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Sasha not going to 2007 Nats

Does that mean any year Olympic medal? I can't see Peggy or Dorothy geting a bye to the next Olympics.

I'm sure it's just the reigning medalists from the previous Games, but I thought it was the reigning Olympic Gold Medalists that would get the bye, not all medalist. Interesting. Even so, I'm sure IF Sasha decides to come back, she would get GP assignments that conflict with Regionals/Sectionals. Could you imagine the choas that would occur if someone of Sasha's calibar competed at reg/sect? I'm sure it would be very hard to scramble together security measures, etc. that is in place for elite competitions.
 
They may just opt to hold a test skate for her just like they did for Kwan to see if she's fit enough for Nats/Worlds.
 
If they do reinstate the 'reigning Olympic medalist' rule, there would be no need to give Sasha a special test, because Nationals would be her test. It would be sink or swim for her, and it she couldn't cut it, then no harm done (except to her reputation). If Sasha says she's ready to go, the USFS has to take her word for it.

But that is ONLY if they reinstated the rule. If they didn't, she'd have to do Regionals and Sectionals, just as Michelle would if she returned.
 
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This national will be boring. Without Michelle and Sasha's competing, it's just not much to watch.
 
This national will be boring. Without Michelle and Sasha's competing, it's just not much to watch.
But this can't go on forever. I'm all for the newbies on the block.

Michelle will get married and have skating kids.
Sasha will skate shows when not in a movie.

There's a whole slew of talented skaters in the US storehouse for the next few years of Nationals. Check out the Sectionals on IceNet.com

Joe
 
I think in a way it will be more exciting because the title is up for grabs.

Last year, Sasha's FS was not that great anyway, even though she knew she had no competition for the title. This year, all the ladies have a shot at the title and it will be interesting to see who has both the talent and the nerves to win it.
 
Re:

It's a musical term meaning a virtuosa who shows off his talent. Think Heifitz' bravura to Menunin's lyrical.

Both styles are present in top skaters but there is one style which dominates the personality of the performer. Think Plushenko's bravura and Weir's lyrical. One performer goes after the audience; the other draws the audience in.

Nothing wrong with either style. IMO, young skaters do not have either.

Joe

It seems to me that classifying skaters as either bravura as either bravura and lyrical is not always cut and dry. Take Michelle Kwan for example. I think she does draw in the audience by skating lyrically. However, in the last few years of her professional skating, she has progressively become more "bravura." The last sections of her program, after all the jumps have been completed, tend to bey very showy and attention-grabbing.
 
It seems to me that classifying skaters as either bravura as either bravura and lyrical is not always cut and dry. Take Michelle Kwan for example. I think she does draw in the audience by skating lyrically. However, in the last few years of her professional skating, she has progressively become more "bravura." The last sections of her program, after all the jumps have been completed, tend to bey very showy and attention-grabbing.
In the world of ballet, where I picked up these terms, it is easy to see the difference in Swan Lake where the white swan is so lyriical in her torment and the black swan is so bravura showing how brazen she can be. One ballerina will do both rolls. The exceptional ballerina is quite good at both roles but even then, one can tell where her strength lies. In the white or black swan?

In the case of Kwan's Concerto de Aranjuez, she went bravura and it was in a class above the others yet, looking closely at it, you could see the lyricism as well. Sher, Tosca and Bolero were skated well, but lacked any definitive style for me. I think the pain had set in.

Another comparison of Bravura and Lyrical might be Jenny Kirk and Angela Nikidimov. It has nothing to do with medals but a lot to do with personality.

Joe
 
I'm not a bit surprised by the official news about Sasha. However, I will greatly miss Sasha in competition because she is and has always been a unique skater. So many of the other skaters look the same but Sasha has always had something special in my opinion.

So having said that....I do look forward to the new girls. The problem I have is that I really have no strong feelings for either Kimmie, Emily or Katy. For the first time in a decade, I really don't care who wins the gold.

As far as world competition, I think the Japanese women are more interesting skaters to watch. I also like Ya Na Kim.

Dizzy
 
The only surprise here is the amount of attention that Sasha is getting for not skating! Did we all not know deep down inside that she was not going to skate? Did anyone really truly think that she was somehow going to get back in shape between Marshall's and Nationals and be able to compete for the title? Was it not glaringly obvious by all of her non-skating related activities that she was not seriously training? I think she knew months ago that she was not going to compete, but she needs some way to keep her name in the news until her "acting" career takes off. Right now she is recognizable only as a skater and unless she keeps herself out there, she is not going to be a draw at the box office except to a very limited group of people, the diehard skating fans. But back to the topic. I think its best for her that she not skate at Nationals this year. Better to be remembered for winning last years title than for showing up poorly trained and not winning this year, she would be wise to just skate the occasional exhibition piece here or there to keep herself in the public eye.
 
I'm not a bit surprised by the official news about Sasha. However, I will greatly miss Sasha in competition because she is and has always been a unique skater. So many of the other skaters look the same but Sasha has always had something special in my opinion.

So having said that....I do look forward to the new girls. The problem I have is that I really have no strong feelings for either Kimmie, Emily or Katy. For the first time in a decade, I really don't care who wins the gold.

As far as world competition, I think the Japanese women are more interesting skaters to watch. I also like Ya Na Kim.

Dizzy

The new girls are great and we should spend more time discussing them. Let's forget about Masha Kwan und Sichelle Cohen for a while ;-)

Anyhow... here are my thoughts on the ladies.

1.) Asada - powerful, amazing jumps that make her the sure winner of any compeittion.. if she is on. She isn't consistent yet, however. She botched two possible wins at Skate America, the GP Final, and last year's World Junior Championships. So while she can be the best, she also frequently underperformes and hands the victory to others

2.) Kim - Lyrical and on with her jumps, she is also rather consistent. But if Asada is on, she will lose.

3.) Ando - She had a breakthrough at Skate America with an amazing program, however her two subsequent skates at TEB and GP Final show that she cannot be relied upon to deliver a winning program when the crunch comes.

4.) Sara Meier. Consistent. Gorgeous. She is only real lady on the circuit. Her programs are very feminine and graceful, unlike those of Ando and Asada. Kim skates beautifully, but she is too tentative to draw in the audience with her performances. Meier's skating is very engaging and charming. She has maturity and confidence. However, she won't have a chance of landing on the podium unless one of the Asian ladies has a meltdown.

Fumie Suguri is yesterday's news. She has no chance of ever making the podium and her current LP is very straightforward and boring. The choreography just isn't there. She should retire.
 
This isn't really anything shocking about Sasha. She didn't skate well at Olympics or Worlds and needed work at cheesefest, so it's painfully obvious her skating days are limited. I doubt she will be back in teh future. It's time for the real young talent to step forward and take skating to a new level. Sasha can't do the 3/3's or harder jumps. This is a good move for her. I can't wait for the Kimmie vs. Emily rivalry.
 
sasha not going to 2007 Nats

Mathman,

Thank you for your comment. None of the "exciting" skaters mentioned by Krenesby will be at the US Nationals. This was precisely my point. The exciting skaters at the present time are not from the U.S.

Dizzy
 
...and for the Americans, that's not a really good sign for the state of FS here.

However, if Meissner/Hughes/other up and comers can continue to pull in the results, we should be fine.
 
US Figure skating isn't all bad off. We have the reigning World Champion and an improving Emily Hughes. Plus soon we'll have Caroline Zhang. We dont' know what will become of the newest crop of Japanese jumping beans. I remember Miki Ando and Yoshie getting hyped up, and not much happened with it. Skating is slippery.
 
Oh well:ohwell: Would have been nice to see, but it will still be nice to see. Time marches on. I'll miss her, but I still believe we will all still be seeing Sasha skating.:agree:
 
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