ST. PAUL – Gracie Gold’s music had reached its final note. She stood in the center of the ice, her long program complete. She threw her head back and thrust her arms into the air.
Was it in triumph? Or was it simply relief?
“I was living in the moment,” she said. “I did it. I was done. Ah...”
On Thursday night, Gold stood at that same spot shaking her head, having inexplicably turned a triple-triple combination into one measly single jump in the short program. She explained the mistake by saying she was “flummoxed.”
She went from “flummoxed” to national champion in 48 hours.