New Sasha Cohen Article - Meet the champions, then watch them skate

[equestrianguy]

Sasha does have many titles to her name... Oly silver, 2 World silvers, National Gold and many, many GP medals... I don't think she will return to competitive skating....BUT if she did I would love to see it. Even without the 3/3 her spirals, spins and footwork could still be a level 4 and her "landed" jumps would get pluses of execution.... Her winning above a clean Mao or Kim? No.....but I would love to see her back in the mix of things as she is one of the most graceful skaters of all time.....but if she returns I'll eat my socks....LOL Besides, now that the USA has Flatt, Nasagu and Zhang looking as VERY promising ladies for 09-10 seasons why do we need Sasha back? LOL

 

[Fossi]

Interesting point about Nagasu, Flatt and Zhang. Don't leave out Wagoner though. I don't think Sasha can beat any of these ladies. If she comes back she'll be fighting for a top 5 finish, not a podium finish. It would be interesting though

 

[museksk8r]

Sasha does have many titles to her name... Oly silver, 2 World silvers, National Gold and many, many GP medals... I don't think she will return to competitive skating....BUT if she did I would love to see it. Even without the 3/3 her spirals, spins and footwork could still be a level 4 and her "landed" jumps would get pluses of execution.... Her winning above a clean Mao or Kim? No.....but I would love to see her back in the mix of things as she is one of the most graceful skaters of all time.....but if she returns I'll eat my socks....LOL Besides, now that the USA has Flatt, Nasagu and Zhang looking as VERY promising ladies for 09-10 seasons why do we need Sasha back? LOL

I've always taken "titles" to mean championships a skater won, not placed 2nd or 3rd in. It's not just a lack of a 3+3 in the SP one must consider, it's also the fact that she would get hit with wrong edge takeoffs for her 3flutz, which never occurred with her in the past because the ISU was not always marking down for that, but they sure are now and Sasha would suffer in both the SP and the LP. She could always replace the 3flutz with a 3loop in the SP, but not having a 3+3 would put her at a disadvantage. So many of the skaters Sasha placed ahead of in the past have really improved their skating and level of consistency, like Miki Ando, Joannie Rochette, Carolina Kostner, and Yukari Nakano. Add Yu-Na Kim, Mao Asada, Rachael Flatt, Caroline Zhang, Mirai Nagasu, Ashley Wagner, and a potentially rejuvenated Kimmie Meissner, among others, and Sasha will have a very difficult time even making top 10 in the world and that's considering the big IF she even qualifies on the US World team. Top 5 at Nationals would be a challenge for her too. She doesn't appear to be taking this comeback seriously enough in the press for any of us to take her seriously either. Having not watched recent competitions comes off as an ignorant statement to me for anyone serious about a comeback.

 

[equestrianguy]

No need for all the indepth anylizations.. Sasha's not coming back.. I know Michelle tried to hold out until the 06 Oly, but I wish she would have retired after she won the 03 World. I would of liked to seen the greatest of all-time leave on top of her game...

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

No need for all the indepth anylizations.. Sasha's not coming back.. I know Michelle tried to hold out until the 06 Oly, but I wish she would have retired after she won the 03 World. I would of liked to seen the greatest of all-time leave on top of her game...

Maybe contracts and money to build the new skating rink/arena? Kwan drew in paid audiences.

Joe

 

[Mathman]

In addition to financial reward, I think the reason Michelle Kwan pressed on until she could go no further is this: She thought she had a chance.

That's all a competitive athlete asks -- a chance.

 

[Dee4707]

It amazes me how many different ways a person can say over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over hand over and over and over how much Sasha sucks!! I find that sooooooo very strange!!

I don't think Sasha wanting to compete or whatever else she wants to do any more strange than the people (person) who keeps writing about her.

Dee

 

[cassieandcheetah]

Back in 2006, Sasha did comment on how Michell taking part in the Olympics was somewhat unfair to the younger talents. Well, I say she keep her own word and stay out of the game.

 

[museksk8r]

Back in 2006, Sasha did comment on how Michelle taking part in the Olympics was somewhat unfair to the younger talents. Well, I say she keep her own word and stay out of the game.

So true! Can I get an Amen?

 

[Spun Silver]

It amazes me how many different ways a person can say over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over hand over and over and over how much Sasha sucks!! I find that sooooooo very strange!!

I don't think Sasha wanting to compete or whatever else she wants to do any more strange than the people (person) who keeps writing about her.

Dee

You said it. Sasha is the designated scapegoat of the skating pages. It's grotesque.

Some people will blame it on her diva-esque personality but I can't help thinking that if she were of a different ethnicity or from a working-class background, but with exactly the same skating, a lot of the animus against her on these pages would never have existed. But her off-ice personality is not what counts about her, to me. (Although I am rather impressed by her reading matter these days. http://www.nypost.com/seven/03022008/postopinion/postopbooks/in_my_library__sasha_cohen_100003.htm )

Regardless of what she said about Michelle, NO athlete owes it to anyone else to stay out of competition for the sake of the next generation. Sports are about seeing who's best, and if the "old" 25-year-olds can beat the teenagers, more power to them. (Confession: I'm middle-aged and always love it when veteran athletes kick down the age barrier.)

I don't really think Sasha will come back, and if she does my heart will be in my throat... but I wouldn't underestimate her.

 

[bekalc]

Back in 2006, Sasha did comment on how Michell taking part in the Olympics was somewhat unfair to the younger talents. Well, I say she keep her own word and stay out of the game.

I think Sasha said that when she was younger she wanted Michelle to step down so she could take the spotlight, but when she got older she realized it would mean more to her (to basically beat MK)

Sasha also commented on Mao Asada being left out of the Olympics, saying that she personally didn't care what age someone was (young or old) that she wanted to compete at the best. And she even said she didn't think the age rule was fair.

However, Sasha did suggest that Michelle getting a bye, was a bit unfair to the other skaters, and in that sense I see what she's saying. ONLY because at that point nobody knew what Michelle's skating condition was... After all Michelle hadn't skated all season and her international results, quite frankly were going downhill.

I supported a MK bye, bet felt they needed to give her a test skate, and I also felt that if MK should step down if she felt she didn't have a shot at the gold medal. Because Michelle did have 2 Olympic experiences already, and well it would be one thing for her to earn a spot over Emily/Meissner. It's another one to getby on past achievements when your not longer able to duplicate those achievements. That's basically what Michelle did, and I must say Good for her.


In though whole MItchell controversy (Wyile getting the spot over Mitchell etc) I think that the person who wasn't criticized enough, and who still hasn't gotten any criticism is Todd Eldridge. Todd clearly wasn't in very good physical shape in Albertville, and he had to have known that. Todd should have stepped aside because of it. And the USFSA should have made him do a test skate.... I guess Karma bit him though eventually seeing as he missed out in Lillehammer and never got an Olympic medal.

I understand why Todd didn't step aside, but stepping aside would have shown some integrity because he got his position on the idea that he could skate like he skated the year before, and Todd clearly wasn't at that level.

 

[Dee4707]

Back in 2006, Sasha did comment on how Michell taking part in the Olympics was somewhat unfair to the younger talents. Well, I say she keep her own word and stay out of the game.

Could you post a direct quote about that issue.

Dee

 

[museksk8r]

http://www.sportsnetwork.com/default.asp?c=sportsnetwork&page=olymp/news/bon3999399.htm

"However, Cohen also recently said she was frustrated by some of the amateur skaters not retiring "when they're supposed to," although she never named Kwan directly."

Whether she's talking about Michelle or Irina or whoever, the quote makes me think that she needs to practice what she preaches. I personally see nothing wrong with a skater staying in as long as he/she wants, but I'm not the one telling the press it's unfair or frustrating at one point in my career and then claiming I want to stay in to compete longer. It comes off a bit hypocritical to me.

I don't want to try and psychoanalyze Sasha, but it's just another reminder that public figures have to practice prudence and be courteous in what they share with the media.

2006 has passed and it's water under the bridge now, what's done is done. Life is far too precious to be bitter over what happened in a figure skater's career. Kwan, Slutskaya, and Cohen have all moved on and are successful in their own ways. What's most important is that they are all in a happy place physically, mentally, and emotionally.

 

[Mathman]

^ Thanks for posting the article.

I took the comment in question more as an observation of how the demise of pro skating has affected the amateur sport, "when they are supposed to" referring to the old standard that expected skaters to move on to Ice Capades or SOI after the Olympics.

About Michelle, Sasha says,

"I've always emulated her work ethic because she was one of the few skaters that didn't lose her temper, that would have a bad day, but have a great attitude, come back and try again. That was a huge lesson for me to learn."

OT, but in retrospect i have to smile at this comment:

However, Cohen said she's in favor of the new system because the focus is now on the skaters and not the judges.

That's pretty funny considering that after every competition we have huge threads discussing whether the tech specialist was right or not to downgrade somebody's flip, or whether she deserved that edge deduction that cost the skater the championship.

Sasha, BTW, definitely benefitted from the new judging system in Torino. Under ordinal judging she would have been dead after her first two elements, but under the CoP she could jump back up and rack up the points to win the silver anyway.

 

[museksk8r]

That's pretty funny considering that after every competition we have huge threads discussing whether the tech specialist was right or not to downgrade somebody's flip, or whether she deserved that edge deduction that cost the skater the championship.

Sasha, BTW, definitely benefitted from the new judging system in Torino. Under ordinal judging she would have been dead after her first two elements, but under the CoP she could jump back up and rack up the points to win the silver anyway.

I agree, I did appreciate the nice statements Sasha made about Michelle. I also agree with you that the judging system has brought the most attention to the tech specialist and caller. The new system has shifted focus away from the skaters toward technique and content/difficulty, particularly this season.

I think Sasha would have been an Olympic bronze medalist under the 6.0 system in 2006 given the performance she laid down in the LP. I think Shizuka would have won gold and Fumie would have won silver. I think Joannie would have been able to place 4th (she landed more clean triples than any other lady, 6 total in the LP, but being behind in the SP hurt her) and Irina would likely have been 5th after the LP.

 

[Fossi]

Didn't Sasha also refuse to answer questions about Kwan re: the Olympics in an interview with Katie Couric or say something kind of negative? I remember reading how Katie was shocked by Cohen's lack of empathy for Kwan and how Katie was almost embarassed by her response to the question.

 

[museksk8r]

Didn't Sasha also refuse to answer questions about Kwan re: the Olympics in an interview with Katie Couric or say something kind of negative? I remember reading how Katie was shocked by Cohen's lack of empathy for Kwan and how Katie was almost embarassed by her response to the question.

I don't know, I never saw that interview. I will say I personally get tired of skaters being asked about their rivals. I think interviews should be opportunities to focus on the skater on camera/print, not skater x, y, and z. Johnny and Evan/Michelle and Sasha are not friends. They are/were acquaintances going after the same goals . . . why can't the media just leave it at that? They're always digging for the dirt/controversy, which I imagine peaks interest. I'd rather cheer on a great performance rather than be preoccupied if Bobby likes John or if Sue likes Jane. The way NBC tried to create soap opera on ice during Nationals was so nauseating.

 

[lmarie086]

Thanks for posting that article, it's been awhile since I've read it.
When I first heard Sasha was talking about coming back for the Olympics I immediately thought of that article. Sasha is no younger than Michelle was in 06-same age actually I believe. She too has had two Olympic experiences; in my opinion, her time is done. There's no way I can see that she'll be able to come back and win anything. Look at the ladies field; the top four at Nationals this year are only going to improve (I hope!!). They're doing 3/3 in the SP; when was the last time that Sasha landed one in her competitive prime?

Look I think Sasha is a great skater (even though I'll always prefer Michelle over her), but I think it's unrealistic to think she can even get to the Olympics-especially since an earlier post said that she hasn't been watching the competitions. If she wants to come back, that's not the best move.

 

[Dennis]

I hope she goes to RA full time and comes back and kick's ***. I am a major kwan fan and have never liked her cause I was a freak for Kwan. She is a much better skater than "Don't cry for me Mao Asada". I think her wheels will fall off by 2010 and Kim's are aready falling off.

 

[Medusa]

She is a much better skater than "Don't cry for me Mao Asada". I think her wheels will fall off by 2010 and Kim's are aready falling off.

How funny. I can't stop laughing.