Any Sasha updates?

[janetfan]

Really? I think Alissa is a better version of Sasha. Alissa has the best spins in the World, her spirals are outstanding, and she has better edges than Sasha. Sasha has said in an interview that her flexibility isn't what it used to be and Sasha's spins got worse over the years. I didn't find anything spectacular about them in 2006.



It is four years after she last competed though - we have no idea how well she will hold up under the pressure or if she will still have that "it" factor in a competitive arena. I think Rachael could handle the pressure of the Olympics better than Sasha has in the past.

see clip on my post above and prepare to eat your words - just kidding.

I think Sasha did OK for herself in Torino. Everyone falls all over themselves talking about Michelle's injuries. Sasha was not so healthy in Torino and still managed Silver. Are we supposed to shoot her for not winning the Gold?

I think Canada would go nuts if Joannie can do as well as Sasha did in Torino.

 

[Tinymavy15]

Oh, I agree. I think Sasha is a shoe -in to win Nats, even w/o a lutz or 3/3. She could probably land 3 clean triples and walk away with the title based on PCS. I never debated that. All I meant was it would've been better if Sasha could have debuted her programs before International judges so she could tweak as needed for the Olys. I don't think it would be worth going to those events had she been as injured as she said because then she may have ended up in worse shape.

Supposedly Sasha had been training with RA since fall on 2008. Rumors say she was having a rough go and that is why she went back to Nicks, but who knows.

Right. Alissa won with 3 clean triples last year and a downgrades. If sasha fully rotates And falls she will be come out ahead. Her artistry and the levels she will get on her spirals and spins put her way ahead of Ashley and Racheal which are right now the favorite for gold.

 

[i love to skate]

see clip on my post above and prepare to eat your words - just kidding.

I think Sasha did OK for herself in Torino. Everyone falls all over themselves talking about Michelle's injuries. Sasha was not so healthy in Torino and still managed Silver. Are we supposed to shoot her for not winning the Gold?

I think Canada would go nuts if Joannie can do as well as Sasha did in Torino.

Yes, that short program was absolutely fantastic - although I find her expressions a bit over the top. However, she crumbled under the pressure in the long. The commentator even said "she looked completely out of sorts" there was "doubt" she has "different eyes" than in the short:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kh3iW4I39DI

ETA: Also there's no way those spins measure up to Alissa's

Sure, Canada would be thrilled in Joannie won silver but we would be more excited if she won gold. Isn't that a normal?

 

[janetfan]

Yes, that short program was absolutely fantastic - although I find her expressions a bit over the top. However, she crumbled under the pressure in the long. The commentator even said "she looked completely out of sorts" there was "doubt" she has "different eyes" than in the short:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kh3iW4I39DI

ETA: Also there's no way those spins measure up to Alissa's

Sure, Canada would be thrilled in Joannie won silver but we would be more excited if she won gold. Isn't that a normal?

It's been so long since Canada won a Ladies medal (88) that bronze would be an improvement and something to be proud of.

Joannie will be no where near the podium unless she can find some nerve and composure in Vancouver. Her GP's were amongst the biggest duds of the season.

I wouldn't be so quick to knock Sasha in comparison to Alissa. I have seen them skate their entire careers and there is not much comparison. Sasha has Olympic and World medals and Alissa doesn't.

 

[i love to skate]

It's been so long since Canada won a Ladies medal (88) that bronze would be an improvement and something to be proud of.

Joannie will be no where near the podium unless she can find some nerve and composure in Vancouver. Her GP's were amongst the biggest duds of the season.

Yes - I do know when the last ladies medal was won Of course any medal would be fantastic - I never doubted that. All I said was that Canada would be more excited if she won Gold - which is the truth. This would be true in any sport. I hope people do start doubting Joannie. That's when she seems to rise up. Haven't many of the women had "duds" this GP series? All the other medal contenders have not skated their best - Kim, Asada, and Ando.

I wouldn't be so quick to knock Sasha in comparison to Alissa. I have seen them skate their entire careers and there is not much comparison. Sahsa has Olympic and World medals and Alissa doesn't.

You really think Sasha's spins are comparable to Alissa's?:scratch:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBP73qPKZDA

 

[janetfan]

Yes - I do know when the last ladies medal was won Of course any medal would be fantastic - I never doubted that. All I said was that Canada would be more excited if she won Gold - which is the truth. This would be true in any sport. I hope people do start doubting Joannie. That's when she seems to rise up. Haven't many of the women had "duds" this GP series? All the other medal contenders have not skated their best - Kim, Asada, and Ando.



You really think Sasha's spins are comparable to Alissa's?:scratch:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBP73qPKZDA

I haven't seen Sasha yet this season and doubt that her spins will look exactly the same. They could even be worse but they could also be better.

I happen to be a big Alissa fan and I love her skating. But she has always been a level under Sasha imo.

And today spins count but they don't gauarantee you Gold medals. Consider Alissa's record if you don't believe me.

 

[Layfan]

What if she delivers something like this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELFerA2QZX8

Or even close to it........?

It would blow US ladies off the ice, and would give judges alot to consider.
Is Bond Girl or Masquerade Walltz really much better than this? Or Miki or Joannie's SP?

Of course if Sasha skates she will have a different program, but her skating is just so beautiful.

Applause.

I think Canada would go nuts if Joannie can do as well as Sasha did in Torino.

And more

 

[Layfan]

You really think Sasha's spins are comparable to Alissa's?

Spins are the only time when you can arguably say Alissa looks more exciting on the ice than Sasha. Think about the final footwork sequence in the SP Janetfan linked. When has Alissa ever looked as exciting as that? And this is coming from a huge Alissa fan.
Anyhow, Sasha's spins were pretty darned good. Her position on her layback spin is ridiculous perfect. And herscratch spin ... ahhhh. The question is ... does she still have that?

Also, this is totally minor point ... but after seeing Sasha's I-spins, I hate everyone else's and I wish they would just give them up.

 

[janetfan]

Just a comment about Sasha's Torino LP.
It would be nice to hear from a Sasha fan about her physical condition after the SP. (I suspect that an MK fan will be all too glad to clarify this. )

My recollection is that Sasha was not feeling well enough to practice the day of her LP. I also think she had an injury in each leg but I am not sure what the real story was. Can anybody clarify?

As far as competing goes I am sure about this. After missing her first two jumps and giving away the OGM Sasha really pulled it together and skated pretty darn well earning herself a Silver medal.

I don't recall Kwan having the same abilty in SLC and she fell in the middle of her program. Irina as I recall never was able to overcome such a disastrous beginning of a program and recover so well either.

It is not so easy for people who havn't competed much in their lives in front of a crowd and judges to understand that what Sasha was able to salvage in Torino was pretty remarkable. It took guts and it took an abilty to focus.

I have seen very few skaters over the years at the Olympics comeback the way Sasha did.

 

[alopatra]

As far as competing goes I am sure about this. After missing her first two jumps and giving away the OGM Sasha really pulled it together and skated pretty darn well earning herself a Silver medal.

I don't recall Kwan having the same abilty in SLC and she fell in the middle of her program. Irina as I recall never was able to overcome such a disastrous beginning of a program and recover so well either.

I don't quite understand why you think that while Sasha was able to pull it together, Michelle was not ... as far as I remember Michelle didn't make any other mistake following her fall on the triple flip. Knowing she is out of that battle for gold, she could have messed up the rest of her program but she didn't. That said, I don't see a difference between Sasha and Michelle (well apart from the fact that Sasha fell twice and at the beginnig, which made the recovery harder for her), they both made the best out of their situations.

I could rewatch the two programs to refresh my memory and compare again but I don't like recalling the two performances for obvious reasons.

 

[Layfan]

Just a comment about Sasha's Torino LP.
It would be nice to hear from a Sasha fan about her physical condition after the SP. (I suspect that an MK fan will be all too glad to clarify this. )

My recollection is that Sasha was not feeling good enough to practice the day of her LP. I also think she had an injury in each leg but I am not sure what the real story was. Can anybody clarify?

As far as competing goes I am sure about this. After missing her first two jumps and giving away the OGM Sasha really pulled it together and skated pretty darn well earning herself a Silver medal.

I don't recall Kwan having the same abilty in SLC and she fell in the middle of her program. Irina as I recall never was able to overcome such a disastrous beginning of a program and recover so well either.

It is not so easy for people who havn't competed much in their lives in front of a crowd and judges to understand that what Sasha was able to salvage in Torino was pretty remarkable. It took guts and it took an abilty to focus.

I have seen very few skaters over the years at the Olympics comeback the way Sasha did.

Well, according to Sasha her leg injury didn't affect her performance and wasn't to blame for her falls. And what really happened was that she didn't sleep well because of the excitement of winning the SP. So she decided to get some rest and skip practice the day before the LP. It wasn't really that she wasn't feeling well.

And I agree with you wholeheartedly that the way Sasha was able to perform so gorgeously after those two falls was nothing short of astonishing. Every skating student should watch that program as a lesson on not giving up on the performance.
Of course, I would have prefered if she nailed it ... but what can we do.

 

[janetfan]

Well, according to Sasha her leg injury didn't affect her performance and wasn't to blame for her falls. And what really happened was that she didn't sleep well because of the excitement of winning the SP. So she decided to get some rest and skip practice the day after the LP. It wasn't really that she wasn't feeling well.

And I agree with you wholeheartedly that the way Sasha was able to perform so gorgeously after those two falls was nothing short of astonishing. Every skating student should watch that program as a lesson on not giving up on the performance.
Of course, I would have prefered if she nailed it ... but what can we do.

Thanks for the explanation. It is something I haven't thought about for ......three and a half years

 

[Tinymavy15]

Well, according to Sasha her leg injury didn't affect her performance and wasn't to blame for her falls. And what really happened was that she didn't sleep well because of the excitement of winning the SP. So she decided to get some rest and skip practice the day before the LP. It wasn't really that she wasn't feeling well.
.

and of course she was a nervous wreck. would she have been more relaxed if she had pracrtice the day before? maybe. I doubt it. after all those years of work everything had done right and it was right there, within her grasp. all she had to do was skate clean. but that is the one thing she could not do.

 

[i love to skate]

I don't recall Kwan having the same abilty in SLC and she fell in the middle of her program. Irina as I recall never was able to overcome such a disastrous beginning of a program and recover so well either.

What exactly do you mean by this Janetfan?? Michelle fell in the middle of her program but still landed jumps after that did she not? Anytime you fall in an Olympic program it is an emotional let down and you have to build yourself up again.

 

[Layfan]

Thanks for the explanation. It is something I haven't thought about for ......three and a half years

I'm only just now getting over the sorrow.

 

[antmanb]

Just a comment about Sasha's Torino LP.
It would be nice to hear from a Sasha fan about her physical condition after the SP. (I suspect that an MK fan will be all too glad to clarify this. )

My recollection is that Sasha was not feeling well enough to practice the day of her LP. I also think she had an injury in each leg but I am not sure what the real story was. Can anybody clarify?

As far as competing goes I am sure about this. After missing her first two jumps and giving away the OGM Sasha really pulled it together and skated pretty darn well earning herself a Silver medal.

I don't recall Kwan having the same abilty in SLC and she fell in the middle of her program. Irina as I recall never was able to overcome such a disastrous beginning of a program and recover so well either.

It is not so easy for people who havn't competed much in their lives in front of a crowd and judges to understand that what Sasha was able to salvage in Torino was pretty remarkable. It took guts and it took an abilty to focus.

I have seen very few skaters over the years at the Olympics comeback the way Sasha did.

Why exactly do you feel you have to make this into a Cohen vs Kwan argument again?

For goodness sake it's nearly as pathetic as dragging this make into a Lipinski vs Kwan thing.

Is it not possible for you to talk about Cohen without shootnig down Kwan or her fans?

Ant

 

[janetfan]

Why exactly do you feel you have to make this into a Cohen vs Kwan argument again?

For goodness sake it's nearly as pathetic as dragging this make into a Lipinski vs Kwan thing.

Is it not possible for you to talk about Cohen without shootnig down Kwan or her fans?

Ant

ummm,with all due respect - what in the world are you talking about
How many Kwan/Cohen comparisons have I ever made :scratch:

Or maybe you haven't noticed how much Sasha bashing has gone on at this thread - much of it by Kwan fans hwell:

For the record, I am and always will be a Kwan fan. Why should it bother you if I am capable of also being a Sasha fan too?

And the post you quoted could hardly be considered "Kwan bashing" or "Irina bashing" or "fan bashing."

Michelle and Sasha competed against each other many times. They are both American girls and both skated at SLC. I think it is OK and even very natural to compare them from time to time. Same with Michelle and Irina and Sasha and Irina.

But if you still feel it is necessary to report me to the KP (Kwan Police) go ahead. I doubt if they will take your comments any more seriously on this topic than I just did.

 

[gracefulswan]

i know what you mean by disappointed. i still think about it sadly, but realize that she did the best she could and she won the silver and didn't "lose." imagine if she won another medal! i hope she can win another silver or gold. 2 silvers is like a gold... and if she gets a bronze, she'll have done no worse than kwan at the olympics. considering how far she's had to play catchup, i don't know if gold is realistic, but then again, the heavy fav. for gold at the last 3 olympics for the ladies did not win.... and 2 of them weren't even co-favorites. you never know.... and look how nervous kim seems to get when push comes to shove. how will she stand the pressure? and will her back hold up? i'd love to see either of them win. i won't be disappointed regardless....but would be a bit if another lady wins... so my preference is for kim or cohen for gold. (rochette if she's perfect and the others make mistakes).

latest interview: http://www.reuters.com/article/olympicsNews/idUSN2322657720091124

great olympic montages: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2TAdl8dCq4&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=huyXbkKG4Nk&feature=fvw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TznIauD1_UU&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3N3eKQdMnQ&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWl73ciIxmE&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQ-c5cK9aXY&feature=related

(she should watch these clips for inspiration, LOL )

she also could stick around and become the oldest lady to win a medal at the olympics in russia (her mother country as she's 1/2 russian and speaks it a bit).

 

[kandidy]

http://www.universalsports.com/news/article/newsid=372741.html#cohen+hopes+magical+return

New Article.

 

[Tinymavy15]

http://www.universalsports.com/news/...magical+return

Thanks! I wonder how long she had to skate only 45 minutes a day. Top skaters spend up to 5 hours or so on the ice in an olympic year.
Funny she mentioned Raphael A. but did not say if she was still with him, the reason for the split (if there was one). Always mysterious sasha.

I am keeping my fingers crossed.