Ashley Wagner and Evan Bates cheer on team mates Marissa Castelli and Simon Shnapir during the Figure Skating Team Pairs Free Skating Event during the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics held at Iceberg Skating Palace on Saturday night (February 8) in Sochi, Russia.
The two were joined in the cheer section by Madison Chock, Charlie White and Meryl Davis before hearing the pairs’ scores from their free skate.
Marissa and Simon placed 4th, grabbing 7 total points for Team USA.
After Ashley‘s 4th placement during the Ladie’s Short Program and Meryl and Charlie‘s 1st for Ice Dance Short, this puts Team USA in 3rd place overall with 34 points, after Russia and Canada.
The next team events are happening TOMORROW (Pacific Coast Time listed): Men’s Free Skate @ 7AM, Ladies’ Free Skate @ 8AM and Ice Dance Free Skate @ 9AM. All events are streamed live on NBCOlympics.com.
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Mirai Nagasu has broken her silence since the 2014 Prudential U.S. Figure Skating Championships that took place earlier this month in Boston, Mass.
The 20-year-old Olympian, who placed 4th at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, placed third at the event, but wasn’t chosen for the Olympic team. Instead, Ashley Wagner, Gracie Gold and Polina Edmunds will be representing the Ladie’s Figure Skating Team for the United States.
Read Mirai‘s Facebook post below:
“I want to take this moment to thank everyone, fellow skaters and fans of the sport, who have reached out to me to offer support after the US championships. Not being chosen to represent the United States at the Olympic Games in Sochi and at the 2014 World Championships in Japan has been extremely disappointing to me, and it has been very difficult for me to process. I know that I performed my best at the US Championships in Boston. I am proud of the way I skated and of being awarded the Bronze Medal.
“The 2010 Olympics in Vancouver was one of the best experiences of my life and I am proud that I finished in 4th place. For the past four years my goal had been to make the Olympic Team again and pick up where I left off. Not being selected to this year’s team was devastating and I remain confused by US Figure Skating’s decision to not select me for the 2014 Olympic or World teams. Once I have time to fully process the impact of these decisions, I do know it will renew a fire inside of me. My Olympic journey does not end here. I will continue to work hard, to train and grow and improve as a skater and realize my dream of once again representing the United States at an Olympic Games. In the immediate, I will jump back into my training in the event that I should be needed in my role as alternate for the Olympics or World Championships.
“Most importantly, I want to wish Gracie, Polina, Ashley and the rest of the US Team the best of luck at the 2014 Olympic Games. Representing your country at the Olympics is one of the biggest honors and best experiences in an athlete’s life, and I hope they all do well and have a great time. I will be watching and cheering them on.”
Ashley Wagner made the bold choice of changing up her long program just weeks before the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics.
“I wasn’t able to connect very well with it, and I think because I was uncomfortable with it, it made it very difficult to compete,” the 22-year-old skater shared about going back to her “Samson and Delilah” program from the previous season.
She added, “Going into the Olympics, I want to feel as comfortable and confident on the ice as I possibly can. I’ve been really happy with how the (new) program is going in training, and it feels great. I feel I skate with so much more conviction in this program, and I really believe in this program.”
PHOTOS: Check out the latest pics of Ashley Wagner
Ashley made headlines last month after being placed on the Ladie’s Olympic Figure Skating Team over Mirai Nagasu.
“The comment that really pushed me through all this came from Mirai,. Through all of this (she) has been really phenomenal, and the way she handled this, I really admire her for that. She texted me on Sunday after I was placed on the team, and she said to me… ‘You belong on the team. Good luck. Love you.’ And that was all I really needed to feel alright about this.”
Can’t wait to see Ashley at the Olympic Games!
The 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics Figure Skating Team share a giant hug out on the ice during Smucker’s Skating Spectacular following the 2014 Prudential U.S. Figure Skating Championships held at TD Garden on Sunday night (January 12) in Boston, Mass.
The full team includes: Gracie Gold, Polina Edmunds, Ashley Wagner, Jeremy Abbott, Jason Brown, pairs Marissa Castelli and Simon Shnapir, Felicia Zhang and Nathan Batholomay, and ice dancers Meryl Davis and Charlie White, Madison Chock and Evan Bates, Maia Shibutani and Alex Shibutani.
Olympian Scott Hamilton, who won gold at the 1984 Sarajevo Olympics, spoke with The Today Show about the Ashley and Mirai Nagasu controversy. Despite placing third at the US Nationals this weekend, Mirai was not chosen to represent the USA at the Sochi Olympics.
“The national championships aren’t the Olympic trials,” Scott shared. “The selection process for the Olympic Games goes on for a couple of years before the Olympic Games, so the nationals are a part of that process, but it’s not the process. So when you look at Ashley Wagner and what she’s done over the last two years, winning nationals twice, placing high enough in the world championships to allow three participants to go, she’s already earned her spot on the Olympic team.”
He added, “I like to see somebody earn their spot on the team, but Ashley kind of did that. Mirai, I adore. It was the hardest thing I ever had to do, was to give her our traditional ice cream last night with her eyes full of tears. She’s devastated, and my heart bleeds for her. I’m so sad for her, but the reason we have three women going to the Olympics is because of Ashley Wagner.”
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Ashley Wagner puts on a brave face during the 2014 Prudential U.S. Figure Skating Championships at TD Garden on Saturday night (January 11) in Boston, Mass.
The 22-year-old figure skater, who had a disappointing free skate, claimed the 4th spot on the podium next to Gracie Gold, Polina Edmunds and Mirai Nagasu.
Thankfully though, Ashley is headed to the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, as announced Sunday morning (January 12).
“It’s been a long 4 years to this point. I’m so proud and incredibly grateful that I’ll be representing my country at the Olympics in Sochi!” Ashley tweeted. “Thank you to everyone has supported me on this roller coaster. Thank you to my coaches that have shaped me along the way and my family!”
30+ pics inside…
Ashley Wagner – Free Skate, 1/11/2014
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Ashley Wagner blows a kiss to the cameras while waiting for her scores during the short program at the 2014 Prudential U.S. Figure Skating Championships held at TD Garden on Thursday (January 9) in Boston, Mass.
The 22-year-old skater placed 4th, with a total of 64.71, just behind Gracie Gold, Polina Edmunds and Mirai Nagasu.
PHOTOS: Check out the latest pics of Ashley Wagner
“Going into the long program, I feel I am exactly where I want to be,” Ashley shared with press afterwards.
She added, “I really like being the fighter. I really like going after the top prize, not being the one who has to fend everybody off.”
15+ pics inside of Ashley Wagner… More Here! »
Ashley Wagner takes to the ice at the ISU Gala during day four of the 2013 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final held at Marine Messe Fukuoka on Sunday night (December 8) in Fukuoka, Japan.
The 22-year-old skater was joined by team mates Meryl Davis and Charlie White plus Team Canada’s Patrick Chan, ice dancers Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir and pairs skaters Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford.
“Thank you so much Fukuoka for such a great event! My Japanese fans always put a smile on my face, see you all again at Worlds!” Ashley tweeted afterwards.
30+ pics inside from the ISU Gala… More Here! »
