Gracie Gold set to return

[skatfan]

Great interview, and I'm glad she was able to do one with someone that she trusts. So sad to think about all that she was going through and trying to tough it out. I don't know that she'll be "back back" this season, but I am really interested to see what the next couple of years bring.

 

[Tinami Amori]

Interesting interview, @ 48:00 Gracie calls her condition "disordered eating" and not "an eating disorder". I learned there is a difference.. ha!
https://www.eatingdisorderhope.com/blog/disordered-eating-vs-eating-disorders-what-is-the-difference

 

[VGThuy]

Tanith Belbin mentioned that as well. She said it took her a long time to have a healthier relationship with food and it was still something she's mindful about.

 

[mollymgr]

That was a great interview with Gracie. I appreciate her candid approach in opening up about her struggles. It makes you realize how much pressure these athletes go through to compete at this elite level.

 

[alchemy void]

Gracie is such a rockstar. Fantastic interview; thanks for sharing.

 

[Lacey]

I give Gracie so much credit for coming back to skating on her own terms. Just when we all thought she was so down and out that we were all telling her what to do, this interview shows she is clearly back and on the right track full force. She is so intelligent and mature. I wish nothing but the best for her in her athletic career and beyond that wherever her life may take her. She really does seem to have her head together, not that it wasn't always all there before, but now she seems to no longer be distracted. I predict she is going to do well in both skating and her life's choices.

 

[synchrogirl17]

Good for Gracie, she was very brave to address depression, disordered eating, and suicide.
I struggle with depression as well, and it can be so tough in sport. I'm glad she was able to get help.

 

[Inessence]

Listening to her interview now. Her new life outlook is remarkable. Wishing her the best of luck in the future.

 

[aml78]

Listening to her interview now. Her new life outlook is remarkable. Wishing her the best of luck in the future.

It really is. Such a healthy mindset. And it didn’t sound like lip service. This felt like brutal honesty. I know fans were very concerned about her comeback and if she was ready but based on this one interview she certainly seems to be in a better place. Granted it’s one interview so it’s not the whole story but certainly there are some seeds of hope here that she’s ready to re enter the sport. I am sure she is still receiving treatment and therapy and is hopefully being closely monitored to make sure she stays on track. Who knows if she will be able to get back to where she was, but it sounds like she’s seeking some closure with the sport. I hope she finds what she’s looking for.

 

[Frau Muller]

Very poignant interview.

Wishing Gracie the best in the future. Looking forward to seeing her back at Rostelecom, no matter the outcome. I hope that NBC & other media give her space.

 

[giselle23]

Going back to the original topic, Gracie.

I heard that her she looks great (appearance wise)!

But her skating is not close to where she was at her prime. Given what they have seen with her skating, they expect her to withdraw. Based on that, I think most posters here need to greatly lower their expectations for her this season.

Who are "they?" And what, exactly, have they seen of her skating?

 

[Frau Muller]

Who are "they?" And what, exactly, have they seen of her skating?

“They” may be USFS officials who saw Gracie at the recent Champs Camp? That’s how I read concorde’s comment.

 

[Debbie S]

Since concorde's post was in July, I don't think she was talking about Champs Camp. It sounds like "they" are people concorde knows who saw Gracie practicing at the rink. Since that was 3 months ago, I don't know how relevant that is to the present.

 

[Joubabe]

Since concorde's post was in July, I don't think she was talking about Champs Camp. It sounds like "they" are people concorde knows who saw Gracie practicing at the rink. Since that was 3 months ago, I don't know how relevant that is to the present.

We should be able to find out Gracie's status when NoBullBiz does their follow-up on Gracie. Jeremy Crawford said he would do Part II when he was on the East Coast and that it would include behind the scenes and some training coverage.

I loved Gracie's interview--what an intelligent, perceptive young woman she is! And I'm very, very, happy that she seems fully committed to her comeback. I've missed her so much!

 

[Sylvia]

Articles based on Gracie's interview:

https://sports.yahoo.com/gracie-gol...h-issues-plans-return-olympics-163758782.html

https://olympics.nbcsports.com/2018/10/09/gracie-gold-depression-figure-skating/

 

[aemeraldrainc]

It looks like the interview has been removed by user. I wonder what happened? Anyone have an alternate link?

 

[Simone411]

I think it's totally awesome that Gracie is competing. I'm looking forward to seeing her skate at The Rostelecom Cup, and wishing her the best. Sparkle and Shine, Gracie!

 

[uwdawg2007]

It looks like the interview has been removed by user. I wonder what happened? Anyone have an alternate link?

My guess would be the backlash due to the interviewer saying something about it being only the really strong people who kill themselves and making jokes about eating cronuts and weight to Gracie who talks about her disordered eating earlier in the interview.

 

[BittyBug]

My guess would be the backlash due to the interviewer saying something about it being only the really strong people who kill themselves and making jokes about eating cronuts and weight to Gracie who talks about her disordered eating earlier in the interview.

I found the interviewer’s comment about suicide to be at best odd, but I believe it was Gracie, not the interviewer, who made the joke about the cronuts.

I hope that the interviewer is merely editing out the suicide comment and that an edited version of the interview will be returned, because the rest of the content, and more specifically, Gracie’s insights, was quite compelling.

 

[Lacey]

About the cronuts, Gracie smilingly said something like she would have to/has learned to eat just one instead of twelve.

 

[Jarrett]

I found the interviewer’s comment about suicide to be at best odd, but I believe it was Gracie, not the interviewer, who made the joke about the cronuts.

I hope that the interviewer is merely editing out the suicide comment and that an edited version of the interview will be returned, because the rest of the content, and more specifically, Gracie’s insights, was quite compelling.

I agree the opinion about suicide was odd but Gracie avoided it professionally. If anything I would think the video would be taken down because of Gracie and USFSA relations about what was brought up at champs camp and USFSA doesn't need another scandal (even if they deserve one). I don't really know why it was removed but it was still nice to hear from Gracie. The twitter and facebook account was deleted of the interviewer too. I dunno what is going on.

 

[aemeraldrainc]

I agree the opinion about suicide was odd but Gracie avoided it professionally. If anything I would think the video would be taken down because of Gracie and USFSA relations about what was brought up at champs camp and USFSA doesn't need another scandal (even if they deserve one). I don't really know why it was removed but it was still nice to hear from Gracie. The twitter and facebook account was deleted of the interviewer too. I dunno what is going on.

Interesting...

 

[Tavi]

I agree the opinion about suicide was odd but Gracie avoided it professionally. If anything I would think the video would be taken down because of Gracie and USFSA relations about what was brought up at champs camp and USFSA doesn't need another scandal (even if they deserve one). I don't really know why it was removed but it was still nice to hear from Gracie. The twitter and facebook account was deleted of the interviewer too. I dunno what is going on.

There’s already an article on NBC Sports that is totally taken from the interview though, and that’s still mentioned.

https://olympics.nbcsports.com/2018/10/09/gracie-gold-depression-figure-skating/

 

[muffinplus]

The twitter and facebook account was deleted of the interviewer too. I dunno what is going on.

Bizarre!

 

[VGThuy]

The USFS mafia got to him!

 

[Willin]

I could see him shutting down the account due to the insensitive comments about suicide he made. As funny as "USFS mafia" sounds, I could also see USFSA getting after him since some not-so-flattering things were said about them, however brief those comments were...

Either way, good for Gracie. She sounds (and looks) much better. I'm really happy that she got the help she needed and has returned to skating.

Her self-awareness was pretty impressive. It was interesting to hear her talk about the fact that she was that perfectly packaged ice princess and what impact it had on her. It also adds some good context to her recent change of public persona and her decision to return to the ice.

 

[VGThuy]

I'm sorry I missed the interview. I meant to take some time off some time this week and watch it. I'm glad for that article that summarized some of the points though. I wonder who in USFS made those insensitive comments and I wonder who helped Gracie get the help she needed.

 

[Jarrett]

I'm sorry I missed the interview. I meant to take some time off some time this week and watch it. I'm glad for that article that summarized some of the points though. I wonder who in USFS made those insensitive comments and I wonder who helped Gracie get the help she needed.

Yes I would like to know who helped Gracie after being shocked by what Gracie was telling them. She made it out to sound like it was a fellow skater.

 

[VGThuy]

Yes I would like to know who helped Gracie after being shocked by what Gracie was telling them. She made it out to sound like it was a fellow skater.

Absolutely, and another member helped as well. Thank goodness they did.

 

[Simone411]

Well, I used the Wayback Machine, and found an article dated September 1st, 2017 from IceNetwork.

Here is the link to that article:

Gold taking time off, will seek professional help

Gold, the fourth-place finisher at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, struggled mightily last season, failing to medal at either of her Grand Prix events and placing sixth at the 2017 U.S. Figure Skating Championships -- the first time she finished outside the top two at that event.

After the free skate, her coach at the time, Frank Carroll, told icenetwork reporter Philip Hersh, "She has been in a deep, deep, deep depression."

Prior to those U.S. championships, Gold talked to Hersh via telephone and stopped short of saying she was depressed: "I never felt I was in an actual depression and I needed a psychologist. I was fine out of the rink. It was just in the rink and in skating (that) I wasn't myself."

Following the event in Kansas City, she and Carroll parted ways, and a couple of weeks later she announced she had commenced training with Marina Zoueva in Canton, Michigan.

Gold also announced Friday she will not compete in the Japan Open, an invitational team competition that will be held Oct. 7 in Saitama, Japan. She is scheduled to compete at Cup of China and Internationaux de France in this fall's Grand Prix Series.

I missed that interview also, and I missed the part about the interviewer's comments regarding it being only the really strong people who kill themselves and making jokes about eating cronuts, etc.

Frankly to me that's just a bunch of mess that was unnecessary by the interviewer. I believe that the interviewer thought he/she would receive attention for it. If that's the case, then the interviewer took cheap shots and the video should have never even been shown for the public to see … period.

I admire Gracie for her strength, and I'm so happy that she will be competing again.