Cohen considers Olympic comeback

mycelticblessing said:

I'm still really hopeful about Michelle though. But that's partly because she's my favorite skater ever.

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Not quite sure I understand your post or logic but maybe Plushenko & Sasha are someones favorites and they are hopeful about them as you are hopeful.

Dee

dizzydi7 said:

As far as Michelle or Sasha trying a comeback, I say let them try. It's their risk to take and only they know what truly motivates them.

Dizzy

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Everyone can say what they will about Michelle & Sasha but these 2 ladies can outskate any of those young-uns when it comes to elegance and artistry......like FOREVER!!!! Just my humble opinion.

Dee

Dee4707 said:

Everyone can say what they will about Michelle & Sasha but these 2 ladies can outskate any of those young-uns when it comes to elegance and artistry......like FOREVER!!!! Just my humble opinion.

Dee

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I'm in total agreement. The U.S. has no one as elegant as Michelle and Sasha although I find Alissa to be a stunningly beautiful skater.

Internationally, I would say Yuna Kim is the exception.

Dizzy

Dee4707 said:

Everyone can say what they will about Michelle & Sasha but these 2 ladies can outskate any of those young-uns when it comes to elegance and artistry......like FOREVER!!!! Just my humble opinion.

Dee

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As usual Dee you hit the nail on the head... For whatever reason - nerves, injuries, lack of star quality, inconsistancy, bad technique - this current crop of US ladies are not unbeatable at Nationals. Or even competitive on the world stage. They falter. Or they bore. Or they're slow. For whatever reason, US ladies did not live up to the hype. So if they can't outskate Michelle or Sasha at next year's Nationals - then they can watch the Games on tv like the rest of us...

What I find the most interesting about Sasha's take on competing is that she's not focusing on winning but on the challenge of getting back into to competitive shape. Now that's a bit scary - Sasha never had a talent problem. She had a winning problem similar to the one displayed by Ashley this year. If she's really focusing on the skating vs. the winning - that might just be her ticket to success.

Michelle's issue is the opposite - she couldn't compete because she was injured - and injured much longer than we ever really knew. If she's truly healthy and has the same fire to compete as before - that might be her ticket to success. (not to mention her hosting a one woman economic stimulus party by showing up at local rinks to compete at regionals & sectional events)

Regardless, I wish Sasha & Michelle the best because I miss them!! Nationals just isn't the same with out the unholy trinity of Michelle, Sasha and Dick Bunton! I even miss Peter C. (Scott & Sandra just made the night more painful)

(ahhh... I just thought of all the snarky fun I'm gonna have with Dee & Spun next year.... woo hoo!!)

I read an article recently in USA Today that Sasha is doing a lot of yoga to help her flexibility, focus, and overall strength. She is definitely considering the 2010 Olympics & has been using yoga to help her skating. I don't have an online link or the date of the article (someone cut the article out of the paper & gave it to me), but I can summarize some of the main points for you:

- Cohen's mom Galina started yoga 2.5 yrs ago & after it eliminated all her body pain, got her 2 daughters Sasha & Natasha started in it.

-Sasha, 24, says she practices yoga at least 5 days a week and does it as her warm up for skating.

- Quote from Sasha, "I am training right now to see if I can get back to the place where I want to be. I just don't want to rush my decision." Yoga helps her not rush, she adds, because it helps her manage stress. Though she has always been flexible, her overall stretngth had been lacking.

-Sasha practices power yoga for strength, balance, and stamina, and uses vinyasa yoga for maintenance & flexibility.

Sasha also had a jumping technique problem. The technique was flawed so it made it just that much harder to complete the jump. Her air position was lovely. The rest..just not. I hope she is working on jump technique and taking a lesson from the edge calls and underrotation calls the current US ladies are suffering.

Sasha also tended to have wonky (wrong edge) landings on her jumps. I think that's possibly because she has TOO much flexibility and that causes variability in her body position when she comes down.

Her 'lutz' and 'flip' are indistinguishable and the possibility exists that she could get edge calls on both jumps.

6-7 months of rigorous training isn't nearly enough time to correct these problems (in fact it mightn't be enough time for her to get back her flawed 3F and 3Z) and if she returns she might get a rude awakening under the current CoP tech rules.

chuckm said:

Sasha also tended to have wonky (wrong edge) landings on her jumps. I think that's possibly because she has TOO much flexibility and that causes variability in her body position when she comes down.

Her 'lutz' and 'flip' are indistinguishable and the possibility exists that she could get edge calls on both jumps.

6-7 months of rigorous training isn't nearly enough time to correct these problems (in fact it mightn't be enough time for her to get back her flawed 3F and 3Z) and if she returns she might get a rude awakening under the current CoP tech rules.

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What jumps has she incorporated into her show programs? Did she ever bring back any triples? Last time I saw her skate, she was just doing doubles - pretty doubles, but with that same wonky landing you referred to.

Has she had any new injuries? Illnesses? I ask these basic questions because I wasn't a big fan, so I haven't kept up with her current stats - but I always remember her as having serious / weird injuries & illnesses...

Kwanford Wife said:

(ahhh... I just thought of all the snarky fun I'm gonna have with Dee & Spun next year.... woo hoo!!)

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Fasten your seat belt, Kwanford.
But are you sure you're still in competitive snark form? You seem to have gotten so mellow. All these pleasant posts about Sasha! You might need to start retraining!

Spun Silver said:

Fasten your seat belt, Kwanford.
But are you sure you're still in competitive snark form? You seem to have gotten so mellow. All these pleasant posts about Sasha! You might need to start retraining!

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You know me... I only snark about things I'm passionate about and this current crop of skaters don't inspire my inner "shoot! I need to notify Toni that I was rude again..." gene.

And I can be nice about Sasha - she's not driving me crazy right now by not living up to her potential... when was the last time we've had a chance to say SashaSplat (tm)???

But in all honesty if she does indeed comeback - no one will cheer louder than me (well, Tiny probably will but I'll be the loudest from the Junior Mint crowd...) I love love love a good comeback story - Yay Irina!!

KW took a break when the new batch of snarkers came in she "semi-retired" and took up with a group of pro snarkers and toured the country.

however, with the lack of interest in the sport of snarking as it once was the turn out for the show this season and last was dismal. So she is now contemplating coming back. She will make her decision in June as she knows the fans of Snarkdom will be on the edge of their seats wondering whether or not she will reclaim her eligibility and compete for champion snarker next season.

Some old time fans like chuckm have brought up the points of her wonky typing technique and her lack of participation in recent seasons. Others like Spun Silver have great faith and high hopes that not only will she return, but that she will be the best she's ever been and will finally make on all the potential she's shown in the past.

and that's why Toni gets the of the day... because I have to clean coffee off of my computer screen now...

Gosh, I love this site...

If the problem was Cohen's jump technique, I'd say it might be easier to fix them if she hadn't done them in a while, but I can't possibly see how she could fix it in 4-7 months. I dunno, I just find it weird that she said she missed skating and that's what she's doing right now. She didn't seem to be one to exactly thrive under the competitive pressure. If she had the OGM, I think she would have retired a long time ago. Or maybe she knows that no one else in the US has stepped in to fill her's and Kwan's shoes and if she does make a comeback, she'd surely be the talk of the town (unlike 2006, where MK dominated the headlines until she withdrew) and she herself said that she enjoys attention. And if she does try to come back- what if injury (or a bad performance) takes her out of the Olympic running? Would she return the next season to, say, try for the World championship again? She'd be, what, 26? 27 by then? Time's running out. As for MK, she'd be knocking 30's door down.

Another thing that occurred to me is that it seems that Cohen didn't really ever get the spotlight during her competitive career until after Torino. And then, once her 15 min of fame were up, Meissner won the world championship and attention shifted over to her.

If ratings for this year's Nationals are any indication, interest in US skating is probably at its lowest point in a long, long time. If there is no ladies' contender in the Vancouver Games, NBC knows its ratings for that event will fall as well. I don't know if the return of someone like Cohen will help reverse that trend, but I'd bet anything they're dying for her to return so they have someone American to hype.

But you know what- IF Cohen can prove that she can do better than any of our current ladies out there now, and stay healthy doing so, I wouldn't mind her return. US skating does need that boost in interest and competitiveness, but I still think we might be able to do it without the "old-timers".

however, with the lack of interest in the sport of snarking as it once was the turn out for the show this season and last was dismal. So she is now contemplating coming back. She will make her decision in June as she knows the fans of Snarkdom will be on the edge of their seats wondering whether or not she will reclaim her eligibility and compete for champion snarker next season.

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Well, the Asada/Kim battles have taken over.

Some old time fans like chuckm have brought up the points of her wonky typing technique and her lack of participation in recent seasons. Others like Spun Silver have great faith and high hopes that not only will she return, but that she will be the best she's ever been and will finally make on all the potential she's shown in the past.

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heheheh...so TRUE and you know it.

Tonichelle said:

KW took a break when the new batch of snarkers came in she "semi-retired" and took up with a group of pro snarkers and toured the country.

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KW has left Sasha alone long enough only to provide us with laughs in Le Cafe. If I were a betting type person I would place $500 on KW that she was a bad little girl....it shows!!!! .... and so those bows go to KW, the baddest girl in town!!!

Dee

KW - I finally am getting you back for all the time I've sprayed soda all over MY computer because of YOUR posts.

Red Dog said:

If the problem was Cohen's jump technique, I'd say it might be easier to fix them if she hadn't done them in a while, but I can't possibly see how she could fix it in 4-7 months. I dunno, I just find it weird that she said she missed skating and that's what she's doing right now. She didn't seem to be one to exactly thrive under the competitive pressure. If she had the OGM, I think she would have retired a long time ago. Or maybe she knows that no one else in the US has stepped in to fill her's and Kwan's shoes and if she does make a comeback, she'd surely be the talk of the town (unlike 2006, where MK dominated the headlines until she withdrew) and she herself said that she enjoys attention. And if she does try to come back- what if injury (or a bad performance) takes her out of the Olympic running? Would she return the next season to, say, try for the World championship again?
She'd be, what, 26? 27 by then? Time's running out. As for MK, she'd be knocking 30's door down.

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Why don't you ask her when you meet her after SOI?

But you know what- IF Cohen can prove that she can do better than any of our current ladies out there now, and stay healthy doing so, I wouldn't mind her return. US skating does need that boost in interest and competitiveness, but I still think we might be able to do it without the "old-timers".

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I'll hold you to that, RD!

Chuckm thinks Sasha can't beat Rachael, but it's Ashley I'd look out for. That young lady has everything except consistency, and the way she's working I'm sure she'll get that too. A Sasha-Ashley matchup would be exciting - and painful! I'd be rooting for both of them. As for Rachael, she is going backward in the "it" department and needs to regain it if she's going to be US skating's next star.

Spun Silver said:

Chuckm thinks Sasha can't beat Rachael, but it's Ashley I'd look out for.

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No, Mirai! :yes: She shot up 5 inches, broke her foot, suffered her requisite teenaged angst, had to be pushed out onto the ice in tears for the LP at nationals -- and still kicked some serious booty.

Next year, with all that behind her -- look out!

Spun Silver said:

Why don't you ask her when you meet her after SOI?

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...and would you be willing to arrange that meeting for me?

(I'm trying to say, I don't have any backstage passes.)

I'll hold you to that, RD!

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We'll see. Remember, She MUST attempt this comeback, first of all, but if she does, she MUST stay healthy, and she MUST be the top US skater in the field. And this MUST hold throughout the entire season.

Chuckm thinks Sasha can't beat Rachael, but it's Ashley I'd look out for. That young lady has everything except consistency, and the way she's working I'm sure she'll get that too. A Sasha-Ashley matchup would be exciting - and painful! I'd be rooting for both of them. As for Rachael, she is going backward in the "it" department and needs to regain it if she's going to be US skating's next star.

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I'll believe it when I see it. Let's forget about Cohen being in the mix until she actually IS in the mix. But I agree with your assessment of Rachel- she really needs to find the missing component so she actually begins to get the scores she deserves.

Mathman said:

No, Mirai! :yes: She shot up 5 inches, broke her foot, suffered her requisite teenaged angst, had to be pushed out onto the ice in tears for the LP at nationals -- and still kicked some serious booty.

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Good point. She surprised me with the way she fought back. I think that skate really was a huge hurdle and accomplishment for her mixed into one- I believe she's now a lot stronger because of it.

Mirai and Ashley both

plus the reliable, if boring, Rachel

and who knows, this could be Alissa's turning point (one can hope)

Tonichelle said:

and who knows, this could be Alissa's turning point (one can hope)

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We've said this before...in 2005.

dorispulaski said:

Sasha also had a jumping technique problem. The technique was flawed so it made it just that much harder to complete the jump. Her air position was lovely. The rest..just not. I hope she is working on jump technique and taking a lesson from the edge calls and underrotation calls the current US ladies are suffering.

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Actually she had great technique on most of her jumps. Her double axel, for example was twice the size of skaters twice her size. her triple loop was almost always beautiful. True, she may have flutzed, but that alone can't qualifiy her for having poor technique. I never saw her noticably underrotate a jump... maybe that is because she really just stuck to what she was capable of and wasn't trying triple axels or 3/3s.

Spun Silver said:

Fasten your seat belt, Kwanford.
But are you sure you're still in competitive snark form? You seem to have gotten so mellow. All these pleasant posts about Sasha! You might need to start retraining!

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Sasha has been landing the 3 salchow and toe loop consistantly in shows for years. She acually uses these jumps more than thee 2 axel. I have NEVER seen her double a jump, in competition or in a show. That is one thing about her, even if she fell, she always went for it.