Matthew Stockman/Getty Images
Figure skater Gracie Gold is being promoted as the American face of the Sochi Olympics. Here, Gold after winning the ladies competition at the Prudential U.S. Figure Skating Championships on Jan. 11 in Boston.
This weekend the sporting world is all about the Super Bowl — but next week it will all be about the Olympics.
Now that Lindsey Vonn is out of the Olympics, Gracie Gold has become America’s singular glamour athlete heading to Sochi. She is a Sports Illustrated cover subject this week, and NBC is promoting the figure skater as the face of these Games.
The only question is: Can the 18-year-old upstart deliver the way that the veteran Vonn did four years ago in Vancouver?
RELATED: MEXICAN SKI RACER READY TO WOW AT THE OLYMPICS AT 55
Robert Sabo/New York Daily News
Gold practices her routine for the ‘Today’ show on Jan. 14 at Rockefeller Center. The 18-year-old says preparing for the Sochi Olympics is ‘unreal.’
“I’m packing this weekend suitcases to go to the Olympics — it’s unreal,” Gold said. “To walk in the opening ceremonies, I don’t think my heart could be bigger. The closer we get to Sochi, the more and more I want to be going for a medal. I think it’s a realistic goal, and we’ll see what happens.”
There is a very good chance that U.S. audiences will get to see Gold skate four times at these Games, assuming she is chosen for the team event roster as America’s representative in the ladies’ competition. There was a time when Ashley Wagner was expected to assume that role, but Wagner finished fourth at nationals and immediately changed her program back to an earlier version.
“I remember a couple of years ago, I was watching my role models in the Olympics. And now to be that role model, it’s so wonderful,” Gold said. “You just remember why you do what you do. The passion in your sport is so important.”
RELATED: NHL COULD PULL PLAYERS FROM OLYMPICS OVER TERROR CONCERNS
Robert Sabo/New York Daily News
There is a good chance that U.S. audiences will get to see Gold skate four times at the Winter Olympics.
Gold is ranked only 10th in the world by icenetwork.com, a long way from favored Mao Asada of Japan. But she can pull off triple-triple combinations, which is a requisite for any legitimate contender.
“I’ve learned that not everything has to be going perfectly for me to do well,” Gold said. “I’m a little better skater than I thought, I should trust myself more, control my nerves.”
Just last year, Gold changed coaches, to Frank Carroll, who mentored Evan Lysacek to the gold medal four years ago and worked with Michelle Kwan for most of her great career.
RELATED: RALPH LAUREN’S OLYMPIC LOOKS ARE 100% USA
Robert Sabo/New York Daily News
Gold, seen here preparing for the Sochi Olympics, says that her passion for figure skating is important.
“Frank is one of the best coaches in the world,” Gold said. “He’s so full of wisdom, had so many champions, it just seemed the logical choice. You want an experienced guide on your journey.”
While other athletes have expressed concern for their own safety and that of their families, the Chicago native sounds unafraid in that regard.
“People already there told us how beautiful the arena is,” Gold said. “At the end of the day, ice is ice, but they said it’s a great arena, so big and open. The picture from the outside looks gorgeous.
“My dad, my mom, my sister, all three of them will come out to support me. We’ll be able to connect in the village. If they have the opportunity to go to the Olympics, they’re going to take it.”
http://ift.tt/1fltX3d
via Great Local News: New York http://ift.tt/1iZiLP1
No comments:
Post a Comment