She wasn't gifted. She tried the hardest program of the ladies and no one else skated up to par. I feel very bad that the US media can't depict her silver medal in a positive light like it did Kwan's. Maybe because the girl who beat her wasn't an American so they have to make it like Sasha let the country down. Sasha skated her best. It is extremely difficult to come back after two errors and stay with the program and nail everything else.Originally Posted by slutskayafan21
Are you seriouse or for real?
I remember I read back in 1998 when Lipinsky beaten Kwan there was an article titled as "American beaten Kwan.", how's that?
Sad about silver? She is lucky. Sorry, but Ira was better!
Despite the fact that both Irina and Sasha struggled in the LP, after Sasha had her two mistakes she was brilliant. She emoted, gave exquisite positions and spirals, and really looked as though she had intense purpose before finishing. Basically after the falls, she was on fire. Irina looked lackluster throughout the program, steadily decreasing rather than improving with each move, which I think was due to stress or her illness perhaps. She didn't have detailed choreography to fall back on and lacked her usual emotion and fire. I think the judges got it just right this time. Irina definetly deserved the bronze that night. Any other night the gold would likely have been hers, but not that night. And not to mention that despite her falls, Sasha still accomplished one more triple than Irina. This is my opinion of course, but Sasha's silver was hardly a gift. It was deserved.
Regardless, I would loved to have seen spectacular programs from all three of the podium finishers. But with all the falls from almost every top 6 SP finisher, the podium order was correct.
Not unlike 2002.Regardless, I would loved to have seen spectacular programs from all three of the podium finishers.
Figure skating will not be taken seriously when shows of emotion, no matter how genuine or fake, are part of the scores!!! If a batter smiles while hitting a home run, does it count for more? If a skier smiles while clocking the best time, does it count for more? Figure skating needs to be a sport first and foremost. Emotions can be icing on the cake, but they mustn't be assigned a score.
Save that for professional skating--or at least, whatever is left of professional skating!!
That is an interesting point, RubyNV. Unfortunately, the more figure skating becomes "like a real sport," the less popular it becomes. I can forsee a day (last Thursday, in fact) when the new scoring system awards points in a fair manner for feats of athletic virtuosity, but the audience is watching American Idol instead of the ladies free skate at the Olympics.
What we call "real sports" (football, basketball, hockey) is actually "real entertainment." Figure skarting cannot compete for the entertainment dollar by making itself more and more boring, which seems to me to be the direction that it is heading in.
JMO.
Mathman
Kwan took just as much heat for her silver and bronze(unlike Sasha`s silver here, deserved as well)as Sasha for not winning gold here. I dont know where you were those years.
Moments before the Olympic program, Sahsa, who had eye contact with the TV camera, then repositioned her warm-up shirt and there it was, a Therma-wrap on her back.
Her thigh was wrapped too. TV commentators spoke of the "possible injury" she incurred the day before. Off she skated and blew the first 2 jumps, all the others were solid. I haven't read another word about any injury, have you?
In follow up interviews, she named all the medicines she may take but no real description of any injury to her leg,.
My question IS, on the day of the long program, was she injured or was the wrap a comfort depending upon the results?
I'm guessing it was all a convenient, unspoken excuse, cleverly designed to make her look like the brave little skater who tried so hard but once again came up short due to things beyond her control, IMVHO of course.
why go through such trouble just to make an excuse, though? Sorry, not buying it.
Swift wrote in SI, that Cohen had groin injuries prior and post Nationals (minor injuries). While in Italy, she was undergoing daily ultrasounds, and practiced at all times with her both legs wrapped. NBC caught her on tape leaving after the Thursday morning practice, it looked to me as if she's been limping all the way to the bus.
From what I understand--and also from what Sasha has said regarding the leg wrap and such--that little pains and aches and nagging annoyances are perfectly normal. Seems like she just did what she thought would make her feel more comfortable; I know if say, my ankle's sore I'll put a wrap on it or something since it sort of feels like it makes things better. IMO this should be a non-issue, but whatever, people want to villify Sasha for some reason (or Kwan, or Slutskaya, or whatever). I guess people have nothing better to do.
I'm sorry but I dont agree with you at all! Figure skating might be a sport but emotion has always played a huge part in it and always had half of the marks, 6.0 and COP. It's what makes the sport artistic and different. I would never like to watch people jump and do spins and spirals. If so, let them do it without any music!!! What's the purpose of using music if they only have to execute elements????
I can't believe the silver medal is THAT much of a disappointment. She's getting all the hype that the gold medalist would get if she was an American. And she appears to be eating it up.
Joe
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