Hersh wants Cohen back

[R.D.]

http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/...ack-sasha.html

One can only hope Sasha Cohen was serious when she said two months ago that she wanted to return to competition for the 2010 Olympic season.
Because U.S. women's figure skating can use help.
Badly.
That was apparent when the women's competition in the Grand Prix ``regular season'' ended Saturday in Japan.
It was, indeed, the end: No U.S. woman has qualified for the Grand Prix Final for just the fourth time in the event's 14-season history.
And this is the second U.S. shutout in the past three years.
Now it may be nearly three seasons since Cohen finished second in the 2006 Olympics and third in the 2006 world championships.
And she may never have transformed her eye-catching style and striking potential into two clean performances in a major competition.
Yet Cohen won three world medals (with two 4ths) and finished first and second in the two Grand Prix finals she made.
And she still is barely 24 years old.
And the Cohen of the 2006 worlds -- implosion in the free skate notwithstanding -- is a better skater than anything the U.S. has now.

COMMENTS

Usually, I think Hersh makes good points and I tend to agree with him. But I disagree COMPLETELY here. He's looking back at the Cohen of 2006- which is obviously NOT the Cohen that would appear in 2008 or 2009. Look at the Meissner or Hughes of 2006- they have not been able to keep up that level of skating. What makes him think Cohen wouldn't struggle so as well?

Besides, this is a transition period for US skating and I think someone will emerge to lead US skating forward. Unfortunately, that might mean simply being a Top Eight competitor in the world. It could be worse, though- look at the nosedive Russia has taken since nearly sweeping the FS golds in Torino.

ETA: NBC would jump all over this one, though. Having a "big name" like Cohen in the mix would be a huge promotional opportunity for them.

[Mathman]

I agree 100% with Red Dog. I can't imagine what Hersh is thinking of.

Yes, the United States has had some good skaters in the past. But we have to look forward, not back.

(Although, I bet Kristi could come back if she set her mind to it. )

[Tonichelle]

Kristi and Yuka both could come back and kick serious booty...

Sasha... I'm not so sure...

[ks777]

Let's see how Sasha really trains. She has about a year to qualify for the national. I think she has a good chance of making the Olympic team if she get all of her triples back. She is only 24 and not like she was taking a break from skating completely. Her presentation skills are probably much better for having to do all these shows. If she can bring back her jumps and speed, I think she is more than competitive with the current US ladies.

As for Krisiti, I can't wait to see her daughters compete. Are they skating seriously yet?

[libby]

Even the Cohen of 2006 would not beat the Mao or Yu-Na of today. Not a chance - she didn't have anywhere near their technical content or consistency.

Notice that Hersh does not compare Cohen's skills with the top international women of today - all he does is whine and lament how awful our current US women are compared to Mao and Yu-Na. He knows full well that Cohen would never have a chance to beat them, either, but since there is no real possibility of her coming back to competition, he doesn't have to worry about his plea for her to come and "save" the US women blowing up in his face.

Hersh is a tool. His agenda is the same as it has always been, to focus completely on declaring US figure skating and its skaters complete and total failures and to utterly ignore any success they ever achieve or downplay it as much as possible. So the US team is no longer dominant on the world stage with the rise of figure skating in Asian countries. Get over it, Phil.

[Tonichelle]

As for Krisiti, I can't wait to see her daughters compete. Are they skating seriously yet?

please tell me you're kidding!... Keara's just now five, IIRC... let's give them time to be kids, shall we?

[enlight78]

Does ever write about the men?

[Tonichelle]

IIRC he was one of the ones that reamed Johnny for falling from grace at and after Torino.

If there's one thing I've learned in the journalism program here at UAA doom and gloom is the name of the game in the news... the more negative and nasty the better.

[libby]

Does ever write about the men?

He wrote a recent article reaming out Evan Lysacek for saying he was going to stop doing the quad and for not qualifying for the GP Final, but other than that he has hardly mentioned any of the other US men, since overall they won one gold, four silvers and two bronze medals on the GP circuit this season and two of them qualified for the Final - it just doesn't fit his agenda of "US skating failure".

[Eddie Lee]

Libby said "Even the Cohen of 2006 would not beat the Mao or Yu-Na of today. Not a chance - she didn't have anywhere near their technical content or consistency".

Consistency? Yu Na and Mao rarely skate perfect programs. There are practically always visible flaws. Mao's first GP event of the season was one of the biggest disasters I've ever witnessed among top-ranked skaters. Yu Na rarely completes a competition without popping or doubling a jump--or worse yet, falling. And yet, both are phenomenal skaters. Such talent is a rarity. The tendency to pack the points in CoP appears to me to be the culprit!

[Tonichelle]

seriously? we're going to start that argument yet again? haven't we beaten that horse to where it's not only unrecognizeable, it's not even a solid anymore?

[Buttercup]

He's looking back at the Cohen of 2006- which is obviously NOT the Cohen that would appear in 2008 or 2009. Look at the Meissner or Hughes of 2006- they have not been able to keep up that level of skating. What makes him think Cohen wouldn't struggle so as well?

As I understand it, Meissner's difficulties stem from changes to her body while Hughes is undertraining because obviously college takes up much of her time. Would this be the case for Cohen? She's finished growing and if she comes back I imagine she'll train full-time.

Re the article, I think if Cohen can train back to her 2006 shape, she could be a serious podium contender, including the top of the podium of Asada and Kim make mistakes.

[R.D.]

Thing is though, Cohen must deal with being older, and being more injury-prone. I think she would be headed down the Kwan '06 path and would just be better off sticking to her day job. Leave the saving of US skating to Rachel and Co, Mr. Hersh.

Yes, US ladies skating is a mess right now. But this is no time to be wishing about the past.

ETA: Funny how Cohen is "only" 24, when so many other skaters, including Kwan and even Meissner, were declared over the hill at younger ages. Desperate much?

[kalle]

I beleive the american ladies will be just fine with or without Cohen, they just need time to adjust and I am convinced that we will see some great improvments in the next coming year.

If I would put my money on any sort of "serious" comeback it would be from Kwan.She would be able to show the comittment and work that it takes to be a top contender again.Unfortunately, I think the figure skating has changed just too much under COP and it would be very hard for her to catch up and be ready for nationals in 2010.

[antmanb]

I agree with RD on this one - Cohen last competed in when? March 2006? She was visibly physically and emotionally exhausted with the pressure of that Olympic season.

We're now nearly 3 years down the line from when she last performed competitively. The only jumps she's attempted in the meantime have been 2A, 3T, 3S. We don't know what she's been practising behind closed doors, but does anyone really think it's the rest of the triples? How much success has she had with the three jumps she's been attempting?

Even Kwan attended the world championships in the years that she took "off". Kwan even won medals (and just missed out on the podium for a 4th place) finish in those "off" years, and she still attempted all five triples until the last year.

When she tried to ramp up her training to get to the 2006 Olympics she injured and re-injured herself. This was despite keeping up a level of training that kept her skills to a certain level.

I would think if Cohen started now (which she can't because she signed up full time as an SOI headliner) she might stand some chance of being ready for nationals (injury permitting - and that's a HUGE if) but to start after SOI and try to get back even just the content she had back in 2006, i think she'd seriously struggle and likely injure herself much like Kwan did.

Yes, US ladies skating is a mess right now. But this is no time to be wishing about the past.

A mess? Come on - look at the ladies skating program in the UK or any other non powerhouse nation. US ladies skating is about as far from a mess as you could get - count the number of US ladies competing on the GP circuit and then look at the total number compared with any other nation? Still seem so bad?

Ant