Possible comeback for Sarah Hughes

[Debbie S]

According to the following article, Sarah misses training and performing and might make some kind of return to the sport.

http://sports.yahoo.com/top/news;_ylc=X3oDMTBpNWZic251BF9TAzI1NjY0ODI1BHNlYwN0 aA--?slug=ap-hughes-comeback&prov=ap&type=lgns

[SkateFan123]

According to the following article, Sarah misses training and performing and might make some kind of return to the sport.

http://sports.yahoo.com/top/news;_ylc=X3oDMTBpNWZic251BF9TAzI1NjY0ODI1BHNlYwN0 aA--?slug=ap-hughes-comeback&prov=ap&type=lgns
My first thought when I read that the other day was, who will coach her? Robins busy with Sasha. Of course, she could go to UD. She's familiar with several coaches there.

[MQSeries]

I believe it when I see it. It's like when Elvis made a big hoopla, or at least the press and fan did anyway, about returning to the eligible rank last season but then it didn't materialized.

I would love to see her skate again, but right now I think it's more like wishful thinking on her part. Skating was such a big part of her life so it's only natural that she would have feeling about wanting to have those amazing experiences again. I will believe Sarah's comeback when I actually see pictures of Sarah practicing on the ice and with a coach.

[nyskatefan]

I wonder about this too. This is totally contrary to fairly recent articles, where she speaks of how happy she is at Yale, and leading a normal life.
I hear that she will be doing commentary of some sort for the summer Olympics in August, so maybe this is just a case of her getting Olympic fever, if you will ... and that once she really thinks it through, will decide that the commitment required to skate as an eligible again, just might be too much of an undertaking.
There has been much talk about the fact that she has gained some weight, but that in itself is not an impossible problem to overcome. The real issue I think, is the fact that she has had some major body changes which will alter drastically her ability to jump. Very difficult IMO.

[Schmeck]

And didn't she start having injuries as well? Although, the rest from training will certainly have helped. Wonder if she can retool her lutz? Also, how will she fair (or is it fare?) under CoP? Will she have to compete at Regionals and Sectionals?

[singerskates]

I believe it when I see it. It's like when Elvis made a big hoopla, or at least the press and fan did anyway, about returning to the eligible rank last season but then it didn't materialized.

In Elvis' case, he fully intended to return to eligible skating but some kind of blood virus got him and he then realized after a month of suffering with it, that his body just wouldn't allow him do what his heart and soul wanted to do. So instead, he just reannounced his retirement. As a pro Elvis didn't have to do as many triples or quads in a program. I still think that Elvis misses competing though.

I wonder if Skate Canada will have Alumni events at the Star Skate and Adult Nationals for skaters like Elvis and Josee Chouinard? They talked about it a bit at the skating clinic I attended this past March.

Brigitte

[slusher]

Elvis could compete in Men's gold, wouldn't that be a hoot. Wonder if he's still "eligible"?

Every former competitive skater I know, and I know lots, miss competing terribly. They don't miss the jump-fall-tryagain part of training and I really can't see Sara Hughes going back into the comp grind.

[singerskates]

Elvis could compete in Men's gold, wouldn't that be a hoot. Wonder if he's still "eligible"?

Every former competitive skater I know, and I know lots, miss competing terribly. They don't miss the jump-fall-tryagain part of training and I really can't see Sara Hughes going back into the comp grind.

Naw, Elvis wouldn't be at the Gold level because Gold is more like Junior Competitive. Senior Competitive is one notch above that test wise. Plus, the guy was a 3 time World Champ. He'd have to compete in a new category called Extreme Masters. Masters would be for those who didn't make it to international competition but did compete in their National senior level. Let's face it. There's a big difference in a Ravi Wallia(sp) and an Elvis type skater. It just wouldn't be fair.

I do think that the Alumi categories such as Extreme Masters and Masters should be open to all skaters from around the world not just Canada. That would make it fun for these level skaters to compete against their long lost skating pals.

Brigitte

[jp1andOnly]

I do think that the Alumi categories such as Extreme Masters and Masters should be open to all skaters from around the world not just Canada. That would make it fun for these level skaters to compete against their long lost skating pals.

Brigitte[/QUOTE]


Those are called PRO competitions.

[slusher]

Naw, Elvis wouldn't be at the Gold level because Gold is more like Junior Competitive. Senior Competitive is one notch above that test wise. Plus, the guy was a 3 time World Champ. He'd have to compete in a new category called Extreme Masters. Masters would be for those who didn't make it to international competition but did compete in their National senior level. Let's face it. There's a big difference in a Ravi Wallia(sp) and an Elvis type skater. It just wouldn't be fair.

Brigitte

A skater who passes Novice competitive is grandfathered into to Test Stream (StarSkate) as a gold level skater. As long as they remain "eligible" and not registered as competitive skater during that skating season, they can compete in StarSkate. Every skater at Senior Nationals is a "Gold" skater and there's no level above that in the recreational or Starskate stream. William Lindsay of Chatham, who won the gold triathalon this year is a perfect example. He's a competitive skater (junior man) who took the recreational route for a year. If he doesn't register as a senior competitive man next year, I'll eat my skateguards.

So, as long as a senior national skater doesn't turn Pro, they are considered Gold level skaters forever. In Canada that is. How is that fair? It isn't, but it happens all the time with the girls, when they drop out of Novice or pre-novice, they have or get their gold test and sandbag the dickens out of everyone else. In Ontario, ladies Gold Free starskate at the Trillium champs was won by a former senior lady, seconded by a former Novice lady. If they can do it, why not Elvis, or the dozens of senior competitive drop outs that I know? Because once you've gone to Senior Nationals, nothing else is the same. (which is why people go to qualifying year after year just to say they went to Sr Nats). If they're going to go back to skating, it will be at the high comp level or Pros.

[jp1andOnly]

A skater who passes Novice competitive is grandfathered into to Test Stream (StarSkate) as a gold level skater. As long as they remain "eligible" and not registered as competitive skater during that skating season, they can compete in StarSkate. Every skater at Senior Nationals is a "Gold" skater and there's no level above that in the recreational or Starskate stream. William Lindsay of Chatham, who won the gold triathalon this year is a perfect example. He's a competitive skater (junior man) who took the recreational route for a year. If he doesn't register as a senior competitive man next year, I'll eat my skateguards.

So, as long as a senior national skater doesn't turn Pro, they are considered Gold level skaters forever. In Canada that is. How is that fair? It isn't, but it happens all the time with the girls, when they drop out of Novice or pre-novice, they have or get their gold test and sandbag the dickens out of everyone else. In Ontario, ladies Gold Free starskate at the Trillium champs was won by a former senior lady, seconded by a former Novice lady. If they can do it, why not Elvis, or the dozens of senior competitive drop outs that I know? Because once you've gone to Senior Nationals, nothing else is the same. (which is why people go to qualifying year after year just to say they went to Sr Nats). If they're going to go back to skating, it will be at the high comp level or Pros.



Exactly. Now, I would jsut like to add to that. Sometimes a competitive skater might get a severe injury or quit the sport for several years and then come back. They are not the same level they were at when they left and therefore I have no problem with them going the test route. But for a skater coming back just to win a medal its not all that much fun. My brother kinda laughed and siad next year he could do adult canadians as he'll be 25. But then he said it would be a joke because it isn't competitive and he would kill everyone in his level because he wasa senior mens competitor and unless there were guys at his level it isn't fair to him or to the other skaters.

[singerskates]

This is why I would like to see a Masters for Novice and Junior and Extreme Masters for Senior Alumni.

[jp1andOnly]

Don't think that would ever happen. A lot of the big names quit competing for a reason. Actually most skaters quit competing for a reason, whether it be injury, financial, etc. Yes, some continue to skate as adults, but not many and most are never at the same level they stopped competing at

If the senior skaters want to compete than they will enter pro competitions or not turn pro and enter regular stream competiton. They don't need a seperate event

[plinko]

Does Sarah Hughes love skating all that much? Does she miss skating, or does she miss competing?

[MQSeries]

Does Sarah Hughes love skating all that much? Does she miss skating, or does she miss competing?

You should ask Sarah Hughes herself that question, not people who think they know what she's thinking.

[loveskating]

From my reading of the article, its the performance aspect she says she misses.

I'd love to see her as a pro. I agree with those who say her body has gone through some changes that would make it hard to land 3s consistently, much less 3/3s. But Sarah had a lot to her skating besides the jumps...even her spiral, which is not perfect, was probably among the top four or five in the world...not too shabby and IMHO her spins were better than most. With the right choreographer in a pro setting, she might be wonderful.

I would hate to see her back in the amateur ranks...pounding away at those jumps and ruining her body! She is way too smart for that.

[Twizzler]

I think that Sarah was probably very happy being at Yale. Now it's the summer and she probably has time to think about how much she enjoyed skating. Once the fall starts, she'll probably go back to enjoying her life as a student and skating will be a distant memory.