Sasha Cohen
Olympic medal record | ||
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Figure skating | ||
2006 Turin | Ladies' singles |
Sasha Cohen | |
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Height | 157 cm (5 ft 2 in) |
Figure skating career | |
Country | United States |
Coach | John Nicks |
Skating club | Orange County FSC |
Most Recent Results: | |||
---|---|---|---|
Event | Points | Finish | Year |
Olympic Winter Games | 183.36 | 2nd | 2006 |
World Championships | 208.88 | 3rd | 2006 |
National Championships | 199.18 | 1st | 2006 |
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.
Personal life
Cohen was born in Westwood, California, a neighborhood in Los Angeles. Her mother, Galina Feldman, is a Jewish immigrant from Ukraine and a former ballet dancer; her father, Roger Cohen, is a Jewish American business consultant who used to practice law.[1][2] Sasha attended Aliso Niguel High School in Aliso Viejo, California and graduated from Futures High School in Mission Viejo, California in 2002. Her sister, Natalia ("Natasha"), began college at Barnard College in August 2006. A gymnast from an early age, Cohen switched to figure skating when she was seven years old, but it wasn't until she was 10 that she began to take the sport seriously.
In 2005, she published her autobiography, Fire on Ice.
Skating career
Cohen rose to prominence in the skating community during the 2000 United States Figure Skating Championships. Just up from juniors, Cohen dropped from first place after the short program to second after the free skating and qualified for the world team. Too young for the World Figure Skating Championships, a loophole at the time would have allowed her to compete in senior worlds if she medaled at the World Junior Figure Skating Championships. Cohen did not medal at world juniors and so did not go to senior worlds.
Cohen did not compete at the 2001 Nationals due to a stress fracture, but took back her silver medal at the 2002 Nationals, earning her a trip to the Olympics. Cohen competed at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah, finishing 4th. Her best season was 2003–2004, when she took gold at three Grand Prix events and silver at both the U.S. National Championships and the World Championships. Cohen placed 2nd at the 2005 U.S. National Championships in Portland and the World Championships in Moscow, Russia. She withdrew from the 2005 Grand Prix events due to a recurring back injury.
Cohen started her Olympic season by placing 1st at the Campbell's International Figure Skating Challenge. Soon after she withdrew from Skate America due to a hip injury. She took 2nd place at Trophée Eric Bompard, where she fell on a triple Salchow during her fre skate. In 2006, Cohen overcame the flu to capture her first U.S. National Championship. With this victory Cohen automatically secured her place on the U.S. Olympic team for the 2006 Winter Olympics, a spot made official on January 14 of that year by the United States Figure Skating Association.
At the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Cohen was in 1st after the short program, leading Russia's Irina Slutskaya by a mere .03 points. In the final free skate, Cohen fell on her first jump, a triple Lutz, and had her hands down on her second jump, the triple-flip. She completed the rest of her elements, including five triples. Cohen finished with a Olympic silver medal, her first Olympic medal. The Olympic gold medalist, Shizuka Arakawa of Japan, won by 7.98 points over Cohen.
A month later at the 2006 World Championships in Calgary, Canada, Cohen was in 1st place after the short program. Completing only one jump combination and falling on the triple-salchow, she placed fourth in the free skate and won the bronze medal, finishing almost ten points behind her teammate, gold medalist Kimmie Meissner. Cohen displayed strong artistry in hre free skate and picked up level fours on all her spins and her spiral sequence. Her program component score of 61.35 was the highest of the night.
Post 2006 Olympics
During April 2006, Cohen started the Champions on Ice tour, participated in the second annual "Skating with the Stars, Under the Stars" gala in Central Park and performed in the Marshalls U.S. Figure Skating International Showcase. On April 15, 2006, Cohen announced that she intends to compete into the 2010 season and the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. She said via her official website, "I will decide after the COI Tour how much skating and what events I will do next season."
In December 2006, Cohen announced that she needed "a little down time from competing" and that she will not defend her US Figure Skating Championship title in 2007. She again stressed that her "major goals" are the 2009 World Figure Skating Championships and the 2010 Olympics; "I know I want to be in Vancouver for the 2010 Olympics."[4]
Cohen did not compete in the 2006-2007 competitive season, although she did perform exhibitions, including at the Rockefeller Christmas Tree lighting and at USFSA-approved events. She has not given up her Olympic-eligibility.
Cohen has signed on to be a headliner in the 2007-2008 Stars on Ice tour.
Coaching changes
Cohen was coached by John Nicks until the summer of 2002, when she relocated to Simsbury, Connecticut to train with Russian coach Tatiana Tarasova, who choreographed Cohen's Swan Lake program and upgraded her footwork. Under Tarasova's coaching, Cohen landed her first triple-triple combination in competition, a triple lutz-triple toe. Also, Cohen completed her first clean free skate in the qualifying round at the 2003 World Championships. She changed coaches again in January 2004 to Robin Wagner (who coached Sarah Hughes to Olympic gold) in Hackensack, New Jersey. In December 2004, Cohen returned to California to work with her original coach, John Nicks, who trained her to compete in the 2006 Olympic Winter Games. Nicks, who is very knowledgeable on the Code of Points system, helped Cohen increase the difficulty of her spins and spirals, as well as her jumps, to maximize her performances under the new system.
Skating trademarks
Cohen is known for being a talented skater, though her critics say she has never skated two clean programs in a row.[5][6] Her childhood training as a gymnast allows her to bring an impressive degree of flexibility to the sport. Her spiral sequences are credited to be the best in the skating world due to incredibly flexed positions and control. She is the only skater to have received +3s for spirals in the new judging system for 'Grade of Execution.'[citation needed] She is also known for difficult and creative positions in her spins, such as the "I" spin position which she popularized. Cohen worked on a quadruple salchow, which she had landed 10-20% of the time in practice in her younger years, including the 2001 Skate America warmups. Cohen abandoned the pursuit of the quad in hopes of becoming a more well-rounded skater.[citation needed] The following season she went on to add a triple lutz/triple toe combination, but did not land it cleanly until the world championships. During her free skates she has performed the difficult triple toe/half loop/triple salchow jump sequence. More recently she has added the Biellmann spin to her repertoire.
Acting career
Television
Cohen has done commercials for Citizen Watch, Simply Saline, and Got Milk?. She appeared in Episode 7 of the second season of Project Runway wherein designers were challenged to design a skating dress for her. The winning dress (by Zulema Griffin) did not fit and the dress had to be resized. Cohen has made a brief appearance guest starring, as herself, on the May 5, 2006, episode of the NBC drama, Las Vegas.[7] Cohen has also appeared in the television crime drama CSI:NY.
Film
Cohen will play Fiona Hughes in the scheduled 2007 release of the Don Johnson movie Moondance Alexander.[8] At the 2006 Academy Awards, Cohen served as a guest correspondent for Inside Edition. This experience led to an encounter with Ben Stiller and a discussion about having a part in a future comedy about figure skating, something Cohen said she would enjoy participating in. This led to Cohen appearing as herself in Blades of Glory. Also in 2007, she had a role in Bratz: The Movie.
Competitive highlights
Event | 1998-1999 | 1999-2000 | 2000-2001 | 2001-2002 | 2002-2003 | 2003-2004 | 2004-2005 | 2005-2006 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Winter Olympic Games | 4th | 2nd | ||||||
World Championships | 4th | 4th | 2nd | 2nd | 3rd | |||
World Junior Championships | 6th | |||||||
U.S. Championships | 2nd J. | 2nd | 2nd | 3rd | 2nd | 2nd | 1st | |
Grand Prix Final | 1st | 2nd | ||||||
Trophee Eric Bompard | 3rd | 1st | 1st | 2nd | ||||
Skate Canada | 1st | 1st | ||||||
Skate America | 5th | 1st | ||||||
Cup of Russia | 4th | 2nd | ||||||
Nations Cup | 5th | |||||||
Finlandia Trophy | 1st | |||||||
Junior Grand Prix, Sweden | 1st | |||||||
Gardena Spring Trophy | 1st J. | |||||||
Pacific Coast Sectionals | 1st J. | 1st | ||||||
Southwest Pacific Regionals | 1st J. |
- J = Junior level
Detailed placements by season
Major events (senior) | ||||||||||||||||
ISU Grand Prix Finals | National Championships | Four Continents Championships | World Championships | Olympic Games | ||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Seasons | SP | FS | Finish | SP | FS | Finish | SP | FS | Finish | QF | SP | FS | Finish | SP | FS | Finish |
2005–06 | DNQ | 1 | 1 | 1st | - | 3 | 1 | 4 | 3rd | 1 | 2 | 2nd | ||||
65.15 | 134.03 | 199.18 | 27.59 | 66.62 | 114.67 | 208.88 | 66.73 | 116.63 | 183.36 | |||||||
2004–05 | DNQ | 2 | 2 | 2nd | - | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2nd | - | ||||||
28.41 | 61.37 | 124.61 | 214.39 | |||||||||||||
2003–04 | 2 | 2 | 2nd | 1 | 2 | 2nd | - | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2nd | - | ||||
60.80 | 116.68 | 177.48 | ||||||||||||||
2002-03 | 1 | 2/1 | 1st | 2 | 3 | 3rd | - | 3 | 5T | 3 | 4th | - | ||||
2001-02 | DNQ | 2 | 2 | 2nd | - | 2 | 5 | 4 | 4th | 3 | 4 | 4th | ||||
2000-01 | DNQ | W/D | - | - | - | |||||||||||
1999-00 | DNQ | 1 | 2 | 2nd | - | - | - |
2005–06 ISU Grand Prix | |||
Events | SP | FS | Finish |
Skate America | W/D | ||
Trophée Eric Bompard | 2 | 2 | 2nd |
60.96 | 114.16 | 175.12 | |
Grand Prix Final | DNQ |
Competition Results | |||
Event | Location | Finish | |
U.S. National Championships | St. Louis, Missouri | 1st | |
XX Winter Olympics | Turin, Italy | 2nd | |
World Championships | Calgary, Canada | 3rd |
2003–04 ISU Grand Prix | |||
Events | SP | FS | Finish |
Skate America | 1 | 1 | 1st |
66.46 | 130.89 | 197.35 | |
Skate Canada | 1 | 1 | 1st |
71.12 | 126.48 | 197.60 | |
Trophée Lalique | 1 | 1 | 1st |
69.38 | 127.81 | 197.19 | |
Grand Prix Final | 2 | 2 | 2nd |
60.80 | 116.68 | 177.48 |
Competition Results | |||
Event | Location | Finish | |
U.S. National Championships | Atlanta, Georgia | 2nd | |
World Championships | Dortmund, Germany | 2nd |
2002–03 ISU Grand Prix | ||||
Events | SP | FS | FS2 | Finish |
Skate Canada | 1 | 1 | - | 1st |
Trophée Lalique | 2 | 1 | - | 1st |
Cup of Russia | 2 | 2 | - | 2nd |
Grand Prix Final | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1st |
- Note: Event in italics indicate a non-scoring event.
Competition Results | |||
Event | Location | Finish | |
U.S. National Championships | Dallas, Texas | 3rd | |
World Championships | Washington D.C., United States |
4th |
2001–02 ISU Grand Prix | |||
Events | SP | FS | Finish |
Skate America | 4 | 5 | 5th |
Trophée Lalique | 3 | 3 | 3rd |
Grand Prix Final | DNQ |
Competition Results | |||
Event | Location | Finish | |
U.S. National Championships | Los Angeles, California | 2nd | |
XIX Winter Olympics | Salt Lake City, United States | 4th | |
World Championships | Nagano, Japan | 4th |
Legend
- DNQ
- Did not qualify
- W/D
- Withdrew
Programs
Season | Short Program | Long Program | Exhibition |
---|---|---|---|
2006–07 | Non applicable - did not compete this season | Non applicable - did not compete this season | Hurt by Christina Aguilera |
2005–06 | Dark Eyes Russian folk song choreographed by Nikolai Morozov and David Wilson |
Romeo and Juliet Soundtrack from the 1968 movie by Nino Rota, choreographed by Nikolai Morozov and David Wilson |
Don't Rain on My Parade by Barbra Streisand |
God Bless America by Celine Dion | |||
2004–05 | Dark Eyes Russian folk song choreographed by Nikolai Morozov |
Pas de deux from The Nutcracker by Tchaikovsky, choreographed by Igor Shpilband, Marina Zueva |
Don't Rain on My Parade by Barbra Streisand |
2003–04 | Malagueña by Ernesto Lecuona, choreographed by Nikolai Morozov and Tatiana Tarasova |
Swan Lake by Tchaikovsky, choreographed by Tatiana Tarasova and Robin Wagner |
Romeo and Juliet choreographed by Tatiana Tarasova |
2002–03 | Malagueña by Ernesto Lecuona, choreographed by Nikolai Morozov and Tatiana Tarasova |
Piano Concerto No. 2 by Rachmaninoff, choreographed by Nikolai Morozov |
Romeo and Juliet choreographed by Tatiana Tarasova |
One Day I'll Fly Away from Moulin Rouge! by Nicole Kidman | |||
2001–02 | My Sweet and Tender Beast by Doga, choreographed by John Nicks and Sasha Cohen |
Carmen by Georges Bizet, choreographed by John Nicks and Sasha Cohen |
Hernando's Hideway by Ella Fitzgerald, choreographed by John Nicks and Sasha Cohen |
Aria by Heitor Villa-Lobos, choreographed by John Nicks, Ekaterina Gordeeva and Sasha Cohen | |||
2000–01 | My Sweet and Tender Beast by Doga, choreographed by John Nicks and Sasha Cohen |
Dark Eyes Russian folk song, orchestrated by London Festival Orchestra, choreographed by John Nicks and Sasha Cohen |
Anytime, Anywhere by Sarah Brightman, choreographed by John Nicks, Ekaterina Gordeeva and Sasha Cohen |
To Love You More by Celine Dion, choreographed by John Nicks and Sasha Cohen | |||
1999–2000 | Baroque Selections by Vivaldi and Albinoni, choreographed by John Nicks and Sasha Cohen |
Violin Concerto by Mendelssohn, choreographed by John Nicks and Sasha Cohen |
Madame Butterfly by Puccini, choreographed by John Nicks and Sasha Cohen |
References
- Cohen, Sasha. (2006). Fire on Ice (Revised Edition): Autobiography of a Champion Figure Skater. Collins. ISBN 0-06-115385-0
- ^ Bloom, Nate (February 16 2006). "The Tribe goes to Torino: Sketches of Jewish Olympic-Bound Athletes". Jewish World Review. Retrieved 2006-12-23.
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(help) - ^ http://www.aipsmedia.com/index.php?page=profile&cod=4
- ^ "Athletes - Sasha Cohen". NBCOlympics.com. Retrieved February 17.
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suggested) (help) - ^ "Cohen pulls out of 2007 national championships". ABC News. December 22 2006. Retrieved 2006-12-23.
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(help) - ^ Arica Dixon (2006-03-29). "Is Sasha Cohen Cursed?". Rampway Online (student-run online magazine at Georgia State University). Retrieved 2006-09-27.
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(help) - ^ John Henderson. "Proof of greatness: Perennial second-place finisher Sasha Cohen tries to silence her critics with a national title". DenverPost. Retrieved 2006-09-27.
- ^ "Sasha Does Hollywood!". SashaCohen.com. Retrieved April 17.
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suggested) (help) - ^ Moondance Alexander at IMDb
- Winter Olympics scores
- World Championships scores
- ISU Grand Prix Finals
- United States Nationals scores
External links
- SashaCohen.com - official website
- Sasha Cohen at U.S. Figure Skating (archived)
- Sasha Cohen at the International Skating Union
- Sasha Cohen at IMDb
- NBCOlympics.com - Profile
- Sasha's U.S. Olympic Team bio - Q&As, photos, wallpapers
- OCFSC - Orange County Figure Skating Club
Navigation
- 1984 births
- Aliso Niguel High School alumni
- American figure skaters
- Figure skaters at the 2002 Winter Olympics
- Figure skaters at the 2006 Winter Olympics
- Jewish actors
- Jewish American sportspeople
- Living people
- Olympic figure skaters of the United States
- Olympic silver medalists for the United States
- People from Newport Beach, California
- People from Orange County, California
- Ukrainian-Americans
- Winter Olympics medalists