Olympian Gracie Gold to participate in 500 Festival

The 500 Festival struck gold with one of the celebrities coming to Indianapolis. Gracie Gold, that is.

The 18-year-old figure skater, who is competing at the Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia, joins Olivia Newton-John and Ronan Tynan as participants in May programs.

Gold, the U.S. national champion, was in fourth place Wednesday night after the women’s short program at the Olympics. She has already won a bronze medal in the team event.

Thursday’s free skate will decide the medals in women’s figure skating.

Megan Bulla, communications manager for the 500 Festival, said the organization reached out to Gold and the skater wanted to attend.

“We lucked out a little bit,” Bulla said.

Gold has been invited to walk the red carpet in the Snakepit Ball on May 24 at the Indiana Roof Ballroom, and also to walk the red carpet before the Indianapolis 500 the next day. She will be a VIP participant in the parade.

Gold was born in Newton, Mass., and trains in Los Angeles. She grew up in Springfield, Mo., and calls that her hometown. She first came to international prominence when she won the 2012 World Junior Championships at Minsk, Belarus.

The skater is coached by Frank Carroll, whose protégés have included Michelle Kwan and Evan Lysacek, among others. Carroll has complained about the scoring in Sochi, especially with marks awarded to 15-year-old Julia Lipnitskaya of host Russia.

“I think Gracie skates like a woman,” Carroll told USA Today. “I think she skates like a young lady, like a youngster, not like a kid. She doesn’t skate like a kid. There’s a maturity to it.”

Newton-John, a 65-year-old Australian, is a four-time Grammy winner. She was previously announced as a 500 Festival participant and is coming with her nephew, driver Emerson Newton-John. Newton-John, a breast cancer survivor, supports a charity co-founded by her nephew for breast and prostate cancer awareness.

Tynan, 53, who won seven medals at the 1984 and 1988 Paralympics, is an Irish tenor, orthopedist and motivational speaker. He sang “Amazing Grace” at President Ronald Reagan’s funeral and has often performed “God Bless America” at Yankee Stadium.

Call Star reporter David Woods at (317) 444-6195.