Any Sasha updates?

[janetfan]

Cute. I love when she peels the banana...she looks so happy!

Sasha always seems to be looking all around during interviews...she looks down, up, to the right. This makes her appear not confident and uncomfortable to be, something you think she would have working on in her acting classes.

I wonder if Sasha's "acting career" was going better - or anywhere - if she would be trying to make this comeback?

A few posters have suggested she can't win the OGM and I would suspect Sasha has a clear enough idea of where her skating is and what her chances are.

I think skating is what she is known for and the best way for her to earn a living, whether skating in shows or training for competition and working with sponsors.

In the meantime, she certainly has made many appearances and helped to keep skating in the public eye more than anyone else in the USA.
And that would include Michelle. Unless you count skating in Korea as a way to promote skating in the USA

 

[chuckm]

I wonder if Sasha's "acting career" was going better - or anywhere - if she would be trying to make this comeback?

A few posters have suggested she can't win the OGM and I would suspect Sasha has a clear enough idea of where her skating is and what her chances are.

I think skating is what she is known for and the best way for her to earn a living, whether skating in shows or training for competition and working with sponsors.

If Sasha had been having a successful acting career, I doubt that you'd see her looking to go back to the Olympics. Sasha skates because that's the only way she can rake in the big $$.

In the meantime, she certainly has dones many little fluff pieces and probably done more to keep skating in the public eye more than anyone else in the USA. And that would include Michelle. Unless you count skating in Korea as a way to promote skating in the USA

Figure skating itself is NOT what Sasha's promoting. Sasha is keeping SASHA in the public eye. IMO, she's hoping all the publicity will revive her acting career so she won't have to skate for a living too much longer.

Michelle Kwan is a figure skating legend. She promotes figure skating wherever and whenever she appears. Maybe if Sasha had won 9 National titles and 5 World Championships she could have achieved legend status as well.

 

[janetfan]

Michelle Kwan is a figure skating legend. She promotes figure skating wherever and whenever she appears. .

So what has Michelle done in the last few years to promote skating in the USA?

Appearing as a guest commentator - for money - at Worlds last year is the only time I have seen Michelle actively involved in skating in the USA.

I am sure she has done other things but I haven't seen or heard about them.

 

[silverlake22]

So what has Michelle done in the last few years to promote skating in the USA?

Appearing as a guest commentator - for money - at Worlds last year is the only time I have seen Michelle actively involved in skating in the USA.

I am sure she has done other things but I haven't seen or heard about them.

Michelle and Sasha are very different. Period. Two skaters can both be successful but one is clearly much better/dedicated.

 

[janetfan]

Michelle and Sasha are very different. Period. Two skaters can both be successful but one is clearly much better/dedicated.

I don't think anyone can argue with their records - but Michelle is retired and Sasha is attempting a comeback.

That is what makes them different at the moment.
Michelle might be a guest commentator in Vancouver and Sasha may be skating there. Or maybe not

BTW, I just read that Kristi has been signed up by NBC do do some commentary and skating fluff spots for the Olympic coverage.

 

[Tonichelle]

is Michelle obligated to forever be a champion for the sport in the US?
and is Sasha promoting SKATING in the ads she's a part of, or is she promoting herself?


I'm not an MK fan, I do like Sasha and have been a fan of hers since 2005, but I think a smoothie ad is not how skating will gain viewership in the US...

 

[silverlake22]

I don't think anyone can argue with their records - but Michelle is retired and Sasha is attempting a comeback.

That is what makes them different at the moment.
Michelle might be a guest commentator in Vancouver and Sasha may be skating there. Or maybe not

BTW, I just read that Kristi has been signed up by NBC do do some commentary and skating fluff spots for the Olympic coverage.

Oh fun, I love Kristi Yamaguchi! In my mind she is one of the best skaters ever.

As for the smoothie ad, I think it is used to promote skating AND Sasha. She's done a lot of acting training recently so she might as well use it. I think she might be better acting on a stage than on television, she really had such a great presence on the ice but I don't really see that in her commercials and interviews on tv

 

[i love to skate]

As for the smoothie ad, I think it is used to promote skating AND Sasha. She's done a lot of acting training recently so she might as well use it. I think she might be better acting on a stage than on television, she really had such a great presence on the ice but I don't really see that in her commercials and interviews on tv

Considering that the only job on Sasha's acting resume is "smelling Chazz Michael Michaels jock strap" I can't really see her acting career taking off. Especially when she's been trying for about three years...

 

[silverlake22]

Considering that the only job on Sasha's acting resume is "smelling Chazz Michael Michaels jock strap" I can't really see her acting career taking off. Especially when she's been trying for about three years...

. Yeah....why doesn't she just go to college? Just a thought. She could try broadway if she can sing...

 

[Mathman]

IWhy is everybody picking on the girl?

What she is promoting in her smoothie ads is smoothies. (This company grosses $11 billion per year in sales. I hope Sasha got a big slice of it. They also makes Land O Lakes butter. My favorite!)

Sasha had a couple of nice spots on TV shows. She was in a cute movie about a girl and her horse (Sasha was the bratty rich girl next door. ) So at least she can say that she dipped her toe in the Hollywood pool.

Michelle Kwan is retired from skating and pursuing her education at the graduate level. I have to applaud that, too.

 

[janetfan]

. Yeah....why doesn't she just go to college? Just a thought. She could try broadway if she can sing...

She says she wants to "challenge herself"

I just read Michelle's comments and what she said about competing at the Torino Olympics - and they are almost exactly what Sasha said, and Lambiel, etc.

Skaters can make big bucks and if they compete and win at the Olympics they make even bigger bucks. Michelle tried one more time in '06 for the exact same reasons Sasha is trying in 2010.

Neither girl competed in the year running up to the Olympics and now some say Sasha may take a girl's spot on the team. Just like Michelle, without competing took Emilies spot.

It turned out swell for Emily as Michelle had to witdhraw. I don't think Sasha will even get that far - and if she does who is to say she would be healthy enough to compete in Vancouver.

ETA: Now who wants to make post 1000 for Sasha?

 

[silverlake22]

Skaters can make big bucks and if they compete and win at the Olympics they make even bigger bucks. Michelle tried one more time in '06 for the exact same reasons Sasha is trying in 2010.
:

When Michelle tried in 2006 she actually had a shot at winning though, whereas now, Sasha really doesn't. Yuna has broken world records very early in the season with only 5 triples in her FS. And because Yuna has proved her greatness so many times, she can even afford to make a number of mistakes and still will get huge scores, and win, as we've seen at SA and the GPF. I actually think even with the mistakes she deserves to win, but that doesn't even really matter. The odds are against Sasha. If they still pay the big bucks for Olympic athletes that come in 12th place then I guess I maybe see her drive, but otherwise...

My real question is, if Sasha wanted to act, why didn't she stick with acting? I imagine she must have made a very good bratty girl next door :agree:

 

[janetfan]

When Michelle tried in 2006 she actually had a shot at winning though, whereas now, Sasha really doesn't. Yuna has broken world records very early in the season with only 5 triples in her FS. And because Yuna has proved her greatness so many times, she can even afford to make a number of mistakes and still will get huge scores, and win, as we've seen at SA and the GPF. I actually think even with the mistakes she deserves to win, but that doesn't even really matter. The odds are against Sasha. If they still pay the big bucks for Olympic athletes that come in 12th place then I guess I maybe see her drive, but otherwise...

My real question is, if Sasha wanted to act, why didn't she stick with acting? I imagine she must have made a very good bratty girl next door :agree:

I have no idea what motivates Sasha and can only go by what she says.
As to Michelle winning in '06 - I would remind you she did not win in '98 or '02 when she was in her prime.

In 06' she had not even competed that season and the new CoP might not have been as kind to her as 6.0.

But if Michelle was healthy enough to skate who knows what would have happened? I would never count out Michelle just like I won't count out Mao heading into Vancouver.

Remember all it takes is a call from a tech caller to bring a skater back to earth. We saw that happen at the GPF and who is to say what type of calls we will see in Vancouver.

Maybe there is an ISU hidden agenda about how the officiating and judging will go down in Vancouver.

Yuna has not looked like the same skater since she missed her flip at TEB, and then missed it again, and again.......

No doubt she is the favorite but that seems to be already effecting her as she has not seemed quite as invincible the last two times she skated. And Yuna is under incredible pressure to win which sometimes has hurt skaters on Olympic ice.

So you are free to think what you want but I think the Ladies competition could be full of surprises at the Olympics. And it wouldn't be the first time......

 

[Mathman]

Yuna has broken world records very early in the season with only 5 triples in her FS. And because Yuna has proved her greatness so many times, she can even afford to make a number of mistakes and still will get huge scores, and win, as we've seen at SA and the GPF. I actually think even with the mistakes she deserves to win, but that doesn't even really matter.

Well, I hope Yu-na is training hard and not lazing around in a hot tub polishing her gold medal just yet. She still has to skate for it. Funny things can happen at the Olympics.

 

[krenseby]

Well, I hope Yu-na is training hard and not lazing around in a hot tub polishing her gold medal just yet. She still has to skate for it. Funny things can happen at the Olympics.

Mathman, who do you think has an eye on the ladies OGM other than Yuna? Are Miki and Mao and Joannie all thinking about it? I doubt that any of them believes that they could beat Yuna, because that doesn't seem to be possible.

 

[i love to skate]

Mathman, who do you think has an eye on the ladies OGM other than Yuna? Are Miki and Mao and Joannie all thinking about it? I doubt that any of them believes that they could beat Yuna, because that doesn't seem to be possible.

You don't go to the Olympic Games aiming to get second place. Of course they are thinking about it! Mao and Joannie beat Yu-Na in the long program at last year's 4CC, YuNa was beaten in the long prgram at Skate America by Rachael Flatt, and she only won the GPF by 3 points. She isn't invincible...

 

[Mathman]

As to Michelle winning in '06 - I would remind you she did not win in '98 or '02 when she was in her prime.

In my humble opinion, realistically Michelle had zero chance of being able to skate in 2006. But with the type of injury she had, some days she felt better than others, some days it seemed like maybe she was on the mend after all, and there was always the hope that a miracle might happen. I think that Michelle hung onto that fragile hope as long as she possibly could, and did everything within her power to prepare herself just in case Providence intervened and caused the lame to walk.

When that didn't happen, she withdrew in a timely fashion and with as much grace as she could muster through her tears.

Sasha may be in the same situation this year. Her tendonitis is sometimes a little better, sometimes a little worse, her traing sometimes goes well, sometimes not so well, and she does not want to foreclose any options until she just has no other choice.

 

[janetfan]

In my humble opinion, realistically Michelle had zero chance of being able to skate in 2006. But with the type of injury she had, some days she felt better than others, some days it seemed like maybe she was on the mend after all, and there was always the hope that a miracle might happen. I think that Michelle hung onto that fragile hope as long as she possibly could, and did everything within her power to prepare herself just in case Providence intervened and caused the lame to walk.

When that didn't happen, she withdrew in a timely fashion and with as much grace as she could muster through her tears.

Sasha may be in the same situation this year. Her tendonitis is sometimes a little better, sometimes a little worse, her traing sometimes goes well, sometimes not so well, and she does not want to foreclose any options until she just has no other choice.

I don't blame any skater for trying and sometimes injuries are just out of their control.

In the case of Sasha, there could even be a scenario where she manages to skate well enough at Natls and make the team only to aggravate the injury or even come down with a new injury and not be able to compete in Vancouver.

And if that happens Kristi and/or Michelle would already have the "guest analyst" job with NBC so poor Sasha would have to go back to pitching smoothies

 

[chuckm]

As for the smoothie ad, I think it is used to promote skating AND Sasha. She's done a lot of acting training recently so she might as well use it. I think she might be better acting on a stage than on television, she really had such a great presence on the ice but I don't really see that in her commercials and interviews on tv

Sasha projects "presence" on the ice with gumby moves and a "look at me" attitude. That won't work on the stage. Stage acting is infinitely more demanding than TV acting. The stage requires a strong voice with great projection, and that's what makes for presence. Sasha's voice is thin and nasal, and in her few roles she hasn't proven to be much of an actor.

TV acting is shot haphazardly, once scene here, another scene there. The actor is "in the moment" in disconnected bits and pieces. But on the stage, the actor must sustain the character and be "in the moment" during the entire play.

 

[silverlake22]

Mathman, who do you think has an eye on the ladies OGM other than Yuna? Are Miki and Mao and Joannie all thinking about it? I doubt that any of them believes that they could beat Yuna, because that doesn't seem to be possible.

Of course they are thinking about it! I mean figure skating is a weird sport in that anything could happen and the results could be surprising. I mean, pretty much all of the skaters at the Olympics are capable of landing the same jumps....the question is, will they land them. Do I think anyone will beat Yuna? No. But could it happen? Absolutely.

Yuna is not invincible, but she DID land a beautiful triple flip in her LP at the GPF, which is good heading into the Olympics. Her flip used to be her money jump and she just let it psych herself out earlier this season, but it appears that she has gotten over it now.

If it weren't for bias and reputation-based judging, there are probably over a dozen ladies who could win OGM if they skated well enough. But there are reputations and right now Yuna has the best reputation of anyone. No, she has not been stellar all season, but Miki has been far more underwhelming thus far, and those two have been having great seasons compared to the ones Mao and Joannie have been having. All the favorites are doing "poorly" this season, which will make the Olympics that much more of a surprise.