Gold, Wagner vie for more than medals

Teenager Gracie Gold and teammate Ashley Wagner are battling for the Olympic title and the honor of being the face of the US figure skating team at the Sochi Games.

The 18-year-old Gold burst into the limelight when she claimed her first national title last month at home in Boston to become the new darling of the American media.

Wagner, 22, who had been touted as the face of US figure skating and its Olympic team in the absence of skier Lindsey Vonn, fell twice in the nationals to finish fourth.

Wagner got the Olympic nod because of her results over the past two seasons - a decision that sparked some anger amid claims it was because of her influential corporate sponsors and the Olympic commercials in which she was already being featured.

The two stood side-by-side on the podium on Sunday night as the US took bronze behind Russia and Canada in the new team event.

Wagner skated the short program, in which she placed fourth, while Gold performed in the free program, where she finished second behind inspired Russian Julia Lipnitskaia.

"Not everyone had the best performance. Ashley and I knew we had to bring our A game," Gold said of the team competition.

Since her national title she has been bombarded with offers from magazines and television and was seen on The Tonight Show bizarrely juggling lemons.

The cover of Sports Illustrated's Olympic preview edition has Gold flying through the air under the headline: "Gracie Gold as good as ....?"

"It has been the best year of my life, hands down," said Gold, who finished second at the 2012 world junior championships behind 15-year-old Lipnitskaia.

"It's been weird, actually," Gold said. "Every time I open my Twitter account, there is some sort of new, cool thing."

Last year she switched coaches and is guided now by veteran Frank Carroll, who helped Evan Lysacek win Olympic gold in Vancouver.

"It was incredible to skate over the Olympic rings," Gold said, adding her game plan for Sochi was simple: "It's about leaving it all out on the table and going for the gold."

For Wagner, winner of back-to-back US titles in 2012 and 2013, the changes came thick and fast in 2013, when she had to find a new coach and a new rink. She also broke up with her boyfriend and her parents finalized their divorce.

But she is determined to justify her selection.

"It was tough going out there after a disappointing nationals so it was important for me to redeem myself," Wagner said.

The friendly rivalry between the skaters will be welcomed by US Olympic chiefs as the Sochi Games marks the 20th anniversary of the infamous Nancy Kerrigan-Tonya Harding affair, which overshadowed the 1994 Lillehammer Olympics.

(China Daily 02/12/2014 page24)