Body Language Of Olympic Figure Skater Ashley Wagner – A Facial Expression Of Olympic Proportions.
Christopher Philip
U.S. figure skater Ashley Wagner has made quite the impression over the 2014 Olympics in Sochi Russia with her very dramatic facial expressions. At the time, Japan’s Mao Asada was leading with the highest score thus far despite the fact that she had fallen during her routine. As the disappointing scores were revealed to Wagner, she couldn’t hold back her emotions.
Wagner’s eyes and face tell the honest story of her underlying emotions. Most athletes, and people for that matter, burry their emotions, especially when they deal with defeat. While intense emotions of grief and the exhilaration of success leak out as a matter of intensity, the more minor expressions of annoyance, especially surrounding the subjective decisions of judges, are usually kept with a tight lip.
However, this photograph of Wagner is unmistakably honest; she isn’t pleased! It was captured as she viewed her scores for her short figure skating program. Most evident is her displays of the flexation of the grief muscles, it’s the muscle located in between the eyebrows and universally signals anger and discomfort. Her eyebrows are also lowered to strengthen the anger subtext. Her mouth pulls open to signal surprise, while her eyes squint together just a touch indicating disbelief at what she is seeing. Contempt is also mildly present with slightly flared nostrils. You can see this in her left nostril the most.
The animated video clip making the rounds is even more revealing showing five distinct stages as she roils. First her jaw drops in shock, then her face contorts in anger, she nods in stunned disbelief, turns her head and mouths the word “bulls—t” to the person to her side, then she claps politely.
