Any Sasha updates? | Page 11 | Golden Skate

Any Sasha updates?

Dee4707

Ice Is Slippery - Alexie Yagudin
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Jul 28, 2003
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With TEB a little more than 3 weeks away, Sasha has her work cut out for her. If she's having jump problems with a 3-jump exhibition program, what does that mean for a 6- or 7-jump, 4 minute FS?
Maybe the same thing it means for every skater starting out the new season.
 

R.D.

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
With TEB a little more than 3 weeks away, Sasha has her work cut out for her. If she's having jump problems with a 3-jump exhibition program, what does that mean for a 6- or 7-jump, 4 minute FS?

It's crazy that I'm actually defending Cohen here but I have to wonder if it's completely fair to extrapolate what happened that night to what WOULD have happened on a larger rink, lights on, longer routine. To be fair to her, she has done clean exhibition routines before and it may have been an off-night, or possibly she's dealing with some setback, in which case withdrawal is likely imminent.

That said, however, I do agree that she has a lot of catching up to do. It shouldn't be a shock to anyone if she struggles initially.
 

chuckm

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Aug 31, 2003
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Maybe the same thing it means for every skater starting out the new season.

Most if not all the other skaters have been competing every year for the past 3 1/2 years, so that 6-jump 4-minute FS is nothing new or different for them. They've been doing their repertoire of jumps day in and day out for that whole time.

For Sasha, it's a BIG change from doing 3 1/2 years of exhibitions with only 3t, 3s and 2a (and sometimes not landed cleanly, or at all) to doing two competition programs with jumps she's not practiced much nor skated in program context in that time.

Flexibility has become commonplace, and Sasha can't rely on that to catapult her to the top of the standings despite missed and wonky jumps.
 

Wicked

Final Flight
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May 26, 2009
Flexibility has become commonplace, and Sasha can't rely on that to catapult her to the top of the standings despite missed and wonky jumps.

I agree with this, but I do think that most of the other ladies can't compete with Sasha's lines. Her spiral is still to die for. I've always thought she was a beautiful skater who was bedeviled by her jumps, and I think that's what we're going to see this season as well.
 

Tinymavy15

Sinnerman for the win
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Dec 28, 2006
I agree with this, but I do think that most of the other ladies can't compete with Sasha's lines. Her spiral is still to die for. I've always thought she was a beautiful skater who was bedeviled by her jumps, and I think that's what we're going to see this season as well.

Right.. skating is not all about the jumps. In many cases skaters like yu-na botch a jump in the short and still come out clearly on top. Sasha has all the other qualities (and we better see scores that reflect that). Her musicaliy and interprtation puts yu-na to shame (not bashing yu-na here, I am a fan of her musical interpration).
 

chuckm

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Sasha's non-jump elements are excellent, but unfortunately for her, other top skaters have very good non-jumps elements and are able to execute LPs with 6 good triple jumps. If Sasha can only land 3 clean triples, she's going to be treated the same way Alyssa has been in the free skate of her international results. Jumps aren't everything, but the bottom line is they are worth a substantial part of the technical mark.

Look back at the protocol from 2006 Worlds, Sasha's last competition, and see how Sasha's performance would shape up in the current environment with edge calls and the addition of Kim, Asada and a mature Rochette. Also, edging has never been Sasha's strong point, so that makes her vulnerable to Lepisto as well.
 

Ginask8s

On the Ice
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Jan 27, 2008
What exactly are you referring to when you say "edging" I see strong edges on spirals and strong edges on footwork. I also see strong and clear edges on say her rocker into her 2axel. When she changes edge on her spins it is clear. FC to inside edge etc. Perhaps my interp of edging is different.
 

i love to skate

Medalist
Joined
Dec 13, 2005
What exactly are you referring to when you say "edging" I see strong edges on spirals and strong edges on footwork. I also see strong and clear edges on say her rocker into her 2axel. When she changes edge on her spins it is clear. FC to inside edge etc. Perhaps my interp of edging is different.

Sasha has very very shallow edges - especially on her spirals. Compare her spirals with say Joannie's and you will see a difference in the depth of the edge. Sasha is almost on a flat throughout her spiral.
 

chuckm

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Sasha's spirals LOOK spectacular, but she doesn't have good edge control. Note that she is often on the flat of her blade, and due to the excessive friction, she doesn't move very fast and she doesn't get much ice coverage. Where Michelle Kwan used to travel the entire length of the rink on her change-edge spiral, on that same spiral Sasha doesn't even make it halfway, and after the edge change she slows to a crawl.

Lack of edge control also contributes to Sasha's wonky (landed on the wrong edge) jumps.
 
Joined
Aug 16, 2009
I have always heard unfavorable things about Sasha's edges, and that her spiral, though beautifully positioned, was not sustained. (I can't verify those with my own observation--that's above my skill set.) If that's an accurate evaluation, it's pretty alarming. I don't know how that compares with the abilities of other American ladies (i.e., will that weakness stand in Sasha's way as she competes at Nationals?), but I suspect that a lot of the European and Asian skaters, not to mention Joannie in Canada, are superior to Sasha in that regard.

I still love to watch Sasha skate, though. Even though there are a lot of other bendy girls these days, no one has her presentation.
 

heyang

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Jul 26, 2003
Good point about skating 2 exhibition programs vs a competitive LP program. She'll certainly need to work on endurance.

I recall that Dick Button said that TV really only shows spirals from the ankle up, but the judges are looking at the ankle down. I think it's a legitimate statement.
 

MKFSfan

Medalist
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Mar 15, 2006
Sasha has never suffered from not having the deepest edges on her spirals. Even during Worlds 2005 when she struggled to do a COE when changing position to the point she had to stop and restart or crash into the boards, she got a +0.29 GOE, only one judge gave her a -1. So, I think overall, judges are willing to equate good extension/tension/positions with speed/edges/ice coverage.
 

mskater93

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Oct 22, 2005
Yes, but back in 05, bullets for GOEs weren't well defined (or at least not as defined as they are now)
 

MKFSfan

Medalist
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Mar 15, 2006
True. Well, we shall see soon enough! Seems to me the good spiral sequences tend to get +1 or 2 GOE's, not sure we've seen +3s. And that is for Caroline, Alissa, Joannie Yu-Na and Mao, vastly different strengths/weaknesses amongst those 5! I think us fans place more emphasis on spiral sequences than need be. Not very hard to get to a level 4, the biggest issue seems to be holding a position long enough. I think, potentially, Mao could pull in the best sequence-beautiful extensions and positions, good edges and speed, but she always gets dinged for not holding something long enough.
 

MKFSfan

Medalist
Joined
Mar 15, 2006
Great, Sasha now has crazy arms! Seems like COP rewards a lot of animation while 6.0 rewarded subtleness. I guess it fits the music but it also gives the impression she's doing more than she really is, and that's how I feel about most FW...Evan...
 

PolymerBob

Record Breaker
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Feb 17, 2007
I can't wait for TEB. I wonder if Sasha will try a pearl spin. She is probably one of the few skaters who can do one.
 

Sasha'sSpins

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Apr 2, 2009
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Great, Sasha now has crazy arms! Seems like COP rewards a lot of animation while 6.0 rewarded subtleness. I guess it fits the music but it also gives the impression she's doing more than she really is, and that's how I feel about most FW...Evan...

Thank you for reminding me MKFS because I forgot to mention it in my previous post-I HATE those frantic-looking arm movements. Blech. I hope Sasha tones it down for the actual competition SP.
 
Joined
Aug 16, 2009
Windmill arms--phooey! And of all skaters, Sasha is one who least needs to resort to that. She understands placement and has a dancer's approach to upper body positioning. She doesn't need to express emotion by vibrating at hummingbird frequency.

Even if she doesn't score high in any competition this year, Sasha will still do a good job if she stays true to herself. Of course she has to step up her level, but she should skate as Sasha, not as an imitation of anyone else or as a generic CoP skater.
 
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