Christine Brennan - Cohen Can Still Fulfill Skating Promise

[Mazurka Girl]

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/columnist/brennan/2002-11-01-brennan_x.htm

[Hannahclear]

Bit of a harsh article, I certainly wouldn't call Sasha a disapointment by any means. She did beat the now Olympic champion at Nats, and came 4th at her two first giant scale senior events. Yes, as of yet, it has been rare to see two clean programs, but I think inexperience may play a role in this. I think Brennan should see how she does this season before hauling out the "unfulfilled potential" line. :roll:

**Edited to add that Cohen won her first Nats silver in 2000 not 99.

[jss]

I agree with Hannahclear 100%.

I have always liked Brennan cause I met her at 98 worlds and she signed her book, and we got to talk about Michelle and she even dissed on Tara (Just a little, she asked something about Tara and all I said was she isn't my favorite skater and then she looked at me and said your not the only one). She seems like a nice lady, but her articles in the past have shown a bias. She has been really hard on some skaters, and not on others.

[somechick]

Brennan said that Sasha won silver at 99 Junior Nationals....that is true.....

[BigB0882]

I can't believe that Brennan has been expecting Cohen to be the major force in skating already. I have not expected her to be a major force until this year. Very few skaters roar out from nowhere like Baiul and Lipinski did. Hughes took a few years to make it to the world podium, and then on top of the Olympic podium. In the meantime, no one was calling her a failure. Cohen is progressing very nicely, as do most of the greats. Kwan came out in 94 and then at the end of 96 proclaimed herself as the best in the world. Kirk is taking a similar path and I think one day will prove she belongs up there with the best.

I just don't get Brennan.

[Hannahclear]

:oops: Oops, I thought Brennan meant 1999 SENIOR nationals. My mistake, and anyway, she's still a silly goose, who forgot to mention two National Seniors Silver Medals under the "what has she done category". Pretty signifigant oversight, if you ask me.

[donnamarie]

This is really a silly article IMO.

<< For all of her promise, with her Hollywood looks and Bolshoi style, Cohen's resume is filled with unfulfillment. Since 1999, when she burst onto the scene with a second-place finish in the juniors at the U.S. nationals, there have been three years of competitions ... and what does she have to show for it?>>

Brennan neglects to mention that Sasha lost a year due to injury.

<< Fourth place at the Olympics, fourth place at the most recent world championships >>

Fourth place is really good for your first international events.

<< To call the 18-year-old Cohen a disappointment is the raw truth, but it's also too definitive a description because she is not yet finished. To call her tantalizing is more like it, because she has been exactly that, so close to greatness, yet never quite there. >>

Sasha is not a disappointment to anyone that I'm aware of. She is 18 and just barely getting started. "So close to greatness, yet never quite there" is a melodramatic thing to say. Sasha has only had one season of international competitions, and she did quite well.

The only thing I agree with is that Sasha needs to work on her jump consistency. That's the only thing that has kept her from medaling so far, because the judges obviously love her style.

If Sasha has still not medaled two years from now, then this article would make sense. If she were 22 years old, maybe. But to say these things now is premature, even unfair, and certainly misleading.

[olivia]

Yes, the article is rather melodramatic, IMO. Disappointment? Sasha did amazingly well last season, and this season's only just begun.

O-

[liljimeo]

Does this Christine Brennan have a following or something??? Who pays for her stuff and services? My goodness, she's not even that good a writer... I just can't believe out of all the talented people in our sport this is what we get stuck with reading...

[coco]

ok, take a step back for a moment. When you consider that the last 2 oly champs were 16, 18 isn't exactly young. Of course it's still young, but it's not like she's at the beginning of her career.

I think this article says some harsh things and some very flattering things. It seems to be Brennan's version of events, with no particular axe to grind, no particular spin put on things.

This is sports reporting, it ain't all sweetness and light. I often complain about the sport not being taken seriously, but at least brennan does. Sometimes sports reporters go too far (I often cringe at what for NCAA athletes have to endure), but I don't think this falls into this category.

Now I'm not so desperate for coverage that I'll be happy w/anything, but I think this is a fair article. It is interesting that a two time silver medalist at Nat'ls has moved her entire family cross country for a new coach. It might lead a sports reporter to wonder if the skater was expecting to be farther along at this point or generally feels some sort of dissatisfaction w/her progress to date.

[duane]

the last three Olympic champions being 16 and under (oksana, tara, and sarah) means only that the last 3 olympic champions were very young(and IMO, two of them, while deserving of olympic gold, became olympic champions before reaching their skating/artistic peak).

and again, as others have stated, sasha has had only 1 full year as a senior eligible skater. she was injured for most of the 2001 season. IMO, to come back from injury, win National silver, and place 4th at her first World and Olympic competitions is a great accomplishment (it is also my opinion that sasha actually deserved a medal in SLC).

i totally agree with donna that the article is silly, but when considering the source, this isnt at all surprising (needless to say, i am not--nor have i ever been--a brennan fan).

[Rachel]

I suspect that Christine Brennan reads the fan forums and has seen all the posters who have always expected Sasha to win, win, win any and every competition she enters because she is the best skater who has ever lived--a reputation cultivated and promoted by John Nicks. If that is the standard by which Sasha is being judged, then she has had a disappointing career. I think it's pretty safe to say that Sasha has been disappointed herself, as I believe she has openly stated that her plan was to win the Olympics and it's pretty obvious that she always skates to win.

But if you look at her career the way most people on this thread are looking at it, then Sasha is just beginning and has had astonishingly good results. Considering how few international competitions she's been in, she's had a downright amazing career so far.

Christine Brennan is a good sports reporter except when she covers figure skating, which she clearly views as ongoing soap opera involving a lot of tiny ladies in sequins, all drama and pathos with a classical music score. She seems to get caught up in ther personalities of the skaters much more than the skating, and she lets it affect her reporting on the sport.

[loveskating]

I don't get Brennan either. You get the feeling she is pushing her own agenda (of some kind), and is vicious to most of the skaters, but somehow, particularly to Sasha???

IMHO, the pattern I see is that Brennan doesn't appreciate the accomplishment of skaters as to their actual skating, win, lose or draw. She is about the medals, not the skating.

Also, she seems to have no respect for skaters unless they win gold. She didn't even consider the actual competitive records of the skaters she herself mentioned in this article adversely to Sasha.

Sasha, even with a serious injury, has racked up as much or more silver than Sarah did in the years between when Sarah won gold at Jr. Worlds and then gold at Skate Canada and SLC in 2002. If you break it down by SP, its even more silver. Yet Brennan throws Sarah in with Irina and Michelle? (Sasha won gold at Finalandia, as well, in 2002 and had numerous clean back to back skates, including the pro ams).

Brennan is not that sloppy as to the facts...so one has to assume not only bias, but conscious bias. :roll: :roll:

In any case, IMHO Sasha Cohen is a very great skater who has not yet fully realized her potential....that, IMHO, is the accurate take on Sasha Cohen, not that she is "a dissappointment".

[nits]

Interesting indeed!!! I was waiting for this.
I think Sasha is a beautiful skater. I also feel this article is based on facts.
Very interesting to see the fan reactions.

[BigB0882]

I can almost promise you, that if Sarah had not won the Olympic gold medal, Brennan would have no respect for her either.

[hydro]

it is interesting to see the fan reaction. its funny how at 17, Michelle had *peaked* and at 18 Sasha is considered to have *great potential*.

at 17, Michelle was a two time World Champion, and Olympic Silver medalist, not to mention numerous GP titles. at 18, Sasha as yet to medal at worlds making only one trip. people kept calling Michelle over the hill at 21 for the 2002 Olympics games, but Sasha will be older than Michelle at the 2006 Olympic games.

i guess its all a matter of perspective.

i have no doubt in my mind that Sasha will one day win Nationals and Worlds (i'm betting on this year, too :) ), but Sasha is not *that* young when comparing her to previous champions. in fact, she may even be considered a late bloomer.

[hydro]

I guess this is the article responsive to Sasha's standing ovation at Skate Canada?


also, could we please keep spoilers out of this area? thanks! :)

[KBW]

Originally posted by hydro


i guess its all a matter of perspective.



Kind of funny, but it really is, isn't it? I guess Sasha is considered to still have potential, and to be "just getting started", because of how long she's been on the international/senior level scene - not long at all compared to Michelle at that age. I wonder what this really means, though. Is your skating age different than your physical/actual age? Is Sasha an infant, and Michelle an old decrepit woman? I wonder what is going through people's heads sometimes, like when those articles declare Michelle, "ancient". lol. Then what are my parents? Fossilized?

[viennese]

Diasappointment? Sasha? Boy oh boy, it's harsh out there, these expectations.

Though she hasn't yet won a US title, and hasn't yet won a Grand Prix international or a World medal, she's right on the verge and she's ready to make the big leap to the top.

Which ladies have, in the past year, put together consistently clean shorts and longs in the same competition? And I wonder why, so early in the season, anyone expects to see rock-solid performances in the Grand Prix.

I do agree that Sasha could improve her jumps, and I really hope she lands that quad.

[CarolA0923]

Well if Ms Brennan has been listening to Sasha's publicity machine then yes Sasha has been a disappointment. Team Sasha basically stated last year that they thought Sasha would win it all. Was her effort a disappointment - maybe to Sasha it was. I think she had a very good year. However, the one thing team Sasha is really good at is self promotion. (Kind of like Team Weiss!)

[loveskating]

Originally posted by hydro
also, could we please keep spoilers out of this area? thanks! :)

Hello Hydro:

Since I am the only one who posted that Sasha Cohen received a standing ovation at Skate Canada, I presume you are criticizing me.

I violated no spoiler rule. Sasha Abt received a standing ovation at the GP Finals last season, and did not win gold. There is, of course, famously, Drobiazko and Vannegas, who received a standing ovation at last year's Worlds and did not even make the podium. Ina and Zimmerman received a standing ovation at SLC for their LP, but did not make the podium.

A standing ovation says nothing about the overall placement, or even that the skater(s) will make the podium, thus a standing ovation cannot in any manner be construed as a "spoiler".

Let me just say that if Sasha got a standing ovation in Canada, she earned EVERY BIT OF IT because she has not received any great press since 2000 Nationals, and in fact last season, she received a lot of very negative press heading into the Olympics -- not to mention on the Net. How anyone can claim that she is being hyped is way beyond me, to the contrary.

[loveskating]

Originally posted by KBW
Kind of funny, but it really is, isn't it? I guess Sasha is considered to still have potential, and to be "just getting started", because of how long she's been on the international/senior level scene - not long at all compared to Michelle at that age. I wonder what this really means, though. Is your skating age different than your physical/actual age? Is Sasha an infant, and Michelle an old decrepit woman? I wonder what is going through people's heads sometimes, like when those articles declare Michelle, "ancient". lol. Then what are my parents? Fossilized?

Well, women mature, including the first stages of maturity, at wildly different times, anywhere from even 8 years of age up to 16 years of age and they peak during their 20s but not as predictably as men in general (although there are exceptions for men, of course).

It varies with boys too, but they are overall more predictable in their development through various stages of life.

As for Sasha, she has been growing until recently (thankfully, quite slowly), which is a clear indication that she has not peaked physically, not by a long shot.

[donnamarie]

It's not about chronological age. I said that Sasha is just getting started because this was her first year on the international senior scene, as far as I am aware. For her first year, she did well. She lost a year due to injury, and the year before that perhaps it was her age? If this was her first year at worlds and at Olympics, then I think that yes, she is just getting started as an international skater. There did not used to be an age rule for Worlds, either, so maybe Tara and Michelle were able to start younger. By the way, I am not a "Sasha fan". I just like to see everyone treated fairly. It's insulting to assume that if one discusses an issue about a skater, one must be a fan (i.e. biased) of that skater.

If Sasha does not medal this season, then I think it might be a disappointment. I don't feel that she has been a disappointment so far. Perhaps she herself was disappointed, since she does seem ambitious and obviously wants to win. But it isn't as if she's been to worlds several times. Her first worlds, her first Olympics, she was 4th. Sounds good to me.

[loveskating]

I'm not disappointed with Sasha Cohen's:

Russian Split, which is the best I've ever seen;

nor her spiral sequence, which numerous authorities claim to be "perfection';

nor her front catch spin, which is also the best I've ever seen by any recognized criteria;

I'm not disappointed in her side catch spin, which is also the best and most athletic, and whether you like it aesthetically or not, which I do, its a fact no one else at the top can do it like that;

and her layback, which is among the best in the world, and given her high and low leg positions, the arc of her back and speed and centering, its certainly reasonable to assert its the best;

I love her jumps -- she and Irina have the best air position among all the ladies on jumps and I do not mean pointed toes, I mean a proper backspin position in the air and ARC on the jumps; she has one of the purest flip jumps I've seen any lady do.

Overall, whether she wins gold or not (she has lots of medals) Sasha Cohen is one of the truly great skaters, IMHO, and I, for one, have never been disappointed in her.

Element for element, she is pure gold.

[sk8lvr]

I have to agree with Hydro about it being a spoiler. I think a spoiler is anything to do with the competition. Obviously if she did get a standing ovation we can assume certain things about the performance. It does take away from the unspoiledness of the competition.

I'm not trying to be rude, I just don't want to open up threads on the skating news board every week and see these little tidbits of news.



As far as Sasha's progress goes, everyone has their own timetable. There is nothing wrong with that.

[adrianchew]

Just want to clarify - anything that has to do with the competition can be considered spoilers - practice reports, what outfit a skater wore, the audience response, etc - let's keep those in the future to only competition discussion topics where people know for sure these sort of tidbits can be found. Thanks. ~adrianchew~

[loveskating]

Thanks for the clarification...now I understand the policy here.