Sasha Cohen's big gamble | Page 2 | Golden Skate

Sasha Cohen's big gamble

Joined
Jun 21, 2003
I was hoping someone would explain what "exothermic" means as applied to figure skaters. Doesn't that have something to do with snakes and lizards? :)
 

Medusa

Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 6, 2007
Well, exothermic describes a reaction that releases energy (contrast is the endothermic reaction).

Ectothermic describes animals who have a changing internal body temperature, adapting to the enviromental temperature (e.g. frogs, lizards, crabs). It's also called poikilothermic. In contrast to that mammals are homeothermic (also called endothermic). There are also inbetweens, gigantothermic animals for example. It's quite a fascinating subject.
 

chuckm

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 31, 2003
Country
United-States
Believe it or not, Ashley is about the same height as Caroline Zhang. They are both about 5'3'---slightly taller than Kwan and Cohen, who are 5'2".
 

mskater93

Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 22, 2005
I mean that she's not built like Tonya, Sarah and Emily AT ALL in body structure. She's just as small as Alissa or Kimmie or Caroline or Mirai in terms of body build, although incredibly strong looking (not breakable). Yes, her style is as more of a power skater than a ballerina style, but build wise, no.
 
Joined
Jul 11, 2003
The bottom line here is:

Sasha Cohen
Mao Asada
YuNa Kim
Joannie Rochette
Carolina Kostner
Sara Meier
Alena Leonova
Rachael Flatt (?)
Caroline Zhang (?)

it's not about you're so happy to see her skate again

It's not about your personal favorite for whatever reasons.

It's about competition for the gold medal in 2009 Olys.

HOW WOULD YOU PLACE THESE LADIES?
 

Particle Man

Match Penalty
Joined
Mar 23, 2008
At this point, theoretically:

Yun-a
Mao
Joannie
Sasha
the rest you listed (ordering gets more and more questionable the further down you go)

And you didn't list others, notably asians which might top Sasha at the moment. Sasha is a giant unknown right now. Fans like me can realistically hope she will come back, but even she doesn't know how it would turn out. Any speculation is just that, speculation.
 

demarinis5

Gold for the Winter Prince!
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 23, 2004
The bottom line here is:

Sasha Cohen
Mao Asada
YuNa Kim
Joannie Rochette
Carolina Kostner
Sara Meier
Alena Leonova
Rachael Flatt (?)
Caroline Zhang (?)

it's not about you're so happy to see her skate again

It's not about your personal favorite for whatever reasons.

It's about competition for the gold medal in 2009 Olys.

HOW WOULD YOU PLACE THESE LADIES?

If all of the ladies from your list makes the Olympic team. I would place them:

1.YuNa
2. Mao
3. Joannie
4.Carolina K.
5. Rachael
6. Caroline
7. Sasha
8. Sarah
9. Alena

I put Sasha 7th because she has not competed in 3 years so I think she is at a disadvantage. She not only has to compete with the international ladies but the ladies in her own backyard.
 

Particle Man

Match Penalty
Joined
Mar 23, 2008
Only way I'd ever give Rachael and Caroline odds against Sasha would be if Sasha showed up in poor form. She's too much of a perfectionist for that to happen. Either she'll be in good form, or she will injure herself while training to get into good form, and withdraw. The longer she waits, the more concerned I get that that is what will happen (ala Michelle '06)

Carolina .. maybe. She'd have to have a good day though.
 
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R.D.

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
The bottom line here is:

Sasha Cohen
Mao Asada
YuNa Kim
Joannie Rochette
Carolina Kostner
Sara Meier
Alena Leonova
Rachael Flatt (?)
Caroline Zhang (?)

it's not about you're so happy to see her skate again

It's not about your personal favorite for whatever reasons.

It's about competition for the gold medal in 2009 Olys.

HOW WOULD YOU PLACE THESE LADIES?

You can't. Not with Cohen's name up there, at least.

But take her off, and still, you can only go by current season's SBs. The rest of the ladies will be competing in LA, am I right?

edit: except for Zhang, of course
 

R.D.

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Speculation-wise, it's probably Kim-Asada-Rochette-Kostner-Flatt-Meier-Lenova. If you include Zhang, stick her between Rochette and Kostner
 
Joined
Jul 11, 2003
Speculation-wise, it's probably Kim-Asada-Rochette-Kostner-Flatt-Meier-Lenova. If you include Zhang, stick her between Rochette and Kostner
I was replying to the thread: S.Cohen's big gamble.

I listed the top contenders for the 2010 Olys. They were listed in no particular order. Just by continents except for Joannie who is in the very very shorter list of top contenders.

Basically, if Cohen skates the Olys by getting past the 2010 Nats, it will be a big gamble considering the eight ladies listed for gold which Cohen faces in Vancouver.

This is not a prediction thread. I should have made the question (which I do now) Is there a chance she can win over the 8 listed?
 

MKFSfan

Medalist
Joined
Mar 15, 2006
I doubt she can beat Mao or YuNa if they are close to top form. A mistake or two will still keep them ahead, even if Sasha can skate clean.

MO, if Joannie skates lights out, and Sasha has a mistake or two, I really hope Joannie would be put ahead of her, but you never know what the judges will do.

Carolina is far more inconsistent than Sasha on her worse day, but if she goes clean, I'm sure the judges will give her the scores needed to win Gold, anywhere.

I think if all are clean in the SP, Sasha can find herself behind Mao, YuNa and Carolina with their 3-3's (they'll get scores in the upper 60's/low 70's), but probably right in the mix, along with Joannie (both with mid 60's). Then it really will be anyone's game in the LP.

I believe Sasha will beat the other 4 listed no problems. Actually, I believe if Sasha returns to 2006 form, she'll be right in the mix for Bronze, and at the very least, a top 6 finish.

It will be interesting if Flatt/Caroline/Ashley continue to improve and rotates their 3/3 in both SP and LP, as well as 7 clean, ratified triples at Nationals, to see what the judges will do if Sasha shows up a bit rusty and has a fall and other little mistakes. After all, the reporters already seem to be labeling her as America's ONLY hope for a medal at 2010 Olympics.
 
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antmanb

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 5, 2004
This is not a prediction thread. I should have made the question (which I do now) Is there a chance she can win over the 8 listed?

I don't think anyone could possibly say given that no one (except Cohen and Nicks) knows how close to competitve shape she is in. Not knowing what shape she is in now precludes anyone making any value judgment about the shape she might be in in 11 months time.

There's too many unknowns (including if any of those top 8 you listed will be healthy and injury free). Whether, regardless of shape she's in, Cohen would place high enough at nationals to make the Olympic team. That in turn depends quite heavily on the number of spots the US gets to the Olympics, which won't be known for couple of weeks yet.

At the moment there is a chance that Cohen might come back. If she does, she says it isn't because she's missing the gold, but rather because she misses the competition and wants to compete again at the Olympics. If that is the case then she won't be worrying about who she could beat or who could beat her, just about her own skating.

Ant
 

Nigel

On the Ice
Joined
Feb 21, 2006
While perusing the reviews of SOI, IIRC, Cohen fell on a 3S last week in one of her programs. She has a LONG way to go to be ready to compete again.
 

antmanb

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 5, 2004
While perusing the reviews of SOI, IIRC, Cohen fell on a 3S last week in one of her programs. She has a LONG way to go to be ready to compete again.

Skaters fall on jumps all the time - one fall on one jump in a performance means absolutely nothing.

Ant
 

MKFSfan

Medalist
Joined
Mar 15, 2006
I doubt falling on one simple jump is enough to cast her off, but there have been multiple reviews that she is having a hard time landing her jumps cleanly. Then again, she also had to do 8 shows in 10 days, which I imagine is pretty grueling.
 
Joined
Jul 11, 2003
Still the thread is labled Sasha Cohen's big gamble

For me, I see her squeezing into a place at US Nats (I believe she still has to do that), I do not see a 3rd skater for the Olys after this coming Worlds. If she does make the Olys we must consider:

Her motive for doing this is to win the olys. No?
Will she lose face, if she doesn't win (or even place)?

Given the 2 above statements, I say it is quite a gamble if she gets to Olys.
 
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