Short program is long on skating excellence

Laguna Niguel's Cohen is second behind Kwan in a four-
way battle for three Olympic slots.

January 11, 2002

LOS ANGELES -- Sasha Cohen skated to the center of
Staples Center on Thursday afternoon and dug her
skates into the ice. This was the moment the Laguna
Niguel teen had waited a year for. This was where she
belonged. With a spot in the Olympic Games on the line
and the eyes of the nation on her, Cohen closed her
eyes and took a deep and confident breath. She would
not be blinded by the glare of the spotlight but
rather would bask in its glow. Cohen, the rebellious
17-year-old, finished second in the United States
Figure Skating Championships ladies short program with
a vibrant, athletic performance that leaves her on the
verge of making the Olympic team and reminded those
watching why so many consider her the next great
American skater. "I don't really think I could have
done much better," Cohen said. True, but if Thursday
was any indication, Cohen might have to be just as
flawless in Saturday night's free skate to earn a
ticket to Salt Lake City. Four-time world champion
Michelle Kwan leads after a day when one of the
greatest series of women's short programs in American
history exceeded expectations.  And it sets up the
most anticipated U.S. women's competition in years as
four world-class skaters will vie for three Olympic
spots Saturday. "They were all wonderful," said John
Nicks, Cohen's coach and a member of nine Olympic
coaching staffs, referring to the performances put on
by Cohen, Kwan, Sarah Hughes and Angela Nikodinov. "I
think it just re-affirmed the United States as pre-
eminent in ladies skating." Nicks said. "We're the
strongest, have the most depth and whoever makes it,
the U.S. is going to have a wonderful Olympic team."
Kwan, bidding for a sixth U.S. title, set the tone
early for four breathtaking performances.  A series of
uninspired efforts this season left Kwan open to
second guessing for her surprise decision to fire
longtime coach Frank Carroll in October. "I need to
stand on my own feet," Kwan said, "and I need to take
control of my skating." Kwan did just that, building
momentum through a moving performance that drew a
standing ovation. Kwan is followed by Cohen, the 2000
U.S. runner-up, with Hughes, last year's U.S. runner-
up and world bronze medalist in third. Nikodinov,
fifth in the 2001 worlds and favored by many for the
third Olympic spot, is fourth. Just how close the
judges view the field is reflected in one judge's
ranking Nikodinov first. Two of the remaining eight
ranked her second. "From my memory it was probably one
of the most exciting groups of short programs even
going back to the world championships," said Robin
Wagner, Hughes coach. "Everybody really skated with
their hearts." But it was Cohen who created the most
buzz with a performance that resoundingly answered any
lingering questions raised by a 2001 season-ending
back injury and a series of uneven recent
performances. Taking the ice after the other three
contenders, and skating to "Sentimental Waltz" by
Doga, Cohen blazed through the 2-minute, 40-second
program brimming with confidence and flair. "I didn't
see the other skaters (compete)," Cohen said. "I just
focused on my program, focused on the pattern in my
head, and I knew if I did that everything would come
together." Had she not opened with a triple-
lutz/double-toe-loop combination instead of a triple-
lutz/triple-toe-loop as planned, Cohen might be in
first place.  It was rare display of caution by a
skater who has taken a pedal-to-the-metal approach to
her sport. Cohen led after the short program at the
2000 U.S. Championships and then came within seconds
of upsetting Kwan, but fell on her final triple jump.
But when she missed last year's competition with a
cracked vertebra, many began to question whether she
wouldn't ultimately end up a victim of her own
ambition. In recent weeks the headstrong Cohen
continued to clash with Nicks, a self-described
conservative Englishman and one of the world's
foremost coaches. They butted heads over Cohen's
desire to attempt a quadruple salchow this week, a
jump never landed by a woman in competition.  Nicks
won that argument, but they also clashed over her
insistence that she skate to "Carmen" in Saturday's
free skate, which is worth two-thirds of the final
score. Cohen prevailed on that one. "Sometimes she can
be extremely difficult to coach," Nicks said. "She
does have a mind of her own." Then Cohen stepped into
the spotlight Thursday and reminded Nicks and her
sport why she is worth the headache. "When she skates
like this," Nicks said, "everything is forgiven."