Watching Sasha Cohen at the United States Nationals 2010 (Spokane, Washington, US)

January 23, 2010 by vongsundara · 2 Comments 

SPOKANE, WA - JANUARY 21: Sasha Cohen waves to the crowd after the ladies short program at the US Figure Skating Championships at Spokane Arena on January 21, 2010 in Spokane, Washington. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images) Content © 2010 Getty Images All rights reserved.

SPOKANE, WA - JANUARY 21: Sasha Cohen waves to the crowd after the ladies short program at the US Figure Skating Championships at Spokane Arena on January 21, 2010 in Spokane, Washington. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images) Content © 2010 Getty Images All rights reserved.

I love love love Sasha Cohen. As I write this, I am watching the United States Nationals 2010 taking place in Spokane. Sasha has finished her warm-up and will be up with the next flight of skaters. I haven’t actually watched the U.S. Nationals since Sasha retired four years back, so it’s really great to have her back.

Being a Sasha Cohen fan hasn’t always been easy. Sasha has a history of faltering during her long program at major competitions. The unfortunate part is that most spectators have said that she runs through her programs flawlessly during practice and just can’t execute during competition. This is just too bad because otherwise Sasha may have gone down in history as the best figure skater ever.

Sasha’s artistry and non-jumping elements are, to me, the best from any skater ever. I enjoy watching Sasha’s exhibitions more than her actual programs because she can focus on the non-jumping elements. Her spirals are unmatched in the history of figure skating, and her musical interpretation is fabulous. Her spins have fabulous positioning and gorgeous silhouettes.

SPOKANE, WA - JANUARY 23: Sasha Cohen finishes her routine in the free skate during the US Figure Skating Championships at Spokane Arena on January 23, 2010 in Spokane, Washington. Flatt won ladies championship. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) Content © 2010 Getty Images All rights reserved.

SPOKANE, WA - JANUARY 23: Sasha Cohen finishes her routine in the free skate during the US Figure Skating Championships at Spokane Arena on January 23, 2010 in Spokane, Washington. Flatt won ladies championship. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) Content © 2010 Getty Images All rights reserved.

Oh . . . here she comes . . . the commercial break is over and they’re showing Sasha on the ice. I am literally holding my breath. Please, please, please keep it together girl.

Opening combination was shaky. I hope they don’t downgrade her to a flutz. Her second combination was also two-footed. But well, as long as she doesn’t fall. A third two-footed landing. Okay, a gorgeous salchow. Damn, I love her spirals. Her first spin, somewhat safe choice.

Down to the second half. Come on girl. Damn, a two-footed triple flip that ended in a fall. Okay, she did a nice clean double-axel. A semi-clean triple loop. Now comes the footwork sequence. Very, very nice. She finishes with her signature spin.

It definitely wasn’t a perfect performance, but considering it’s her first competition back, she did very well. No matter what happens, it is definitely nice to have her back.

Her final score was 174.28 for the competition and is now out of the running for the Olympics. It’s too bad because it would have been nice to have her in Vancouver 2010.

Okay, I’ve had a few minutes to reflect on this now. I have to admit that I am a little bit disappointed, but I am happy that Sasha Cohen decided to make the attempt. Sasha’s story at U.S. Nationals has kept me glued to the television that hasn’t happened in a while.

You’ll always be one of my heroes.

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