Sasha Cohen withdrew from Skate America today, citing a nagging case of tendinitis in her right calf. The 2006 Olympic silver medalist also withdrew from her first planned Grand Prix event - Trophee Eric Bompard - a month ago, meaning that her first event of the season will be the U.S. Nationals in January. This certainly doesn't bode well for her hopes of making a third Olympic team.
While there's no doubt that a five-triple jump Cohen could be competitive with many of the top ladies today, she needed to test her programs in front of an international panel of judges and in front of an audience. After a three-year hiatus from competitive skating, it was crucial that she get back into a competitive mindset, and her two fall events would have given her the perfect opportunity to do that. Now, should she show up at Nationals, Cohen will be competing against the top U.S. ladies for only two Olympic spots - ladies that have been gaining mileage on their programs this season, feedback from judges, and confidence in their ability to perform them well. I know injuries happen, but Cohen should have started her comeback earlier than this past June if she hopes to make a return trip to the Games.
Even if she shows up in Spokane and wins a medal, there's certainly no guarantee that she would be granted a spot on the team. This year, U.S. Figure Skating will not choose the Olympic team based solely on the results of Nationals (not even the gold medalist is guaranteed a spot). Instead, the team will be chosen based upon the results of a number of events: the Grand Prix series, the Grand Prix Final (should any qualify), and at last year's World championships. Based upon this criteria, Ashley Wagner currently looks to be one of the front-runners for the team, as she has medaled in both of her Grand Prix events and has an excellent chance at making the Final in Tokyo in December. Rachael Flatt, although not stellar at the Cup of China, looks poised to make the team as well, thanks to her consistency and a solid fifth-place finish at her first-ever Worlds last March.
Flatt competes again at Skate America this weekend, where her main competition will come from Korea's Yu-Na Kim. A silver-medal finish in Lake Placid, NY, will further increase her chances of making the team, though she, and the rest of the American women, will still need to deliver at Nationals.
As for Cohen, her comeback just got more complicated, though not entirely impossible. After all, she does have the most experience of any of the currently competing U.S. ladies and she is the only one with Olympic experience. On the other hand, she has never been one to handle pressure well, and if she's still struggling with injury come January, the chances that she'll be on top of her game are slim.
I can't think of a year when the ladies event was more unpredictable than it is this year...
Showing posts with label Injury. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Injury. Show all posts
Monday, November 9, 2009
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Shen, Zhao hit comeback trail at Cup of China
Finally, a comeback worth getting excited about.
Three-time World pairs champions and two-time Olympic bronze medalists Xue Shen and Hongbo Zhao of China will skate for the first time in 2.5 years tomorrow at the Cup of China, the third stop on the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating series.
The sentimental favorites of so many in the skating community, Shen and Zhao are looking very strong for so early in the season. In a practice clip from Chinese TV, the pair landed beautiful side-by-side triple toe loops, a soaring triple twist and huge throw triple jumps.
The duo dominated the years leading up to Torino, winning two World titles and nearly every Grand Prix event in which they entered. Before the 2006 Games, however, Zhao suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon. Surgery and rehab followed, but their participation in the Games was in severe jeopardy. In they end, they rallied back from a fifth place finish in the short program there to take the bronze overall, a medal they also won four years prior in Salt Lake City.
The team went undefeated in the 2006-07 season, capping it off with a third World championship and a marriage proposal. They toured with Stars on Ice and performed in numerous shows, but their "unfinished business" with the Olympics has clearly led them back for another shot at the gold medal--and the chance to go out on their own terms.
Though the German team of Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy have won the past two World championships, the Olympic gold medal is far from theirs yet. This is figure skating, after all, and anything can happen. If Shen and Zhao can remain healthy throughout the season, I see no reason why they can't be the top team in Vancouver. The top Russian, Canadian and American teams are either inconsistent, relatively new to the international scene, or both. The other two Chinese pairs lack the finesse and experience of Shen and Zhao. I repeat: anything is possible, especially at the Olympics.
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The Cup of China will also feature the season debuts of World champion Evan Lysacek and four-time World medalists Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto. Japan's Nobunari Oda could provide some stiff competition for Lysacek, but look for Joannie Rochette of Canada to take gold in the ladies event, with Americans Rachael Flatt and Mirai Nagasu battling it out for the remaining podium spots with Japan's Akiko Suzuki and Italy's Carolina Kostner.
Three-time World pairs champions and two-time Olympic bronze medalists Xue Shen and Hongbo Zhao of China will skate for the first time in 2.5 years tomorrow at the Cup of China, the third stop on the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating series.
The sentimental favorites of so many in the skating community, Shen and Zhao are looking very strong for so early in the season. In a practice clip from Chinese TV, the pair landed beautiful side-by-side triple toe loops, a soaring triple twist and huge throw triple jumps.
The duo dominated the years leading up to Torino, winning two World titles and nearly every Grand Prix event in which they entered. Before the 2006 Games, however, Zhao suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon. Surgery and rehab followed, but their participation in the Games was in severe jeopardy. In they end, they rallied back from a fifth place finish in the short program there to take the bronze overall, a medal they also won four years prior in Salt Lake City.
The team went undefeated in the 2006-07 season, capping it off with a third World championship and a marriage proposal. They toured with Stars on Ice and performed in numerous shows, but their "unfinished business" with the Olympics has clearly led them back for another shot at the gold medal--and the chance to go out on their own terms.
Though the German team of Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy have won the past two World championships, the Olympic gold medal is far from theirs yet. This is figure skating, after all, and anything can happen. If Shen and Zhao can remain healthy throughout the season, I see no reason why they can't be the top team in Vancouver. The top Russian, Canadian and American teams are either inconsistent, relatively new to the international scene, or both. The other two Chinese pairs lack the finesse and experience of Shen and Zhao. I repeat: anything is possible, especially at the Olympics.
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The Cup of China will also feature the season debuts of World champion Evan Lysacek and four-time World medalists Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto. Japan's Nobunari Oda could provide some stiff competition for Lysacek, but look for Joannie Rochette of Canada to take gold in the ladies event, with Americans Rachael Flatt and Mirai Nagasu battling it out for the remaining podium spots with Japan's Akiko Suzuki and Italy's Carolina Kostner.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Cohen's absence doesn't dampen excitement in Grand Prix opener
Sasha Cohen's withdrawal from Trophee Eric Bompard - the Grand Prix series opener - didn't come as much of a shock to those in the skating community.
Cohen, the 2006 Olympic silver medalist, had her comeback bid interrupted last Thursday when she announced that she would be withdrawing from the event due to tendinitis in her calf. Although this is bad news in her attempt to make a third consecutive Olympic team, the ladies field in Paris this week is still the deepest of all the Grand Prix events.
In her first competition of the season, reigning World champion Yu-Na Kim of Korea looks to capture her eighth Grand Prix gold medal. Armed with a new triple-triple combination (Lutz-toe loop), Kim is the overwhelming favorite here, though the competition will be nipping at her heels.
2008 World champ Mao Asada will be battling it out with her arch-rival Kim for the top spot. Asada, the 19-year old Japanese phenom, appears to have plateaued or even regressed since her '08 Worlds win. At the recent Japan Open invitational, Asada was only credited with three clean triple jumps, and her trademark triple Axel was downgraded and awarded a Grade of Execution of -2.24. She finished third among the ladies competing there, far behind Canada's Joannie Rochette and nearly 8-points off of Laura Lepisto of Finland. With the plethora of top ladies competing in Paris, Asada cannot rely solely upon her Program Component Scores to carry her to the podium.
Among the other competitors are Italy's Carolina Kostner, a two-time World medalist, and Japan's Yukari Nakano. Kostner changed coaches in the off-season, and is now under the tutelage of iconic American coach Frank Carroll in Los Angeles (Carroll also coaches Americans Evan Lysacek and Mirai Nagasu). In an Italian TV news clip that recently surfaced, Kostner's jumps look more secure and solid, marking her as a legitimate threat to Kim and Asada.
The United States women will be represented by Caroline Zhang and Alexe Gilles. Zhang, the reigning U.S. bronze medalist, is recovering from a summer knee injury, but should be much improved over her form at the Golden West Championships in early September. Known for her consistency, Zhang could very well find herself in medal contention, though she may have to rely on out-scoring the rest of the field on spins and hoping for mistakes from the other ladies.
In the other disciplines in Paris...Brian Joubert will face off against Japan's Nobunari Oda, with American Adam Rippon looking to break through for his first Grand Prix medal. Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir of Canada will likely be golden in ice dance, and two-time World pairs champions Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy of Germany will look to top Russian's Maria Mukhortova and Maxim Trankov, Canadians Jessica Dube and Bryce Davison, and Americans Rena Inoue and John Baldwin.
Cohen, the 2006 Olympic silver medalist, had her comeback bid interrupted last Thursday when she announced that she would be withdrawing from the event due to tendinitis in her calf. Although this is bad news in her attempt to make a third consecutive Olympic team, the ladies field in Paris this week is still the deepest of all the Grand Prix events.
In her first competition of the season, reigning World champion Yu-Na Kim of Korea looks to capture her eighth Grand Prix gold medal. Armed with a new triple-triple combination (Lutz-toe loop), Kim is the overwhelming favorite here, though the competition will be nipping at her heels.
2008 World champ Mao Asada will be battling it out with her arch-rival Kim for the top spot. Asada, the 19-year old Japanese phenom, appears to have plateaued or even regressed since her '08 Worlds win. At the recent Japan Open invitational, Asada was only credited with three clean triple jumps, and her trademark triple Axel was downgraded and awarded a Grade of Execution of -2.24. She finished third among the ladies competing there, far behind Canada's Joannie Rochette and nearly 8-points off of Laura Lepisto of Finland. With the plethora of top ladies competing in Paris, Asada cannot rely solely upon her Program Component Scores to carry her to the podium.
Among the other competitors are Italy's Carolina Kostner, a two-time World medalist, and Japan's Yukari Nakano. Kostner changed coaches in the off-season, and is now under the tutelage of iconic American coach Frank Carroll in Los Angeles (Carroll also coaches Americans Evan Lysacek and Mirai Nagasu). In an Italian TV news clip that recently surfaced, Kostner's jumps look more secure and solid, marking her as a legitimate threat to Kim and Asada.
The United States women will be represented by Caroline Zhang and Alexe Gilles. Zhang, the reigning U.S. bronze medalist, is recovering from a summer knee injury, but should be much improved over her form at the Golden West Championships in early September. Known for her consistency, Zhang could very well find herself in medal contention, though she may have to rely on out-scoring the rest of the field on spins and hoping for mistakes from the other ladies.
In the other disciplines in Paris...Brian Joubert will face off against Japan's Nobunari Oda, with American Adam Rippon looking to break through for his first Grand Prix medal. Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir of Canada will likely be golden in ice dance, and two-time World pairs champions Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy of Germany will look to top Russian's Maria Mukhortova and Maxim Trankov, Canadians Jessica Dube and Bryce Davison, and Americans Rena Inoue and John Baldwin.
Friday, October 9, 2009
Meissner's season over before it began
Kimmie Meissner announced Thursday that she has withdrawn from her two Grand Prix events due to a nagging knee injury sustained during a practice this summer.
The announcement comes as a bit of a shock, as the Meissner-camp has been relatively quiet this summer. A video from June showed the vast improvements she had made in her artistry and presentation, and she looked to be on the right track for the season. However, pain in her knee forced her to skip two summer competitions - the Liberty Open and Skate Detroit - and, though she is able to perform triple jumps, she said she doesn't feel comfortable enough with the flip or Lutz yet.
"For the United States to be represented properly, especially during an Olympic year, I feel I must put my personal desire to compete aside," Meissner said.
Because Meissner won't be competing at the Rostelecom Cup in Russia or the NHK Trophy in Japan, her season is effectively over. She skipped last year's Nationals due to injury, therefore not receiving a bye to this year's event by placing in the top 5. Her assignment in Japan gave her a bye through the Eastern Sectional Championships, and US Figure Skating granted her a bye through the South Atlantic Regional Championships (taking place now) as well because of the extensive travel time involved between her Grand Prix events.
That bye, however, was contingent upon her competing in those events. This means that Meissner will not be able to skate at the Nationals in Spokane, and a possible berth on what would be her second Olympic team is not possible anymore either.
She was quick to tell followers on her Twitter page that she is definitely not retiring, and plans to come back next season. In the meantime, Meissner is scheduled to perform on the "Stars on Ice" tour this winter.
Meissner is the 2006 World champion and the 2007 US National and Four Continents champion. Additionally, she is the 2007 Skate America champion and finished 6th at the 2006 Olympics in Torino, Italy. Meissner is only the second US lady ever to have landed a triple Axel in competition.
As my sentimental favorite, I wish Kimmie a speedy recovery and look forward to seeing her represent the US again in the near future!
The announcement comes as a bit of a shock, as the Meissner-camp has been relatively quiet this summer. A video from June showed the vast improvements she had made in her artistry and presentation, and she looked to be on the right track for the season. However, pain in her knee forced her to skip two summer competitions - the Liberty Open and Skate Detroit - and, though she is able to perform triple jumps, she said she doesn't feel comfortable enough with the flip or Lutz yet.
"For the United States to be represented properly, especially during an Olympic year, I feel I must put my personal desire to compete aside," Meissner said.
Because Meissner won't be competing at the Rostelecom Cup in Russia or the NHK Trophy in Japan, her season is effectively over. She skipped last year's Nationals due to injury, therefore not receiving a bye to this year's event by placing in the top 5. Her assignment in Japan gave her a bye through the Eastern Sectional Championships, and US Figure Skating granted her a bye through the South Atlantic Regional Championships (taking place now) as well because of the extensive travel time involved between her Grand Prix events.
That bye, however, was contingent upon her competing in those events. This means that Meissner will not be able to skate at the Nationals in Spokane, and a possible berth on what would be her second Olympic team is not possible anymore either.
She was quick to tell followers on her Twitter page that she is definitely not retiring, and plans to come back next season. In the meantime, Meissner is scheduled to perform on the "Stars on Ice" tour this winter.
Meissner is the 2006 World champion and the 2007 US National and Four Continents champion. Additionally, she is the 2007 Skate America champion and finished 6th at the 2006 Olympics in Torino, Italy. Meissner is only the second US lady ever to have landed a triple Axel in competition.
As my sentimental favorite, I wish Kimmie a speedy recovery and look forward to seeing her represent the US again in the near future!
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