COHEN LEAPS INTO LIMELIGHT SHE'S 2ND AFTER SHORTS; KWAN LEADS.Byline: Brian Dohn Staff Writer Sasha Cohen
Alexandra Pauline "Sasha" Cohen (born October 26 1984) is an American figure skater. She is the 2006 U.S. National Champion, 2003 Grand Prix Final Champion, and 2006 Olympic silver medalist. wants to be the first woman to execute a quadruple jump in competition. Her coach, John Nicks, scoffs at the idea and quickly changes the subject whenever it's broached. The two often are at odds because of conflicting philosophies. However, Nicks always is willing to forget the past when Cohen cohen or kohen (Hebrew: “priest”) Jewish priest descended from Zadok (a descendant of Aaron), priest at the First Temple of Jerusalem. The biblical priesthood was hereditary and male. performs well. Nicks was particularly forgiving after the ladies' short program Thursday at Staples Center This article has multiple issues: * Its neutrality is disputed. * It may contain original research or unverifiable claims. * It does not cite any references or sources. . In a beautifully skated session, Cohen evoked memories of her winning short program two years ago at the nationals and left the field mildly surprised by her second-place standing at the U.S. Figure Skating U.S. Figure Skating (USFS), officially called the United States Figure Skating Association or USFSA, is the national sport governing body for figure skating in the United States. Championships. Predictably, Torrance product Michelle Kwan Michelle Wing Kwan (關穎珊) (born 7 July 1980) is an American figure skater and media celebrity who has won nine U.S. championships, five world championships, and two Olympic medals. is the leader, and Sarah Hughes For the US District Court judge, see . Sarah Elizabeth Hughes (born May 2, 1985 in Great Neck, New York) is an American figure skater and the 2002 Olympic gold medalist. is in third place. ``My young protege pro·té·gé n. One whose welfare, training, or career is promoted by an influential person. [French, from past participle of protéger, to protect, from Old French, from Latin , the beautiful Ms. Cohen,'' Nicks said in his proper British accent, ``when she skates like this, everything is forgiven.'' The performance puts the 16-year-old Laguna Niguel resident in prime position to qualify for her first Olympics. ``It was one of my better performances,'' Cohen said. ``I don't think I could have done much better.'' UCLA UCLA University of California at Los Angeles UCLA University Center for Learning Assistance (Illinois State University) UCLA University of Carrollton, TX and Lower Addison, TX student Kwan, who has won the past four nationals and five of the last six, pushed aside the hullabaloo surrounding her decision to fire long- time coach Frank Carroll Frank Carroll is an American figure skating coach and former competitive skater. He coached Michelle Kwan for ten years and is currently the primary coach of Evan Lysacek and Beatrisa Liang, among others. Biography Carroll grew up in Worcester, Massachusetts. in October and skate on her own. ``I've been pretty used to it,'' Kwan said. ``You can't rely on your coach all that much. You have to rely on yourself. That's one of the reasons I feel like I need to be strong. I need to stand on my own feet and I need to take control of my skating. I've been able to do that for the last couple of months. I feel confident in my decision.'' Composed but apparently cautious, Kwan set the stage for a conservative program in which none of the top ladies attempted triple-triple jumps. Instead, they all attempted variations of triple-double combinations that resulted in minor deductions in their scores. Kwan received six scores of 5.7 and three of 5.8 for her required elements. Her marks for presentation were even better - seven scores of 5.9 and two of 5.7. Hughes, who finished second a year ago, was followed by Angela Nikodinov Angela Nikodinov (born May 9, 1980 in Spartanburg, South Carolina), is an American figure skater. She is the 2000 Four Continents Champion. Biography Nikodinov is the daughter of Bulgarian immigrants, and speaks Bulgarian fluently. , now coached by Carroll. Of the top four ladies, three train in Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, . Hughes trains in New Jersey. ``I think this is probably the most exciting group of short programs, going back to World Championships (in March),'' said Robin Wagner Robin Wagner is an American figure skating coach. She was a skater in the late 1970s, but quit skating after she failed to make the 1980 Winter Olympic Games. Her coach was Gus Lussi. After retiring, Wagner became a coach and choreographer. , Hughes' coach. ``The field was deep. The girls were strong. They weren't just good because technical elements were done well. Everybody really skated with their hearts. In this particular competition, where (everyone) is trying to get on the Olympic team, I think that's an extraordinary feat.'' The level of competition made the draw for Saturday's long program, which counts for two-thirds of the score, crucial. Kwan goes first and is followed by Nikodinov, Cohen and Hughes. The top three advance to the Olympics next month in Salt Lake City. Kwan, Nikodinov and Hughes each skated in the first group of the afternoon. However, it was Cohen's routine about 90 minutes later that electrified the crowd. Questions of how Cohen would react to skating on the national stage after missing last year's U.S. Championships with a lower-back injury quickly were answered. Her striking response has some believing she will be the next great American skater after Kwan. Cohen had no difficulty with her jumps and received marks ranging from 5.5 to 5.9 for her required elements and 5.7 to 5.9 for presentation. ``I didn't see the other skaters. I didn't know how they skated,'' Cohen said. ``I was just focusing on my performance and doing what I've been doing in practice and just focusing on the pattern I had in my head, and I knew if I could stick to that, it would work out. ``I've worked really hard this year and so far, most of it has been rewarding. Right now, I'm focusing on Saturday and trying to make the Olympic team.'' Cohen, who has tried three quadruple jumps in competitions but has yet to land one cleanly, doesn't plan to attempt one in the long program. And that's fine with Nicks. CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Sasha Cohen is in second place overall after a strong effort in the short program. John McCoy/Staff Photographer |
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