Ashley Wagner facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ashley Wagner
Wagner at the 2014 Winter Olympics
Born	Ashley Elisabeth Wagner (1991-05-16) May 16, 1991 (age 34) Heidelberg, Germany
Alma mater	Northeastern University (BS)
Occupation	Figure skater television commentator
Height	1.60 m (5 ft 3 in)
Spouse(s)	Alex Clark ​ (m. 2023)​
Children	1
Personal information Country represented  United States Coach Rafael Arutyunyan Began skating 1996 Retired 2019

Ashley Elisabeth Wagner (born May 16, 1991) is a former American figure skater. She won a silver medal at the 2016 World Figure Skating Championships. She also earned a bronze medal at the 2014 Winter Olympics in the team event.

Wagner was the champion at the 2012 Four Continents Figure Skating Championships. She won three U.S. national titles in 2012, 2013, and 2015. At the junior level, she won two bronze medals at the World Junior Championships.

After retiring from competitive skating in 2019, Wagner became a television commentator. She now shares her knowledge of figure skating with fans.

About Ashley Wagner's Early Life

Ashley Wagner was born in 1991 in Heidelberg, Germany. Her father was in the U.S. Army, and her mother was a teacher. Ashley has a younger brother who also skated.

Because her father was in the army, Ashley's family moved many times. They moved nine times during her childhood. When she was ten, they settled in northern Virginia. Ashley was homeschooled for a while by her mother. She also attended West Potomac High School.

Ashley Wagner's Skating Journey

Starting to Skate

Ashley Wagner started figure skating when she was five years old. This was in Eagle River, Alaska. She chose skating over ballet because she didn't want to wear pink shoes! Ashley quickly showed talent. She won a gold medal at her very first competition.

In 1998, Ashley watched Tara Lipinski win gold at the Olympics. From that moment, Ashley decided she wanted to compete in the Olympics too. She trained in different places like Kansas City and Tacoma, Washington. Later, she moved to Portland, Oregon, and then to Alexandria, Virginia.

First National Competitions

In the 2002–03 season, Ashley competed at the U.S. Junior Figure Skating Championships. These are national events for younger skaters. She placed 17th at the Intermediate level. The next year, she moved up to the novice level. She won a silver medal at her regional competition.

Ashley qualified for her first main U.S. Championships in the 2004–05 season. She won her regional and sectional competitions. Competing at the novice level, she finished seventh at Nationals.

Junior International Debut

For the 2005–06 season, Ashley moved up to the junior level. She won her regional and sectional events again. At the 2006 U.S. Nationals, she finished fourth. This earned her a spot on the U.S. team for the Triglav Trophy in Slovenia. This was her first big international junior competition. She won first place there.

Winning Junior World Bronze

In the 2006–07 season, Ashley started competing in the Junior Grand Prix series. She won events in France and the Netherlands. These wins qualified her for the Junior Grand Prix Final in Bulgaria. There, she won the silver medal.

At the 2007 U.S. Nationals, Ashley placed third. This was her first time finishing in the top three at Nationals. She then went to the 2007 Junior Worlds in Germany. She won the bronze medal, helping the U.S. team sweep all three medals.

Moving to Senior Skating

Ashley moved up to the senior level for the 2007–08 season. She made her senior international debut at the 2007 Skate Canada International. She placed fifth overall. Two weeks later, she won her first senior international medal. This was a bronze at the 2007 Trophée Éric Bompard in France.

In January 2008, Ashley competed at the 2008 U.S. Nationals. She won the bronze medal overall. Because other medal winners were too young, Ashley was chosen for the Four Continents and World Championships teams. She finished eighth at the 2008 Four Continents and 16th at the 2008 World Championships. In June 2008, Ashley started working with a new coach, Priscilla Hill.

Second Junior World Bronze

Wagner displays her bronze medal at the 2009 NHK Trophy.

For the 2008–09 season, Ashley competed in the Grand Prix series. She finished fourth at the 2008 Cup of China and the 2008 NHK Trophy. She won the pewter medal at the 2009 U.S. Nationals. She then won her second junior world medal, a bronze, at the 2009 Junior Worlds in Bulgaria.

2009–10 Season Highlights

In the 2009–10 Grand Prix season, Ashley won a silver medal at the 2009 Rostelecom Cup. She also won a bronze medal at the 2009 NHK Trophy. These results helped her qualify for the Grand Prix Final, where she finished fourth. At the 2010 U.S. Nationals, Ashley won her second bronze medal.

New Training Environment

Before the 2010–11 season, Ashley faced some health challenges. She worked with specialists to overcome them. In June 2011, Ashley moved to Aliso Viejo, California. She began training with coaches John Nicks and Phillip Mills. This move was a big step for her career.

First National and Four Continents Titles

Wagner performs her free program at the 2012 Worlds.

Ashley started the 2011–12 season by winning a bronze medal at the 2011 Skate Canada International. At the 2012 U.S. Nationals, she won her first national title. This was a major achievement.

After her U.S. win, Ashley competed at the 2012 Four Continents Championships. She won the gold medal there. Her scores were among the highest for any female skater that season. At the World Championships, she finished fourth. This helped the U.S. secure two spots for the next World Championships.

Grand Prix Success and Second National Title

At her first Grand Prix event of the 2012–13 season, the 2012 Skate America, Ashley won her first gold medal in the series. She then won her second Grand Prix title at the 2012 Trophée Éric Bompard. These wins qualified her for the 2012 Grand Prix Final. She won the silver medal at the Final.

At the 2013 U.S. Championships, Ashley won her second national title in a row. She was the first U.S. female skater to do this since Michelle Kwan in 2005. Ashley placed fifth at the 2013 World Championships. This helped the U.S. earn three spots for the upcoming Olympics and World Championships. She also won second place at the 2013 World Team Trophy, where the U.S. team won gold. In June 2013, Ashley began training with Rafael Arutyunyan.

Sochi Olympics Experience

In the 2013–14 Grand Prix season, Ashley won a silver medal at 2013 Skate America. She then won gold at the 2013 Trophée Éric Bompard. This qualified her for the 2013–14 Grand Prix Final, where she won a bronze medal.

Ashley finished fourth at the 2014 U.S. Championships. Despite this, she was chosen for the U.S. team for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. This was due to her strong international record. At the Olympics, she won a team bronze medal. She then competed at the 2014 World Figure Skating Championships and finished seventh overall.

Third National Title

For the 2014–15 season, Ashley won silver at 2014 Skate Canada and bronze at 2014 Trophée Éric Bompard. She qualified for her third straight Grand Prix Final in Barcelona. She won a bronze medal there, her third consecutive medal at the Final.

At the 2015 U.S. Championships, Ashley won both the short and free programs. She set a new U.S. record score and won her third national championship. She was the first U.S. senior female skater to win three national titles since Michelle Kwan in 1999. At the 2015 World Championships, Ashley finished fifth. She also helped Team USA win gold at the 2015 World Team Trophy.

Winning a World Medal

Ashley's Grand Prix assignments for the 2015–16 season were 2015 Skate Canada International and 2015 NHK Trophy. She won gold at Skate Canada and placed fourth at NHK Trophy. These results qualified her for the 2015–16 Grand Prix Final, where she finished fourth. At the 2016 U.S. Championships, Ashley won the bronze medal.

Wagner (left) holds her silver medal at the 2016 World Championships podium

Ashley competed at the 2016 World Championships in Boston. She set personal best scores in both her short and free programs. Her performances earned her the silver medal. She was the first American woman to win a medal at the World Championships in ten years. Ashley finished her season by helping Team North America win gold at the 2016 KOSÉ Team Challenge Cup.

2016–17 Season and Beyond

In August 2016, Ashley worked on improving her spins. She started her Grand Prix season at 2016 Skate America, where she won gold again. This made her the first American woman since Michelle Kwan to regain a Skate America title.

At the 2016 Cup of China, Ashley finished sixth. She did not qualify for the Grand Prix Final. However, she quickly bounced back. She won her first silver medal at the 2017 U.S. Championships. At the 2017 World Championships, Ashley placed seventh. Her placement helped Team USA secure three spots for the 2018 Olympics. She finished her season by helping Team USA win the bronze medal at the 2017 World Team Trophy.

For the 2017–18 Olympic season, Ashley chose music from La La Land for her free skate. She won a bronze medal at 2017 Skate Canada International. Ashley withdrew from her second Grand Prix event due to an ankle infection. She finished fourth at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships. She was named as the first alternate for the 2018 Winter Olympic team.

In August 2019, Ashley Wagner officially retired from competitive skating.

Ashley Wagner's Skating Style

Ashley Wagner spins and jumps in a clockwise direction. She was known for successfully landing difficult triple-triple jump combinations. Her special moves included a Charlotte spiral and a bent-leg layover camel spin.

Life After Competitive Skating

Wagner in attendance at the 2025 World Championships

Since retiring from competitive figure skating, Ashley Wagner has become a figure skating commentator. She works for NBC and Peacock.

In 2023, she started a figure skating podcast called "The Runthrough." She hosts it with fellow skaters Adam Rippon and Sarah Hughes. Also in 2023, Ashley graduated from Northeastern University with a degree in Psychology. She now works as a Mental Performance Intern. This means she helps people deal with mental challenges that might affect their performance.

Ashley Wagner's Personal Life

Ashley Wagner has lived in many different places. These include Germany, Delaware, California, Alaska, Kansas, Washington state, and Virginia. She currently lives in Boston, Massachusetts. She considers Seabeck, Washington her home. Ashley speaks a little German in addition to English.

In 2017, Ashley posed for ESPN’s The Body Issue magazine. She wanted to show people what a figure skater's body truly looks like. She explained that skaters are strong and lean athletes. They use a lot of energy on the ice.

In September 2023, Ashley announced her engagement to Alex Clark. In December of the same year, they welcomed their first child, a daughter named Rosalie Starbird Clark.

Sponsorships

Ashley Wagner has had several sponsorships during her career. In November 2012, Nike began sponsoring her. In December, she became a style ambassador for Pandora Jewelry. In October 2013, Ashley was named a face of CoverGirl.

Ashley Wagner's Programs

Wagner performs her free skate at the 2012–13 Grand Prix Final.

Wagner performs her short program at the 2012–13 Grand Prix Final.

Wagner performs her exhibition Fever at the 2008 NHK Trophy.

Competitive Highlights

GP: Grand Prix; JGP: Junior Grand Prix

2006–07 to 2017–18

2001–02 to 2005–06

Detailed Results

Small medals for short program and free skating awarded only at ISU Championships. Pewter medals for fourth-place finishes awarded only at U.S. national and regional events. At team events, medals awarded for team results only.

Senior Level

Wagner at the 2014–15 GP Final medal ceremony

Wagner at the 2012–13 GP Final medal ceremony

Wagner at the 2011 Skate Canada medal ceremony

Wagner at the 2009 NHK Trophy medal ceremony

Junior Level

Wagner at the 2006 JGP Netherlands

• QR = Qualifying round

See also

In Spanish: Ashley Wagner para niños