Thanks for posting this wonderful news,
berthes ghost!
YES! Great to read that Sasha (& Robin) intend to up her technical difficulty for future........smart thinking........especially in light of Sasha actually having proven that she
can land the difficult jumps/combos./sequences in competition (aka 3Z/3T @ 2003 Worlds & 3T-.5R-3S sequence @ 2002 Crest Pro-Am). The former accompanied w/5 solo triples (making it 7 triples in total, including 1 3/3 combo.), and the latter accompanied w/4 solo triples (making it 6 triples in total, including 1 3/3 sequence). More than capable of doing the hard stuff, but more importantly
willing to do so - that's one tough/gutsy skater. {two thumbs way up}
I still maintain that TT shouldn't have downgraded Sasha's FS this past season ~ Sasha worked too hard all last year to land the aforementioned elements ~ only to see it thrown away this past season. One doesn't
maintain the jumps/combos./sequences one has worked so hard to acquire by not putting them in each & every competition. In fact, rotating the 3/3 combos. & sequences every time out is Sasha's best option. For instance, compare Sarah Hughes strategy of attempting the 3/3s every time out as opposed to her competitors strategy of only doing so when they felt they needed it, and look at their respective percentages of actually landing it in competition. Thus, better to start putting them in competiton now & every competiton thereafter in order to gain consistency, rather than be disappointed come Olympic time when playing it safe didn't work. Better to go down fighting than the opposite. After all, all things lead toward the Olympics, not the other way around ~ that's when you'll see everybody going all out & trying everything in their arsenal (even some not quite there yet). JMHO of course.
As regards the quad, that would be a great goal, especially as I think (as of now) Sasha Cohen has the best chance of any American woman to land it. And she would be continuing on the tradition of excellence when it comes to American women pushing the envelope & matching other countries in doing so. For example, Tonya Harding became the first American female ever to land the triple axel in competition (Midori Ito being the first ever). And the same goes for Sarah Hughes, whom became the first American lady ever to land two triple-triples in competition (Irina Slutskaya being the first ever). And now it's the quad jump ~ Miki Ando became the first lady skater ever to land it in competiton in 2002 ~ with Sasha having landed several in practice (one fully rotated one even caught on tape at 2001 Skate America). So why not keeping working on it?! She has the small powerful compact build, the super fast quick-twitch muscle reflex action, the determination, the ability & the
guts to do so. So I say more power to her.
However, I say forget about the triple axel jump (for now)........even though I've always said that she should've experimented w/this jump instead of the quad.......but since she has only worked on the quad (never before the triple axel), then she has a better chance of landing the latter rather than the former. JMHO.
Another factor that I think works towards Sasha's advantage is that she has been attempting & practicing these difficult combos. & quads since she was around 15 or 16 yrs. old. History says that the earlier one tries such difficult elements, the more likely one is able to acquire it. Take for example Sarah Hughes, whom was trying difficult 3/3 combos. way back at the age of 13, even landing her first triple- triple, a 3R/3R btw, at 1999 Nationals. Not to forget to mention the queen of them all ~ Midori Ito ~ whom began experimenting w/the triple axel (& the quad, though she broke her ankle trying & thus desisted) at ages 12/13, finally landing the first ever triple axel (for a lady) in competition at age 19. Btw, she also became the first lady skater ever to land a triple-triple, the 3T/3T, @ 1981 Jr. Worlds at the age of 11!
Peace & Love, Nadine
Citius, Altius, Fortius ~ faster, higher, stronger - Olympic Motto.
GOOOOOOOOOOOO SASHA!!! 
At least that what I thought I read... Not saying that Robin is making Sasha work on stroking just because what an internet messageboard says
, just that it is a good idea to have her work on stroking.
it was a very good program. Working on consistancy and edging would be great.
