Gracie Gold facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Gracie Gold
Gold at the 2015 Skate America
Personal information
Full name	Grace Elizabeth Gold
Country represented	United States
Born	(1995-08-17) August 17, 1995 (age 29) Newton, Massachusetts, United States
Home town	Wilmington, Delaware
Height	1.68 m (5 ft 6 in)
Coach	Alex Zahradnicek Pavel Filchenkov
Skating club	IceWorks Skating Club, Aston
Began skating	2003

Grace Elizabeth Gold (born August 17, 1995), known as Gracie Gold, is an American figure skater. She won a bronze medal at the 2014 Winter Olympics in the team event. She is also a six-time Grand Prix medalist, winning two gold medals. Gracie is a two-time U.S. national champion (2014, 2016).

At the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, Gold finished 4th in the ladies' singles event. As a junior skater, she earned a silver medal at the 2012 World Junior Championships. She was also the 2011 JGP Estonia champion and the 2012 U.S. junior national champion.

In 2014, Gracie Gold became the first American woman to win the NHK Trophy title in the Grand Prix Series. She also holds the record for the highest short program score ever by an American woman (76.43 points). She achieved this at the 2016 World Championships in Boston.

Gracie Gold is a strong supporter of mental health awareness. She was featured in the HBO Sports Documentary The Weight of Gold (2020). Her book, Outofshapeworthlessloser: A Memoir of Figure Skating, F*cking Up, and Figuring It Out, became a The New York Times Bestseller in February 2024.

About Gracie Gold

Grace Elizabeth Gold was born on August 17, 1995, in Newton, Massachusetts. Her mother, Denise, is an ER nurse, and her father, Carl Gold, is an anesthesiologist. Gracie has a fraternal twin sister named Carly Gold, who is 40 minutes younger and also used to compete in figure skating.

Gracie grew up in different places, including Springfield, Missouri, Springfield, Illinois, and Corpus Christi, Texas. She attended Glenwood High School for ninth grade. After that, she switched to online education through the University of Missouri. To help with her skating, she also took ballet lessons.

Gracie has openly shared her experiences with mental health challenges. She has spoken about getting help to feel better and to find a healthier way to approach her sport. She was featured in The Weight of Gold (2020), an HBO Sports Documentary. This film looks at the mental health challenges that Olympic athletes sometimes face. Gracie has said, "Yes, things could be better, but look how far I've come."

Gracie's Skating Journey

Gracie Gold started skating when she was 8 years old. This happened after she went to a friend's birthday party at a local ice rink in Springfield, Missouri. She trained with several coaches as she grew up. These coaches included Amy Vorhaben, Max Liu, Alexia Griffin, Susan Liss, Toni Hickey, and Alex Ouriashev.

Early in her career, Gracie also competed in pairs with Sean Hickey. They finished eighth in juvenile pairs at the 2007 U.S. Junior Championships.

At the 2010 U.S. Championships, Gracie placed fourth at the novice level. The next season, she competed as a junior. However, she did not qualify for the national championships. After this, she worked hard to improve her technical skills for the next season.

2011–12 Season: Junior Success

Gold (left) won the silver medal at the 2012 Junior World Championships

Gracie made her first international appearance at the Junior Grand Prix in Tallinn, Estonia. She won a gold medal there. She then qualified for the 2012 U.S. Championships at the junior level. She won both the short and long programs, earning the gold medal. Her total score of 178.92 points was a record for a junior lady at the U.S. Championships. Gracie won gold in all seven competitions she entered that season before the U.S. Championships.

Next, she competed at the 2012 World Junior Championships in Minsk, Belarus. Gracie won the silver medal at this important event.

Gracie was chosen for the U.S. team for the 2012 World Team Trophy. This was her first senior international competition. She finished fifth overall. Team USA earned the silver medal in the team event.

2012–13 Season: Senior Debut

Gracie Gold skates her free program at the 2012 Rostelecom Cup

Gracie finished seventh in her first senior Grand Prix event, the 2012 Skate Canada. She then worked on her focus and programs. At her second Grand Prix event, the 2012 Rostelecom Cup, she won the silver medal.

At her first senior U.S. Nationals, Gracie placed ninth in the short program. However, she came back strong to win the free skate. She earned the silver medal overall. She then competed at the 2013 Four Continents, finishing sixth. At the 2013 World Championships, she placed sixth overall. Her finish, along with teammate Ashley Wagner's, helped the U.S. women secure three spots for the 2014 Winter Olympics.

At the 2013 World Team Trophy in Tokyo, Gracie placed third in both the short and free programs. This helped Team USA win the team gold medal.

2013–14 Season: National Title and Olympic Medal

Gold at the 2014 US Championships

Gracie changed coaches in August 2013. She began training with Frank Carroll in September 2013.

During the 2013–14 ISU Grand Prix series, Gracie competed at the 2013 Skate Canada. She placed first in the short program and won the bronze medal overall. At the 2013 NHK Trophy, she finished fourth.

At the 2014 U.S. Championships, Gracie placed first in the short program with a record score. She then won the free skate with another record score, securing her first senior national title. She was chosen for the U.S. team for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. She won a bronze medal in the Olympic team event. She finished fourth in the ladies' singles event. Gracie was also assigned to the 2014 World Championships in Japan, where she placed fifth overall.

2014–15 Season: NHK Trophy Win

Gracie (right) during Skate America 2014 victory caremony.

Gracie started her season at the 2014 Nebelhorn Trophy, where she won the bronze medal. For the 2014–15 ISU Grand Prix season, she competed at the 2014 Skate America and the 2014 NHK Trophy. She won bronze at Skate America and gold at NHK Trophy. This was her first win at a Grand Prix event, and the first time an American woman won the NHK Trophy. She qualified for her first Grand Prix Final. However, she had to withdraw due to a foot injury.

Gracie won a silver medal at the 2015 U.S. Championships. At the 2015 Four Continents Championships, she finished fourth overall.

At the 2015 World Championships, Gracie placed fourth overall. This was her highest placement at a World Championship at that time.

Gracie competed for Team USA at the 2015 World Team Trophy. She placed first in the short program with a record score for an American woman. Team USA placed first overall.

2015–16 Season: Second National Title

Gold (left) on the podium at 2015 Skate America, with Evgenia Medvedeva (center) and Satoko Miyahara (right)

Gracie won the silver medal at 2015 Skate America. She then placed first in the short program at 2015 Trophée Éric Bompard. This event was cancelled due to safety concerns. The short program results were counted as final. This secured Gracie a spot in the 2015 Grand Prix Final, where she placed fifth.

Gold performing her free skate at the 2015 GPF.

On January 23, Gracie earned her second National title at the 2016 U.S. Championships. She then placed fifth at the 2016 Four Continents Championships.

Gracie competed at the 2016 World Championships in Boston. She placed first in the short program with a score of 76.43. This was the highest short program score ever recorded by an American woman. She finished fourth place overall. To end her season, Gracie helped Team North America win the gold medal at the 2016 KOSÉ Team Challenge Cup.

2016–17 Season: Facing Challenges

Gracie started her season at the 2016 Japan Open. She helped Team North America win the bronze medal. At 2016 Skate America, Gracie faced challenges and finished fifth overall. Her struggles continued at the 2016 Trophée de France, where she placed eighth.

In late 2016, Gracie began working with her former coach, Alex Ouriashev. She also continued to be coached by Frank Carroll. She finished sixth at the 2017 U.S. Championships. For the first time in her senior career, she was not chosen for the Four Continents and World Championship teams. After this, Frank Carroll announced they would no longer work together. Gracie later announced that Marina Zoueva and Oleg Epstein would be her new trainers.

2017–18 Season: Focus on Well-being

Gracie withdrew from several competitions, including the Japan Open and two Grand Prix events. She did this to focus on her well-being and treatment. She later withdrew from U.S. Nationals as well. At the end of the season, it was reported that Gracie was hired as a coach in Arizona.

2018–19 Season: Comeback Efforts

Gracie Gold at the 2018 Rostelecom Cup.

In June 2018, it was announced that Gracie would return to competition at the 2018 Rostelecom Cup. Her coach was Vincent Restencourt. At the 2018 Rostelecom Cup, she faced difficulties in the short program. Gracie later announced she would withdraw from the free skate. She said she did this to protect her mental health and confidence. She then worked towards the 2019 US Nationals. However, she withdrew to prepare more for the next season. She also stated her goal was to compete at the 2022 Winter Olympics.

2019–2020 Season

Gracie competed in domestic events to earn a spot at the 2020 U.S. Championships. Videos showed her practicing difficult jumps. At the 2020 U.S. South Atlantic Regional Championships, she placed third. She then won the bronze medal at the 2020 Eastern Sectional Championships, qualifying for Nationals. She finished twelfth at the national championships.

2020–2021 Season

Gracie was chosen for U.S. Figure Skating's international selection pool. This meant she could compete in international events. She was assigned to compete at the 2020 Skate America, where she finished twelfth.

Gracie placed thirteenth at the 2021 U.S. Championships.

2021–2022 Season

At the 2022 U.S. Championships, Gracie was sixth after the short program. She finished tenth overall after the free skate.

2022–2023 Season

Gracie shared her goal for the new season: to show that she is "really, really good" and "really competitive." She won the bronze medal at the Philadelphia Summer International. In this event, she became the oldest female skater to land a triple Lutz-triple toe loop combination in international competition, at age 27. Gracie placed twelfth at the 2022 CS Nebelhorn Trophy and sixth at the 2022 Skate America.

Endorsements

In October 2013, Gracie Gold became a face of CoverGirl. She appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated's February 2014 issue, GQ Japan, and Teen Vogue. She was named the 2014 Sportswoman of the Year by the Los Angeles Council. She is also an ambassador for the KOSÉ Infinity beauty product.

Gracie is sponsored by several companies. These include John Wilson (her blade manufacturer), Edea (her skating boot manufacturer), Visa, United Airlines, Procter & Gamble, Red Bull, and Nike.

Programs

Competitive Highlights

Gracie Gold at the 2014 Skate America podium

Gracie Gold at the 2013 Skate Canada podium

Gracie Gold at the 2012 Rostelecom Cup podium

Detailed Results

Gold at the 2015–16 Grand Prix Final

Gold at the 2012 World Team Trophy

Gold at the 2012 Rostelecom Cup

Senior Level Results

Results in the 2011–12 season 

Date	Event	SP		FS		Total
		P	Score	P	Score	P	Score
Apr 18–22, 2012	2012 World Team Trophy	4	59.07	5	110.58	2 (5)	169.65

Results in the 2012–13 season 

Date	Event	SP		FS		Total
		P	Score	P	Score	P	Score
Sep 12–16, 2012	2012 U.S. International Classic	2	59.37	1	111.78	2	171.15
Oct 26–28, 2012	2012 Skate Canada International	9	52.19	6	99.38	7	151.57
Nov 9–11, 2012	2012 Rostelecom Cup	1	62.16	2	112.87	2	175.03
Jan 19–27, 2013	2013 U.S. Championships	9	54.08	1	132.49	2	186.57
Feb 8–11, 2013	2013 Four Continents Championships	5	60.36	6	106.30	6	166.66
Mar 11–17, 2013	2013 World Championships	9	58.85	5	125.40	6	184.25
Apr 11–14, 2013	2013 World Team Trophy	3	60.98	3	127.05	1 (3)	188.03

Results in the 2013–14 season 

Date	Event	SP		FS		Total
		P	Score	P	Score	P	Score
Sep 11–15, 2013	2013 U.S. International Classic	1	58.49	3	106.19	2	164.68
Oct 25–27, 2013	2013 Skate Canada International	1	69.45	3	117.20	3	186.65
Nov 8–10, 2013	2013 NHK Trophy	4	62.83	3	114.98	4	177.81
Jan 5–12, 2014	2014 U.S. Championships	1	72.12	1	139.57	1	211.69
Feb 6–9, 2014	2014 Winter Olympics (Team event)	–	–	2	129.38	3	–
Feb 19–20, 2014	2014 Winter Olympics	4	68.63	5	136.90	4	205.53
Mar 24–30, 2014	2014 World Championships	5	70.31	7	124.27	5	194.58

Results in the 2014–15 season 

Date	Event	SP		FS		Total
		P	Score	P	Score	P	Score
Sep 25–27, 2014	2014 Nebelhorn Trophy	3	61.82	2	120.49	3	182.31
Oct 24–26, 2014	2014 Skate America	3	60.81	3	118.57	3	179.38
Nov 28–30, 2014	2014 NHK Trophy	1	68.16	1	123.00	1	191.16
Jan 18–25, 2015	2015 U.S. Championships	2	67.02	2	138.52	2	205.54
Feb 9–15, 2015	2015 Four Continents Championships	2	62.67	5	113.91	4	176.58
Mar 23–29, 2015	2015 World Championships	8	60.73	2	128.23	4	188.96
Apr 16–19, 2015	2015 World Team Trophy	1	71.26	5	124.29	1 (3)	195.55

Results in the 2015–16 season 

Date	Event	SP		FS		Total
		P	Score	P	Score	P	Score
Oct 3, 2015	2015 Japan Open	–	–	6	114.53	2	–
Oct 23–25, 2015	2015 Skate America	2	65.39	1	137.41	2	202.80
Nov 13, 2015	2015 Trophée Éric Bompard	1	73.32	–	–	1	–
Dec 10–13, 2015	2015–16 Grand Prix Final	5	66.52	5	128.27	5	194.79
Jan 15–23, 2016	2016 U.S. Championships	2	62.50	1	147.96	1	210.46
Feb 16–21, 2016	2016 Four Continents Championships	9	57.26	3	121.13	5	178.39
Mar 28 – Apr 3, 2016	2016 World Championships	1	76.43	6	134.86	4	211.29
Apr 22–24, 2016	2016 Team Challenge Cup	2	71.34	1	142.00	1 (4)	213.34

Note: The 2015 Trophée Éric Bompard was cancelled after the November 2015 Paris attacks. The short programs had been completed on November 13, but the free skating was to be held the next day. On November 23, the International Skating Union announced that the short program results would be considered as the final results for the competition.

Results in the 2016–17 season 

Date	Event	SP		FS		Total
		P	Score	P	Score	P	Score
Oct 1, 2016	2016 Japan Open	–	–	6	108.24	3	–
Oct 21–23, 2016	2016 Skate America	3	64.87	5	119.35	5	184.22
Nov 11–13, 2016	2016 Trophée de France	10	54.87	8	111.02	8	165.89
Dec 8–11, 2016	2016 CS Golden Spin of Zagreb	8	54.04	5	104.98	6	159.02
Jan 14–22, 2017	2017 U.S. Championships	5	64.85	9	114.77	6	179.62

Results in the 2018–19 season 

Date	Event	SP		FS		Total
		P	Score	P	Score	P	Score
Nov 16–18, 2018	2018 Rostelecom Cup	10	37.51	–	–	–	WD

Results in the 2019–20 season 

Date	Event	SP		FS		Total
		P	Score	P	Score	P	Score
Jan 20–26, 2020	2020 U.S. Championships	13	54.51	12	107.24	12	161.75

Results in the 2020–21 season 

Date	Event	SP		FS		Total
		P	Score	P	Score	P	Score
Oct 23–24, 2020	2020 Skate America	12	46.36	12	81.46	12	127.82
Jan 11–21, 2021	2021 U.S. Championships	12	53.88	13	95.17	13	149.05

Results in the 2021–22 season 

Date	Event	SP		FS		Total
		P	Score	P	Score	P	Score
Aug 11–15, 2021	2021 Cranberry Cup International	15	44.94	12	93.75	13	138.69
Jan 2–9, 2022	2022 U.S. Championships	6	67.61	12	104.31	10	171.92

Results in the 2022–23 season 

Date	Event	SP		FS		Total
		P	Score	P	Score	P	Score
Aug 4–7, 2022	2022 Philadelphia Summer International	3	67.01	3	113.25	3	180.26
Sep 21–24, 2022	2022 CS Nebelhorn Trophy	15	45.08	12	93.81	12	138.89
Oct 21–23, 2022	2022 Skate America	5	64.18	6	109.91	6	174.09
Nov 9–13, 2022	2022 CS Ice Challenge	7	55.00	12	99.22	9	154.22
Jan 26–28, 2023	2023 U.S. Championships	5	67.44	11	106.54	8	173.98

Junior Level Results

Results in the 2011–12 season 

Date	Event	SP		FS		Total
		P	Score	P	Score	P	Score
Oct 12–15, 2011	2011 JGP Estonia	1	60.18	1	112.51	1	172.69
Jan 22–29, 2012	2012 U.S. Championships (Junior)	1	60.21	1	118.71	1	178.92
Feb 27 – Mar 4, 2012	2012 World Junior Championships	2	58.00	2	113.85	2	171.85

See also

In Spanish: Gracie Gold para niños