Ashley Wagner

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Ashley Wagner
Wagner in 2006.
Personal Info
Country: Flag of the United States United States
Date of birth: May 16, 1991 (1991-05-16) (age 17)
Residence: Alexandria, Virginia
Height: 159 cm (5 ft 3 in)
Coach: Shirley Hughes
Choreographer: Jill Shipstad-Thomas
Skating Club: Washington FSC
ISU Personal Best Scores
Short + Free Total: 158.63 2007 Trophée Eric Bompard
Short Program: 51.67 2007 World Juniors
Free Skate: 108.15 2007 Trophée Eric Bompard
Most Recent Results:
Event Points Finish Year
World Championships 137.40 16th 2008

Ashley Wagner (born May 16, 1991) is an American figure skater. She is the 2008 U.S. bronze medalist and 2007 World Junior bronze medalist. Following the 2007-2008 season, she is ranked 12th in the world.[1]

Contents

[edit] Personal life

Ashley Wagner is the first child and only daughter of Eric and Melissa Wagner. A military brat, Wagner was born on a U.S. Army Base in Heidelberg, Germany, where her father was stationed at the time. Although she was born in Germany, she is a United States citizen, because an Army base is considered U.S. soil. Her father is a retired Army lieutenant colonel, and her mother is a fourth-grade teacher. Her younger brother Austin is also a skater and competes nationally at the intermediate level. He trains at Mount Vernon Recreation Center along with Ashley.

Since Wagner's father was in the military, her family moved nine times during Wagner's childhood. Besides Germany, she has lived in California, Alaska, Kansas, Washington state, and Virginia. She currently lives in Alexandria, Virginia, where she attends West Potomac High School. She previously attended Whitman Middle School. Wagner was home schooled by her mother for half a year before entering Whitman Middle School but returned to public school because she missed it.[2] [3] [4] [5]

[edit] Skating career

[edit] Early career

Wagner began skating at age five in Eagle River, Alaska. She says that her mother told her she could choose between ballet or figure skating, but she "wasn't going to do anything in pink shoes."[6] According to her mother, Ashley began to show promise early and won a gold medal at her first competition. In 1998, Wagner watched American Tara Lipinski win the gold medal at the 1998 Winter Olympics on televsion. From that moment, she decided that she wanted to compete in the Olympics, too.[7] [8]

Since Wagner's family moved around so much, she has worked with several coaches, including Tonya Harding's former coach Dody Teachman. In 2001, Wagner began training with Shirley Hughes, her current coach, when her family moved to Virginia. Jill Shipstad-Thomas choreographs her competitive programs.[9] [10]

In the 2002-2003 season, Wagner qualified for the U.S. Junior Figure Skating Championships, which are the national championships of the United States for figure skaters at the juvenile and intermediate levels. Wagner placed 17th at the Intermediate level. The following season she tested up to the novice level. She won the silver medal at her regional competition, the first step to qualifying for the national championships, but placed 10th at her sectional competition and did not qualify for the 2004 National Championships.

Wagner qualified for her first U.S. Figure Skating Championships in the 2004-2005 season after placing first at both the Northwest Pacific Regionals and the Pacific Coast Sectionals. Competing on the novice level, she placed seventh at Nationals.[11]

For the 2005-2006 season, Wagner moved up to the junior level. She won both the Northwest Pacific Regional and Pacific Coast Sectional competitions again to qualify for the National Championships. At the 2006 U.S. Figure Skating Championships in St. Louis, Missouri, Wagner finished fourth on the junior level, earning the pewter medal. After the event, Wagner was named to the U.S. team for the Triglav Trophy in Slovenia, her first major international competition and where she made her international junior debut. There she landed six triple jumps, including a triple toe-triple toe combination, in her long program to move up from third in the short program to first overall.[12]

Wagner performs a spiral on the junior level in 2006.
Wagner performs a spiral on the junior level in 2006.

In the 2006-2007 season, Wagner made her Junior Grand Prix debut. She won both the Junior Grand Prix event in Courchevel, France, and the event in The Hague, Netherlands. Her wins qualified her for the Junior Grand Prix Final in Sofia, Bulgaria, where she won the silver medal behind fellow American Caroline Zhang, with a final score of 142.01. At the 2007 U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Spokane, Washington, Wagner placed third behind Mirai Nagasu and Caroline Zhang, earning herself a spot on the World Junior Championships team. Her bronze medal at the 2007 Nationals was the first time she had placed in the top three at the national championships.[13] At the 2007 World Junior Figure Skating Championships in Oberstdorf, Germany, she landed seven triple jumps in her long program and earned an overall personal best of 157.15. She finished with the bronze medal behind Zhang and Nagasu, completing the first-ever American sweep of the World Junior podium.[14]

[edit] Senior career

Wagner moved up to the senior level both nationally and internationally for the 2007-2008 season. She made her senior international debut at the 2007 Skate Canada International in Quebec City, Quebec, where she placed fifth overall with a score of 150.06. Two weeks later, Wagner won her first senior international medal at the 2007 Trophee Eric Bompard in Paris, France. She placed third behind reigning World silver medalist Mao Asada and reigning U.S. National Champion Kimmie Meissner with a score of 158.63. She finished second in the long program ahead of Meissner and only lost to Meissner in the final standings by 0.11 points. During her fall Grand Prix events, Wagner attempted the triple Lutz-triple loop combination for the first time in competition, but it was downgraded by the technical callers because her attempts were not fully rotated. Discussing her first year on the Grand Prix, Wagner said, "Competing on the Grand Prix has forced my skating to mature. I'm a senior lady now, and I need to perform like one."[15]

Wagner on the 2008 U.S. nationals podium
Wagner on the 2008 U.S. nationals podium

In January 2008, Wagner competed on the senior level for the first time at the 2008 United States Figure Skating Championships in St. Paul, Minnesota. She placed second in the short program behind Mirai Nagasu after landing a triple Lutz-triple loop combination.[16] [17] In the long program, she placed second again, this time behind Rachael Flatt, after landing seven triples including another triple Lutz-triple loop combination. She finished with the bronze medal overall behind Nagasu and Flatt after placing second in both segments of the competition. Because Nagasu, Flatt, and pewter-medalist Caroline Zhang were too young to compete at an ISU Senior Championship event, Wagner was the only medal winner to be named to the Four Continents and World Championships teams.[18] Because of her third place finish at the 2008 Nationals, Wagner has a bye to the 2009 U.S. Figure Skating Championships.

At the 2008 Four Continents Figure Skating Championships in Goyang City, South Korea, Wagner finished twelfth in the short program (47.29), fifth in the free skate (105.17), and eighth overall with a final score of 152.46.[19] [20]

At the 2008 World Figure Skating Championships in Goteburg, Sweden, Wagner finished sixteenth with a final score of 137.40. She finished eleventh in the short program (51.49) and fifteenth in the long program (85.91). She fell once in her long program.[21]

Because of her international ranking, Wagner will have two Grand Prix assignments for the 2008-2009 figure skating season.

[edit] Programs

Season Short Program Free Skating Exhibition
2007-2008 Henry VIII
by Camille Saint-Saens		 Tango Jalousie
by J. Gade
Mambo Jambo
by Perez Prado		 Bye Bye Blackbird
by Liza Minnelli
2006-2007 The Cotton Club
by Duke Ellington		 "Summertime"
by George Gershwin		 Steam Heat
2005-2006 Henry V soundtrack
by Patrick Doyle		 Scent of a Woman soundtrack
by Thomas Newman and Jose Padilla

[edit] Competitive highlights

Event 2004-2005 2005-2006 2006-2007 2007-2008
World Championships 16th
Four Continents Championships 8th
World Junior Championships 3rd
U.S. Championships 7th N. 4th J. 3rd J. 3rd
Trophee Eric Bompard 3rd
Skate Canada 5th
Junior Grand Prix Final 2nd
Junior Grand Prix, Netherlands 1st
Junior Grand Prix, France 1st
Triglav Trophy 1st J.
Pacific Coast Sectionals 1st N. 1st J.
Northwest Pacific Regionals 1st N. 1st J.
  • N = Novice level; J = Junior level

[edit] References

  1. ^ ISU World Standings for Figure Skating and Ice Dancing
  2. ^ Glod, Maria. "A 'Normal' Prodigy: For Ashley Wagner, It's Important To Coordinate Ice Time, Family Time". The Washington Post. January 20, 2005. Accessed on May 11, 2008.
  3. ^ Mittan, J. Barry. "What a Year for Wagner".Skate Today: Where Skating Matters. December 3, 2007. Accessed on May 12, 2008.
  4. ^ Rosewater, Amy. "Ashley Wagner Finds a Home and Success in Alexandria". U.S. Figure Skating. June 12, 2006. Accessed on May 11, 2008.
  5. ^ Rutherford, Lynn. "Wagner Ready to Step Up: Teen from Virginia Wants Her Turn in the Spotlight". Icenetwork.com. January 18, 2008. Accessed on May 12, 2008.
  6. ^ Mittan, J. Barry. "What a Year for Wagner".Skate Today: Where Skating Matters. December 3, 2007. Accessed on May 12, 2008.
  7. ^ Glod, Maria. "A 'Normal' Prodigy: For Ashley Wagner, It's Important To Coordinate Ice Time, Family Time". The Washington Post. January 20, 2005. Accessed on May 11, 2008.
  8. ^ Rutherford, Lynn. "Wagner Ready to Step Up: Teen from Virginia Wants Her Turn in the Spotlight". Icenetwork.com. January 18, 2008. Accessed on May 12, 2008.
  9. ^ Mittan, J. Barry. "What a Year for Wagner".Skate Today: Where Skating Matters. December 3, 2007. Accessed on May 12, 2008.
  10. ^ Rosewater, Amy. "Ashley Wagner Finds a Home and Success in Alexandria". U.S. Figure Skating. June 12, 2006. Accessed on May 11, 2008.
  11. ^ Glod, Maria. "A 'Normal' Prodigy: For Ashley Wagner, It's Important To Coordinate Ice Time, Family Time". The Washington Post. January 20, 2005.
  12. ^ Rosewater, Amy. "Ashley Wagner Finds a Home and Success in Alexandria". U.S. Figure Skating. June 12, 2006. Accessed on May 11, 2008.
  13. ^ Mittan, J. Barry. "What a Year for Wagner".Skate Today: Where Skating Matters. December 3, 2007. Accessed on May 12, 2008.
  14. ^ Zanca, Sal. "American Ladies Sweep World Junior Medals". U.S. Figure Skating. March 3, 2007. Accessed on May 27, 2008.
  15. ^ Rutherford, Lynn. "Wagner Ready to Step Up: Teen from Virginia Wants Her Turn in the Spotlight". Icenetwork.com. January 18, 2008. Accessed on May 12, 2008.
  16. ^ Rutherford, Lynn. "Fourteen-year-old Nagasu Leads After Stunning Short: Top Three Ladies All Nail Triple-Triples". Icenetwork.com. January 24, 2008.
  17. ^ Shipley, Amy. "Alexandria's Wagner is Unfazed by Success". The Washington Post. January 26, 2008. Accessed on May 27, 2008.
  18. ^ Rutherford, Lynn. "Nagasu Hangs on for Ladies National Title: Flatt Wins Free Skate, Silver; Wagner Takes Bronze". Icenetwork.com. January 27, 2008. Accessed on May 27, 2008.
  19. ^ Flade, Tatiana. "Mao Asada Tops Field for Top Spot: Rochette Takes Second, Ando Third". Icenetwork.com. February 16, 2008. Accessed on May 27, 2008.
  20. ^ "Japanese Women Rule Four Continents Event". The Washington Post. February 17, 2008. Accessed on May 27, 2008.
  21. ^ Stevenson, Alexandra. "Asada Wins Ladies Crown at Worlds: Number One Woman in the World Takes Home Gold". Icenetwork.com. March 20, 2008. Accessed on May 27, 2008.

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
Persondata
NAME Wagner, Ashley
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION American figure skater
DATE OF BIRTH May 16, 1991
PLACE OF BIRTH Heidelberg, Germany
DATE OF DEATH
PLACE OF DEATH
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