Ashley Wagner said she was “absolutely furious,” underscored and that she deserved a spot on the three-woman U.S. Olympic team despite finishing fourth at nationals on Friday.
A full event recap is here. Here are some of Wagner’s comments:
“I’m furious. I am absolutely furious,” Wagner, a three-time U.S. champion, Olympian and 2016 World silver medalist, said minutes after the event ended. “I know when I go and I lay it down, and I absolutely left one jump on the table. But for me to put out two programs that I did at this competition, as solid as I skated, and to get those scores, I am furious, and I think deservedly so. I am a performer, and that second mark is just not there.”
“I am absolutely OK with [judges] being strict on my [jump] rotations. That’s what I think that U.S. Figure Skating should demand of their judges, but you know it needs to be across the board. I don’t necessarily feel like it’s been that way at this event, so we’ll see how things pan out.”
“Even though I’m mad about my score, that [free] program was such an experience for me. I skated with heart. I took a program that’s a month old, and I delivered something that was solid and something I’m proud of. It definitely can use a little bit more legwork, but that’s because it’s a month old. It was the right call, and I have no doubt in my mind that ‘La La Land’ was the program that was going to get me where I wanted to be.
“At this point it’s up to the selection committee to see what I have done this season. I don’t like this position that I’m in. You can always say that I put myself in this spot, but I think I had some help getting there.”
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