What if Sasha Cohen skips Worlds? | Golden Skate

What if Sasha Cohen skips Worlds?

S

SkateFan4Life

Guest
Michelle Kwan will compete at the Olympics, which is absolutely appropriate, and Emily Hughes will compete at Worlds, which is a great opportunity for her.

Suppose Sasha Cohen decides to skip Worlds this year? If she wins at Torino, she might call it a career, as far as eligible competition is concerned. If that happens, the United States will be represented by a trio of 16-year-olds!

Kimmie Meissner
Emily Hughes
Katy Taylor

YOU GO, GIRLS!! :clap:
 

nicole_l

Final Flight
Joined
Oct 28, 2004
I hope she doesn't, if only to keep the 3 spots (Meissner and Hughes 5 and 6? I wish, but it's not going to happen).
Although it would be pretty cool to see Katy Taylor at Worlds.
 

soogar

Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 18, 2003
I hope the USFS will keep the team as is and let the young girls earn their spots for themselves and not invite Michelle to compete at Worlds to earn the extra spot (assuming she competes well enough at the Olympics to even warrant inviting her). Now is the time to start promoting the newer skaters and work towards 2010.
 
Joined
Jul 11, 2003
I think Sasha would like to have that elusive World title. She now has the US Nats and maybe the Olys but no Worlds title. But I think silver is an accomplishment.

Joe
 

Ogre Mage

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 30, 2003
I think that barring injury, Sasha will skate at Worlds 2006, regardless of where she places in Turin. Like Joesitz says, she wants a World Title and you have to believe the USFSA will be encouraging her to go so they can secure 3 spots for next year. Especially given that Irina probably will NOT go to Worlds this year, it would be a golden opportunity for Sasha.
 

euterpe

Medalist
Joined
Sep 4, 2003
Well, if Sasha skips Worlds, then there may be only one or two spots for the Ladies at 2007 Worlds, and maybe just one spot for 2008.

Irina is getting ready to hang up her skates for good, and whether she wins the OGM in Torino or not, she's going to dance that last dance. If Sasha wins the OGM, she will not stick around for Worlds and take the chance of being beaten once again. If Sasha wins an Olympic medal, it could go either way---she could quit right then, or take another chance against Irina. I think it will all depend on whether or not she gets a big offer from SOI. If she does, it's bye-bye Sasha.
 
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mzheng

Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 16, 2005
If she skip the worlds, then you are looking at 2 spots for 2007 worlds if we are lucky. Worst could happen is down to 1 spot at 2007.
 

show 42

Arm Chair Skate Fan
Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
It would be a disaster for Sasha to skip Worlds.........we need her there and her probable high placement to secure three spots for next year's Worlds.......whether she wins the Oly gold or not, I'm guessing she'll do the right thing and participate at Worlds..........42
 
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*~RussianBleux~*

Medalist
Joined
Oct 23, 2005
The only way I see Sasha skipping worlds is if she flat out wins the Olympic gold medal. In that event, she might pull a Tara Lipinski and skip worlds for fear of being beaten there. However, she very well could stay on the World team to earn the 3 spots for the US in 2007 as previous posters have mentioned, or simply to try to win the World title(which would be the only title she failed to win at that point).

If she finishes second or below in Turin, she will definitely go to Worlds. She has nothing to lose in that situation, especially if the Olympic gold medalist decides to skip worlds. She will definitely go to try to win the title.
 

euterpe

Medalist
Joined
Sep 4, 2003
I agree Sasha might go to Worlds if she wins an Olympic medal other than gold AND if Irina skips Worlds. However, I don't think Irina is going to skip Worlds.
 

toutestgrace

Rinkside
Joined
Jul 27, 2003
I can't see Sasha skipping Worlds for fear of being beaten. I don't think silver scares her anymore. Unless she wins OGM in some controversial way...
 

*~RussianBleux~*

Medalist
Joined
Oct 23, 2005
toutestgrace said:
I can't see Sasha skipping Worlds for fear of being beaten. I don't think silver scares her anymore. Unless she wins OGM in some controversial way...

Well, if Sasha was to actually win the Olympic gold medal she would have to beat the favorite going into the Olympics, Irina Slutskaya. Both are talented top skaters, only Irina is expected to win the gold medal over Sasha. Kind of like how Tara Lipinski beat Michelle Kwan in Nagano. Both were top skaters going into the games, only Michelle was expected to win. In order to save herself from the ridicule after Michelle beat her at worlds proving her Olympic gold medal to be a fluke, Tara decided to stay home and let her Olympic gold medal go into the books as a "what if". I can see Sasha making the same decision in the event that she wins the Olympic gold medal if Irina is going to worlds. The only reason she isn't scared of the silver is because she has never experienced the gold internationally. All of that could easily change with an Olympic gold medal.
 

euterpe

Medalist
Joined
Sep 4, 2003
Why would Sasha "do the right thing"? Tara and Sarah didn't. In fact, at SLC< Sarah announced she was going to go to Worlds and "represent my country", but she was too tired from the whirl of parties and celebrations and informed the USFS less than two weeks before Worlds that she wasn't going. Think she was running scared of being beaten? You'd better believe she was!
 

attyfan

Custom Title
Medalist
Joined
Mar 1, 2004
IMO, Emily Hughes will come in eighth at 2006 Worlds, and fourth
in 2007, before beginning (in 2008) a podium streak that will last 9 years. This is based on the parallels between Emily and MK -- both came in 6th at their Nats debuts, medaled at Jr. Worlds, and, the next year, won their first Nats medal but didn't get named to Oly team because reigning Oly bronze medalst (who as reigning Nat champ and reigning world medalist went to Worlds the year before Olys and had worst skate of her life) got a bye.
 

*~RussianBleux~*

Medalist
Joined
Oct 23, 2005
euterpe said:
Why would Sasha "do the right thing"? Tara and Sarah didn't. In fact, at SLC< Sarah announced she was going to go to Worlds and "represent my country", but she was too tired from the whirl of parties and celebrations and informed the USFS less than two weeks before Worlds that she wasn't going. Think she was running scared of being beaten? You'd better believe she was!

Damn straight! And Sarah's situation was even worse. Instead of only beating the top contender to win the Olympic gold medal, she beat like 3 people lol. I can see Sasha being even more likely than Sarah to skip out on worlds. Sometimes, it seems like all she cares about is the publicity.
 

nicole_l

Final Flight
Joined
Oct 28, 2004
Very interesting observation, attyfan. I think Emily's a wonderful skater, but I don't see her staying in it for even half as long as Michelle. Someone else speculated that she'd stop competing after graduating high school and go to college. If anything, she'll do both -- something that the Kween herself couldn't handle.
 

STL_Blues_fan

Final Flight
Joined
Jan 24, 2004
*~RussianBleux~* said:
The only way I see Sasha skipping worlds is if she flat out wins the Olympic gold medal. In that event, she might pull a Tara Lipinski and skip worlds for fear of being beaten there. However, she very well could stay on the World team to earn the 3 spots for the US in 2007 as previous posters have mentioned, or simply to try to win the World title(which would be the only title she failed to win at that point).

If she finishes second or below in Turin, she will definitely go to Worlds. She has nothing to lose in that situation, especially if the Olympic gold medalist decides to skip worlds. She will definitely go to try to win the title.


Tara has accomplished everything she wanted. She won a Nationals, a World and an Olympic gold. I bet a lot of skaters would love to "pull a Tara Lipinski".

Also, it will take more than Sasha to earn 3 spots for US in 2007. The second skaters has to place appropriately as well.

I don't believe that Sasha would skip Worlds out of "fear". If she wins the Olympic medal and decides to stay home it will be from a great sence of relief that all the hard work has paid off. Well, I can't speak for Sasha, but I don't think you are in a possition to say that she is "afraid to loose it". Is Sasha wins that gold (and I am rooting for Irina) it will not be a fluke. Tara winning that gold was not a fluke either. Sarah is debatable. And btw, Sarah did come back to 2003 Worlds.
 

euterpe

Medalist
Joined
Sep 4, 2003
attyfan said:
IMO, Emily Hughes will come in eighth at 2006 Worlds, and fourth
in 2007, before beginning (in 2008) a podium streak that will last 9 years. This is based on the parallels between Emily and MK -- both came in 6th at their Nats debuts, medaled at Jr. Worlds, and, the next year, won their first Nats medal but didn't get named to Oly team because reigning Oly bronze medalst (who as reigning Nat champ and reigning world medalist went to Worlds the year before Olys and had worst skate of her life) got a bye.

The comparisons between Emily and Michelle simply do not pan out.

First of all, Michelle was TWELVE when she finished 6th at her first US Nationals. Then she won the Gardena Spring Trophy and the Olympic Festival, and went on to finish 7th at Skate America. The following Nationals she won the SILVER medal, then went on to WIN Junior Worlds. Before finishing 8th at Senior Worlds (with two clean programs), Michelle at 13 had already 3 gold medals and a silver medal to her credit.

Emily was SIXTEEN when she finished 6th at her first US Nationals (Senior). She won bronze at Junior Worlds, then finished 5th at Skate America and Cup of Russia. Going into her first Senior Worlds, Emily will not have won a single event, since she has already opted out of 4CC, and just two bronze medals.

But the major difference between Michelle at 13 and Emily at 17 (she turns 17 in less than two weeks) is that Michelle was a very consistent jumper [and has remained that way throughout her career]. Emily is anything but consistent, and in her past 3 competitions (two GPs and Nationals) has had a minimum of one disastrous fall in each event (SA: 2 falls in the SP, 1 in the FS; CoR: 1 fall in the SP, 2 in the FS; Nationals: 1 fall in the FS).

I think it is highly unlikely that Emily will place in the top 8 at Worlds 2006, given how she's been viewed by the ISU judges at her GP events (PCS scores in the low 5s).
 

orchid

On the Ice
Joined
Oct 28, 2004
No doubt about it, the USFSA will encourage Sasha to attend the World Championship. I
 
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