Sasha Cohen update

kalle · Feb 23, 2009

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/chi-21-sasha-cohenfeb21,0,1500418.story

Well, it looks like it is working seriously on a comeback...
Nationals could be interesting with her and Kwan back in the game :rock:

Kwanford Wife · Feb 23, 2009

Very cool... in true KW form, I have to laugh at myself and all my years of Cohen related whining & snarking because I'm really excited to see Sasha return to competitive ice. (I blame Spun and Dee for this newest version of KW hypocrasy... but on the other hand, I did watch this year's Nationals - so I deserve a pass on that) She will definately have one person rooting for her.

I do think, however, that its unfortunate that she doesn't have to compete at the local level to get to Nationals. Not because of the "fairness" of it but the thought of what her presence could mean to local skating revenues. This also applies to Michelle Kwan. I'd love to see both use their oodles of star power to generate interest at all levels.

attyfan · Feb 23, 2009

I believe that, if MK wishes to return to competition, she has to skate at Regionals and Sectionals to get to Nats, unless she gets a competition bye to either (or both). While I doubt that MK actually will return, I believe that, if she does so, ticket prices to these two events will double at a minimum.

Sasha has a bye directly to Nats because she is a reigning Oly medalist.

Kwanford Wife · Feb 23, 2009

I'm pretty sure that if MK did return, USFSA would have enough sense to invite her to Skate America and reap those profits vs. allowing local rinks that opportunity.

Random trivia question: when was the last time either of these two competed at the regional / sectional level?

Eurofan · Feb 23, 2009

Kwanford Wife said:
I'm pretty sure that if MK did return, USFSA would have enough sense to invite her to Skate America and reap those profits vs. allowing local rinks that opportunity.

Random trivia question: when was the last time either of these two competed at the regional / sectional level?

I'm not sure about Kwan, but I'd guess 1992 or 1993. For Cohen, I think it was 1999.

Joesitz (RIP) · Feb 23, 2009

Kwanford Wife said:
I'm pretty sure that if MK did return, USFSA would have enough sense to invite her to Skate America and reap those profits vs. allowing local rinks that opportunity.

Skate America is also the 'home' ground of the elite Japanese skaters. She would have to face them, and those PC scores are more than pretty skating.

skates · Feb 23, 2009

Joesitz said:
Skate America is also the 'home' ground of the elite Japanese skaters. She would have to face them, and those PC scores are more than pretty skating.

The USFSA can invite who they want to invite. They don't have to invite the japanese skaters.

Kypma · Feb 23, 2009

skates said:
The USFSA can invite who they want to invite. They don't have to invite the japanese skaters.

Well, they do have to invite one skater from the top 3 at worlds, one for places 4 through 6, and one (or two?) whose season best score is above that of the 6th place finisher at worlds. Since the Japanese often fit into that category, the USFSA does kind of have to invite some high-ranked skaters...

-Kypma

Tinymavy15 · Feb 23, 2009

Wow. she says that she is close to 2006 shape, which was arguably the best of her career. 3/3s??? don't know about that, but if M. Weiss is to believed she has all her triples! I knew she could do it! If she was smart she would start trying them in the shows.

herios · Feb 23, 2009

Tinymavy15 said:
Wow. she says that she is close to 2006 shape, which was arguably the best of her career. 3/3s??? don't know about that, but if M. Weiss is to believed she has all her triples! I knew she could do it! If she was smart she would start trying them in the shows.

I don't want to throw a cold shower on this enthusiasm, but Sasha beside of getting back her triples, she will have to fix her egdes as well! She was a flutzer and i have big doubts she could learn the correct edge at this point.
And why is Kwan's name brought into discussion, when the article doesn't mention her name???

AwesomeIce · Feb 23, 2009

herios said:
I don't want to throw a cold shower on this enthusiasm, but Sasha beside of getting back her triples, she will have to fix her egdes as well! She was a flutzer and i have big doubts she could learn the correct edge at this point.

ITA with everything you said.

Spun Silver · Feb 24, 2009

Kwanford Wife said:
Very cool... in true KW form, I have to laugh at myself and all my years of Cohen related whining & snarking because I'm really excited to see Sasha return to competitive ice. (I blame Spun and Dee for this newest version of KW hypocrasy...

Oh, Kwanford. You make my ice melt!

I feel schizophrenically maternal toward Sasha right now. Part of me wants her to get a life and be happy and have nothing more to do with all this insane pressure. The other part (serial mom) wants her to get out there and kill.

Tinymavy15 · Feb 24, 2009

herios said:
, she will have to fix her egdes as well! She was a flutzer and i have big doubts she could learn the correct edge at this point.

Maybe not. But there are not many U.S ladies who can do it much better. yeah, kimmie had a pretty good edge on her lutz, but she can't be counted on next season and she had a bad lip. I don't think that sasha expects olympic gold for herself. She must know she can't realistically beat Kim, Asada or a decent Kostner. A clean Cohen could beat a clean Rochette though, and a clean Cohen would certainly be national champion right now if she had chosen it.
Besides, you know judges can look the other way where edges, downgrades etc are conserned when the "big name" takes the ice.

antmanb · Feb 24, 2009

herios said:
I don't want to throw a cold shower on this enthusiasm, but Sasha beside of getting back her triples, she will have to fix her egdes as well! She was a flutzer and i have big doubts she could learn the correct edge at this point.
And why is Kwan's name brought into discussion, when the article doesn't mention her name???

I can't believe i'm actually going to stick up for Cohen but here goes! Very few ladies have the correct edge on both the Flip and the Lutz. Rochette and Kostner about the only two that I can bring to mind from the top flight. Yuna has recieved the ! a few times on her flip, Mao flutzes, and a ton of others either flutz or lip. At this point i think Sasha would be over the moon if she was landing all five triples, wobbly edged or not.

Ant

Kinga · Feb 24, 2009

Tinymavy15 said:
I don't think that sasha expects olympic gold for herself. She must know she can't realistically beat Kim, Asada or a decent Kostner. A clean Cohen could beat a clean Rochette though, and a clean Cohen would certainly be national champion right now if she had chosen it.
.

Why would clean Cohen beat clean Rochette and not beat a decent Kostner? Plus that the discussion who would she beat and who would not, is not very accurate right now. There are also spin levels, step levels etc. We can start speculating whom would she beat, once she hits the first competition.

herios · Feb 24, 2009

Tinymavy15 said:
A clean Cohen could beat a clean Rochette though, and a clean Cohen would certainly be national champion right now if she had chosen it.
Besides, you know judges can look the other way where edges, downgrades etc are conserned when the "big name" takes the ice.

Think twice. If the "big name" Mao gets hit for the flutz, believe me, Cohen would be to. I cannot understand where you get this from, that a clean Cohen values more than a clean Rochette. Can you ever recall such a clean edge and flow out of Sasha's jumps like Rochette right now has?
While I agree that she has a shot for the US championship title if she will be landing all the triples, but that would not be enough motivation to come back.

antmanb · Feb 24, 2009

Kinga said:
Why would clean Cohen beat clean Rochette and not beat a decent Kostner? Plus that the discussion who would she beat and who would not, is not very accurate right now. There are also spin levels, step levels etc. We can start speculating whom would she beat, once she hits the first competition.

Speaking only from my perspective i agree with the assertion made, and no because of the talent of the skaters but because of the way the judges mark. Rochette has never been in favour with the judges and her PCS have, until this season, always been what held her back. So i would agree that if the judges love Sasha as much as they did when she last competed then a clean Cohen would beat a clean Rochette. BUt in relation to Kostner, never. Kostner is the biggest judges pet since Slutskaya. Kostner can skate sloppy performances and get PCS to prop her right up to the top.

Ant

Buttercup · Feb 24, 2009

antmanb said:
I would agree that if the judges love Sasha as much as they did when she last competed then a clean Cohen would beat a clean Rochette. BUt in relation to Kostner, never. Kostner is the biggest judges pet since Slutskaya. Kostner can skate sloppy performances and get PCS to prop her right up to the top.

I don't think Carolina is that overmarked - she is on occasion but she's by no means the only one. IMO, she and her team are smart when it comes to working the system, and her marks reflect that. Also, she is very fast on the ice, which works in her favor.

But why wouldn't Sasha, if she's back on form, be able to beat Caro? She did just that at 2005 and 2006 Worlds, at the Olympics (granted, Kostner was awful for most of that season - but she's hardly the most consistent skater out there even now). Sasha's PB is higher, and her presentation is great. I expect that with the crackdown on edges and URs, Sasha would suffer - but it's not clear cut at all that she'd lose to Kostner. Only to Yu-Na and Mao

.

eleonora.d · Feb 24, 2009

Buttercup said:
Sasha would suffer - but it's not clear cut at all that she'd lose to Kostner. Only to Yu-Na and Mao .

"only"? So, what kind of motivation is a hope for a bronze medal at Worlds for Cohen? I don't believe a word of this comeback chat.

Buttercup · Feb 24, 2009

eleonora.d said:
"only"? So, what kind of motivation is a hope for a bronze medal at Worlds for Cohen? I don't believe a word of this comeback chat.

Well, isn't that what all the ladies are skating for these days? A bronze, unless Mao and Yu-Na screw up? But Mao and Yu-Na do screw up on occasion, so there are opportunities - as we've seen with Joannie this season and Carolina at 2008 Worlds (let's not go into whether she deserved the silver or not; I like Caro and anyway this thread isn't about her marks

).

Maybe Cohen will want to give it one last shot. I have no idea.

Sasha Cohen update

kalle

Kwanford Wife

attyfan

Custom Title

Kwanford Wife

Eurofan

Joesitz (RIP)

skates

Kypma

Tinymavy15

Sinnerman for the win

herios

AwesomeIce

Match Penalty

Spun Silver

Tinymavy15

Sinnerman for the win

antmanb

Kinga

herios

antmanb

Buttercup

eleonora.d

Buttercup

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