Sasha. Comeback. Believe it.

[Mathman]

Go Sasha!

I wonder why USFS announced this so far ahead of the draw when the other Skate America invitees will be announced.

It seems like this places needless extra pressure on Sasha, while at the same time puts down less favored skaters.

Why not announce, "Evan Lysacek confirms invitation to Skate America!" "Rachael Flatt confirms invitation to Skate America!"

 

[MKFSfan]

I think it is very strange Sasha already knows/has announced about SA before the drawing and all. Has this ever happened before? I agree with you, MM, this really does thrust Sasha into the limelight and all that pressure that comes with the relentless media won't be good. She's going to get tons of pressure from outside forces and herself anyway at competition time. Hopefully Sasha can train in peace!

 

[Sylvia]

I wonder why USFS announced this so far ahead of the draw when the other Skate America invitees will be announced.

It seems like this places needless extra pressure on Sasha, while at the same time puts down less favored skaters.

Cohen's official site "confirmed" Sasha's Skate America invitation, not USFS.

 

[Mathman]

^ Oh. OK. Thank you. My bad.

 

[seniorita]

thats great
but how her invitation is announced and noone else's?did i miss anything?

 

[Tonichelle]

Maybe Sasha put a bug in someone's ear... something like "hey I'll come back if you promise to invite me to SA" and the person said "duh! yeah! free publicity that we desperately need!"

 

[Dee4707]

Maybe Sasha put a bug in someone's ear... something like "hey I'll come back if you promise to invite me to SA" and the person said "duh! yeah! free publicity that we desperately need!"

Toni, do you think they are that smart???

 

[antmanb]

Go Sasha!

I wonder why USFS announced this so far ahead of the draw when the other Skate America invitees will be announced.

It seems like this places needless extra pressure on Sasha, while at the same time puts down less favored skaters.

Why not announce, "Evan Lysacek confirms invitation to Skate America!" "Rachael Flatt confirms invitation to Skate America!"

I'm completely guessing (and making it up!) but i wonder if perhaps the ISU wants all seeded/qualified skaters to find out at the same time, so the only people that it doesn't really "matter" if it is made public is the host countries wild card pick?

Ant

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

I wonder why USFS announced this so far ahead of the draw when the other Skate America invitees will be announced.
Why not announce, "Evan Lysacek confirms invitation to Skate America!" "Rachael Flatt confirms invitation to Skate America!"

It's all about cheap hype. Maybe the USFS thinks that Sasha will be the draw for fans to trek it off to Lake Placid. Not an easy journey for many. I think Sasha's ardent fans will like to go but they wont.

 

[Mathman]

I'm completely guessing (and making it up!) but i wonder if perhaps the ISU wants all seeded/qualified skaters to find out at the same time, so the only people that it doesn't really "matter" if it is made public is the host countries wild card pick?

It is looking more and more like Sasha will also get another GP event -- Eric Bompard being mentioned most.

This is the interesting part to me. As Sylvia points, this announcement appears on Sasha's web site, not on USFS's. So it is Sasha who it tooting the horn, not USFA.

On the other hand, both Sasha and USFS seem to be using Philip Hersh as their stalking horse.

On May 7th Sasha announced, through Hersh, that she would accept an invitation to Skare America should one be offered, and that she "would like to do another Grand Prix."

The response of USFS was, we will wait until a "scheduled teleconference on May 14 before commenting."

On May 8th Icenetwork put it this way: "Sasha has submitted the appropriate paperwork and formally requested Skate America. Assignment to Grand Prix events will be announced after May 30."

On the USFS site CEO David Raith says only, ""USFS is please to welcome Sasha back to competitive figure skating."

But it was too late. The Sasha Express had already left the station! (The Sasha Limited, for you, Ant. )

The teleconference originally scheduled for May 14 was moved up to May 8. Icenetwork had to revise their article the same day. Many newspapers carried the story. David Raith changed his tune to, it's a no brainer that Sasha will get Skate America and she will be an attractive choice for other GP events as well.

Now (May 13) comes the official word from Sasha's web site that Skate America is an official done deal. A-A-L-L-L ABOARD!

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

On the other hand, both Sasha and USFS seem to be using Philip Hersh as their stalking horse.

On May 7th Sasha announced, through Hersh, that she would accept an invitation to Skare America should one be offered, and that she "would like to do another Grand Prix."

On the USFS site CEO David Raith says only, ""USFS is please to welcome Sasha back to competitive figure skating."

The teleconference originally scheduled for May 14 was moved up to May 8. Icenetwork had to revise their article the same day. Many newspapers carried the story. David Raith changed his tune to, it's a no brainer that Sasha will get Skate America and she will be an attractive choice for other GP events as well.

Now (May 13) comes the official word from Sasha's web site that Skate America is an official done deal. A-A-L-L-L ABOARD!

This is most strange. One would have thought she would get the ok from the USFS before going to Hersch. Oh the hype of it all

Tell me why was there a Teleconference and what was the agenda?

As to the 2nd GP, since left competitive skating through her own fault, doesn't she need the blessing of the ISU for that one?

 

[nylynnr]

I don't think USFS intended to use Hersh as a announcement vehicle or stalking horse, and perhaps Sasha did not, either. It's JMO, which no one need bow to, that being a rather persistent reporter Hersh was tipped off about Sasha's intense SOI practices and pressed hard for the story.

 

[Mathman]

Tell me why was there a Teleconference and what was the agenda?

As far as I can tell the entire agenda was Sasha's announcement. I believe that representatives of various news media had a chance to ask Sasha questions, like, "Do you feel that you can be competitve with the top world skaters at the Olympics," and things like that.

As to the 2nd GP, since left competitive skating through her own fault, doesn't she need the blessing of the ISU for that one?

She does need the ISU's blessing. But besides the rule obout "no fault of her own" there is another rule that seems to say the ISU can do anything they want, never mind the rules.

I think they could declare that Sasha is an "exceptional case" and set aside the rules about "no fault of her own."

Or they could say, Sasha suffered from tendonitis and various afflictions for the last couple of years, so that's "no fault of her own."

I don't think USFS intended to use Hersh as a announcement vehicle or stalking horse, and perhaps Sasha did not, either. It's JMO, which no one need bow to, that being a rather persistent reporter Hersh was tipped off about Sasha's intense SOI practices and pressed hard for the story.

I agree that USFS did not intend for the story to come out like this, with Phil Hersh in the center of the story instead of USFS.

The whole situation took the ball out of USFS's court and left them playing catch-up.

 

[i love to skate]

I think they could declare that Sasha is an "exceptional case" and set aside the rules about "no fault of her own."

Or they could say, Sasha suffered from tendonitis and various afflictions for the last couple of years, so that's "no fault of her own."

Why would they? How on Earth is Sasha an exceptional case? She willingly sat out for three years and IMO should not be an exception to the rule.

 

[Dee4707]

Why would they? How on Earth is Sasha an exceptional case? She willingly sat out for three years and IMO should not be an exception to the rule.

.....and if this happens, don't blame Sasha.

As Mathman says:

She does need the ISU's blessing. But besides the rule obout "no fault of her own" there is another rule that seems to say the ISU can do anything they want, never mind the rules.

 

[Mathman]

Why would they? How on Earth is Sasha an exceptional case? She willingly sat out for three years and IMO should not be an exception to the rule.

I don't know the answer to that question. I guess we will have to wait until May 30 to see which way the ISU goes.

It is my impression, from comments by David Raith and others, that USFS is working both behind the scenes and in media releases, to push for another event for Sasha. I think if the event co-ordinator (say, the French or Russian federation) also got on board and told Mr. Cinquanta that they really, really want Sasha to spice up the ladies side of their event, then this might have influence on the ISU's decision.

 

[antmanb]

Why would they? How on Earth is Sasha an exceptional case? She willingly sat out for three years and IMO should not be an exception to the rule.

Well the ISU pretty much does what it wants, when it wants, however it wants to do so see e.g. reducing the number of judges used at the olympics etc without reference to the member feds.

Ant

 

[i love to skate]

It is my impression, from comments by David Raith and others, that USFS is working both behind the scenes and in media releases, to push for another event for Sasha. I think if the event co-ordinator (say, the French or Russian federation) also got on board and told Mr. Cinquanta that they really, really want Sasha to spice up the ladies side of their event, then this might have influence on the ISU's decision.

I think people are overplaying how much of an impact she will have on the ladies division. I fully see that she may drum some interest in the US, but will it really draw more viewers/attention if she gets assigned to Cup of Russia or Bombard? I don't think so.

 

[nylynnr]

Perhaps I'm missing something, or misinterpreting some of the seemingly negative posts, but I don't see anything wrong or unusual about the ISU bending its (poorly written) rules to allow well-known past champs, who have taken a few years off competition, to enter events. It happens in other sports, too.

Maybe the ill-will, if there is any, is generated by the phrase, "out of competition through no fault of their own," which seems to me a badly put way of saying, "whatever your reason for not competing -- injury, family problems, money problems, burnout," as a past champ, you will be considered for events. After all, any athlete could make the case, if they had to, that their finances needed replenishing and they had to perform shows (and not compete) in order to pay off parental loans, coach bills, costume bills, etc.

 

[Mathman]

Maybe the ill-will, if there is any, is generated by the phrase, "out of competition through no fault of their own,"...

I agree. I wish the ISU had used a different word than "fault." When you say, "It's your fault," that implies that what you did (dropping out of competition for a while) is wrong, evil and blameworthy. Someone must be found "at fault."

It would have been better if they had said flatly, "returning World Champions and Olympic medalists will also be considered for selection to GP events."

Another thing that crossed my mind is this. I wonder if Sasha really wants another GP event, besides Skate America, after all. For public comsumption, of course she has to say that she wants to do the full Grand Prix circuit, including the final, like a good little ISU Munchkin.

But suppose she does get, say, Eric Bompard in October. With only five months of training she fights it out for fifth place against Lepisto, Leoova, Gedevanishvili and Candice Didier.

Or -- let's say she wins Eric Bompard (beating, say, Yu-na and Mao), also wins Skate America , and then makes it to the Grand Prix finals, where she will skate against, perhaps, Kim, Asada, Ando, Rochette and Kostner.

That's a baptism of fire and a lot of skating.

It might be better for her to pace herself with Skate America (facing, maybe, only Ando, Flatt and Czisny), then U.S. Nationals (where she has as good a chance as anyone), and aim to peak at the Olympics -- where waits her destiny.