Cohen considers Olympic comeback

[Mathman]

I don't think we can dismiss Rachael as a mere jumping bean at all. Yes, she has sound technique on her jumps and rarely misses (which pretty much puts her in a class by herself among the current U.S. hopefuls.) But she has not neglected the other aspects of her skating at all. And she has one more year to get even better.

As for Sasha, I agree with Tinymavy. Never mind Asada and Kim (or Rochette and Kostner, for that matter). If Sasha can skate well at Nationals, maybe even win, make the Olympic team and deliver a gorgeous going-away gift to the skating world (while also boosting TV ratings in the U.S.) -- she will have put the cherry on the ice cream sundae of her career.

 

[R.D.]

And does anyone think that 16-year-old Rachael is not going to work on her presentation between now and 2010 Nationals? Her musical selections worked against her this season, and I am sure her team will choose better music to which Rachael can fully relate for the Olympic season. She is already remarkably developed musically, as every note of the music is expressed in her movements on the ice.

If she can develop that aspect of that skating and maintain the jumps I think she's gonna be hard for anyone to beat. However, I continually remind folks what happened to Meissner when she went that route.

 

[chuckm]

Rachael is "little" in height only. That is her body type, and there's nothing she can do about rhat. She will be 17 at the Olympics, and that does not put her in the little-girl-jumping-bean category. Just remember that Tara won the Olympics at 15, and Sarah Hughes won it at 16. They, too, were discounted as 'jumping beans'.

Rachael is far more musical than either Tara or Rachael, and given her consistency and better musical choices next year, she won't be so easily dismissed. Sasha, OTOH, will not have competed with a 4-minute, 6-triple program for almost 4 years and is facing tougher, much more demanding CoP rules than she knew back in 2005-2006.

My money is on Rachael.

 

[McWicked]

GO RACHEL!!!

I dont believe Cohen at all, she's bluffin again.

 

[GiuliaPlum]

GO RACHEL!!!

I dont believe Cohen at all, she's bluffin again.

Next year the girls will be much more mature. They certainly will not wait for granny Sasha's moves. And what about Ashley? I think she has the greatest potential among all; she's a bit underrated here. this time Rachel happened to finish in the hot zone for the medal, but I wouldn't consider only her in this imaginary fight with Cohen.

I don't know Cohen very much, but I remember she was called "the eternal second" or something like that. I guess she was pretty inconsistent. So after three years, at age 26, she will come back and do miracles?

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

There may be plenty that's fishy about you, Joe , but I think your breath is probably "bated," not baited.

My spelling is atrocious. I used to have an editor in my life, but we split. She was chief editor at Sports Illustrated and interviewed that team before the crash when she worked as a reporter. She didn't know the plane had crashed till she returned home. Then cried for a week. It was sad.

 

[Mathman]

The more I think about it, the more I hope that Sasha decides not to try to come back for the Olympics, and Michelle, too.

These are two skaters who have been to two Olympics apiece, winning three medals. They have been to numerous world championships and landed on the podium. Sasha is headlining SOI and Michelle could do similar show work if she wanted to. What would be the big deal for either of them to go to Vancouver.

Contrast that with the thrill of a lifetime that awaits Ashley and Rachael, or Mirai, Caroline and Alissa (if the U.S. gets its three spots next month. )

 

[Wrlmy]

Next year the girls will be much more mature. They certainly will not wait for granny Sasha's moves. And what about Ashley? I think she has the greatest potential among all; she's a bit underrated here. this time Rachel happened to finish in the hot zone for the medal, but I wouldn't consider only her in this imaginary fight with Cohen.

I don't know Cohen very much, but I remember she was called "the eternal second" or something like that. I guess she was pretty inconsistent. So after three years, at age 26, she will come back and do miracles?

Never have I thought would come the day Sasha's called granny. She's still a feisty, really pretty girl for me although I'm actually younger than her In five or six years, I will have a heart attack if Mirai becomes the new granny.

 

[madibe]

To me, Sasha Cohen's "Romeo and Juliet" is still the best Ladies LP ever choreographed under COP. I'd love to see her skate another COP masterpiece, even if it doesn't win her the Olympic gold.

 

[GiuliaPlum]

Never have I thought would come the day Sasha's called granny. She's still a feisty, really pretty girl for me although I'm actually younger than her In five or six years, I will have a heart attack if Mirai becomes the new granny.

what about granny Michelle?

 

[Spun Silver]

The more I think about it, the more I hope that Sasha decides not to try to come back for the Olympics, and Michelle, too.

These are two skaters who have been to two Olympics apiece, winning three medals. They have been to numerous world championships and landed on the podium. Sasha is headlining SOI and Michelle could do similar show work if she wanted to. What would be the big deal for either of them to go to Vancouver.

Contrast that with the thrill of a lifetime that awaits Ashley and Rachael, or Mirai, Caroline and Alissa (if the U.S. gets its three spots next month. )

The Olympics aren't about providing thrills to deserving teenagers but competing for the laurel of the "best in world." It's also exciting when older athletes prove they can still compete (Dara Torres etc.). Let the best skater win. Ageism should have no place in the discussion.

 

[amateur]

The more I think about it, the more I hope that Sasha decides not to try to come back for the Olympics, and Michelle, too.

These are two skaters who have been to two Olympics apiece, winning three medals. They have been to numerous world championships and landed on the podium. Sasha is headlining SOI and Michelle could do similar show work if she wanted to. What would be the big deal for either of them to go to Vancouver.

Contrast that with the thrill of a lifetime that awaits Ashley and Rachael, or Mirai, Caroline and Alissa (if the U.S. gets its three spots next month. )

Well to that I say - imagine the thrill of a lifetime that would await those younger skaters - Ashley, Rachael, & co. ... at the Olympics by, on top of everything, beating Sasha Cohen and/or Michelle Kwan to get there!!

I say simply, bring it on. That's what sport is!

Another thought I commonly have about the prospect of these older skaters coming back, even though chances of winning and/or medalling may be small... Do you really think, that Sasha or Michelle or any similar such athlete, in their old age as grandmothers, would feel any shame or regret in revealing that they had qualified to and competed in not 1, not 2 but *3* Olympic Games? Even if they didn't "almost win" that last one? It is ALWAYS a big deal, when you put it in the right perspective.

Why not go for it, if the desire is there?? You either win, or lose... and life goes on, and at the very least you've gained something form having tested yourself.

 

[Grgranny]

There may be plenty that's fishy about you, Joe , but I think your breath is probably "bated," not baited.

What is bated? I would have said baited.

 

[Mathman]

"Bated" means "abated" (reduced or lessened, like when you are holding your breath in anticipation.)

First use seems to be in Shakespeare, Merchant of Venice, "With bated breath, and whispring humblenesse." (nowadays I suppose we would say humbleness. )

 

[antmanb]

The more I think about it, the more I hope that Sasha decides not to try to come back for the Olympics, and Michelle, too.

These are two skaters who have been to two Olympics apiece, winning three medals. They have been to numerous world championships and landed on the podium. Sasha is headlining SOI and Michelle could do similar show work if she wanted to. What would be the big deal for either of them to go to Vancouver.

Contrast that with the thrill of a lifetime that awaits Ashley and Rachael, or Mirai, Caroline and Alissa (if the U.S. gets its three spots next month. )

MM surely you are not going against your thoughts that - if the skaters want to go they should beat the best fair and sqaure??

Are you now saying that the old guard shoudl step aside to let int he new

Ant

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

MM - Would you say the same about Michelle Kwan? I mean, let Czisny have her chance.

Sasha, imo, is not good under fire. You can count the times she folded when the contest was hers. But let her have another try, if and only if, she wants to. That Spokane 2010 Nats will become the rage of figure skating.

 

[Mathman]

I don't know. I guess I have mixed feelings about all this. When Brian Boitano shouldered his way onto the 1994 Olympic team I did kind of have the feeling, here is a grown man bullying children.

As for Michelle and the Olympics, to me it's "been there, done that." What would really put me over the moon as a Michelle fan is if she did something spectacular in the field of public service or international diplomacy, or if she made her mark in the business of organizing skating ventures as an entrepreneur.

 

[mycelticblessing]

This must be the tenth article about Cohen's ''comeback'' since her retirement. Didn't she say last year she would love to compete in front of her home crowd at Worlds this year? She and Plushenko keep dropping these hints to excite their fans, yet year after year, they are missing from the Grand Prix, their Nationals, etc. I don't see her coming back.

I'm still really hopeful about Michelle though. But that's partly because she's my favorite skater ever.

 

[dorispulaski]

And also because she hasn't teased us with these announcements every year, and she's out of college.

But I am just glad she can skate, even if it's for her own amusement, without pain.

 

[dizzydi7]

Interesting.......say what you may about Cohen always coming is second but truth be told, wouldn't we all be thrilled if one of the current U.S. ladies could achieve second at Worlds or the Oympics for that matter? Or even get near the podium?

As far as Michelle or Sasha trying a comeback, I say let them try. It's their risk to take and only they know what truly motivates them.

Dizzy