on a triple flip-triple toe combination and popped a double Axel, it appeared this would not be her coming-out party. Out of 20 competitors, Gold’s score of 54.08 put her in ninth place. Skating last, Wagner was undeterred. Te
2012 Four Continents champion had a solid sea- son, winning each of her Grand Prix events and finishing second at the Grand Prix Final. Her strong “Te Red Violin” short program earned 67.57 points to put her in the lead. Nipping at Wagner’s heels was her friend
Zawadzki, 18, whose consistently solid short pro- gram earned 65.31 points. Strong performances by 2010 Olympian Mirai Nagasu, Hicks and
PHOTO BY MATTHEW STOCKMAN/GETTY IMAGES
SKATING 13
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