Sasha Not Done Yet: New journal entry

Eligibility

After 1998 Todd Eldredge remained eligible but did not compete until the 2001 Nationals. He went on to the 2001 Worlds and helped secure the US men 3 OG spots. I could see Sasha and Michelle doing the same. I have heard 2009 Worlds are going to be in LA.

I've often wondered if Sasha actaully writes her journal or if a ghost writer does it.

RA

If she stays competitive and I can watch her for another 4 years, I will be happy!! If she decides to quite, I will be happy for her and wish her well. Why do care so much one way or another if she stays or goes or whether she's telling a big fat lie?? Just curious.

Dee

attyfan said:

First, an American skater can work with SOI and still remain Oly eligible; it merely takes a little extra paperwork. Sarah Hughes has done so. Also, Sasha has sustained some severe back injuries in the past; that she might want to stick around until 2010 doesn't mean she will be able to do so -- and a plan "B" strikes me as extremely sensible. Also, maybe her inconsistency at Worlds will be a help -- IIRC, the last two Oly bronze medalists not only had earned silver at the previous Olys, but were also the reigning world champs going in!

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Well, I believe you have to get sanction from USFSA to skate in SOI and still keep eligibility. I knew Todd, Mike W, also did this.

Dee4707 said:

If she stays competitive and I can watch her for another 4 years, I will be happy!! If she decides to quite, I will be happy for her and wish her well. Why do care so much one way or another if she stays or goes or whether she's telling a big fat lie?? Just curious.

Dee

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Why do we discuss any of the skaters on this board? ... because this is a figure skating discussion board and that's what we do.

I think that Sasha is going to take the road that Michelle took. It might be the best choice for Sasha.

Sasha

I believe Sasha will stay competitive. She likes the competition and she still has something to prove. Besides which, I think her mother wants her to stay competitive. Just my gut feeling here.

Besides which, I think her mother wants her to stay competitive.

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if that's true, not such a good thing. Unless she is in total agreement, of course.

And she will give away 4 more years of her life for skating for her mum's sake? She must really love her, or-more likely-she wants to stay as well.

I have now and then glanced at Sasha´s Journal and think that it is great of her to take the trouble to write something for her fans. Her target group might be more like teenagers, and that is why there are different kinds of private stuff that fans are interested in and value to hearing of.

It is a good idea for her not to write much about her skating, as rarely skaters reveal their new programmes, etc. stuff very early. Some like to keep them as secrets until the first competition or maybe a show. It also would be boring for her to write and others to read, about practices, LOL.

I´m a bit surprised that Sasha is staying, because a freeskate seems to be a big problem for her at competitions. Is it because she has not prepared for it enough or because she has prepared for it too much? Or is it that she just has had bad luck that somebody else in that night has been able to outskate her. She has skated programmes that could have won if nobody had been better.

Anyway, Sasha has fantastic short programmes, and I´m really looking forward to them.

Generally, I really hope that Sasha will join SOI, because an interpretative skater of her calibre is very much needed there. She could be the headliner there. No Olympic gold, but she has the silver, and as a really vertatile skater she would be a huge asset also in ensemble skating.

Can anyone explain whether it is a bad thing to go for a 3rd Olympic after failing to get gold in two tries?

In the past there was much discussion about Kwan, Slutskaya, Liashenko all of whom had two tries at the Olys and hung around for a third try. It was ok for their fans, but their nonfans objected to it.

Nonfans of the skaters were writing that going for a third try was preventing new talent from moving up the ranks. Some nonfan also wrote that they were tired of seeing these skaters over and over again.

My feeling about this is the same as is was 4 years ago. Let the skater decide what he/she wants to do with his/her skating career.

At the same time, I do understand the frustration for young skaters to move ahead in countries with huge talent waiting to burst on the international scene.

As for Sasha, she's had two tries and garnered one medal. Not bad but she may well want to get that special one. Why not?

What I would hope for is that Kwan and Cohen realize by 2008 that if it's time to quit, they will, and give Katy, Bebe and Emily at least some chance to be an Olympian along with KImmie. Similarly, in Japan.

Joe

As long as an athlete qualifies let them compete at as many olympics as they want. Funny that the Sashafans who bellyached about Kwan sticking around for three Olys have changed their tune now that Cohen may want to go to three.

Piel said:

As long as an athlete qualifies let them compete at as many olympics as they want. Funny that the Sashafans who bellyached about Kwan sticking around for three Olys have changed their tune now that Cohen may want to go to three.

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So true

Why not? Maybe she is going to "pick herself up, brush herself off, start all over again." I have a feeling Emanuel Sandhu will be singing the same tune.

Joesitz said:

What I would hope for is that Kwan and Cohen realize by 2008 that if it's time to quit, they will, and give Katy, Bebe and Emily at least some chance to be an Olympian along with KImmie. Similarly, in Japan.

Joe

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Do you really think that the younger gals should be on the Olympic team if in 2008 they can't place ahead of Kwan/Cohen at Nationals? I think the USFS has seen what Kimmie, Emily, and Katy can do and wouldn't hesitate to place them above Kwan/Cohen IF they outskate them. BUT if Kwan/Cohen are better than the younger gals by all means they should go to the Olys. The goal is to send the best team.

I'm a big Sashaf fan and I say she can do whatever she wants. I said the same thing for Kwan 4 years ago. The only thing I 'oppose' to, is seeing these athletes continue to compete for these 4 years, and then go to the Olympics only to fail because they crack under pressure. It's very difficult for them after the 3rd Olympics I think. Just look at Slutskaya. Yes, she has achieved a lot during these 4 years, but she didn't make it at the ols where it mattered the most, and she was clearly upset.

Only time will show how it will turn out for Sasha. A lot of things can happen in 4 years...

Piel said:

As long as an athlete qualifies let them compete at as many olympics as they want. Funny that the Sashafans who bellyached about Kwan sticking around for three Olys have changed their tune now that Cohen may want to go to three.

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So very true. I think if Sasha, Michelle, Irina, Elena, etc. want to skate until they are 60, by all means. Personally, I think the majority of the current verterans will not be here come 2010 thanks to COP and the fact a skater can't skip the GPS any longer. Too many injuries keep cropping up. So, I plan to enjoy their skating, no matter how much/little they can do!

I'm just sick of all the haters who have been saying Michelle is too old and should just move on, give the younger ones their chance, since 1999, and now that Sasha is doing the same thing-one day at a time, aiming for a 3rd Olympics, certain haters are changing their tune. Sasha cited your 1st Olympics are special and more memorable as a reason why Emily should have gone to Turin over Michelle, but now she's doing the same thing, staying in and so-call "robbing" a newbie of their 1st chance.

I suppose you get OLD faster when you win multiple titles. Maybe it's like dog years, you age in 7's???

Piel - I am leaving the decision making up to the skaters themselves. Nationals from anywhere are notorious for perking up certain skaters for the Worlds. What's with Fumie and Miki in the future? Yes, I want all those veterans to compete but I do not want them to be upheld.

What I meant since I am absolutely positive that Sasha, Michelle and now Kimmie are the three National placers for 2007 Worlds, that if it seems like other skaters in that Nationals mix are looking better but are not getting the scores they deserve, that the veterans consider leaving the eligible ranks gracefully in 2007. (Just my thoughts.)

I can not see either Sasha or Michelle increasing their technical for the 2007 Worlds and both in my soothseeing eyes look like they will be off the podium. (just my thoughts.) Kimmie is the fortunate one in the technical area.

There is no rule that a skater has to leave eligible ranks after a certain amount of tries, and I agree to those rules and think they should continue till they are 60 but realistically, I would like to see skaters whose best works are behind them to move out. It doesn't have to be sad.

Joe

Joe I don't think USFS will hold up Kwan/Cohen now that they have seen that the younger gals can hold their own in international competition. i tried to say that in my previous post. Triple/triples and World gold medals trump sentiment anytime.

I have a couple of issues.

First, I don't really get the concern about the "vets" keeping out the kids. There is a competition process that seems to do a pretty good job of establishing who are the best medal candidates. I do understand the gripes about Michelle being able to bypass the process and get to the Olympics this year, in fact, I felt that way myself at first... until I remembered what her record has established. But anyhow, is that something that we have to worry about for 2010? No way will a 29 y.o. Michelle get a free pass again. And how likely is it that Sasha in three years will put together a Kwan-like record to earn that kind of pass, should she find herself injured at Nationals time? Thus, it seems the "olds leave, young rise" concern has little merit, IMO. If the kids can beat Sasha & co., great; if they can't, they probably shouldn't go to the Olympics.

Second, it bugs me that Sasha and Michelle are always lumped together in the old group. The 4-year age difference between them is huge in skater-years. A 21 y.o. has a lot more room for improvement than a 25 y.o., esp. considering that her main problem seems to be lack of strength (mental and physical). That is definitely remediable. That's not to say she will do it, but she has time. I just don't think their cases are all that equivalent. MK is way closer to the age when that will change from option to necessity than Sasha is. Anyway we have enough examples of elite, winning women in their mid-20s right now that putting pressure on a 21 y.o., especially a current Olympic silver medalist, to bow out just seems mean to me. For ABC there can only be one top lady, and the younger the better; but fans know there are ups and downs with all the skaters, and they should be able to respect more than one, and have a fairer sense of what a full career is.

I will say that I'm more sympathetic to the argument that if the vets don't retire, the pro circuit will shrivel up and die... but there's so little difference between eligible and pro now that I'm not sure that matters. Pro seems to be turning into the place where the late-20s skaters go - not an alternative to eligible for the young ones.

And yes, I'm a Sasha fan! I think I have self-disclosed that often enough but just in case....