RA interview with MK mentions

[flow35]

Thanks Mathman for that blast from the past. That is one of my favorite exhibitions from Michelle.

 

[Fossi]

I don't think Sasha has ever skated a clean LP in competition. has she? By clean I mean no 2 footed landings and she does this alot.

 

[krenseby]

Re

I don't think Sasha has ever skated a clean LP in competition. has she? By clean I mean no 2 footed landings and she does this alot.

In Sasha's defense, she has managed to beat all of her major competitors in a major competition.

She beat Michelle Kwan und Fumie Suguri at Worlds 2004 + 2005

She beat Irina Slutskaya at the 2003 GFF, 2004 Worlds and 2006 Olympics

She beat Shizuka Arakawa at 2005 Worlds

She beat Kimmie Meissner at 2004 + 2005 Nationals.

There's no ladies female skater who competed against Sasha who she didn't beat in a major competition at least once, though usually she beat them twice ;-)

 

[R.D.]

Perhaps, but did she win Gold in any of them?

 

[Fossi]

In Sasha's defense, she has managed to beat all of her major competitors in a major competition. but did she ever skate clean? and did she rely on them to make mistakes so she could win?

She beat Michelle Kwan und Fumie Suguri at Worlds 2004 + 2005 okay. but Michelle beat Sasha in the LP

She beat Irina Slutskaya at the 2003 GFF, 2004 Worlds and 2006 Olympics but Irina's mom was very ill and IRinas mind not in it at GPF. At Worlds IRina herself was deathly sick. and many felt Irina should've been ahead of Sasha at Olympics.

She beat Shizuka Arakawa at 2005 Worlds yes. Shiz wanted to retire and her heart wasn't in it.
She beat Kimmie Meissner at 2004 + 2005 Nationals. [I]okay. But Kimmie beat her -convincingly- at Worlds[/I]
There's no ladies female skater who competed against Sasha who she didn't beat in a major competition at least once, though usually she beat them twice ;-)

Mao Asado anyone? She beat Sasha and Sasha never beat her

So, has Sasha ever completed a clean LP with no falls or 2foots?

 

[MKFSfan]

First of all, that's the way it goes when you compete among the best-you'll beat some sometimes. All those skaters have beaten Sasha as well. All it means, IMO, is that they are peers. Gold is gold. Silver and bronze are probably seen more as a consolation prize. Not my perspective, but I'm sure skaters of Michelle, Irina, Sasha's calibar feel they fall short if they don't win Gold.

My favorite LP by Sasha was her debut of Swan Lake. I saw it live and the feeling was more of excitement over a brand new program, the start of a new season. She did have a 2-foot and a mistake in a spin, so it wasn't perfect, and since it was new, it didn't have quite the "easy" feeling that many seasoned performances have. But sitting in the audience, I could feel Sasha was proud of this new program, kind of a "See what I can do!" performance. I saw her last Swan Lake performance as well, in the Spring Cheesefest, and I liked the Oct. one MUCH better.

I think she was clean at Cup of Russia one year???

I don't think a small misstep that doesn't take away from the overall program kills the performance. I just don't feel Sasha has had the kind of performance that will go down as an "once in a lifetime skate." She basically said the same thing last season. Had she won a Gold at Worlds or Olympics, or even Nationals over Michelle, she may have been singing a different tune.

 

[R.D.]

so...who cares?

 

[Spun Silver]

Well, you obviously - since you never seem to tire of talking about Sasha.

Yeah, yeah, I know you're not a "fan." I'm not going to speculate about your motives.

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

Fans of Ladies figure skating who are about to quit the scene wont give up.

The bottom line for me and this is a final: Sasha is an excellent show skater and an ok competitive skater.

Joe

 

[nymkfan51]

The bottom line for me and this is a final: Sasha is an excellent show skater and an ok competitive skater. Joe

Joe, I completely agree! :agree:

 

[Mathman]

You guys have high standards if the best you can say is "she's OK," speaking about a competitor who was twice been the second best athlete in the world in her sport (three times counting the Olympics).

I guess Michelle was "fair to middling" at the 1998 Olympics.

 

[Fossi]

I will remember Sasha as a great skater who was smart to leave the sport when she did. Her career was in a decline and she probably doesn't want to lose her endorsements. She will do great at SOI because she is a performer.

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

I've said this many times before. Sasha skated her LP perfectly and brilliantly in the 2004 Worlds in Dortmund Qualifying Round. IMO, and I am a big MK fan, I think that skate of Sasha would have won the 2006 Olys.

I wish someone with a tape of that would put it on youtube.

Joe

 

[Fossi]

QR? Was it ever televised? So she skatead a perfect LP one time in her career?

 

[Spun Silver]

Sashafans had a thread on this a while back - these are the clean LPs and a couple where I wasn't sure which program was being referred to:

2005 Marshall's LP
2004 Marshall's Challenge LP
2003 Grand Prix Final 2nd LP
2003 Campbell's Classic LP
2003 Skate America (? SP or LP?)
2002 Cup of Russia LP
2001 Hershey's Challenge (? SP or LP?)
2000 Cup of Russia LP
2000 Keri Lotion Classic LP
1999 Keri Lotion Classic LP

 

[R.D.]

Yeah, yeah, I know you're not a "fan." I'm not going to speculate about your motives.

*shrugs* whatever, I'm tired of these pesky squabbles.

 

[Fossi]

I htink on Sashafans they count 2foots as clean skates though. Were all those programs really clean?

 

[R.D.]

...or any program where she DIDN'T touch the ice with her bottom...

 

[Mathman]

Sashafans had a thread on this a while back - these are the clean LPs and a couple where I wasn't sure which program was being referred to:

2005 Marshall's LP...

That is a very telling list. Of the ten outstanding performances of her career, six of them were at cheesefests.

I think this supports the view that competitive pressure was her enemy and that she has the goods (if she wants to) to become one of the most successful and beloved show skaters of all time.

 

[nymkfan51]

Sashafans had a thread on this a while back - these are the clean LPs and a couple where I wasn't sure which program was being referred to:

2005 Marshall's LP
2004 Marshall's Challenge LP
2003 Grand Prix Final 2nd LP
2003 Campbell's Classic LP
2003 Skate America (? SP or LP?)
2002 Cup of Russia LP
2001 Hershey's Challenge (? SP or LP?)
2000 Cup of Russia LP
2000 Keri Lotion Classic LP
1999 Keri Lotion Classic LP

I can't speak to the events in 1999/2000, but other than the 2004 Marshalls, none of these other programs were clean. At Campbells/2003 and SA/2003 she two-footed her flip ... and at her 2nd LP at the GPF she popped the loop.
At 2005 Marshalls she 2 footed a few of her jumps and had a hand down on her 2A.
Her 2002 COR was probably her cleanest LP. She had a shaky landing on her 3T, but was otherwise good.

Watching Sasha's programs it's clear she is a beautiful skater with gorgeous positions and extensions ... the problem has always been the jumps. She does okay with just a few in each program, but can't seem to sustain that for her longs. That's why I can only classify her as an okay competitor. To go as long as she has in her career and come up virtually empty with clean LP's is a little hard to overlook if you are talking about great skaters.