IT sort of was a failure. Team Cohen said Sasha was back and going to surprise everyone. And it was all about Sasha, Sasha, Sasha. She did a good SP, but wasn't deducted for her 2ft landing or her flutz. In the LP she didn't perform well at all and the program was rather boring for a Sasha Cohen program. It was a good attempt, but Idon't understand why she thought she was going to win. I rally don't.
Sasha's comeback attempt.
- Thread starter krenseby
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Yes, as one of those naysayers I have to say she showed a side of herself that I had no idea was there.
I didn't really want her to actually make the team (I wanted the other girls to have a chance), but I wouldn't have begrudged her if she did. Her presence definitely put a bigger spotlight on US Nationals than would have been without her. I also think it pushed the other girls (well some of them, anyway) to do their absolute best and fight even harder for those two spots. I think Mirai did even better this year than in 2008, and she did worse this time in terms of placements. I think that shows that the US field is getting strong once again. If we could only get competitive again in the world. I think we might have a decent shot at getting back 3 spots for 2011 though.
Did she say that? I must have missed it :scratch:
I think I saw her exhibition to the Moonlight Sonata a while back, and it was a lot better - more passionate, better footwork, amazing musical interpretation.
Beats me why the LP couldn't live up to the exhibition skate. Sasha didn't lose the ability to enthrall with her skating, she just didn't use it for her LP at Nationals.
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- Jan 22, 2010
Well, I would say she surprised a lot of people by 1) showing up 2) doing a great short program and 3) sticking it out for the long.
The only expectations she may not have met are those of her most avid, if not delusional, fans who might have thought she'd come and blow everyone out of the water. From reading this and other boards, I would say those are in a very very small minority. And being the avid fans that they are, I would venture that they are not going to hate her forever for that. So, if she managed to exceed the expectations of say 95% of people, I would defintely not call that a failure.
It's probably obvious from my username, but I was really rooting for her. I am heartbroken not because she disappointed me, but because nationals gave me a glimpse of what could have been if not for the setbacks.
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- Jun 27, 2003
she came to win, she didn't expect any favors once she laid it down. she was far more realistic than you make it out to be.
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- Jan 15, 2010
Point to where she said she thought she was going to win. I would like to see that article.
This is why I respect her.
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I'd also like to say that I hate how a lot of articles have "Sasha Cohen fails" in them. That's not how I felt about about it, and I makes me a bit angry.
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Not surprising.
Let's not let her off the hook- she did say she was doing this because she wanted to make the olympic team, and she didn't. So, in a way, yes, the attempt was a failure. But that's different from saying/implying that she is a failure. There might be some confusion here.
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- Jan 15, 2010
There's no confusion. I just don't like it. I think I actually really didn't like it when I watched a Yahoo! Sports video with the headline: Sasha Cohen: FAILED TO MAKE THE OLYMPIC TEAM. (Yes, they made that headline bigger than her name.)
Idk. Those articles aren't wrong, I just think the headline in the video was unneccessary.
Well...to be brutally honest, she did fail to make the team- that's the fact. I respect her effort and all, she has a lot of courage to do what she did, but there's no way to sugarcoat what happened. Perhaps "Cohen falls short" sounds better- like the headline on NBCOlympics.com reads- but it comes to the same thing, really.
Now, if she said she was coming back just to take in the atmosphere of a competition again, that's one thing. But the talk was of her wanting to compete again at the OLYMPICS. It appears that Vancouver will go on without her and NBC will need to find a way to market Nagasu and Flatt, virtual unknowns to the general public, to get them to watch the ladies' comp this February. I take it they will turn more to the men and ice dancers since that's where our best chances are.
Now, if she said she was coming back just to take in the atmosphere of a competition again, that's one thing. But the talk was of her wanting to compete again at the OLYMPICS. It appears that Vancouver will go on without her and NBC will need to find a way to market Nagasu and Flatt, virtual unknowns to the general public, to get them to watch the ladies' comp this February. I take it they will turn more to the men and ice dancers since that's where our best chances are.
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- Joined
- Jan 15, 2010
Yeah. Okay. You win.
Anyway, I hope they will as well, but this is NBC. There's no knowing what they'll do...
Well, of course I'm bummed Sasha's comeback went badly. My feeling is Sasha knew she wasn't as quite trained as she wanted to be for nationals but decided to go anyway because she'd come this far and didn't want any regrets or wonder what could have happened. I don't think she's shocked that it didn't happen although she's obviously bummed. Her SP program showed why she thought she had a legitimate chance and went for it. I was impressed and i'll definitely be watching that program over again.
Hope i get to see her live in a show some day.
Hope i get to see her live in a show some day.
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- Dec 12, 2005
I hardly would go so far as to call if a failure. Did she make the Olympic team? No. But Sasha put out just as much as she always has... stellar presentation, spirals, spins, and her never ending ability to wow and awe a crowd. Sasha's SP was a FANTASTIC comeback... it's not every athlete that can take over three years off, come back, and put out a SP that was just as good as her 2006 SP. All Sasha did was fall apart in the LP, and in the history of her skating, this is nothing new. If she was skating with a different batch of girls... ones without the jumps of Rachael or the all-around ability of Mirai, even her botchy LP would have probably put her on the medal stand... just like at the 2006 Olympics. IMHO, Sasha went out there and proved she is still as competitive as she was in 2006... but what changed wasn't her, it was the competition.
Her SP may have been comparable to those in 2005-2006. I was impressed by her speed and presentation.
I don't think that her LP was comparable to those in 2005-2006, however. Perhaps the LP might have been comparable to her 2006 Worlds, but still worse.
Besides, she was lucky to score that high. She did not get penalized for URs in both programs and the flutz in SP.
It is not totally fair to judge her current skills by one event though. Everyone has meltdown regardless of their practices.
As far as "comeback" is concerned, however, I think that her comeback as a contender to make the team was pretty much over when she missed the second GP event. It is simply not realistic to comeback at the very last minute. The two programs could be seen like Ex programs after the event is already over. And should she have made the team by the way she was held up, it would have been very controversial.
If she wanted to experience a competition again rather than making the team, however, I think that she made her best efforts, which can be seen a great success.
I don't think that her LP was comparable to those in 2005-2006, however. Perhaps the LP might have been comparable to her 2006 Worlds, but still worse.
Besides, she was lucky to score that high. She did not get penalized for URs in both programs and the flutz in SP.
It is not totally fair to judge her current skills by one event though. Everyone has meltdown regardless of their practices.
As far as "comeback" is concerned, however, I think that her comeback as a contender to make the team was pretty much over when she missed the second GP event. It is simply not realistic to comeback at the very last minute. The two programs could be seen like Ex programs after the event is already over. And should she have made the team by the way she was held up, it would have been very controversial.
If she wanted to experience a competition again rather than making the team, however, I think that she made her best efforts, which can be seen a great success.
Her SP may have been comparable to those in 2005-2006. I was impressed by her speed and presentation.
I don't think that her LP was comparable to those in 2005-2006, however. Perhaps the LP might have been comparable to her 2006 Worlds, but still worse.
Besides, she was lucky to score that high. She did not get penalized for URs in both programs and the flutz in SP.
It is not totally fair to judge her current skills by one event though. Everyone has meltdown regardless of their practices.
As far as "comeback" is concerned, however, I think that her comeback as a contender to make the team was pretty much over when she missed the second GP event. It is simply not realistic to comeback at the very last minute. The two programs could be seen like Ex programs after the event is already over. And should she have made the team by the way she was held up, it would have been very controversial.
If she wanted to experience a competition again rather than making the team, however, I think that she made her best efforts, which can be seen a great success.
I agree. Her SP if not quite up to her 2006 standards was awfully close. I don't think her LP was even close to 2006, even the one at worlds. A combination of nerves, not enough training and not enough competition, I suppose. Her costume was lovely, though.
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- Jul 11, 2003
i
She is not a CoP skater. Spirals and I spins were a hoot from 2002-2006, but the ladies of today do the same flexible positions and more. The Ladies of today have joined the Men in skating for the POINTS. Sasha did her 2004 content-of-program competition that was just plain dated.
It was nice to see her again, and she will always be remembered for skating the most stunning Short Programs in her competitive career.
She is not a CoP skater. Spirals and I spins were a hoot from 2002-2006, but the ladies of today do the same flexible positions and more. The Ladies of today have joined the Men in skating for the POINTS. Sasha did her 2004 content-of-program competition that was just plain dated.
It was nice to see her again, and she will always be remembered for skating the most stunning Short Programs in her competitive career.
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- Jan 15, 2010
She's still the Queen of the I-spin, imo.
sums up what I think as well. I think she also accepted internally that she was a longshot for the team in her current condition without coming out and saying it.
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- Oct 31, 2006
I knew this negative reaction would happen if Kwan or Cohen came back and didn't make the team. It's primarily why I was against both of them attempting a comeback in the first place. They both just had too many odds stacked up against them to try and make the most of a potential comeback, especially since neither one intended to begin their comebacks last season to make a run for 2009 Worlds. What has been said so often recently by Scott Hamilton is true - it's extremely difficult to take almost 4 years off from competition and then try to jump back on a treadmill going at full speed.
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- May 15, 2009
Looking at it from a different angle I think the comeback was good for US Skating.
I think the level of interest was raised and NBC and Universal certainly had alot of coverage the last two weekends.
If Sasha's comeback got more people watching the Ladies then the winners could be Rachael, Mirai and Ashley. And for that matter NBC.
Our girls may not be strong podium contenders in Vancouver but they showed alot of spirit and competitive fire and even casual fans and the general public can appreciate that.
One of the things Sasha's comeback did for me was to make me more aware and appreciative of Ashley. Her SP in particular actually dares to be different and there is a certain intensity to her skating that makes her standout.
Only Sasha knows how successful her comeback attempt was and probably has mixed feelings about it.
I am glad Sasha tried it, give her alot of credit for that SP - and have to say she made Natls much more exciting for me. I think it must have been frustrating at times but I believe Sasha felt the excitement of competiton she had been looking for.
Sasha is a beautiful skater and I thank her for letting us see her one last time at Natls.
I think the level of interest was raised and NBC and Universal certainly had alot of coverage the last two weekends.
If Sasha's comeback got more people watching the Ladies then the winners could be Rachael, Mirai and Ashley. And for that matter NBC.
Our girls may not be strong podium contenders in Vancouver but they showed alot of spirit and competitive fire and even casual fans and the general public can appreciate that.
One of the things Sasha's comeback did for me was to make me more aware and appreciative of Ashley. Her SP in particular actually dares to be different and there is a certain intensity to her skating that makes her standout.
Only Sasha knows how successful her comeback attempt was and probably has mixed feelings about it.
I am glad Sasha tried it, give her alot of credit for that SP - and have to say she made Natls much more exciting for me. I think it must have been frustrating at times but I believe Sasha felt the excitement of competiton she had been looking for.
Sasha is a beautiful skater and I thank her for letting us see her one last time at Natls.
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