Sasha's comments about competition

[Tonichelle]

Actually, Tonichelle, Nicks was quoted as saying that he didn't agree with her decision to skip practice, but that she was doing what she thought best, so he'd support that. I mean, what's he gonna do, bodily carry her on the ice? (grin).

Well, I think Nicks has learned by now how to read his skaters, but if he thought they were slacking and needed a butt whoopin he just might light the fire under 'em

that being said, I'm going by what was said on the commentary of the olys as provided by NBC and Olympic Ice... I don't spend hours reading every article online

 

[new_europe2006]

Well unless you see her training so extensively with your own two eyes, how do you know how well she's training? And I'm sorry, but a problem with technique and nerves IS a problem with training. If she spent more time working on her technique, then maybe it would not let her down so badly when the nerves get to her. And, we also have all heard that she practices what she WANTS to practice, not what she NEEDS to practice. How would I feel if I were her? Well, I don't know, but if I were her, I'd be working on the elements that let me down competition after competition, not spending all my time practicing the contortionist moves, and certainly I wouldn't be getting myself all distracted with outside events when one of the biggest events of the year is coming up. Sorry, I still cannot feel sorry for her.

I agree with you. It's amazing how they condemn you for criticizing Sasha and yet they're willing to give the same criticism towards skaters they don't like.

 

[antmanb]

Actually, Tonichelle, Nicks was quoted as saying that he didn't agree with her decision to skip practice, but that she was doing what she thought best, so he'd support that. I mean, what's he gonna do, bodily carry her on the ice? (grin).

Turin aside, tho, Sasha still had very unimpressive practices at Calgary which did NOT focus on her jumps at all. Curious that.

Graceness

I don't think that's strange at all - if you are doing practices on the day of your competition there's no way you would push yourself doing intensive jump training when you have a competition that same day - it would be like getting 100m sprinters to go all out a few times in the morning when they have a race in the afternoon. The training is put in for hours before the competition practices, you use the competition practices to keep ticking over not put in hard core training hours - look at Pluschenko's attitude to the practice sessions, doesn't hurt him any does it?

Ant

 

[antmanb]

But I think people must understand that the "negativity" towards her is not limited to GS. I've seen it on other boards, even her own fan site. It seems people have really had it with her. Move over; she got out of Kwans shadow only to get into Kimmie's...

But the skaters I REALLY feel for are skaters like Carolina Kostner, who took a REAL dive. Cohen was lucky she got third with the worst FS performance probably of her senior career.

I'd harldy say Sasha is in Kimmie's shadow yet - Kimmie had the skate of a lifetime but maybe it was exactly that and she'll spend the rest of her career trying to get back the type of performance she had in Calgary 2006?? We just don't know yet how it will pan out for her yet and i wouldn't want the hype machine to start cracking her.

Ant

 

[antmanb]

Again, Sasha shows what happens when gold is minutes away. She is hesitant in putting her self on the line. It's not Nicks, it's not TT, it's not Robin, it's her. Whatever frightens her about winning is a mystery. for me explanations about poor skating just wont do. I want the truth about what happens at the moment of truth.

Joe

I think Sasha would like to know too! Its the same with Sandhu - i don't think they know, otherwise they'd stand a chance of fixing the problem. I thought she was going to do it when she held on to the opening Lutz (which i thought was just shaking out the nerves but showed stregnth holding on) and came back with the strong flip and loop, just go thorugh like Turin now and you're done and then suddenly she looked to be late with the free leg on all of the landings of the rest of the jumps...maybe its just nerves and tightening up. I'm sure if she knew why it happens she'd be first in line to find out how to fix it.

Ant

 

[antmanb]

Well unless you see her training so extensively with your own two eyes, how do you know how well she's training? And I'm sorry, but a problem with technique and nerves IS a problem with training. If she spent more time working on her technique, then maybe it would not let her down so badly when the nerves get to her.

Well that argument works just as well against you - unless you have seen Sasha not training with your own two eyes, you don't know how much she is not training!! Given that none of us here have been spending 24/7 with Sasha i guess we should probably stop speculating on how much she has or hasn't been training?!

 

[flying camel]

I have a feeling that Sasha has seen a sports psychologist. The comments she has made all year about not putting pressure on herself to be perfect and the visualization technique she was using all make me think she has.

She needs confidence. Just like Alissia. They are missing that element. Confidence can overide bad technique. Look at Sarah Hughes. All people talked about was her bad technique on her jumps. But she had confidence. It took her all the way.

 

[R.D.]

I'd harldy say Sasha is in Kimmie's shadow yet - Kimmie had the skate of a lifetime but maybe it was exactly that and she'll spend the rest of her career trying to get back the type of performance she had in Calgary 2006?? We just don't know yet how it will pan out for her yet and i wouldn't want the hype machine to start cracking her.

Ant

I was sort of joking by saying Cohen was in Kimmie's shadow now but it could actually happen since Kimmie is now a world champion. (at least it's happening right now in her hometown ) But I agree with the rest of your post. I wouldn't dismiss her yet even if she has a lackluster 07 season: look at Arakawa.

 

[Mathman]

Sasha is the reigning United States champion.

 

[Panther2000]

I dont think that really implies she was lazy at all. Maybe a little bit of that attention defecit disorder (sp ?).

That is what I am thinking. It is wonderful to look ahead & try to plan out your future. However, her current position should be 1st & the main focus of her attention. I too believe that she is distracted, But, that I don't think played too much a factor in her skating this past week. She was having the same problem that she has been having eversence she came into skating. She appears to be a SP skater.

Look at Sarah Hughes. All people talked about was her bad technique on her jumps. But she had confidence. It took her all the way

Yeah but sarah had to have help from 3 others in order to reach that quest. had anyone skated a clean program she would not be an olympic champion. But that is old news

think he lost 20 pounds at that time thinking it would help with his jumps. I am not sure the weight loss had anything to do with his bombing at the Goodwill games. He was too close to the boards when he tried to do a jump or combination.

Dee

Yes, it was. Alexei Over trained & stopped eating. I remember him talking about this. He did not Listen to TT. he was very weak by the time the GWG came around. Alexei himself said that he had a eating disorder at that time. he was down to 1 apple a day & Skate , Run Skate & run. & he cut himself off from everything else. That crash into the boards was the best thing for him. it knocked som sense into his head. I was very happy when he started to pick up some weight. Event the commentators were commenting on it. Brian B talked about it at one of the competitions.Still can't believe how thin he got.


Still all in all. I think that she thought that it would be a cakewalk being the favorite & with the most talent at event. Worlds was just about given to her on a platter with her main compeititon all MIA.

It is just sad, really sad

 

[cianni]

dancindiva

Well unless you see her training so extensively with your own two eyes, how do you know how well she's training? And I'm sorry, but a problem with technique and nerves IS a problem with training. If she spent more time working on her technique, then maybe it would not let her down so badly when the nerves get to her. And, we also have all heard that she practices what she WANTS to practice, not what she NEEDS to practice. How would I feel if I were her? Well, I don't know, but if I were her, I'd be working on the elements that let me down competition after competition, not spending all my time practicing the contortionist moves, and certainly I wouldn't be getting myself all distracted with outside events when one of the biggest events of the year is coming up. Sorry, I still cannot feel sorry for her.

Your post is 100% correct about Sasha and her problems. I am fortunate in that I spend time with a skater from CA who is with Sasha and knows because this person is at the rink with her and watches what she does, how she does it and how often. I watched the Olys with a group this skater was here and was told she would not win nor would she win Worlds. The tricks wont win medals but hard work on tech and being consistent will. The coach is there to coach not do what the skater wants. The skater who doesnt listen and does what he or she thinks is best winds up like Sasha.

 

[Mathman]

In Nancy Kerrigan's book she makes the point that the difficulty with doing a balanced program is this. In the jump elements, you have to bunch your muscles together, and in the moves in the field, you have to stretch them out. Nancy said that (for some reason) she was never able to do a good triple loop out of footwork for this reason -- and in fact, when a lopp-combination was required, she found it easier to do a double loop / triple toe than a triple loop / double toe.

I have often wondered if Sasha's extreme stretch and flexibility gets in the way of her jump technique. To go from a 180 degree spiral to a triple Salchow is really asking a lot of your body, it seems to me.

MM

 

[Lonewolf]

Perfection

After reading several of the posts about Sasha, I can say I agree with some points made and I disagree with others. I am wondering why everyone focuses so much on what she has failed to do but not on what she has accomplished. Although she has only taken home a few gold medals, such as the 2003 ISU Grand Prix Final, she still consistently makes the podium in the competitions she attends. Her website, states that,"It continues a run of 20 consecutive competitions that Sasha has earned a top three finish since 2003.” However, I guess we Americans value perfection and if perfection is a gold medal, well then I guess she has failed.

 

[anniemg]

In Nancy Kerrigan's book she makes the point that the difficulty with doing a balanced program is this. In the jump elements, you have to bunch your muscles together, and in the moves in the field, you have to stretch them out. Nancy said that (for some reason) she was never able to do a good triple loop out of footwork for this reason -- and in fact, when a lopp-combination was required, she found it easier to do a double loop / triple toe than a triple loop / double toe.

I have often wondered if Sasha's extreme stretch and flexibility gets in the way of her jump technique. To go from a 180 degree spiral to a triple Salchow is really asking a lot of your body, it seems to me.

MM

That's a very interesting point of vue, I had never thought about that! Could be true. But i'm no skater so I can't comment on it.

I also think that Sasha has a 'fragile' body. Yes, she's strong, but she's so...small and thin! I mean, when I watch Sokolova, Slutskaya, or even Rochette land those jumps, I know their body can do it because they look strong! With Sasha i'm never sure if that leg will hold on. Then again...perhaps that has nothing to do with it...

 

[Mathman]

After reading several of the posts about Sasha, I can say I agree with some points made and I disagree with others. I am wondering why everyone focuses so much on what she has failed to do but not on what she has accomplished. Although she has only taken home a few gold medals, such as the 2003 ISU Grand Prix Final, she still consistently makes the podium in the competitions she attends. Her website, states that,"It continues a run of 20 consecutive competitions that Sasha has earned a top three finish since 2003.” However, I guess we Americans value perfection and if perfection is a gold medal, well then I guess she has failed.

Great post, Lonewolf. ITA. Welcome to the forum. As we say around here, post often, post long!

I think Sasha will be remembered for the quality of her skating long after everyone forgets who did or didn't win a medal somewhere.

MM

 

[flying camel]

I don't know if it was in Nancy's book but didn't she say she had some kind of fear of skating a perfect program. I think the only year her coaches saw her skate perfect even in practice was the Olympic year that she won the silver.

 

[Dee4707]

I am wondering why everyone focuses so much on what she has failed to do but not on what she has accomplished.However, I guess we Americans value perfection and if perfection is a gold medal, well then I guess she has failed.

Lonewolf my point exactly. You wonder why people even like figure skating because if everything is based on bringing home the medals or perfection then we Americans will always be disappointed. I enjoy watching Sasha good skate or not.

Dee

PS BTW Welcome!!!

 

[show 42]

I don't know...........she won a National title, an Oly medal, and another world medal............not too shabby, Sasha........good for you........42

 

[R.D.]

Sasha is the reigning United States champion.

Probably not for long. And this is whether she retires or not.

ETA: I think it depends on how one views her career. The bright side is to look at the medals she has won, and yes, she's had consistent results. The fact that she placed third at the Worlds with so many mistakes to me shows just how good she is (sort of like when Irina and MK make mistakes).

On the other hand, you CAN'T deny that she's been in a position to win it all MULTIPLE times and couldn't pull through. If she rallied up to those positions it would be one thing but she's been first so many times and then drops to 2nd or 3rd in the rankings due to FS errors. Is that necessarily something you want to be remembered for? maybe not.

But she said herself that she thinks (American) society focuses too much on the negative. And in a way I agree with her, because here it IS all about winning a lot of the time. When you talk to a non-skating fan when a skater falls, he/she will just say "why can't he/she stop falling? When will he/she pull it together?" Some are saying it about Cohen and are beginning to say it about E. Hughes, too.

I have a funny feeling we've seen the last of her (in competition). If she does come back, then she's tougher than I thought.

 

[Mathman]

Probably not for long. And this is whether she retires or not.

All year long, RD, all year long!