A topsy-turvy night of skating shuffled around the podium, but when it was all said and done, Ashley Wagner successfully defended her title at today's 2013 Prudential U.S. Figure Skating Championships. The star of the night was last year's junior champion, Gracie Gold, who blew everyone away in the free skate and moved up from ninth to win the silver.
Ladies' free: Play-by-play/videos
Wagner had a lead of over 13 points ahead of Gold coming into the free skate, and she needed almost every point of that lead to retain her title. She hit four triples, but took two falls, one on a triple lutz and another on her second triple loop. The crowd was stunned, skating fans were stunned, and no doubt her win was not pretty. She finished with a final score of 188.84 and won by just over two points.
Skating in the second-to-last group in the event, Gold gave the performance of her young career and won the silver in her senior debut at Nationals. She hit seven triples, including her opening triple lutz-triple toe combination, to earn a 132.49 for her free skate, second highest in U.S. Nationals history, and a 186.57 total.
Analysis: Who should've won?
For the second year in a row, former World junior silver medalist Agnes Zawadzki took the bronze. Second after the short program, Zawadzki started off superbly with a triple lutz and a triple toe-triple toe combination. But the second of her program was less successful, and a fall on her second triple lutz sealed the deal. She finished with a 179.63.
Third after the short program, 2008 U.S. champion Mirai Nagasu was only credited with two clean triples, with three others called underrotated, and another downgraded, dropping her to seventh place overall.
LADIES (final standings)
1. Ashley Wagner - 188.84
2. Gracie Gold - 186.57
3. Agnes Zawadzki - 179.63
4. Courtney Hicks - 177.92
5. Christina Gao - 176.28
6. Yasmin Siraj - 175.07
7. Mirai Nagasu - 173.79
8. Samantha Cesario - 170.15
9. Angela Wang - 164.76
10. Hannah Miller - 164.68
11. Caroline Zhang - 161.89
12. Ashley Cain - 150.79
13. Kiri Baga - 140.71
14. Haley Dunne - 127.73
15. Joelle Forte - 124.95
16. Becky Bereswill - 123.57
17. Amanda Hofmann - 119.14
18. Morgan Bell - 107.65
19. Sophia Adams - 107.50
20. Laney Diggs - 102.80
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