- Joined
- Jul 11, 2003
Everyone agrees: Cohen, Flat, but who will be the third skater?I think this is a very likely scenario.
Everyone agrees: Cohen, Flat, but who will be the third skater?I think this is a very likely scenario.
In what way has USFS wet their pants over Sasha's return?
All I see is that she announced her intention to compete and they ran a news story on their website, same as they run stories about any other off-season news regarding the current elite skaters. (Mostly coaching changes lately.)
Everyone agrees: Cohen, Flat, but who will be the third skater?
There were no big announcements, newsconferences and quotes in the papers that Alissa Czisny has been offered a spot in Skate America, and she has accepted! Or Rachael Flatt has been offered a place in Skate America, and she has accepted!
Everyone else except Sasha has to wait for the meeting and see how it turns out for them. Or, if they do know something in advance, that news was not released to great fanfare two weeks before the formal draw.
In fact, I think it is worse than that. As I read the selection criteria, I think the only thing that matters is medalling in the Grand Prix final against strong competion.
We can already see that USFS is not impressed with Rachael's fifth place finish at Worlds and Caroline's fourth place at Four Continents. If that counted for anything, USFS would not be wetting its pants over Sasha's return.
Are we talking about USFS being impressed enough with Rachael and Caroline to name them to the Olympic team if they medal at Nationals? Or being impressed enough to invite them to Skate America?
gkelly said:Because medaling at last year's GPF is not "the only thing that matters" in terms of this year's invitations.
I thought Hersh was promoting Sasha more than the USFS. I haven/t heard anything further on Sasha since the announcement that she was accepted for SA.No, I meant not impressed enough to be promoting Rachael and Caroline as enthusiastically as they are promoting Sasha.
Maybe I am blaming the USFSA for the reaction of the general new media. After Sasha's announcement several newpapers ran stories along the lines, thank goodness Sasha is coming back since our present group of ladies is so awful.
As for the USFSA itself, the news stories on the USFS and Icenetwork sites did, in my opinion, give star status to Sasha. David Raith went on about what an attractive addition she would be to any of the Grand Prix events, giving the impression that he was lobbying the other event organizers to support Sasha's bid. The USFSA scheduled a new conference for the big announcement, then moved it up a week when the story was leaked prematurely.
There were no big announcements, newsconferences and quotes in the papers that Alissa Czisny has been offered a spot in Skate America, and she has accepted! Or Rachael Flatt has been offered a place in Skate America, and she has accepted!
Everyone else except Sasha has to wait for the meeting and see how it turns out for them. Or, if they do know something in advance, that news was not released to great fanfare two weeks before the formal draw.
I sure hope it will be the United States Champion, Alissa Czisny.
Well, if you go to the official Lake Placid site, Belbin and Agosto are the featured skaters. I wonder if they know something that they haven't told the rest of us yet?
http://www.skateamerica2009.com/
^ All quite true, quite true.
Although...the part about our delight in Sasha's photogenicity...what are Rachael and Caroline, chopped liver?
off topic
Wasnt somewhere a conversation about grand prix in men and who goes where?I m searching for it, but I m not sure if i read it or dreamt it...
Yes there was. The feeling was that the USFSA should not send their best men to the same event. But we couldn't decide who our best men are. If you go by Nationals, they are Jeremy and Brandon. If you go by Worlds, they are Evan and Brandon. If you go by 4 Continents, they are Evan and Jeremy. If you go by the Grand Prix Final, they are Jeremy and Johnny.
So who are our best men? We couldn't figure it out. :scratch:
i will bluntly say that for the international competitions, evan, johnny, jeremy, brandon, in that order. You can't go by just one competition.
I really hope annoyance with USFSA doesn't spill over into anger with Sasha who has not done anything to deserve it.
[snip]
I think the PR is a lot less good for Sasha who has a huge amount of pressure and a lot riding on the outcome. What will she gain if the comeback fails?
If I were a big Rachael or Caroline fan, I'd be delighted about Sasha's return. It generates excitement about skating which is badly needed, diverts the Olympic pressure that would otherwise be on them, and stimulates them to outdo themselves this season.
I really don't see any "sublime advantage" for Sasha in any of this - just a short-term burst of PR. We'll see if she can earn her way to the Olympics.
Although...the part about our delight in Sasha's photogenicity...what are Rachael and Caroline, chopped liver?
Good points. It takes pressure off of the current ladies, and if she is successful, will (hopefully) push them to raise their game, and it becomes a win-win situation. At least, up until the Olympic selection when she would take up one of the spots, leaving space for only ONE (other) lady to go. :indiff: [/QUOTE
I think Sasha's return is good even if her comeback attempt is a big flop.
I don't see how her return takes any pressure off our current ladies - or adds much either. I am sure they are going about their regular routines as if nothing has changed.
I initially thought Sasha would be either 1 or 2 at Natls and be put on Team USA. The more I think about it the less I see this happening. It's not that I just think her time has passed but I think a couple of our young girls will show enough improvement to send Sasha back to SOI.
Rachael, Caroline and Mirai may all finish ahead of Sasha. So could Ashley and Alissa. There is also Kimmie, Emily and others who could have great skates at Nationals. No way am I suggesting they will all beat Sasha - but I believe 3 or four of them could. Caroline has got to be out for blood this year and Mirai has a lot to prove too. We have already seen how determined Rachael is and there is doubt that Ashley wants it too. Sometimes we forget how much these younger skaters can improve in one year.
Sasha was never the steadiest jumper and I can't see how she will be better coming back. If anything I suspect her jumps may be more erratic than before. That alone could seal her fate.