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Ladskater

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Jul 28, 2003
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Ugly night for men at US championship


Here is an article from TSN. Wow - good for Sasha!

Associated Press


1/8/2004

ATLANTA (AP) - Sasha Cohen wore a grin as bright as her yellow dress when she finished her winning program. A half-hour later, a look of grim resolve flitted across Michelle Kwan's face before she broke into a smile.

No need to look at the results. Those two looks said it all.

Cohen threw down a mighty challenge Thursday at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, winning the short program with a nearly flawless performance. Kwan was almost as good, but a slight bobble left her in second place, the first time since 2000 she didn't win the short program.

Jennifer Kirk was third with a saucy, jazzy number that included a triple-triple combination, one of only two in the competition.

``It's like I was eight years old again,'' Cohen said, ``just sliding around on the ice.''

Cohen was first with seven of the nine judges, and Kwan and Kirk split the remaining two judges.

``I'm not mad at my performance,'' said Kwan, who has won six straight U.S. titles. ``I definitely could have done better. I'm very pleased with how I skated. There's just lots of room to skate better.''

Just ask the men. Olympic bronze medallist Tim Goebel is way down in 10th place and likely won't make the world championships team after botching all three of his required jumps. Three-time U.S. champion Michael Weiss is in fourth and will need some help defending his title after splatting on a triple axel.

Almost all of the men spent some time on their backsides, clearing the way for lesser-known Johnny Weir to win the short program. Matt Savoie is second, and Evan Lysacek is third.

Both the men's and women's free skates, worth two-thirds of the final score, are Saturday.

``I've never skated a short that bad in my life,'' said Goebel, who refused to blame his bad night on the equipment problems that have bothered him all year. ``I don't know what happened. I'm much better than that.''

After watching the men bumble and stumble, Cohen was like a breath of fresh air.

Cohen has gone through a tumultuous two weeks, switching from coach Tatiana Tarasova to Robin Wagner, former coach of Olympic champion Sarah Hughes. Doing that before the biggest competition of the year would cause a mental meltdown in most skaters, but Cohen is thriving.

``I've worked really hard, but I've also had a lot of fun in training. We work hard, but I'm able to laugh about things,'' she said. ``I've had a lot of joy brought back to my skating.''

It shows. Her program to Malaguena was simply dazzling. All of her jumps looked effortless; she was feather-light and perfectly straight in the air, and she touched down as smoothly as a butterfly landing on a flower.

She changed from her back outside edge to her forward inside edge in her flying camel spin, a difficult move that few others even try. And after doing her required spirals, she threw in one more, a long Charlotte spiral that has her virtually gliding in the splits, her nose touching her shin.

The audience gave her a standing ovation, and she returned the love, waving and blowing kisses before she skated off the ice. She blew more kisses after seeing her marks, 5.6 to 5.9 for required elements, and 5.8 to 5.9 for artistry.

That left a little room for Kwan, but she would have to be perfect. She wasn't.

Skating to The Feeling Begins, Kwan showed a sense of musicality few other skaters have. When the music was slow at the beginning, so was she. When the tempo increased, she picked up her speed and power until she was practically flying at the end of her program.

But that also might have hurt her. Kwan didn't appear to have enough speed when she went into her double axel, and her landing was far from secure. She managed to save it, but the wobble cost her first place.

``I don't know what it was. I tried to get my feet under me,'' Kwan said. ``It was just a wakeup call for the rest of the program. `OK Michelle, no more of those.'''

She was her usual masterful self for the rest of the program. Her spirals had the crowd oohing and aahing, and her layback spin was lovely. But Kwan knew as soon as her music ended that she would be behind Cohen.

``Of course, I'd be more confident if I was in first,'' she said. ``But if I was in first, I'd probably be sitting here saying, `Oh no, I'm not the underdog.'''
 
Joined
Aug 3, 2003
Thanks for posting that, Lad.

I think this quote said everything I saw in Sasha's performance tonight that she had started to lose in the last couple of years: "I've worked really hard, but I've also had a lot of fun in training. We work hard, but I'm able to laugh about things,'' she said. "I've had a lot of joy brought back to my skating.''

I think every athlete needs joy along with the tough training if they're going to thrive and last. I think that's what Michelle got back after the Olympics and perhaps it's what she felt was lacking with Frank, though of course I don't know. I just know skaters do a lot better with it than without it.

Now if some of the men could find that balance. Poor Tim. Maybe all the boot problems just wore him out mentally. Also, can't he still be named to the World team by the USFSA even if he doesn't make the podium? I would think the USFSA would want the reigning men's World silver and Olympic bronze medalist at this year's Worlds.
Rgirl
 

brenlynn

On the Ice
Joined
Jan 9, 2004
i think timothy can still be added to the world team, as i recall from prior years, i remember hearing the commentators saying they only have to send the 1st place finisher, the rest is up to the usfsa to deciede. i was also thinking he'll still probably be going no matter what.
 

JonnyCoop

Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 28, 2003
It is correct that in theory they can put Goebel on the team if they want to do so, but he's still going to have to move up quite a bit. If he ends up finishing 5th or something like that, which is possible at this point, there's going to be a lot of squawking going on if he gets picked over a medallist. I honestly don't think they'd go that route. This is a golden opportunity to give some new guys Worlds experience. And really, given that Goebel is iffy even if he does somehow make the team, and given that Weiss hasn't skated well this entire season, why NOT send someone new? They just might end up doing just as well, if not better.

By the way, do we send 2 guys to Worlds this year, or 3? If we only send 2, they are really going to have to explain themselves if they were to put Goebel on the team.
 

Tove

On the Ice
Joined
Aug 20, 2003
Way to go Sasha! I love to hear about people skating with joy:)
 

Laura_B

Rinkside
Joined
Dec 22, 2003
I think that they would probably send Tim to worlds anyway, because of his previous world results as opposed to the new guys, and because of his results on the Grand Prix circuit this year, even though he wasn't skating his best. Even with the problems he's been having this season he might still seem like more of a "sure bet" than some of the new guys. Not saying that I wouldn't like to see any new American faces at worlds though:)
 

Tonichelle

Idita-Rock-n-Roll
Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 27, 2003
Yeay for Matt! :( for Mike and Timmy

tenth place... you'd think they'd give him some brownie points for him just being Tim Goebel...
 

eliza88

On the Ice
Joined
Aug 6, 2003
I hope Tim can pull out a good LP, if so regardless of his placement I think they will put him on the World team. He's a 2 time World Silver Medalist! He has done his "job" of placing high enough at Worlds that the US can send 3 men! Which is more important: Getting the younger guys experience at Worlds or sending the US best hopes for medals/World spots? Johnny, Timmy, and Michael--if they all skated to their potential could all be top 5 finishers at Worlds, I don't think any other US man could, just my opinion...

eliza88
 

Pookie

Final Flight
Joined
Jul 27, 2003
I think Tim or any former medalist would probably have to be in 4th before they would even think about placing him on the World team. It would be so unfair to the medalists if they sent him and he finished lower than that. Tim seems to have enough integrity, I'm not sure he would want them to send him if he didn't pull way up in the standings.
 

brenlynn

On the Ice
Joined
Jan 9, 2004
correct me if i am wrong, but i believe we can send 3 men to worlds this year. i think timothy's silver and mike's 5th place in washington last season we get to send 3.
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
I think that's right, Brenlynn.

I don't think the USFSA will send Tim if he does not medal. In the past the USFSA has taken considerable pride in the fact that they send the winners of the national competition, and it's not about politics or whose coach has the most pull. This is skullduggery that wicked federations like you-know-you go in for, but we are above all that.

So I think all the pressure will be to send the first three whoever they turn out to be.

BTW, it is still mathematically possible for Tim to end up in first place!

Mathman
 

Ptichka

Forum translator
Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 28, 2003
Well, it is also possible for the standings to remain as they are now (though I don't think that's likely). In that case, sending medalists only would mean sending neither Michael nor Tim, which I think would not be right either. Either Michael, or Tim, or both will be going to Worlds no matter what.
 
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