Update on Rachael Flatt

[maureenfarone]

Here is a link to an article about Rachael Flatt http://www.stanforddaily.com/2013/01...d-off-the-ice/

[victoriaheidi]

Honestly, I think being an RA and being a competitive figure skater would be incredibly challenging. Good for her for being so accepting, though, and for finding things that she loves outside of skating. Rachael has everything she needs for success!

Side note: she's injured; I wonder how she's doing with the urban dance group?

[Iceman]

It doesn't sound hopeful that she will return to competitive skating, but she seems to have a healthy attitude about that.

[Jammers]

I think skating has passed her by. Just watching the Ladies tonight she couldn't compete at that level.

[kittyjake5]

Thank you for posting the upbeat article! I knew that Rachael was injured and not competing at Nationals but I still missed her.

She sounds wonderfully happy at school and has a realistic view about her skating career. GO Rachael!

[B.Cooper]

I think skating has passed her by. Just watching the Ladies tonight she couldn't compete at that level.

I think that it is more that the last several years of chronic injuries have caught up with Flatt. Healthy and well trained, I think she could still be competitive. But three seasons of being injured have taken their toll. She certainly brought passion to her performances in her last few seasons, ESP at Nationals.

OTOH, Flatt has obviously made good decisions to stay off the ice and heal, and focus on school,etc. just too many injuries for the elite skaters the last few seasons. Hope they all take the time to heal properly.

[TheIronLady]

She will be back. She has some street smart, urban moves she's planning to unveil.

[overedge]

The article was a little unclear. Is she still training two/three hours a day, five days a week?

(And shame on the Stanford newspaper for misspelling February in the photo caption....)

[Sylvia]

The article was a little unclear. Is she still training two/three hours a day, five days a week?

Doesn't sound like it from this part of the article:

She only recently began training again for an exhibition show in February.

“At this point it’s just a day-by day thing,” Flatt said. “I’m not entirely sure if I will be able to return and compete again, which would be disappointing, but I really hope I can get back out there and do some more work.”

ETA: 2013 is the first Nationals in which Flatt has not competed since she won the Novice title in 2005.

[FunnyBut]

She has such great perspective for such a young person.

She will be back. She has some street smart, urban moves she's planning to unveil.

Still, I'm a bit scared of hip-hop Rapping Rachael

[TheIronLady]

I do want Flatt to come back because she's a good role model to skaters for academics, as are Christina Gao and Armin Mahbanoozadeh. Skating is one sport that has a lot of bright competitors, and it's great to see diversity in what people are doing while they train.

[peibeck]

I give props too all these amazing athletes who can juggle rigorous academics and their skating at the same time, no matter what the result. As for Rachael, even if she doesn't come back, at least she got to go out with a crowd pleasing skate in San Jose last year. Good luck to her whatever may come!

[Alex Forrest]

She will be back. She has some street smart, urban moves she's planning to unveil.

LOL. I know you can tell she's really street when it comes down to it. Jody I heard was a member of the Crips at one time. Rachael even kicked a 10 year old Serena's ass right there right now on the streets of Compton. Don't mess with Rachael, or her freezing mom.
They cut, or so I have heard.

[TheIronLady]

Here is a video Rachael posted of her first encounters with the culture of Stanford's dangerous streets.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXuNa_h804c

[Alex Forrest]

I just have a feeling her double chin doesn't garner cred in LA. Just saying, but love the video. I knew it too, oops..

[Southpaw]

I was looking for Rachael in that video but I only saw Dorothy Hamill.

[overedge]

I just have a feeling her double chin doesn't garner cred in LA.

She does not have a double chin.

[demetriosj]

I think skating has passed her by. Just watching the Ladies tonight she couldn't compete at that level.

yah, too bad figure skating is the only worthy thing to pursue in the entire world.....too bad she is studying medicine at Stanford, poor thing...(sarcasm on) Who cares if you think she couldn't compete at that level?

[NadineWhite]

Excellent excellent article!

This is another reason why I've always admired Rachael, her positive attitude, just an all around good American kid, which is reflected in the way she skates. J O Y!

And if she eventually does call it quits, she can be happy she went out a winner, literally ~ 2005 US Novice Champion, 2008 Jr. World Champion, 2010 US National Champion ~ as well as an Olympian, and she went to Worlds three times. Not many skaters can say the same thing. What an accomplishment.

However, if she does eventually return to *competitve* skating I hope she listens to her body first & foremost, and it looks like she has, Thank God!!!! Seriously, too many skaters have been pushing their bodies too soon too fast after injury/surgery and as a result have seen their return sidelined by injury once again (e.g. Evan Lysacek, Evgeni Plushenko, Alissa Czisny, and mayhap even John Couglin if he returns too soon). Instead I say take a note from Gracie Gold & Courtney Hicks, whom both were injured in the past, took a year off, and now look where they are at!

Lastly, a doctor, a DOCTOR, what a wonderful one Rachael will make with her perpetual smile and sunny outlook... *insert sunshine emoticon*

[Ziggy]

I think she's going to quietly retire now.