- Joined
- Feb 17, 2007
Do you think the same thing will happen to Cohen if she shows up?
I think Sasha will do better than Michelle would have.
Do you think the same thing will happen to Cohen if she shows up?
Yes, I did. And what I recall about Nationals is that it's a full year before next year's Nationals. There are hungry little girls out there with sparkly new dresses, sparkly new programs, and sparkly new coaches who are fighting hard to improve as I type.
Skating is a cruel sport folks, so I'll be blunt. Had Michelle returned, she would have gotten her butt mule-kicked across the ice and into the stands. She did the only thing she could have done.
I think Michelle gave herself some specific goals that she would have to achieve by a certain date if she was going to postpone grad school and take another shot at the Olympics. I think she gave it an honest try, didn't meet those goals (which probably included at least one triple-triple combo and high level spins) and decided to go ahead with the school in the fall. She's a smart lady and I think knows what she's doing.
Sasha may or may not end up in the top 2 at U.S. Nationals, but she hasn't been off the ice and she's been out of competition for a shorter time than Michelle has. Also, Sasha was already doing very well under IJS in 2006, whereas Michelle was having trouble acquiring the more difficult spin variations, etc. Sasha definitely has less catching up to do.
I doubt very much that Kwan's decision was influenced very much by anything any other skaters had decided to do.
And huge Kwan fan that I am, I still have to say I'm just as glad she's not going to attempt a comeback. She had one of the great competitive careers in skating and that's enough for me. At this stage I'm much more intrigued by her public service/diplomatic/political career than seeing her back on the ice.
No... Toni hasn't booted me off a looonnggg time ago...
The Apocalypse!!!!
I just doubt if comeback was any realistic option for her. She would of course have had a sentiment, like looking back sweet memories with your ex's, but that would have been different from reality.
I personally don't find Sasha's the most realistic and smartest move, in terms of the expected competition results.
I was just wondering if Michelle thought that Sasha had said yes to coming back and only 2 spots available for Olympics that it would be tough or not worth her coming back.
I was wondering if things might have been different if Sasha did not comeback and there were 3 vacant spots.
I know Michelle did not think along those lines as she is a woman of great intellect and it was important to her to find a future career but just wondering if those things above helped in her decision.
It is a shame she is not competing one last time as it would have been great to see her against the current crop of champions but I am glad she followed her heart and in my opinion is doing the right thing.
Think about it this way: To one side, she has to go compete in sectionals and regionals and whatnot, with judges younger than she grading the quality of her jumps and comparing her to thirteen-year-olds who haven't reached a height of five feet yet.
...two of the most powerful, pathfinding women in American history have personally approached her one by one and said, "Hello, Ms. Kwan, how would you like to join our team?"