Sasha Cohen - A Bridesmaid Again

SkateFan4Life · Jan 16, 2005

Sasha Cohen has again failed to live up to the media hype and fan expectations and win the US championship. Another opportunity, another flawed long program, and other silver medal. Cohen said, on television last night, that making the mistakes and finishing second were "a bummer", and they truly must be for her, as she dearly wants to win that title.

What must Sasha do in order to win the US championship? More training?
No more coach switching? Sports psychology sessions? Wait until Michelle Kwan retires?

Lotta · Jan 16, 2005

I hear that comparison as being a bridesmaid and I immediately start thinking that Sasha Cohen feels like being married to Michelle. :laugh:

Sorry... misinterpretation.

lavender · Jan 16, 2005

Sasha wasn't hyped up this Nationals. She wasn't even co favorite wish was different. Usually she's the favorite and Michelle's the co fav.

Fossi · Jan 16, 2005

Did anyone notice that Sasha didn't look happy out there? I wonder if she really enjoys skating? Maybe it's time for a break to see what she wants to do.

bronxgirl · Jan 16, 2005

I think Sasha will finally be happy if and when she wins a major title. That's a rough way to go through life if it should never come to pass.

R.D. · Jan 16, 2005

If anything, she would have let herself down. Not anyone else. Not even the fans.

I could tell people have given up on her, even the commentators seem to have done so.

But here's the thing. People love to claim she's capable of so much more. But what if she isn't? Wow, what a concept :laugh:

. She hasn't delivered that performance everyone's waiting for, so it makes me wonder if she really isn't capable (I use that word in a loose way) of doing so. Show me a performance from her like the one you're looking for, then I'll agree that she can do it.

Kwan has delivered great performances in the past, and only had a "average to good" performance this Nats. Therefore, I feel comfortable saying Kwan is capable of so much more than what she did.

Just my two cents. No rock-throwing, please :laugh:

ChiSk8Fan · Jan 17, 2005

Pragmatism

I will take the pragmatic approach to watching Sasha's career and take the point of view that she always does her best, and this is what her best has become to this point---beautiful programs with mistakes, mainly on triple jumps.

This is the way it is, has been and may be in the future. Sasha is probably working on improvements, but the only way she will improve her long programs is by doing them perfectly two or three times every day she trains.

The hints that Tarasova and Wagner have given in interviews are that Sasha doesn't train this way, or that it is hard to get her to train this way. She works very hard, but not always on the path her coaches would like to have her train. In a general way, this can explain the coaching changes and remarks that followed from so many sources.

The person who seems the most disappointed about how her career has developed seems to be Sasha herself. Many other skaters would probably be satisfied and thrilled to this point.

Jaana · Jan 17, 2005

SkateFan4Life said:
Sasha Cohen has again failed to live up to the media hype and fan expectations and win the US championship. Another opportunity, another flawed long program, and other silver medal.

I feel sorry for Sasha because of remarks like that she has failed to live up to the media hype and fan expectations. Where do those ideas start and why should anyone live up to other people´s expectations? I mean Sasha IS a top skater, and has won several medals. Silver medals are not as great as gold ones, but they still are good achievements, in my opinion.

E.g. in US Nationals I don´t think that even with a clean skate Sasha would have had chances unless Kwan (a several time US champion!!!) would make really many mistakes. That has been the way in figure skating... If that will change in US Nationals as the judging will be according to CoP, remains to be seen.

I don´t think that Sasha should feel sad about this silver medal, best for her to take matters in a realistic way. Another matter was in Worlds 1994, there she might have won the title with a faultless skate, although Shizuka was technically better (Sasha had only triple-double combinations). The ice is though slippery and mistakes do happen. Who knows, Sasha might get all together in next Olympics, and that would be the best place to do it!

Doggygirl · Jan 17, 2005

I don't think the issue is the silver medal v. gold...

I think the issue is the ability to put down a clean skate. While I don't know Sasha personally, I doubt this is just an issue that the media and fans yabber on about. I have to think that this is a huge concern for Sasha herself. There are many, many very good elite level skaters who would be THRILLED to have Sasha's cache of medals. These might include folks like Jenny Kirk as an example, who are lovely and talented, but unlikely to be international GOLD medal talent.

I think the whole world (coaches, choreographers, media, fans, and Sasha herself) know that she has international gold medal potential that the majority of elite skaters don't necessarily have. I think that is why the *world* gets so frustrated (and I'm sure no one gets more frustrated than Sasha herself) when these mistakes happen time and time again.

This takes nothing away from her wonderful medals. It could KEEP her however, from the medals she is physically capable of.

ITA that this particular gold medal probably had Michelle's name engraved on it all the way. But I'm sure even Sasha would rather be talking about how she Wuzrobbed rather than another LP with a fall.

3 cents..

DG

mzheng · Jan 17, 2005

To be fair to Michelle. Whenever Sasha or any young skater skated better than Michelle they do get placed ahead of her. Sasha beaten Kwan twice in SP already.

Michelle EARNed every National title she had won!!!!!!!!

gezando · Jan 17, 2005

Nothing wrong with winning the silver as long as Sasha is happy, and learns to accept it

euterpe · Jan 17, 2005

Sasha is never satisfied unless she wins a competition. You had only to see her face on the podium at 2004 Worlds. You would think she would have been thrilled to death to have won her first Worlds medal, and silver at that. But the smile never made it to her eyes. Later on she said she was happy to win a medal, but.... Always that 'but'.

You might also think Kwan would have been disappointed to have won only bronze, but no, just the opposite. After her tumultous week in Dortmund, Kwan was truly delighted to be on the podium after all.

Jill · Jan 17, 2005

Being from Pittsburgh, and a die-hard Steeler fan, I liken the ladies competition to Saturdays game. A really good team will win, even when they suck. I'm not going to say either Sasha or Michelle sucked, but I guess the judges liked Michelle more. Reminds me of 1994 Olympics, Oksana made mistakes, but the judges still liked her more. That's our sport, kids.

Personally, I love both women as athletes, and I always want them each to skate their best. I also think Sasha has got the goods to beat anyone in the world, but she has got to believe it herself.

RealtorGal · Jan 17, 2005

euterpe said:
You might also think Kwan would have been disappointed to have won only bronze, but no, just the opposite. After her tumultous week in Dortmund, Kwan was truly delighted to be on the podium after all.

I seriously doubt it. A 5 time World Champion is not delighted with a bronze medal.

euterpe · Jan 17, 2005

I think she was. She botched the Q round and found herself in 4th place after the SP. It looked as if she was going to finish off the podium for the first time since 1995. But she pulled herself together and did a dynamite FS and even took 4 first place ordinals from Arakawa. Michelle was pleased with her FS performance and being able to come back from the brink. The color of the medal wasn't what delighted her---it was her performance, and making the podium against all odds.

Fossi · Jan 17, 2005

I'm not talking about looking unhappy AFTER her skate. I think Sasha looked miserable throughout the entire competiton! Like she didn't want to be there. Is she okay? She is so skinny. Maybe she is depressed or something? I am starting to worry.

chuckm · Jan 17, 2005

This is the first season since 2001-2002 that Sasha is going into Worlds without having a single win to her credit. I think she is depressed, all right--and worried. She's had far too many changes in much too short a time, and that adds up to a tremendous amount of stress in addition to the stress of competition.

Think of it: between June of 2002 and June of 2003, she moved from California to Connecticut, changed coaches, and did 10 competitions, winning the GPF, Crest and Canadian Open championships; between June and December 2003, she did 6 competitions and won Campbell's and 3GPs, and then switched coaches; between December 2003 and June 2004 she did 3 competitions and won silver at Nationals and Worlds and gold at the Spring Cheesefest, and spent her time commuting between Connecticut and NYC. Between June and Dec 2004 she vacationed for a month, spent August in Connecticut by herself for a month, finished 3rd at Campbells, dropped out of the GP due to a recurrent back injury, finished 3rd at Marshall's, moved back to California, and changed coaches once again. I can't imagine leading such a tumultuous and unsettled life and then being expected to perform well.

Mathman · Jan 17, 2005

JillLaQ said:
Being from Pittsburgh, and a die-hard Steeler fan, I liken the ladies competition to Saturdays game. A really good team will win, even when they suck.

Great analogy, LOL. Sasha's two mistakes were the two missed field goals by the Jets kicker in the last two minutes!" :laugh:

Actually, I think the title of this thread answers it's own question. Why is Sasha the bridesmaid and not the bride? The same reason that Tina Noyes was. Who's Tina Noyes? She finished second to Peggy Fleming in U.S. Nationals every year from 1965 to 1968. She was the second best skater in America.

If Michelle had retired after the Nagano Olympics, Sasha would now have 4 U.S. Championships, three Worlds medals and an Olympic bronze.

Mathman

StillBlueLake · Jan 17, 2005

Agree that Sasha is having a horrible year and can't possibly be feeling all that great. Between the coaching changes, the media and not a single good LP, I can see how she would be down.

Sasha has figured out that the "right" thing to say is "I just want to do my best". Sadly for her, this line is not even remotely believable and I feel bad for her for feeling like she has to say it.

I would suggest that a sports psychologist is a good first step.

SkateFan4Life · Jan 17, 2005

euterpe said:
Sasha is never satisfied unless she wins a competition. You had only to see her face on the podium at 2004 Worlds. You would think she would have been thrilled to death to have won her first Worlds medal, and silver at that. But the smile never made it to her eyes. Later on she said she was happy to win a medal, but.... Always that 'but'.

You might also think Kwan would have been disappointed to have won only bronze, but no, just the opposite. After her tumultous week in Dortmund, Kwan was truly delighted to be on the podium after all.

Of course, I do not know Sasha or Michelle, but I agree with your statements concerning their respective reactions towards winning silver and bronze World medals last yeasr. Sasha looked very disappointed and not at all joyful at having won her first World medal, while Michelle, who actually had the lowest finish for her since 1995, where she finished fourth, seemed happy and relieved to have completed the competition and won a medal.

In no way am I bashing Sasha for performing yet another flawed long program. The girl is an extraordinary athlete and artist, and if and when she puts it all together to skate two clean programs at Worlds and/or the Olympics, she may be unbeatable. Certainly, the US media has hyped her for years as the "star of the future", and numerous skating magazines have proclaimed her the "ice princess", etc. Clearly, the USFSA wanted to crown Sasha as its next queen several seasons ago, but that hasn't happened.

Sasha Cohen - A Bridesmaid Again

SkateFan4Life

Guest

Lotta

lavender

Fossi

bronxgirl

R.D.

ChiSk8Fan

Jaana

Doggygirl

mzheng

gezando

euterpe

Jill

RealtorGal

euterpe

Fossi

chuckm

Mathman

StillBlueLake

SkateFan4Life

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