Cohen hopes to compete at Vancouver
Leave it to Sasha Cohen to spice things up.
The Olympic silver medalist confirmed Wednesday she is returning to competitive figure skating in hopes of earning a spot at the Vancouver Games. She has submitted paperwork to U.S. Figure Skating that would enable her to compete at Grand Prix events this fall.
"I've been excited," Cohen told The Associated Press by phone from Winnipeg, Manitoba, where she is touring with Stars on Ice. "Every day it's closer and real, so it's very exciting to me."
She plans a formal announcement next week in Los Angeles. David Raith, president of U.S. Figure Skating, did not respond to an e-mail seeking comment.
Cohen's decision first was reported by the Chicago Tribune.
Although Cohen hasn't competed since the 2006 world championships, where she won the bronze medal, her decision to return is a huge boost for U.S. figure skating and could help the Americans avoid an embarrassing showing in Vancouver.
U.S. women have dominated figure skating, winning seven Olympic gold medals, including three of the last five. They've claimed at least one medal at every Winter Games since 1952 except in 1964, which came three years after a plane crash killed the entire U.S. team.
But the Americans have struggled without Cohen and Michelle Kwan, who also hasn't skated since 2006. The U.S. women failed to win a medal at the world championships in March, the third straight year they've gone home empty-handed.
Worse, Rachael Flatt and Alissa Czisny's combined placement was only good enough to earn the Americans two spots in Vancouver, only the second time since 1924 the United States has failed to earn the maximum three spots. The other was in 1994.
Perhaps most troubling, the Americans are no longer a driving force in the Winter Olympics' glamour sport. The star power is now in Asia, where Kim Yu-na and Mao Asada have a captivating rivalry that is sure to carry into Vancouver.
Cohen, however, remains one of the most popular skaters around. She was the main attraction for Stars on Ice, and the speculation about whether she'd return to competition generated more buzz this season than any of the current skaters.
Although she hasn't been competing or even training full-time at a competitive level, touring has kept Cohen in shape. Asada and Miki Ando may have upped the technical ante with triple axels and quadruple jumps, but Cohen has enough technical skill to be competitive if she stays healthy. At a Stars show last month, she was doing triple jumps with ease.
Besides, jumps were never what set Cohen apart as she won the Olympic silver medal, a national title and two silver medals at the world championships. Tiny, beautiful and unbelievably flexible -- former coach John Nicks used to say it was impossible for her to get in an ugly position -- she can be breathtaking to watch.
And, as Kim showed in winning the world title in a rout, beauty still trumps brawn.
Cohen has four more shows after Wednesday night's Stars performance and told the Tribune she'll take some time off afterward to let a foot injury heal. Then she plans to train at Lake Arrowhead, Calif., with Rafael Arutunian, Kwan's old coach.
Because Cohen didn't compete in last year's Grand Prix series, she would have to be invited by organizers of the individual events. Competing at Skate America, which will be Nov. 13-15 in Lake Placid, N.Y., would seem likely, and her presence would help attendance at Grand Prix events in Europe, as well.
Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press
