Ashley Elisabeth Wagner (Born May 16, 1991 at Heidelberg, Germany) is an American figure skater. Ashley is the 2012 Four Continents champion, the 2012 Grand Prix Final silver medalist, a gold medalist at three Grand Prix events - 2012 Skate America, 2012 and 2013 Trophee Eric Bompard, and a two-time U.S. national champion (2012 and 2013). Her highest World Championship placement is fourth in 2012. Unlike most skaters, Wagner spins and jumps clockwise.
Ashley is the first baby and only daughter of Lieutenant Colonel Eric Wagner, U.S. Army (retired) and Melissa James, a former schoolteacher. A military brat, Wagner was born on a U.S. Army Base in Heidelberg, Germany, where her father was stationed at the time. Wagner currently lives in southern California, but considers Seabeck, Washington her home.
Wagner started skating at age five in Eagle River, Alaska. According to her mother, Wagner began to show pledge near the beginning and won a gold medal at her first competition. In 1998, Wagner watched Tara Lipinski win the gold medal at the 1998 Winter Olympics on television. From that moment, she strong-willed that she wanted to compete in the Olympics.
In the 2002 - 2003 seasons, Wagner qualified for the U.S. Junior Figure Skating Championships. Wagner positioned 17th at the Intermediate level. In the 2004 - 2005 seasons, Wagner qualified for her first U.S. Championships after placing first at both the Northwest Pacific Regionals and the Pacific Coast Sectionals. Competing on the novice level, she placed seventh at Nationals.
In the 2005 - 2006 seasons, Wagner moved up to the junior level. She won both the Northwest Pacific Regional and Pacific Coast Sectional competitions again to qualify for the National Championships. At the 2006 U.S. Nationals in St. Louis, Missouri, Wagner finished fourth on the junior level, earning the pewter medal.
In the 2006 - 2007 seasons, Wagner made her Junior Grand Prix debut. She won both the Junior Grand Prix event in Courchevel, France, and the event in The Hague, Netherlands and qualified her for the Junior Grand Prix Final in Sofia, Bulgaria, she won the silver medal.
At the 2007 U.S. Nationals in Spokane, Washington, Wagner placed third and placed herself in the World Junior Championships team. She won bronze medal in the 2007 National Championships first time. In 2007 Junior Worlds in Oberstdorf, Germany, she landed seven triple jumps in her long program and earned an overall personal best of 157.15 and finished game with the bronze medal.
Wagner made her senior international debut at the 2007 Skate Canada International at Quebec City, Quebec. She won her first senior international medal at the 2007 Trophee Eric Bompard in Paris, France.
In January 2008, Wagner competed on the senior level for the first time in U.S. Nationals at St. Paul, Minnesota. She finished with second in the short program. In 2009, Wagner won the pewter medal at and represented the United States at the 2009 Junior Worlds in Sofia, Bulgaria where she placed third. Wagner won the silver medal at the 2009 Rostelecom Cup.
At the 2010 U.S. Nationals, Wagner won her second bronze medal. She was placed on the team to the 2010 Junior Worlds, but withdrew from the team before the event. At 2010 Cup of Russia she won the bronze medal. Wagner began the 2011 - 12 seasons at the 2011 Skate Canada International. She placed second in the short program and third in the freeskate to win the bronze medal overall. In 2012 Skate America, Wagner placed first in both programs and won her first gold on the GP series.
Wagner won silver in the 2013 Skate America. She won gold in Trophee Eric Bompard and qualified for the 2013 - 14 Grand Prix Final. Wagner won bronze at the final in October 2013, Wagner was named as a face of CoverGirl.
Wagner is the first American woman since Michelle Kwan to qualify for three consecutive Grand Prix Finals. At the Grand Prix Final, Wagner placed sixth in the short program and third in the long program to win the bronze medal. The bronze is Wagner's third consecutive Grand Prix Final medal.
