Any Sasha updates?

[chuckm]

I'm suspicious about the actual timing of this interview. She talks only of Arutunian, but she switched from RA to Nicks right before withdrawing from Skate America. I can recall a very, very similar interview even before TEB.

I take her interviews with a grain of salt. She's often talked gung-ho before competitions where she wound up withdrawing.

Sorry, but we haven't seen Sasha compete for more than 3 1/2 years, and the last exhibition skate we saw from her was pathetic jumpwise. She still hasn't skated a 4-minute FS with 6-7 triple jumps and all the non-jump elements in competition. Historically, Sasha has never skated a clean FS in a major competition, and I have my doubts about her stamina and muscle memory.

 

[R.D.]

I'm suspicious about the actual timing of this interview. She talks only of Arutunian, but she switched from RA to Nicks right before withdrawing from Skate America. I can recall a very, very similar interview even before TEB.

I take her interviews with a grain of salt. She's often talked gung-ho before competitions where she wound up withdrawing.

Sorry, but we haven't seen Sasha compete for more than 3 1/2 years, and the last exhibition skate we saw from her was pathetic jumpwise. She still hasn't skated a 4-minute FS with 6-7 triple jumps and all the non-jump elements in competition. Historically, Sasha has never skated a clean FS in a major competition, and I have my doubts about her stamina and muscle memory.

Quoted again because ITA.

 

[janetfan]

Quoted again because ITA.

I don't think we need Sherlock Holmes to see this interview could be a few weeks old.

I don't see how that would change much about what was reported though. Perhaps since then her tendonitis has flared up again or some new injury is possible.

Maybe Sasha has made a secret trip to see Tat since Mao is never in Russia anyway

I certainly agree with Chuck's points and if I had to bet on Sahsa showing up at Natls I might want some decent odds before betting too much
And there is still the question about how well Sasha will perform if she shows.

Still, with what I have seen from US Ladies this season I think an appearance by Sasha at Natls would raise our interests in what already appears to be one of the most exciting Natls .........since .......2006

 

[R.D.]

I certainly agree with Chuck's points and if I had to bet on Sahsa showing up at Natls I might want some decent odds before betting too much

Or you could just simply bet on "no".

Still, with what I have seen from US Ladies this season I think an appearance by Sasha at Natls would raise our interests in what already appears to be one of the most exciting Natls .........since .......2006

You thought 2006 Nats was interesting? alrighty...

Personally, the last real nailbiter for me was 2004 where Cohen was in the midst of upsetting Kwan- that was probably the last Nationals where I was truly into it... in 2005 virtually everyone knew Kwan had that title in her pocket (with Cohen's recent coaching changes/setbacks) and in 2006 virtually everyone knew Cohen had that title in her pocket (barring an epic meltdown and an SOHL from Meissner)

2007, 2008 and 2009 may have been much more competitive overall, and were exciting to watch but I just didn't have that same feeling of adrenaline and anticipation that I did during the 2003 and 2004 nationals (and 05, to a lesser extent)

It's possible 2010 could be another one of those anticipation years, although I doubt it will be as intense for me. For the first time possibly ever, no one is a shoo-in for an Olympic spot...Flatt, Nagasu, Wagner, Czisny...even Zhang if she can pull herself together- have just as good a chance on any given night...

 

[janetfan]

Or you could just simply bet on "no".




You thought 2006 Nats was interesting? alrighty...

It's possible 2010 could be another one of those anticipation years, although I doubt it will be as intense for me. For the first time possibly ever, no one is a shoo-in for an Olympic spot...

My reference to '06 is as you have also noted - it was the last Olympic year.

May I ask - do you if think Sasha shows up to skate at Natls it will make it more interesting, less interesting or no difference at all?

 

[R.D.]

May I ask - do you if think Sasha shows up to skate at Natls it will make it more interesting, less interesting or no difference at all?

All I can tell you is I'll believe it when I see it.

 

[janetfan]

All I can tell you is I'll believe it when I see it.

Fair enough and I admire your skill at avoiding questions

Actually I would be interested in hearing your own opinion about whether Sasha skating at Natls would increase your interest............and also how you think the casual fan and the "once every 4 years Olympic type fan" might feel about it.

 

[R.D.]

Actually I would be interested in hearing your own opinion about whether Sasha skating at Natls would increase your interest............and also how you think the casual fan and the "once every 4 years Olympic type fan" might feel about it.

I'll start with the casual fan. Of course the casual fan would be drawn to a name they're familiar with or have heard of before. Plus she has a lot of fans "in the background" that don't frequent these skating boards. NBC's ratings for the event will likely increase.

But personally, I'm not sure. I guess it could do one of two things: 1) make an intangible difference (I watch, attempt to record, etc nationals regardless of who is there), if she is on even ground 2) Or it could actually decrease my interest if the USFS judges put her so far ahead in the SP as to ensure her the title and only ONE of the other 4 or 5 skaters can get a spot. *** Damn, it almost depresses me just thinking about it- if two wasn't bad enough...and NBC will likely forget that there are even other competitors in the event...(I remember their incessant hyping of Kwan in SLC, then again in Torino before she WD)

 

[janetfan]

I'll start with the casual fan. Of course the casual fan would be drawn to a name they're familiar with or have heard of before. Plus she has a lot of fans "in the background" that don't frequent these skating boards. NBC's ratings for the event will likely increase.

But personally, I'm not sure. I guess it could do one of two things: 1) make an intangible difference (I watch, attempt to record, etc nationals regardless of who is there), if she is on even ground 2) Or it could actually decrease my interest if the USFS judges put her so far ahead in the SP as to ensure her the title and only ONE of the other 4 or 5 skaters can get a spot. *** Damn, it almost depresses me just thinking about it- if two wasn't bad enough...and NBC will likely forget that there are even other competitors in the event...(I remember their incessant hyping of Kwan in SLC, then again in Torino before she WD)

Thanks and I appreciate hearing your thoughts.
It appears to me that Sasha competing would increase your interest but not because you want to see her skate or necessarily do well.
Your thoughts about her may be more negative in nature but it is hard to deny your interest has been raised.

The concern that she will be gifted by US judges does not sound like some wild conspiracy theory - and depending how the others do it could come into play.

For instance if Sasha manages to do OK (and she will be under the same pressure as the others) and we see Rachael and Ashley appearing to crumble I would have no problem if Sasha was picked.

I don't think that will necessarily happen and I don't think Sasha should be shown favoritism. If it appears that she is I believe it would be as much a reflection of the other girls' performances and US Skating has every right to want the two girls who they think can do the best job in Vancouver on the team.

If it was up to me, I woud demand fair marks and send the Gold and Silver medalist to Vancouver with the bronze as the alternate.

Grand Prix scores and placements would have zero bearing on my choices as I still consider them little more than money making 'beauty pageants" for ISU.

 

[R.D.]

Thanks and I appreciate hearing your thoughts.
It appears to me that Sasha competing would increase your interest but not because you want to see her skate or necessarily do well.
Your thoughts about her may be more negative in nature but it is hard to deny your interest has been raised.

Maybe if she actually competed at TEB and/or SA and showed readiness that would be more like the case, but I'm convinced that she is simply talking up a game (like Chuckm says) and she is not going to show up at nationals. But to tell you the truth, the events that would TRULY up my interest are if Hughes could get herself competitive again, and if Meissner were somehow able to pull through and compete (obviously the latter isn't happening, but it's just an example).

Frankly, this GP season has been quite boring (worse than the 2005-06 season!) so the event with the biggest interest to me this season will be US Nationals, with or without Cohen present. I'll come right out and say that I do have a preference and a bias for discussing the American ladies. (It has been that way since 2007 and should be no secret to those who have paid attention to my posts since then). So even if I rag on Cohen, it's better than lamenting the blatant overscoring/favoritism of Rochette at SC and Kim at TEB, for instance. It's less depressing to me. And I hope Wagner does well at the GPF (that's an aside )

If it was up to me, I woud demand fair marks and send the Gold and Silver medalist to Vancouver with the bronze as the alternate.

Finally, something you said that I agree with :agree:


_____________________________

ETA: I was just browsing Aunt Joyce's blog for sectionals results and look what I stumbled across...

http://auntjoyceicecreamstand.blogspot.com/

Told you so! They've ALREADY prepared the press release in case Cohen pulls out of Nationals!! shows how seriously even USFS is taking this "comeback"

 

[Mathman]

To me, what would make the Sasha story interesting is if we had some kind of indication that she was able to get her jumps back. If she were smart she would leak a home-made video to you-tube showing her landing triple Lutzes, flips and loops.in practice. Then the speculation about whteher she was really coming back or not would have some substance to it.

We do have a bunch of ladies who can do triple-triples and the whole nine yards. (Go Rachael! ) They are not contenders for Olympic medals, but one of them is going to win the National Championship. That's pretty exciting, to me.

 

[R.D.]

We do have a bunch of ladies who can do triple-triples and the whole nine yards. (Go Rachael! ) They are not contenders for Olympic medals, but one of them is going to win the National Championship. That's pretty exciting, to me.

Rachel is a solid performer but she lacks Charisma. Nothing about her skating really pulls one in. Still, we need someone like her on the team, because if she can do what she did at SA, plus make that spin count, she could potentially capitalize on mistakes and/or put pressure on the faves...we have had unexpected winners in the past...

 

[janetfan]

To me, what would make the Sasha story interesting is if we had some kind of indication that she was able to get her jumps back. If she were smart she would leak a home-made video to you-tube showing her landing triple Lutzes, flips and loops.in practice. Then the speculation about whteher she was really coming back or not would have some substance to it.

We do have a bunch of ladies who can do triple-triples and the whole nine yards. (Go Rachael! ) They are not contenders for Olympic medals, but one of them is going to win the National Championship. That's pretty exciting, to me.

And who is to say Sasha could not release a bogus practice clip showing her from several years ago

Has her appearance changed that much that she couldn't pull it off - especially a darker B&W clip?

The one thing I disagree with that came up over and over here is Sasha's need to show international judges her skating for the purpose of getting feedback.

It is already very well documented that judges favor Sasha's skating. The same can't necessarily be said of the other USA Ladies with the exception perhaps of Rachael. But we know if she lands all her jumps she can score well just as we know a few mistakes sends her score tumbling in a way Sasha's never did.
Rachael falling and medaling feels impossible considering how avearge the rest of her skating is.

One way I look at this is an Olympic medal is potentially worth alot of money. If nothing else Sasha could be motivated to make a few million in the year or two after Vancouver.

 

[Mathman]

And who is to say Sasha could not release a bogus practice clip showing her from several years ago

That's just what she should do! The one where she landed a quad Salchow in practice. Her PR people are asleep at the switch. :yes:

 

[i love to skate]

It is already very well documented that judges favor Sasha's skating. The same can't necessarily be said of the other USA Ladies with the exception perhaps of Rachael. But we know if she lands all her jumps she can score well just as we know a few mistakes sends her score tumbling in a way Sasha's never did.
Rachael falling and medaling feels impossible considering how avearge the rest of her skating is.

It isn't 2006 anymore though. Judges have seen a lot of improvement in the skating quality and edges. If she hasn't fixed them, Sasha is going to get dinged with two severe flutz calls and I doubt she will be able to do triple triples - the few times I saw her try them in years before, they were short on rotation.

One thing that always kind of bugged me about Sasha's skating is that she skates on top of the ice rather than into it.

 

[janetfan]

That's just what she should do! The one where she landed a quad Salchow in practice. Her PR people are asleep at the switch. :yes:

I think they fear certain posters at GS will expose any fraudulent PR efforts

 

[janetfan]

It isn't 2006 anymore though. Judges have seen a lot of improvement in the skating quality and edges. If she hasn't fixed them, Sasha is going to get dinged with two severe flutz calls and I doubt she will be able to do triple triples - the few times I saw her try them in years before, they were short on rotation.

One thing that always kind of bugged me about Sasha's skating is that she skates on top of the ice rather than into it.

I am glad that you won't be judging her then

I have no doubt Sasha will be marked stricter than before but so are the others.

Joannie has high hopes without a 3x3 and considering Sasha's other qualities I don't think she would need 3x3 either.

The only way I could see Miki beating Sasha would be for Sasha to fall and for Miki to have absolutely perfect programs with very difficult jump content. Besides jumps I see little about Miki's skating that compares favorably to Sasha.

Remember that Sasha messed up and won silver at the biggest events. The judges like her and it is strange to claim they don't.

Joannie needed the skate of her life to win her only major silver medal. That is quite a difference imo.

 

[i love to skate]

I am glad that you won't be judging her then

I have no doubt Sasha will be marked stricter than before but so are the others.

Joannie has high hopes without a 3x3 and considering Sasha's other qualities I don't think she would need 3x3 either.

The only way I could see Miki beating Sasha would be for Sasha to fall and for Miki to have absolutely perfect programs with very difficult jump content. Besides jumps I see little about Miki's skating that compares favorably to Sasha.

Remember that Sasha messed up and won silver at the biggest events. The judges like her and it is strange to claim they don't.

Joannie needed the skate of her life to win her only major silver medal. That is quite a difference imo.

I brought up the 3-3s because Sasha said she is doing them in practice. As far as the 2006 Olympics, it really wasn't an event that was skated well so it's not a surprise she finished 2nd considering she was leading after the short. Oh, and who had the best performance in the long program and landed 6 triples? Joannie Rochette :yes:

 

[Tinymavy15]

We do have a bunch of ladies who can do triple-triples and the whole nine yards. (Go Rachael! ) They are not contenders for Olympic medals, but one of them is going to win the National Championship. That's pretty exciting, to me.

Really? who are they? Racheal is the only american lady to even come close to a 3/3 this season. She landed it at Skate America but her record before that has not been great. Sure Caroline tried one but we all know her condition as of right now. As for the "whole none yards" again, Racheal is the only one who came close to that this season. So that is one. There is another spot on the olympic team besides her and as of right now, none of that other american ladies exactly look lie formidable competition.

 

[janetfan]

I brought up the 3-3s because Sasha said she is doing them in practice. As far as the 2006 Olympics, it really wasn't an event that was skated well so it's not a surprise she finished 2nd considering she was leading after the short. Oh, and who had the best performance in the long program and landed 6 triples? Joannie Rochette :yes:

Sasha's 3x3 is somewhere along the lines of Patrick's quad.
Let's believe it when we see it. :yes: