Update from Cohen/Wagner Teleconference Today

[PAskate]

http://www.usfsa.org/news/2003-04/cohen-wagner-telecon.htm

[MQSeries]

She didn't express any interest in coming back to competitive skating," Wagner said of Hughes

I guess that confirm that Sarah is done with eligible skating for good :( I wish that these young girls don't win the big prize so early in their career so that we can enjoy their competitiveness for a longer time.

Robin mentioned that skaters have contacted her in the past about coaching them, but she didn't pursue those options and was glad she waited. I wonder who those skaters were. They probably weren't "big names", otherwise Robin would have jumped at the chance to coach them.

[bbtano]

I agree that it would great to enjoy the younger skater's programs and competitiveness longer, but.....if they no longer have the desire to compete then I doubt they would be able to put great performances on the ice.

I think it's amazing that they are able to accomplish so much at such a young age. It enables them to fulfill even more of their life's dreams because they reached the ultimate goal as a teenager.

[Alexa]

Originally posted by MQSeries
I guess that confirm that Sarah is done with eligible skating for good :( I wish that these young girls don't win the big prize so early in their career so that we can enjoy their competitiveness for a longer time.



I kind of agree. I like and respect the young winners a lot, but do find it disappointing that they lose their competitive drive so quickly after winning Olympic Gold. It would be so interesting to see what these skaters would be doing had they not won Oly Gold, and continued competitive skating.

My guess is that Sarah would still be competing, even with college tempting her, because she loved competitive skating. I think Tara would have kept going, but would have been hampered by injury. I think Oksana would have been a lot better off had she continued competitive skating.

As for the men, I like Kulik better as a pro, but would have liked to see him as an amateur longer.

[loveskating]

I think Sarah will be very, very happy in whatever career she chooses...she is a very smart young lady, and has made all the right moves all along the line, so I expect great things from her. Maybe I'll get to vote for her (I'm a New Yorker) some day, even? Could be.

I'm GLAD Ilia Kulik did not remain an amateur...he accomplished so much, what else could he do but land a 4 axel, which he continually did in practice, and I think that would have been HORRIBLE for skating...the quad is already killing skater's bodies left and right. I've loved his professional programs, they have been innovative, and set a great example for what a pro can do freed from amateur rules...and he still has a great 3 axel.

[ClevelandDancer]

Unlike most coaches, I think Robin likes the one student setup. Nothing wrong with that, just an observation. It might be what's needed to keep Galina (Sasha's mom) from being able to assert her opinions to strongly. I'm not sure how big an issue it is, or even if it is an issue, but I got the impression during Sasha's recent poor performances that it might be. I'm in the camp that Sasha's real problem with those was too many comps in too short a time, and perhaps Galina had too much decision making power about skipping the cheesefest in between the last GP event and the final. Purely rumor though, gleaned from the message boards.

As for the young Oly winners getting out, I have mixed feelings. Look at the men that won in the same timeframe as Oksana, Tara and Sarah: Urmanov, Kulik, Yagudin. All were hesitant to give up their eligibility. Urmanov suffered some serious injuries and probably lost a good deal of his chances to make out finacially on the big pro tours. Yagudin ... he's doing ok now, but he tried to stay in and again, serious injury. I can't remember Kulik having an injury or not, but I remember him teeter-tottering on the eligibility line and it seems like he lost out on some pro opportunties and never did get back to eligible skating. It seems by the time you get to the point you're capable of winning that Oly gold that you're teetering on the edge of the major-overuse injury line. You can't blame someone for wanting to drop that level of training to a pro/show level in the interest of being able to walk when they are 30yo. Each of them had a couple world and national titles to their name going into the Olys, no huge surprises in their wins. If the trend holds, Plushy is going to be the next Oly champ (just coincidentally another Russian).

The problem is these Oly gold ladies were all just girls when they won. They didn't have long track records of major titles, their victories fell more into the "one-hit wonder" bucket. It would have been nice to see if they had staying power. If the trend holds, some 14 or 15yo girl on the fringes of elite skating right now is going to take a huge step up next season, then walk away with the Oly gold the year after. I'm thinking someone like Miki Ando, Bebe Liang, etc. Not unheard of but not a front runner yet. Someone that has seen the light of senior competition but hasn't done much with it.

[dess]

Does anyone know how long Robin coached Sarah? I was trying to remember how old Sarah was when they starting training together.

[danibellerika]

Sarah was 12.

[loveskating]

Originally posted by ClevelandDancer


As for the young Oly winners getting out, I have mixed feelings. Look at the men that won in the same timeframe as Oksana, Tara and Sarah: Urmanov, Kulik, Yagudin. All were hesitant to give up their eligibility. Urmanov suffered some serious injuries and probably lost a good deal of his chances to make out finacially on the big pro tours. Yagudin ... he's doing ok now, but he tried to stay in and again, serious injury. I can't remember Kulik having an injury or not, but I remember him teeter-tottering on the eligibility line and it seems like he lost out on some pro opportunties and never did get back to eligible skating. It seems by the time you get to the point you're capable of winning that Oly gold that you're teetering on the edge of the major-overuse injury line. You can't blame someone for wanting to drop that level of training to a pro/show level in the interest of being able to walk when they are 30yo. Each of them had a couple world and national titles to their name going into the Olys, no huge surprises in their wins. If the trend holds, Plushy is going to be the next Oly champ (just coincidentally another Russian).



Kulik had a terrible back injury, so bad that it was thought he would not be able to compete at Nagano. His subsequent difficulties with the 3 axel were caused by this injury, and for some time he was not supposed to do a 3 axle/3 toe loop at all.

He planned after Nagano to compete in one international competition...but at that time, a rule was created that one had to compete in TWO to be eligible for the pro ams, so he went professional for an unsanctioned pro competition, since he felt he needed competitions and was already signed with SOI.

I think the objective issue with skaters winning the top prize so young is that one has a sense they do not fully realize their potential as amateurs...for instance, it is fair to note that Tara became a lot more fluid in her skating in her pro years...yet at the same time, I cannot find any moral or other objective reason that they have to fulfill all their potential as amateurs, either!

In any case, if the rules are fair, then one wins on the day they skate best. IMHO the rules are pretty fair overall.

[icenut84]

Thanks for posting the article.

Originally posted by loveskating
Maybe I'll get to vote for her (I'm a New Yorker) some day, even? Could be.

Vote for her? :?: