New NY Times article on Sasha

[nymkfan51]

Enjoy!

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/07/sports/olympics/07cohen.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

Excellent article on Cohen's struggle for gold. Much of pre 2006 opinions of her are basically true and now she has turned all that around and is going to the Olys as a woman and not a teenager. Go Sasha.

Joe

 

[Longhornliz]

Thats the first time I've heard her quoted as being frustrated of critics harping on her frequent mistakes. I think the "its not fair" comment was really telling of her mental state. I really think that for a while the whole "sasha is brilliant but can she keep it together?" and "that was stunning, lets hope she doesnt have one of those breaks lik she always does" became a self fufilling thing for her. She knew that people were waiting for her to be flawed, and skated in fear of making the mistake rather than focusing on success.

Even if she doesnt win the OGM, I'm proud of her for her personal growth.

 

[chuckm]

Unfortunately, Sasha did the same thing at Nationals she always does in a FS: made a major mistake (botched both jumps in her two-triple sequence). The only difference was she wasn't as tight as she usually is, and that was because she had no real competition.

The pressure at Torino will almost certainly cause her to skate tight and cautious the way she usually does at major competitions. I don't think we'll see the same expressiveness she showed at Nationals.

 

[R.D.]

The pressure at Torino will almost certainly cause her to skate tight and cautious the way she usually does at major competitions. I don't think we'll see the same expressiveness she showed at Nationals.

Same here (it's the point I've been making about her for a while now)...and I didn't even think she was that "expressive" in her Nats program, anyway.

 

[SkateFan4Life]

Thats the first time I've heard her quoted as being frustrated of critics harping on her frequent mistakes. I think the "its not fair" comment was really telling of her mental state. I really think that for a while the whole "sasha is brilliant but can she keep it together?" and "that was stunning, lets hope she doesnt have one of those breaks lik she always does" became a self fufilling thing for her. She knew that people were waiting for her to be flawed, and skated in fear of making the mistake rather than focusing on success.

Even if she doesnt win the OGM, I'm proud of her for her personal growth.

Unfortunately, Sasha has blown a number of golden opportunities along the way at US Nationals and Worlds, so she, perhaps, should understand that the "critics" are merely stating that, indeed, she does tend to buckle under the pressure of competition and make mistakes. I hope the "critics" aren't cruel in their assessment, however, as Sasha is truly a beautiful figure skater.

I just hope she gets her act together - and keeps her act together - in Torino!

 

[ilovepaydays]

Wagner helped her overcome that fear, but that could not keep the two together. Distracted by injuries to her back and feet, but also by personal problems, including her parents' divorce, Cohen left Wagner in December 2004. Cohen said she needed a coach who would "give her more space," so back to California and back to Nicks she went.

So it is official that her parents divorced about the same time she was having problems with Wagner......must have been awful.

 

[jesslily]

Switching coaches and relocations for figure skating are two hardest things for skaters themselves and their parents. Sasha grew up and became mature through these experience. So she went back to Nicks as young women rather than a free mind teenager.

 

[R.D.]

Unfortunately, Sasha has blown a number of golden opportunities along the way at US Nationals and Worlds, so she, perhaps, should understand that the "critics" are merely stating that, indeed, she does tend to buckle under the pressure of competition and make mistakes. I hope the "critics" aren't cruel in their assessment, however, as Sasha is truly a beautiful figure skater.

I just hope she gets her act together - and keeps her act together - in Torino!

yes. On the other hand, who (besides MK and IS) DOESN'T make a mistake in their programs? I agree with her to a certain extent that it's somewhat unfair that she is singled out when it comes to errors.

 

[rob43]

I think her 'break the spell mistakes' are pretty much the equivalent of the why doens't Kwan perform 3/3's and the million and one comments about Irina's line or seeming tricksterism. Annoying but valid.

That said 'flawed' or lacking skaters have picked up all the Oly Golds since the late 80's so I wouldn't be too concerned. I remeber her short in '02 and actually thought she'd win that portion because she seemed to be attacking everything.

We'll see how this go-round goes & I hope whoever wins doesn't get stuck with the 'because x,y,z flubbed up tag."

 

[soogar]

Thats the first time I've heard her quoted as being frustrated of critics harping on her frequent mistakes. I think the "its not fair" comment was really telling of her mental state. I really think that for a while the whole "sasha is brilliant but can she keep it together?" and "that was stunning, lets hope she doesnt have one of those breaks lik she always does" became a self fufilling thing for her. She knew that people were waiting for her to be flawed, and skated in fear of making the mistake rather than focusing on success.

Even if she doesnt win the OGM, I'm proud of her for her personal growth.

Well I'm pretty sure that she can mentally hear Dick and Peggy sighing in her head when she makes a mistake b/c they do it all the time. they harp on the tiniest two foot landing.

 

[millie]

yes. On the other hand, who (besides MK and IS) DOESN'T make a mistake in their programs? I agree with her to a certain extent that it's somewhat unfair that she is singled out when it comes to errors.

MK and IS must have made some mistakes along the way. If they hadn't, why haven't they won the OGM yet. That's proof the that they have made 3 or 4 mistakes.

 

[Dee4707]

"I felt like everybody was waiting for me to make a mistake, then if I made one, they said, 'O.K., that's it, it's over,' " Cohen said, especially sensitive of critics' claims that she is unable to put together two clean performances. "It wasn't fair. With other skaters, they would consider the entire program. It gets to you after a while."

That is an awful feeling, not quite measuring up. That is one thing I never understood about the comments made. Every skater makes mistakes but Sasha's were always blown so out of proportion.

I wish her all the luck at the Olympics, I hope she has the skate of her life.

Dee

 

[slutskayafan21]

Unfortunately, Sasha did the same thing at Nationals she always does in a FS: made a major mistake (botched both jumps in her two-triple sequence). The only difference was she wasn't as tight as she usually is, and that was because she had no real competition.

The pressure at Torino will almost certainly cause her to skate tight and cautious the way she usually does at major competitions. I don't think we'll see the same expressiveness she showed at Nationals.

I totally agree. There will be alot of talk of Sasha winning in Torino, she will talk up her new mental approach, blah blah, and at the end we will be saying the same thing as always, a beautiful skate by Sasha but those 1 or 2 little slips out of nowhere, and she is standing with another non-gold medal around her neck.

 

[Dee4707]

I totally agree. There will be alot of talk of Sasha winning in Torino, she will talk up her new mental approach, blah blah, and at the end we will be saying the same thing as always, a beautiful skate by Sasha but those 1 or 2 little slips out of nowhere, and she is standing with another non-gold medal around her neck.

I hope that you will say that about other skaters too, not just Sasha. Many skaters will be standing without non-gold medals or none at all.

Dee

 

[slutskayafan21]

I hope that you will say that about other skaters too, not just Sasha. Many skaters will be standing without non-gold medals or none at all.

Dee

True, but Sasha has always had pressure to win a major event gold, she is the best skater in her event not to win one. There will be alot of pressure on her to skate clean finaly in a global event, and win it. If she doesnt there will be criticism. If she skates cleanly and still loses to Irina, or even Shizuka if she hits her triple-triples, the media might go easy on her, but not if she wins silver with a couple minor mistakes. Maybe not fair but that is the way it will be.

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

Always may not be forever! Sasha had two beauts in Dortmund thanks to Wagner (yes) she worked the routines over and made sure there would be no falls. There weren't. The hesitance in the LP was another problem which I think now is under control with Nicks.

It's Irina who must not resort to her 2002 performance.

Joe

 

[R.D.]

SF21- basically agree with what you said.

One or two "beauts" in a qualifying round mean nearly nothing. You have to do those when it counts in order to be a gold medallist. And that's why she's not one, and MK/IS are.

 

[Dee4707]

You have to do those when it counts in order to be a gold medallist. And that's why she's not one,.

and MK/IS are

RD, so when did that happen?????

Dee

 

[rob43]

Well- she is a US champion now.