Cohen and Nicks Plan for Success | Page 4 | Golden Skate

Cohen and Nicks Plan for Success

gezando

Final Flight
Joined
Jul 30, 2003
peggy said:
Hey, I might be wrong but most Olympic skating gold medal winners have been offered some pretty good business deals

Some do some don't, and some receive huge deals without even winning one tournament ala Kournikova. Actually according to Cohen fans, she has some good business deals, and she does not have a national title or world title (junior or senior )

Peggy said:
. Competition skating is not cheap and unless these skaters come from very rich families, I imagine most will move on to a professional career.
How does professional skating cost less than competitive skating? I imagine the costumes, props etc cost more than just a skating dress. They still have to buy ice time, and most of them still have coahces

We will never know the answer to this question If Michelle was into the love of competition, I think she would have been competing in the Grand Prix series the last few years.

But we know the answer, because she told us in the press conference. You mean you don't believe her, that is another issue, not her issue. She competes smart. IIRC Loosemore wrote an article when Speedy first decree the GP series, she predicted massive injuries. BTW, skating is an individual sport, e.g. like golf, athletes can pick and choose to a certain degree what they want to participate in. I don't see Tiger, or Vijay participate in all the tournaments either. To presume that a skater's participation to the number of competitions is directly proportional to the competition does not make much sense. A couple of years ago Fumie, skated in GP, GPF, Japanese nationals, Asian games and 4CC. She must love the sports more than Cohen, who skated at GP, GPF, US nationals, and skipped 4CC that was available to her. ( I am just following your reasoning)

I can't think of any lady gold medal winners, in the free world, that still competed for another gold.
Isn't that sad. I miss Tara and Sarah very much. I love you bring up the free world. In the free world, skaters are free to choose their career path, so Michelle chooses to stay on, hope that is OK ;)

As for Michael Phelps--I don't think a speedo and pool time cost what skates, ice time, skating dresses do. I don't think you can compare the two sports for continued amateur competition. This is JMHO also.

Why not, I am just following your original logic, that athletes stay on for the OGM (only), then Michael Phelps should retire. You then change the reasoning to $$. A Speedo and pool time may cost almost as much as ice time. Costume cost varies. Some skaters take hand me downs e.g. Michelle from Fratienne, and Cohen from Meno. Some skaters receive costumes free. Some skating mom make costumes, e.g. AP's mother. BTW, there is speculation that AP retired because she does not love it anymore, and she does not have to pay for her costumes. The cost of skating is not too much of a consideration for top level skaters, IMO.

Defending Olympic gold medalist Anky van Grunsven returned to Athens, the event was equestrian. I wonder how much it cost to train in equestrian. How much do the horses, training etc cost???
 
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ceg15

On the Ice
Joined
Dec 2, 2004
Ann Patrice retired because she didn't love it anymore? Skating costumes cost more than speedos and ice time probably costs more than pool time. Professional skating costs less because you don't pay to go in shows, they pay you to go into their shows. And doesn't the show provide the costumes?
 

mzheng

Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 16, 2005
Peggy said:
What approach would that be? I'm pretty sure Michelle would have retired by now if she had won a gold instead of a silver her first Olympics.
.

I don't think she would. Here is the elleshang (who attend Kwan's tel conference and covered for one of the newspaper from ShangHai) posted Q and A at MKF.

"
I know you’ve been asked this. Would you be doing this if you had still won the gold at the Olympics.
MK: It’s tough to answer – I think I would be. It’s the competition atmosphere that I love. Being nervous, pushing myself to the max. I think I would still be competing. I don’t think it would have been fair to turn professional after 98.

Are you surprised to see some skaters turn professional so young?
MK: I am surprised to see certain skaters turn professional. Right now it is the best of both worlds. I can enjoy summers on tour and I can have an amateur career as well.
"

ETA,
Sorry, posted this in Sasha's thread since I saw the question and just want to answer them.

Now come to mind if you take whatever skaters said as the face value, then Sasha would definitely turn pro had she won the OGM at SLC. She said it herself.
 
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bronxgirl

Medalist
Joined
Jan 22, 2004
gezando said:
Defending Olympic gold medalist Anky van Grunsven returned to Athens, the event was equestrian. I wonder how much it cost to train in equestrian. How much do the horses, training etc cost???

Equestrain sports are among the most expensive in the world. Most top horses are owned by either a consortium or somone who is quite wealthy. And horses insist on eating, having tack that fits them properly, and that doesn't include any of the coaching and traing fees (though I'm sure Anky trains her own horses - who could do it better than she can? :love: )
 
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Peggy

On the Ice
Joined
Mar 13, 2004
mzheng said:
Now come to mind if you take whatever skaters said as the face value, then Sasha would definitely turn pro had she won the OGM at SLC. She said it herself.

Sasha is an honest girl and I believe her. I don't have a problem with her turning pro if that is her goal. I wish her the best of luck in the future. She is stunning and I hope she is successful in her quest for Gold.

Peggy
 

chuckm

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 31, 2003
Country
United-States
What Sasha said was that it was her plan to win at SLC and immediately go pro, "just like Tara". She is not in figure skating because of a love of the sport, or love of competition. Sasha is in figure skating because it is a means to an end, and I imagine the end is fame and fortune.

I don't think I have ever heard Sasha say that she was in the sport because of her love of figure skating. Kwan and Slutskaya have often said they are in the sport because they love it, and that shines in their FS performances at major events. Maybe that is why Sasha's FSs somehow don't have the same warmth and passion.
 

R.D.

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
chuckm said:
What Sasha said was that it was her plan to win at SLC and immediately go pro, "just like Tara". She is not in figure skating because of a love of the sport, or love of competition. Sasha is in figure skating because it is a means to an end, and I imagine the end is fame and fortune.

Good thought, but I think if that really were the case, she wouldn't be where she is now...I mean, in other words, how would she have started and slaved as hard as she did with this particular "sport"? If she really wanted a quick route to fame and fortune, she'd try and become an actress. :agree: :biggrin:

chuckm said:
I don't think I have ever heard Sasha say that she was in the sport because of her love of figure skating. Kwan and Slutskaya have often said they are in the sport because they love it, and that shines in their FS performances at major events. Maybe that is why Sasha's FSs somehow don't have the same warmth and passion.

Hmm...I never thought of that. That's a good point! :agree:
 
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Ogre Mage

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 30, 2003
I agree that both Kwan and Slutskaya now primarily skate for the love of the sport. But keep in mind that both women are accomplished veterans who have won major titles and scores of medals in major events. Would either have felt exactly the same when they were hungry young up and comers? Michelle and Irina have already had highly successful careers. Sasha is still looking for her first major title, so it makes sense that her competitive edge may be more urgent.
 

Kuchana

On the Ice
Joined
Sep 25, 2004
Ogre Mage said:
I agree that both Kwan and Slutskaya now primarily skate for the love of the sport. But keep in mind that both women are accomplished veterans who have won major titles and scores of medals in major events. Would either have felt exactly the same when they were hungry young up and comers? Michelle and Irina have already had highly successful careers. Sasha is still looking for her first major title, so it makes sense that her competitive edge may be more urgent.

That may be true. I remember when I saw Michelle win her first worlds against Chen Lu and that girl had a lot of competitive fire but then...she was only 15:) She talked about winning her first National title and her first World title, which was a lot to ask for in the same year at her age and against the defending champ Chen Lu. I specificully recall the fluff piece when she won Skate America and she had said she won it against Chen Lu but seemed disappointed? that it wasn't counted. She had a lot of momentum, which turned full circle at worlds. But she's changed a lot since then I think mentalitywise from focusing not so much on winning but doing her best and she's become a veteran at that as has Irina. But Sasha is no 15 year old. She's what 20? 21? She's been to the nationals how many times now and come up short? She still seems to have that hunger to win and focused on it. As Red Dog and others have pointed out, this of course has hampered her from being successful and I also think skating in Michelle's shadow has not helped (one would think it would).
 
Joined
Jul 11, 2003
Irina and Michelle are devoted not only to skating but to competitive skating! It's an addiction! I can't imagine either of them skating in SOI.

I've always thought that Sasha wanted a quick win and out, a la Tara. I can imagine Sasha going on to another 'theatrical' field not necessarily in SOI but maybe in design. Can't you see the "Sasha" label?

None of the three are in need of cash. Everything looks bright in the future and it is their move.

Joe
 

euterpe

Medalist
Joined
Sep 4, 2003
Believe it or not, this is Sasha's 6th season as a Senior. Although she hasn't yet won a National or World title, she's won many GP events and several cheesefests, has been GPF champion, and has a World silver medal. But she doesn't seem to relish competing and/or enjoy her performances at the major events. That 'savoring the moment' glow is missing and so her FS performances come off as flat when compared to Michelle's passion and Irina's exuberance.
 

R.D.

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
euterpe said:
Believe it or not, this is Sasha's 6th season as a Senior. Although she hasn't yet won a National or World title, she's won many GP events and several cheesefests, has been GPF champion, and has a World silver medal. But she doesn't seem to relish competing and/or enjoy her performances at the major events. That 'savoring the moment' glow is missing and so her FS performances come off as flat when compared to Michelle's passion and Irina's exuberance.

I think this is right on the money with what might be happening; I understand that it's also very hard to let go and "enjoy the moment" when you want something so bad. We've seen this in MK during her Olympic freeskates, and SC during basically all major comps she's entered. Somehow, somewhere, she's going to have to try to get that off her mind as much as possible...
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
I don't think we need to hold Sasha to her quote as a young teenager, that she wanted to "do a Tara." The Tara blitz -- come from nowhere, win Nationals, Worlds, OGM, then ride off into the sunset -- who was that masked girl? -- that must have seemed like a fairy tail to thousands of skaters of the next generation. If Tara can do it, why not I?

A more mature Sasha might have taken a longer view.

Mathman
 

euterpe

Medalist
Joined
Sep 4, 2003
Sasha mentioned her 2002 intentions at 2004 Nationals, and observed she still wants to do the same thing (win OGM and retire), but it's taking a lot longer than she thought. OTOH, if she doesn't win the OGM at Torino, I doubt very much she'd stick around for 2010.
 

mzheng

Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 16, 2005
euterpe said:
Sasha mentioned her 2002 intentions at 2004 Nationals, and observed she still wants to do the same thing (win OGM and retire), but it's taking a lot longer than she thought. OTOH, if she doesn't win the OGM at Torino, I doubt very much she'd stick around for 2010.

Well, at Sasha defence. You can't fault her for not sticking around for 2010. If Michelle is too old for 2006 according to some fans, then Sasha would be too old for 2010 as well.
 

Kuchana

On the Ice
Joined
Sep 25, 2004
mzheng said:
Well, at Sasha defence. You can't fault her for not sticking around for 2010. If Michelle is too old for 2006 according to some fans, then Sasha would be too old for 2010 as well.

Well I certainly don't think she would be too old if she did stay in for 2010. In fact the more power to her if she chose to do so. However, I doubt that she has the mettle nor the desire to stay in for that long. I, too, share the sentiment that she will retire after 2006 even if sihe doesn't win gold at Turin.
 

mzheng

Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 16, 2005
Actually I kind of agree some posters said above that, Sasha is not in FS for the love of it.

It was said she was originally trainned for gymnastics, her parents (mostly her mom) had or encourage her switch to figure skating, because 1) She was sometimes lost focus on the beam, her mom thought it was very dangerous had her fall off the beam, so looking for other sports she can play in. 2) The figure skating seems fit the bill, her exceptional gift on flexability can be well displayed on ice unlike in gymnastics where a lot of gifted kids have the comparable flexability. Besides at the time it looked much easier to make fame in Figure Sakting then in Gymnastics.
 

nicole_l

Final Flight
Joined
Oct 28, 2004
Besides at the time it looked much easier to make fame in Figure Sakting then in Gymnastics
I kind of agree with you here. I think that the average American might know more figure skaters than gymnasts, although it does depend on which Olympics is going on during that year.
 
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