Countdown to Sasha's Return | Golden Skate

Countdown to Sasha's Return

Joined
Mar 14, 2006
Fifteen days to the Ladies SP. I'm on pins and needles. Will she? Won't she? Will she blaze forth in all her mature brilliance or will she succumb to aged decrepitude? :biggrin: Will her programs be as beautiful and scintillating as ever? :agree: I can't wait!

GO, SASHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :rock:
 
Joined
Mar 14, 2006
Fourteen days.

Sizing up the competition: Suddenly Rachael is looking vulnerable, but Julia S. has risen from the dead as an SP skater. Sarah Hecken has been a strong Junior skater - any chance this could be her butterfly moment as a Senior? Alexe knocked over some big pins at TEB - could she be a podium threat? (No point for a Sasha fan to dwell on the Dominatrix....)

Will Sasha's FP have more WOW factor than the high-point but unexciting programs of certain others?

Will she still get credit for her jumps?

Will she pick up points with spins & footwork in today's scoring?

I'm not expecting the mythical clean FP from her, but who will have *fewer* jump errors than sizzling Sasha?

It's a long two weeks. Stay healthy, Sasha! :love:
 

Bennett

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 20, 2007
When she withdrew from TEB, she said that she was not able to practice Lp, Lz, and Flip due to a right leg injury. I guess it depends on how the injury and practice are going.
 

MKFSfan

Medalist
Joined
Mar 15, 2006
I can't believe there have been NO reports on how Sasha has been faring!!! My guess is if she's healthy, we can expect a typical Sasha competition: do a great SP, get a lead, deliver a 5 triple LP and be on the podium! Actually, looking at the lineup, I only foresee Yu-Na beating her. And hopefully Fumie can snag Bronze! But it will probably be Rachel, which is fine too!
 

kandidy

Final Flight
Joined
Apr 29, 2007
Last TEB, when did she withdraw ? also 2 weeks before TEB?
Gosh, my heart is thumbing averytime I enter the board ans saw a thread that Sasha name was mentioned.
 

Trewyn

Medalist
Joined
Dec 10, 2008
I think it was less than 1 week to TEB when she announced her withdrawal; it was *very* last minute.
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
I don't think Sasha needs to worry about competition from international skaters, or about her placement here. It would be enough if she came in strong and healthy and gave a good enough showing to put her solidly in the mix for a spot on the U.S. Olympic team.

So far none of the U.S. ladies has sent anyone a message or delivered a knockout blow. Ashley Wagner has the best score, but all we can say about the American women so far is that they are hanging in there with scores in the 150s and low 160s. Sasha should be able to match that even without her full arsenal of jumps (Lutz and flip).

On the other hand, I do think she has to skate at Lake Placid if she can. Just to show up at U.S. Nationals, do or die, will put her behind the curve.
 
Joined
Mar 14, 2006
Thirteen days.

This season Sasha gets to be in the enviable underdog spot. :clap:

Espana Cani (SP) should be a wow. Fiery Sasha is great Sasha. :bow:

Moonlight Sonata (FP) I'm not so positive about. I didn't care for the SOI number - the music has become a cliche and the new program will have to be brilliant to overcome that. I just wish she had chosen music that would lift her performance instead of dragging it down. :no:

Mathman is right in a way - "good enough" is all she *needs* at SA. But historically Sasha has not competed that way and I hope she doesn't start now.
May 8 said:
"You don't want to go just to be your best; you want to be the best," Cohen said. http://www.cbc.ca/sports/figureskating/story/2009/05/08/sp-cohen-comeback.html
 

MKFSfan

Medalist
Joined
Mar 15, 2006
Honestly, I do not envision Sasha in the "underdog" spot, at least, not as far as the US media is concerned! Ever since Sasha talked about a possible comeback, every article regarding US ladies seems to end with a "Come back Sasha!" tone. To steal from the wise R.D., she is a "wild card" at most, and if she is successful at SA, she will be considered in the running for podium. I do worry a bit for Sasha since you KNOW the media is going to be all over her as the only chance US has for a medal in Ladies. They already are! So, IMO, she definitely does not have underdog status! Maybe for Oly Gold though...unless she beats Yu-Na at SA, then all the pressure will be on Sasha...

P.S...I agree on your thoughts regarding music. VERY excited to see the SP. Rather "ehhh" on the LP.
 
Joined
Mar 14, 2006
Honestly, I do not envision Sasha in the "underdog" spot, at least, not as far as the US media is concerned! Ever since Sasha talked about a possible comeback, every article regarding US ladies seems to end with a "Come back Sasha!" tone. To steal from the wise R.D., she is a "wild card" at most, and if she is successful at SA, she will be considered in the running for podium. I do worry a bit for Sasha since you KNOW the media is going to be all over her as the only chance US has for a medal in Ladies. They already are! So, IMO, she definitely does not have underdog status! Maybe for Oly Gold though...unless she beats Yu-Na at SA, then all the pressure will be on Sasha...
Well, she's certainly an underdog with regard to Yu Na at either SA or the Olympics, if not for the Olympic team. I'm a fan, but even I don't imagine she will beat Yu Na at SA... barring a wrinkle in time. ;)
 

kandidy

Final Flight
Joined
Apr 29, 2007
I entered this thread with heart throbbing everytime afraid of readinng the bad news.
Finger crossed that she stayed healthy enough to perform next week.
 

KellyWil70

Rinkside
Joined
Nov 10, 2004
The question is; Can she keep in line with Plushy and S/Z and step right back into competition in top form. They set the bar for returning retirees pretty darn high!
 

fairly4

Medalist
Joined
Oct 28, 2007
oh--they will make sure sasha gets a high score--.
they overlook ashley, alissa, rachel ur in the short--and rachel should have been downgraded 3 times in the long at coc,
ashley should have been downgraded once in the long twice in the short,
only in the us did mirai--and carolina zhang get nailed for downgrades.
the rest skated by--even joannie skated by

look at the competition at skate america--there is none. but watch--yu-na scores will drop and i predict hopefully i am wrong so will her pc's . why so sasha pc' can match yu-nas.
rachel scores will jump and so will her pcs.
rachel changed her edges 3 times in jumps on takeoff and landings.
yes-they will overlook sasha mistakes.
evgengy got a bit high in the long at cup of russia, zhen and shao was overmarked by at least 5 points to 10 points. and zhang/zhang was really overmarked at coc
yes-they are hard on certain ladies, overlooking others.
because sasha was overlooked in the past--they will overlook her now.
i don't see anything different about them cheating for sasha.
 

Tinymavy15

Sinnerman for the win
Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 28, 2006
Well as of yet, Sasha has really not much to fear from the American ladies. Like last year, none of them have emerged as a clear leader. Just when we thought Mirai was back, her LP proved not much has changed. Caroline is coming off an injury and still dealing with many of the same issues as the past two seasons. Ashely has been good, but really dosen't have anything over sasha. Racheal has been unimpressive. Alissa has shown more fight, but that chance of her devlivering any more than 4 clean triples is HIGHLY doubtful. It will be rough for Sasha debuting against Yu-na her first time out, but I am confident that she will hold her own and really shine at Nationals.
 

MKFSfan

Medalist
Joined
Mar 15, 2006
I didn't take this as a negative, like she may withdraw again at the 12th hour...I read it more as an excuse for if she doesn't fare well.
 
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