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Ashley Wagner of Alexandria, Va., finished third at the World Junior Championships and Trophee Eric Bompard |
Birth Date May 16, 1991 |
| Hometown Alexandria, Virginia |
| Training Town Alexandria, Virginia |
| Home Club Washington FSC |
| Coach Shirley Hughes |
| Choreographer Jill Shipstad-Thomas |
Ashley Wagner has her eyes set on the World Championships. Wagner is making her senior debut at Nationals after finishing third as a junior last season. In a year when many of her rivals are too young to make the World team, Wagner may very likely meet her goal.
It's not just the luck of where her birthday falls—Wagner has already proven she can compete with the big girls after a highly successful start to the season on the senior Grand Prix. She finished fifth at her senior international debut at Skate Canada and won bronze at Trophee Eric Bompard in Paris, where she recorded a new personal best total score.
Wagner has been working on developing her artistry this season, an admitted weakness to her skating in the past. Her short program to King Henry VIII and long program to Jealousy are a step in a new direction. "This year I really wanted to challenge myself and my skating ability. We chose more mature pieces that basically forced my skating to develop," Wagner said in an October interview with Figure Skaters Online.
During her free time, Wagner, whose mother is an elementary school teacher, often speaks at community school events, letting children know that school and sports can go together. She also enjoys shopping and vacationing in her home state of Washington.
For more information on Ashley Wagner, visit figureskatersonline.com/ashleywagner.
Figure Skaters Online's Guide to the 2008 U.S. Championships is
written and produced by Figure Skaters Online in cooperation with the athletes and staff.
Photographs are courtesy of Leah Adams unless otherwise noted.