2002/03 Strategy - Sasha Cohen

[Joesitz]

2002/03 Strategy - Sasha Cohen

<span style="text-decoration:underline"><strong>From perspective only</strong></span>:

1. Got a top Russian coach and two choreographed programs.

2. Went after the Gran Prix and nailed it!

3. Worked on 3/3 and sometimes landed it; continued showing excellent style and "whole package"; Footwork was either not well choreographed or executed choppily; Perfect skate was marred by a couple of tumbles.

4. <em><strong>Result</strong></em> A mixed bag - great GP Final; good showing at Worlds.

5. <span style="text-decoration:underline"><strong>Future</strong></span>: Needs a true lutz and maybe loosen up the top heavy routines. Undoubtedly, still a top contender.

Any comments?

Joe

 

[christinaskater]

Re: 2002/03 Strategy - Sasha Cohen

She was really great this year
She has it all actually but the question is when will she deliver if she gains consistency she is going to be one of the top contenders she is actually one but to be really up there with Irina and Michelle

She got one of the best coaches in the World
Impressive programs and artistry designed for the judges
She was amazing

She has skated superb MALAGUENAS amazing ones really superb masterpiece

romeo and juliet amazing

rachmaninoff QUALIFYING RD A Superb a masterpiece
WON A LOT THE HOTTEST SKATER BEFORE THE MK ATTACK

 

[XPEG]

Re: 2002/03 Strategy - Sasha Cohen

I thought her showings at Worlds and Nationals were a disaster. Her falls in both the SP and the LP kept her off the podium at Worlds. And she was gifted the Bronze at Nationals after her falls in the LP there.

Her showing at the GP final was good, though. Now, if she can only have the parents of her major competitors become ill at the right time, she may win again.

 

[maxell1313]

Re: 2002/03 Strategy - Sasha Cohen

I used to not be able to stand Sasha, but she's actually grown on me this year, partly due to her moving to Tarasova. I honestly think that Sasha's problem is the intense desire to WIN rather than to do her best. Sure, winning is great, but wouldn't it be better to get through a program completely clean even if you don't win?

 

[DORISPULASKI]

Re: 2002/03 Strategy - Sasha Cohen

I'd like to see her work on her jump takeoffs and landings, back to basics on those. I think that that is part of her consistency problems. Only her great skill allows her to pull off some of her landings. Another thing that I'd like to see is more forward speed and flow in her footwork sequences. She is more than capable of this--but the Morozov footwork she is doing has so many little toe steps and fits and starts that it doesn't flow when you see it live. This is not Sasha's fault; this is the way Morozov choreographed it.

And as everyone else says, work on focus.

dpp

 

[Princess Leppard 625]

Re: 2002/03 Strategy - Sasha Cohen

Sasha doesn't annoy me nearly as much as she used to, so that's an improvement! Her QR skate at Worlds was spectacular, except for silly bobble.

Having said that, I must agree with whoever said that she wants to win so badly, it affects her skating. She's on tour with Evgeni, she should speak to him about 2000 Worlds. That was his wake up call, now he just goes out to skate his best. And usually wins.

Cheers,

Laura

 

[sk8cynic]

Re: 2002/03 Strategy - Sasha Cohen

Joe,

I agree with everything you said re: Sasha.

The future?

develop secure, outside edge jump landings
stop frontloading
create more continuity and flow in footwork
get that flutz to at least take off on the flat
work on better upper body strength
start enjoying the moment and quit focusing on winning.

I still find it amazing that some people can think that finishing 4th at Worlds is a failure.

 

[Grgranny]

Re: 2002/03 Strategy - Sasha Cohen

By the way, Laura, were you so that we could see you in the audience at Worlds anytime?

 

[Ogre Mage]

Sasha

2003 was definitely a year of improvement for Sasha. She always had great moves, but I wasn't a fan of the programs she created with Nicks. Tarasova has added a polished layer of choreography onto Sasha's already impressive artistry. This has really paid off on her presentation marks.

But many of the old problems remain. I would say that Sasha's biggest concerns right now should be a) consistency and b) fix the flutz. Her consistency problems have been hammered to death, and the judges are beginning to really penalize bad lutz edging.

Some would add that she also needs to address her frontloading and edging (besides just the lutz takeoff). On the frontloading I say she has more important things to worry about. Yags and Plush are notorious frontloaders, but they still get very high marks. Sasha has clearly worked on her edges and I'm sure she will continue to. It has been suggested that her suspect edges are the cause of her problems with the jumps. But I am not so sure. Her edging was better this year, but the consistency with the jumps was not. While I would like to see her edging improve even more, from a competitive standpoint I'm not sure how important it is. Surya Bonaly won several World Silver medals with much worse edging than Sasha has ever had.

 

[Ladskater]

Re: 2002/03 Strategy - Sasha Cohen

Joe:

Of all of Sasha's programs this year, I thought her best and loveliest was Romeo and Juliet which she won Skate Canada with. It completley shows off her artistic side. I think the mistake her coach is making is trying to push her to be a technical skater - which I don't really think she is. The real beauty of Sasha's skating lies in her artisitic abilities which should really be featured in an artistic program like Romeo and Juliet.


Ladskater

 

[berthes ghost]

Re: 2002/03 Strategy - Sasha Cohen

I'm not so sure that weak edging isn't Sasha's biggest problem. Everyone falls, or two foots jumps. But Sasha often lands on the wrong edge. That's a no-no.

Also, she doesn't just fall on jumps. Everbody falls on jumps from time to time. Sasha falls on spins, on footwork, just stroking or doing crossovers. You never see other top skaters falling on such things. I don't think that there is a move that she hasn't fallen on. To me, that means weak edges.

Lad, Sasha skated Rach at SC. There ws another Canadian comp that used to be pro but now is pro-am that she used R&J at, but I can't remeber what it's called now.

Anyway, could you please explain what you meant? I don't think that there's a top lady today who could medal without 6 or 7 triples, and everyone is attempting 3/3s. How is Sasha going to get by with less?

 

[Princess Leppard 625]

Re: 2002/03 Strategy - Sasha Cohen

Sasha has great presentation, so her marks there could carry if she doesn't have as many jumps. Could she win? Probably not, but I'm pretty sure no one had Fumie picked for bronze. A clean Sasha, with no 3/3, could medal at Worlds over a skater with a 3/3 but a fall. I think.

Granny, I had great seats by the kiss and cry for the men's short, but I don't think you ever see me. However, that purple and yellow flower Evgeni waves at the camera after his interview? That's mine.

Cheers,

Laura

 

[DORISPULASKI]

Re: 2002/03 Strategy - Sasha Cohen

Wondered if it wasn't yours Princess. Did you throw it from the seats or did you walk down? Were you on the judges' side of the K&C or the other side? dpp.

 

[sk8cynic]

Re: 2002/03 Strategy - Sasha Cohen

Lad,

The competition in Canada that Sasha skated the R&J program was the Sears Canadian Open. She did not fall there, but singled her triple loop.

 

[Show 42]

Re: 2002/03 Strategy - Sasha Cohen

Sasha is a lovely skater, with grace and style. She needs to not listen to the "press hype" (if she does) about being the next "anointed one" and just go out and skate the way she knows that she can.........42

 

[mpal2]

Re: 2002/03 Strategy - Sasha Cohen

sk8cynic stated: I still find it amazing that some people can think that finishing 4th at Worlds is a failure.


I think people consider 4th a failure because Sasha is capable of so much more than that. When you measure her potential to her actual, it comes close to failure.

 

[Skate Sandee]

Re: 2002/03 Strategy - Sasha Cohen

sk8cynic stated: I still find it amazing that some people can think that finishing 4th at Worlds is a failure.>>

Maybe if <strong>SASHA</strong> stopped thinking that finishing 4th at Worlds was a failure (AND 3rd at Nationals AND 4th at the Olympics, yada, yada), then some people would stop thinking that way too.

 

[Princess Leppard 625]

Re: 2002/03 Strategy - Sasha Cohen

Sandee, I agree. But I do think she knows that if she skates clean, she can win, and maybe that's why it's so frustrating for her. She, as I said before, needs to not want to win so badly, and then I think it will happen for her.

Doris, I was in section 109, two sections down from the kiss and cry, opposite the judges. I ran down and threw the flower on the ice in front of him so he would get it (which he did) and not the flower girls who were taking the toys away.

Cheers,

Laura

 

[KwanRachs]

Re: 2002/03 Strategy - Sasha Cohen

ITA, berthesghost. Sasha seems to have rather weak overall skating skills. When I watch her, she doesn't quite seem comfortable or settled sometimes over her blades. This leads to those landings and random trips/falls on other elements. I don't know how much Tarasova will focus on this over the off-season, because she strikes me as a presentation and choreography type of coach, not one who would focus specifically on edging necessarily. Sasha is definitely, at this point, a ballet dancer on ice, IMHO. She still needs to develop her skating skills to prevent those mistakes. If she does, she will be pretty spectacular, I think.

KwanRachs

 

[DORISPULASKI]

Re: 2002/03 Strategy - Sasha Cohen

Think I saw you then--I was in 108, right at the top of the stairs in the wheelchair section. The purple leopard coat is very pale purple then?

dpp