Would Cohen have climbed to the top if she stayed with Tarasova? | Golden Skate

Would Cohen have climbed to the top if she stayed with Tarasova?

jennylovskt

Medalist
Joined
Oct 20, 2006
I was always wondering whether or not Sasha Cohen would have climb to the top of the world if she stayed with Tatiana Tarasova. You might have had lengthy discussions about this after she left her. I went through some of the archives but didn't find it.

I love all the choreographies of her programs while she was with Tarasova. They were better interpreted to the music and had most beautiful movements one could ever imagine. I have seen a huge difference between her programs with Tarasova and her programs after she left her.

I think she made a big mistake by leaving Tatiana. She would have climbed to the top internationally if she stayed with her.

What are your thoughts?
 
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attyfan

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Medalist
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Mar 1, 2004
There are no sure things in skating. What "might have been" if Sasha stayed with Tarasova belongs in the same place as the "might have beens" if Michelle stayed with Frank (or if Yagudin stayed with Mishin)
 

heyang

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Sasha had her reasons for leaving Tarasova. If anything, she seemed less at odds with herself when she went back to John Nickx.

I just remembered that Robin watered down her swan routine because she thought that all the complexity might have been the reason for Sasha's not being able to complete all the jumps. If anything, that might have caused more issues for Sasha that year since she wasn't able to rely on muscle memory as a result.

Anyway, I don't think choreography was the reason for Sasha not attaining the top step at World's and Olys.
 

SeaniBu

Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 19, 2006
I have always got the impression Sasha and Tatiana didn't "meld" to well personality wise - regardless of the "polite" and "well stated" comments from both of them. How much truth to that I don't know.??? But if their personalities are clashing I think that would have a negative effect on her skating no matter how good either one of them is at their role in the team. JMO

This is a "what ifs file" question, but this would also get me thinking, what if she never left John Nicks, and not having Robin might have......????

That 2 year "tour" w/Tatiana did give her the first 3x3, but was Sasha not ready for it until Tat? Could John have coached her to it if she would have stayed???

Leaves a lot of questions that might never be answered.
 

chuckm

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 31, 2003
Country
United-States
Sasha never skated perfectly even under Tarasova (except for the Campbell's cheesefest). She had better choreography when she was with Tarasova, and was in better shape physically than she was under any other coach because Tarasova made her do conditioning exercises. But when she went out on the ice to compete, she was beyond a coach's help and had to rely on herself. So the results were always less than she (Sasha) hoped.
 

demarinis5

Gold for the Winter Prince!
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 23, 2004
By climbing to the top do you mean World Gold Medal and Olympic Gold Medal? Other than not attaining those two titles, Sasha did very well internationally, medaling in just about every competition she entered. Sasha was an elite skater at the top of her game who had jump problems and I feel that if she was more consistent in the jump department she would have a couple of World Titles and definitely the Olympic Title. JMO

So I guess my answer is no.
 

Tinymavy15

Sinnerman for the win
Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 28, 2006
not sure. her programs with Tarosava were amazing and i loved the russian influence on sasha's footwork. ithink that sasha would have gotten better results if she had stayed with Tarasova, because all that condidtioiiing would have helped her. Sasha recently has had problems with the last jump in her program, a triple salchow, but with all the stamina building workouts she was doing woth Tatianna, she might not have had that problem. Hard to say, but i would have recommended she stay with Tatianna.
 
Joined
Jul 11, 2003
With Tokyo Worlds a few weeks away and with all of us watching closely at the newbies, it is difficult to assess Sasha at this point in her eligible career. I believe the new rivalries have begun and Sasha isn't among those newbies.

Sasha has always been plagued with faulty LPs except for one of two, yet she managed to be the talk of the town each time she skated. Her extensions drew many ahs and ohs from fans regardless who was coach and choreographer.

However, we've seen all this and nothing has been shown to change what has happend since Calgary. The era has passed, imo.

But if she does make an Eligible ComeBack sometime, I think she can be top 10.

Joe
 

Fossi

Final Flight
Joined
Aug 23, 2003
I also heard TT and Sasha didn't mesh well. Too bad because that was Sasha's best skating. She regressed after leaving TT. I don't believe Sasha could be on top if she comes back. She has never skated clean back to back programs. She never had consistent jumps and her technique needed work. Doesn't have the 3/3's and certainly has maxed out technically. One thing Sasha had was a good hype machine to keep her in the headlines. Hollywood is probably a good thing for Sasha, but I don't know that she'll got to the top wiht Hollywood either. Maybe Sasha could be a commentator? Or a choreographer?
 

Tinymavy15

Sinnerman for the win
Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 28, 2006
sasha would make a wonderful chreogarpher or costume desginer, but if she i have a she will only return to skating if she wants to comepete or skate in shows. I think that after skating she wants to move onto other worlds. Too bad, i will miss her. :love:
 

fml99

Rinkside
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Who knows?

There is always the alternative - would she have gotten even WORSE by staying in a situation with Tarasova that wasn't working out?

On a similar vein, perhaps she appreciated the arrangement with Nicks more by taking a break and trying something else. I'm sure that Sasha and Nicks each brought different perspectives after their hiatus and could likely come to better understandings vs when she was with Nicks the first time.
 

R.D.

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
There is always the alternative - would she have gotten even WORSE by staying in a situation with Tarasova that wasn't working out?

BINGO

THIS is exactly what many folks don't seem to see. Coaching relationships fail for a reason. If it REALLY was going to mean success for the skater she would have stayed with that coach. Unless she couldn't afford it, which clearly isn't the case with someone like Cohen
 

dancindiva03

Match Penalty
Joined
Jan 22, 2004
Coulda Woulda Shoulda. Its no use wondering what might have been. Personally, I think all her problems with consistancy in competition come from within herself, in her head (focus) and in her heart (her reasons for competing). IMHO, unless she gets herself straightened out then no coach is going to be able to take her that one step further.
 

jennylovskt

Medalist
Joined
Oct 20, 2006
Sasha had a big issue on consistency. She had it with any coach but she had better programs technically and artistically when she was with Tatiana. It showed promising soon after she went to her. The media (or maybe say the skating world) was excited too. After a while, Sasha's strong will showed. I didn't know what exactly happened, but I knew there were some kinds of conflicts between she and her coach.

Sasha is a strong willed person, so do many of the top skaters. I think the strong will have taken many of the skaters to the top. It is a character which most, if not all, successful people have. The closest example was Alexei Yagudin. I think the difference between Alexei and Sasha was Alexei knows where to draw the line, where to exercise his strong will, and where to give in.

I have believed firmly that if Sasha stayed with Tatiana, Tatiana would have helped her more than any other coach had done. But to stay with Tatiana, she had to adjust herself a little. She didn't make herself well adjust to the new situation was her mistake.

I didn't mean to lay the blame on her, but only to regret that something extraordinary might have happened if she stayed with her.
 

Ptichka

Forum translator
Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 28, 2003
I think Sasha would have done better if she had stayed with TT and really committed herself to playing by TT's rules. That essentially means putting everything else in one's life on hold, and think, live, and breath skating only. Had she done that - yes, I think she would have been more successful. However, what TT demands is rather extreme. While Sasha might have been more successful, she might have also been less happy. And I also believe that had Sasha stayed with TT without making that adjustment she would have done worse than she did by going back to Nicks.
 

Dee4707

Ice Is Slippery - Alexie Yagudin
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Jul 28, 2003
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It may not have been Sasha and TT's clashing personalities but Sasha's mom. I think TT is a woman in control and the quicker you learn that the better off you'll be. I don't mean that harshly because I also think TT would bend over backwards for her skaters. As a coach, she is in control, no doubts in her mind of who's the boss. If she can tame Alexei, she can tame anyone. I think it was Ilia Kulik who commented about TT being a taskmaster. There may have been interferences that we know nothing about. All I know is I loved TT swan program for Sasha, it was wonderful.

Dee
 

SeaniBu

Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 19, 2006
She killed the "swan."

:rofl: Sounds funny. Is that why people don't really mention her to much when regarding Sasha's coaching "changes?" Did Robin do anything for Sasha that could be considered "useful?"
 
Joined
Jul 11, 2003
Sasha has come very close to gold with:

Tarrasova - 2004 US Nats

Wagner - 2004 Worlds

Nicks - 2005 and 6 for Nats and Olys

None of those coaches could get her the win for which she certainly was capable of getting, imo. The problem, I believe is within Sasha, not the coaches.

Sad but there have always been skaters with beaucoup de talent who are never able to attain their dream. Maybe Sasha's 'come back' will prove differently.

Joe
 
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