The article is titled "Hughes eyes Olympic title defense"
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/olympics/winter/2005-01-24-notes-hughes_x.htm
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/olympics/winter/2005-01-24-notes-hughes_x.htm
Looks like Hughes wants to compete again (article)
- Thread starter R.D.
- Start date
- Joined
- Jul 26, 2003
Oy.
- Joined
- Jul 27, 2003
Based on what I saw last week at SOI, where she could barely do a double toe, I wouldn't count on seeing her in competitive form anytime soon.
I understand that Robin Wagner has suddenly become available.
I understand that Robin Wagner has suddenly become available.
Well frankly I'd admire her for undertaking such an action if she's seriously considering it. All the more power to her if she wants to defend her title
In my opinon, I don't think she's reached her peak and this would be a good opportunity for her more than ever, especially with the COP system.
In my opinon, I don't think she's reached her peak and this would be a good opportunity for her more than ever, especially with the COP system.
Last edited:
- Joined
- Jul 26, 2003
You took the words right out of my mouth.
So many questions!
I am a fan of Sarah's skating that she performed in 2001 and 2002 in the Long Programs. I am not wild about her short programs, and I recognize the immaturity of the prior skating. She was out of shape in 2003 and didn't perform anything noteworthy. In essence, I enjoyed her Long Programs for two seasons and found her Olympic skate to be one of the best skates by a Gold Medalist in recent memory. She jumped and rotated especially well and hid her weaknesses the best she could successfully. And she wasn't nervous or tentative, she was at her best, in SLC.
I believe she has completed one year at Yale, originally planning a career as a medical doctor. This curriculum is tough and includes regular and advanced courses in multiple science classes all at the same time including calculus, inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry, kinetics, electricity & magnetism, wave and light physics, biology, molecular biology, physiology and multiple fields of laboratory science classes. We have not heard of Sarah becoming the best student at Yale, or doing well enough to be outstanding across the board, which is what one needs to do to earn enrollment to top tier medical schools.
So maybe her education goals and plans need to change. Maybe she doesn't want a medical career. It is such an inspiring and challenging and interesting career and profession that interest in it is very high, but the actual performance of it is different than what most understand initially, and it is enjoyed and performed by far fewer than were initially interested. In any event, her college is on hold and changing.
Then there is her conditioning. We have all heard of the "freshman 15" in which most normal college kids gain 15 pounds in the first year due to stress related eating, drinking beer at parties and less exercise due to heavier class loads. This seems to have happened to Sarah in some degree.
However, at just 20 years of age, and prior excellent conditioning and muscle memory, her abilities and muscle strength can return, under excellent guidence, very quickly. To regain the triple jumps, the most important element is the jumping ability, and this can be obtained by jumping doubles with enough height to complete triples, and gaining very secure landings. Once a skater is in shape enough to rotate quicker, then they can jump, pull in and hold it long enough to complete the rotations and land.
This can happen very quickly once the skater is in shape, it could be a matter of a couple of weeks, and then all the triples can be trained again. But the athlete must be trained into great physical shape.
There have been examples of athletes making this type of return, and they were all older than Sarah. Lu Chen lost all of her triple jumps and her double axel one year prior to Nagano. She returned and was training triple toe-triple toe by the Olympics. In 1994, Elaine Zayak trained one month at a time for one year, and lost a huge amount of weight and regained all of the triples she had mastered (she also did school figures and has only half of her left foot) and performed her hardest jump in the Short Program, bettering her difficulty from 1984.
Robin's choreography on Sarah was a great example of a skater who developed skills without compulsory figures, but with a full MITF upbringing. MITF are like the school figures, only larger and covering the entire rink. Many skaters work on them so much that they can come close to tracing them! A skater can not progress without them in the US. This is how they were able to do so many in between moves, double turns, flowing elements and transitions into her programs. Sarah also had good footwork and spins.
Sarah was a CoP friendly skater for her Long Programs, and if she could return to 6 triple programs, she could compete. It would take a return of one of her triple-triple combinations to be poduim worthy. I say she could do it, possibly, but not in enough time for 2006. If she completely commits to it, maybe 2010, with lots of hard work and luck.
I am a fan of Sarah's skating that she performed in 2001 and 2002 in the Long Programs. I am not wild about her short programs, and I recognize the immaturity of the prior skating. She was out of shape in 2003 and didn't perform anything noteworthy. In essence, I enjoyed her Long Programs for two seasons and found her Olympic skate to be one of the best skates by a Gold Medalist in recent memory. She jumped and rotated especially well and hid her weaknesses the best she could successfully. And she wasn't nervous or tentative, she was at her best, in SLC.
I believe she has completed one year at Yale, originally planning a career as a medical doctor. This curriculum is tough and includes regular and advanced courses in multiple science classes all at the same time including calculus, inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry, kinetics, electricity & magnetism, wave and light physics, biology, molecular biology, physiology and multiple fields of laboratory science classes. We have not heard of Sarah becoming the best student at Yale, or doing well enough to be outstanding across the board, which is what one needs to do to earn enrollment to top tier medical schools.
So maybe her education goals and plans need to change. Maybe she doesn't want a medical career. It is such an inspiring and challenging and interesting career and profession that interest in it is very high, but the actual performance of it is different than what most understand initially, and it is enjoyed and performed by far fewer than were initially interested. In any event, her college is on hold and changing.
Then there is her conditioning. We have all heard of the "freshman 15" in which most normal college kids gain 15 pounds in the first year due to stress related eating, drinking beer at parties and less exercise due to heavier class loads. This seems to have happened to Sarah in some degree.
However, at just 20 years of age, and prior excellent conditioning and muscle memory, her abilities and muscle strength can return, under excellent guidence, very quickly. To regain the triple jumps, the most important element is the jumping ability, and this can be obtained by jumping doubles with enough height to complete triples, and gaining very secure landings. Once a skater is in shape enough to rotate quicker, then they can jump, pull in and hold it long enough to complete the rotations and land.
This can happen very quickly once the skater is in shape, it could be a matter of a couple of weeks, and then all the triples can be trained again. But the athlete must be trained into great physical shape.
There have been examples of athletes making this type of return, and they were all older than Sarah. Lu Chen lost all of her triple jumps and her double axel one year prior to Nagano. She returned and was training triple toe-triple toe by the Olympics. In 1994, Elaine Zayak trained one month at a time for one year, and lost a huge amount of weight and regained all of the triples she had mastered (she also did school figures and has only half of her left foot) and performed her hardest jump in the Short Program, bettering her difficulty from 1984.
Robin's choreography on Sarah was a great example of a skater who developed skills without compulsory figures, but with a full MITF upbringing. MITF are like the school figures, only larger and covering the entire rink. Many skaters work on them so much that they can come close to tracing them! A skater can not progress without them in the US. This is how they were able to do so many in between moves, double turns, flowing elements and transitions into her programs. Sarah also had good footwork and spins.
Sarah was a CoP friendly skater for her Long Programs, and if she could return to 6 triple programs, she could compete. It would take a return of one of her triple-triple combinations to be poduim worthy. I say she could do it, possibly, but not in enough time for 2006. If she completely commits to it, maybe 2010, with lots of hard work and luck.
Sarah flutzed dreadfully and except for the Olympics, many of her jumps were cheated. When she returned to Worlds 2003, nearly all of her triples were cheated and her flutz was so bad that the inside part of her boot scraped against the ice when she took off.
I would hardly call that COP friendly skating. She'd get ferociously dinged for the egregious flutz and many of her 'triples' would get downgraded to doubles.
I also think you're overlooking the fact that it isn't just weight gain. Sarah's body has changed drastically since SLC. She is a buxom young lady where she was seriously flat-chested before. So she is having to deal with weight redistribution as well as weight gain, and that's probably why she's having such a hard time getting her triples back, and why her spirals in SOI are wobbly.
Sarah started training for SOI back in June 2004, and she hasn't become any slimmer and trimmer, despite the training. After 6 months, she was able to get back only two double jumps, and people who have been to SOI report they barely get off the ice.
I would hardly call that COP friendly skating. She'd get ferociously dinged for the egregious flutz and many of her 'triples' would get downgraded to doubles.
I also think you're overlooking the fact that it isn't just weight gain. Sarah's body has changed drastically since SLC. She is a buxom young lady where she was seriously flat-chested before. So she is having to deal with weight redistribution as well as weight gain, and that's probably why she's having such a hard time getting her triples back, and why her spirals in SOI are wobbly.
Sarah started training for SOI back in June 2004, and she hasn't become any slimmer and trimmer, despite the training. After 6 months, she was able to get back only two double jumps, and people who have been to SOI report they barely get off the ice.
I hope she comes back......I know she'll do well! 
BTW, Sarah could do 3loop/3loop likes there's no tomorrow. Talk about your difficult 3/3's. Sarah was also consistent like no other except Lipinski.
If Sasha could lose all her triples (or so the rumor says) and get them back miraculously after going to Nicks for a few days, then Sarah could do it as well.
Sarah is more motivated than Sasha (we never heard Robin rip Sarah like we heard her rip Sasha's motivation) and Sarah is mentally tougher than Sasha.
Go SARAH!
BTW, Sarah could do 3loop/3loop likes there's no tomorrow. Talk about your difficult 3/3's. Sarah was also consistent like no other except Lipinski.
If Sasha could lose all her triples (or so the rumor says) and get them back miraculously after going to Nicks for a few days, then Sarah could do it as well.
Sarah is more motivated than Sasha (we never heard Robin rip Sarah like we heard her rip Sasha's motivation) and Sarah is mentally tougher than Sasha.
Go SARAH!
I seem to remember a chubby cheeked jumping machine with very little grace and poise, but who WAS gifted in other areas of her skating. She won several world and european medals. She grew up, chubbed up and was practically abandoned by her federation...now she is one of the favorites to win in Moscow. That's with a bum knee, a viral infection, worries at home from her closest relative who happens to be also her dearest friend. She also has a Silver Olympic Medal, a World championship and a throng of adoring fans. Oh, and her World Gold and Oly Silver were after she came back the FIRST time. If you guessed Irina, then you HAVEN'T been living under a skating fan rock.
I wonder if Irina is counting Sarah out???
Oh but I forgot, this is SARAH!!! Must be time to bring out the pipes and hammers, have fun bashers.
I wonder if Irina is counting Sarah out???
Oh but I forgot, this is SARAH!!! Must be time to bring out the pipes and hammers, have fun bashers.
Fossi said:
That's totally different. Sasha's lost triples were temperory, skaters do lost triples once a while for different reasons. These type of lost triples usually don't last for more than a few days. Some because of breaking new boot, some because having skated on a bad ice condition the day before, some because of the temperature in rink too cold to skate on, etc. They are all temperory, and with just a few correct instructions from coach, these are easy to get back. But skaters lost jumps because of puberty monster hit which cause the whole body gravaty center change dramatically, these jumps are difficult to get back. And morever if a femal skater don't practice at all after the period of puberty, it is even more difficult just like relearn the triples.
At this point I'll take it pure purpose for PR. I mean the management of SOI sure likes to hear it.
I really don't know what to think of this announcement - I think I'll go with the "I'll believe it when I see it" crowd. Is she REALLY coming back, or is she just thinking about it and is subject to change her mind at any moment?
Hang on to your seats Sarah fans.
Hang on to your seats Sarah fans.
sk8m8 said:
Irina's case is not a valid comparison to Sarah's.
Irina's body matured and she gained weight as she went through the trials and tribulations of a puberty bug attack. But Irina trained straight through that, even though her results weren't good. She was still doing the triple jumps, although she wasn't landing them every time. She didn't give up (although at times she wanted to) but eventually her jump technique adjusted to her changing body and she was able to get her weight under control. She came out of her slump and went on to win GPF championships and world medals.
Sarah's body started to change in the 2002-2003 season, but while she was growing and filling out, she cut back drastically on training, and the result was a 6th place finish at 2003 Worlds. After finishing 8th of 8 at the USFS Spring Cheesefest, Sarah quit skating altogether and went off to college.
While her body continued to mature and change, Sarah was not skating at all, and she gained even more weight during her freshman year. When she signed with SOI in June 2004, Sarah hadn't been on skates for 15 months. She started training for the show but after 6 months, she had regained only two double jumps. As of now, Sarah is still woefully out of shape and still hasn't been able to get back her triples.
Sarah is a lot 'chubbier' than Irina was at her chubbiest. While Irina was able to adapt her technique to her changing body little by little, Sarah is having to cope with a totally different body so she is having to learn to skate from scratch.
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