2006 Olympic Silver Medalist Sasha Cohen performed one of the most remarkable performances in figure skating history en route to her first Olympic medal in Torino, Italy.
Sasha set her sights on the top prize coming into the competition. She even held the lead after the short program.
A fall on her first jump in the free skate appeared it might have knocked her off the medals podium, as the closest group of women finalists ever was skating in the final group.
But Sasha rebounded with more triples landed than any other finalist and finished just less than eight points short of a gold medal.
Gracious in victory, Sasha also added thousands of new fans to her already worldwide fan base. Most impressive among letters and e-mails of support, were correspondence from members of all branches of the U.S. Armed Services sending their regard to the 2006 U.S. Champion.
Staff Sergeant Vinson E. Batie of the U.S. Army summed up what Sasha meant to the military in this message: “It is people like you, as I have always said, that make my service despite the toils and dangers I face, worthwhile.”
Sasha’s support goes back two years when she adopted a soldier and got her skating friends to join her to show their support.
Sasha enjoyed the rewards of her Olympic success with a whirlwind tour of top TV shows like Jay Leno, Jimmy Kimmell, Ellen DeGeneres and, Live with Regis (Philbin) and Kelly (Ripa) among other premier shows.
While being wooed by many to appear on their shows and to attend their parties, including Oscar parties, Sasha’s focus quickly returned toward training and seeking a World Championship gold medal. She already owns back-to-back silver medals from the past two years.
Sasha embarked on a new season with two new programs, new choreographers, a return to her hometown, and building on the success she earned in world competitions.
She had a magnificent start with a crowd-pleasing performance at the Campbell’s International at St. Paul, Minnesota on October 8. The crowd was on its feet well before she finished her program.
John Nicks, her coach, said it was the best he remembered her skating. “I told Sasha she would be tough to beat skating that well,” Nicks said. That was Sasha’s 12th win in senior competitions.
Sasha culminated the 2003-2004 season with a silver medal at the World Championships in Dortmund, Germany. She has earned victories over every competitor who has medaled in Olympic competition who remain eligible.
Sasha has returned to her hometown of Laguna Niguel, California and has resumed training with her first coach, Mr. John Nicks.
Sasha withdrew from this year’s Grand Prix Series with a back injury.
Sasha is as much an ambassador for her charities as she is for her sport. She is active in promoting her charities and quietly embraces causes for their impact on youth and families.
Among Sasha’s six ISU Grand Prix victories in the past three years is the 2002 Grand Prix Final – the first season she competed in the prestigious series. Sasha has won nine senior international competitions within the past three years, compared to only one previously.”There is nothing more satisfying than getting off the ice and knowing you have become a better skater that day,” Sasha says.
In sports, where first names are synonymous with greatness, Sasha has earned that illustrious status. Sasha, a model-like athlete, had a breakout year during the 2002 season.
Only two months before the season started, Sasha and her family moved from California to Connecticut to train. Last season Sasha traveled weekly to Long Island, N.Y., from her Connecticut home to live with Robin Wagner in Long Island. They would travel daily to Hackensack, N.J., to train.
It provided Sasha an opportunity to be near her beloved New York City. “It’s just gorgeous every time we see the skyline of Manhattan. You get the sense of the excitement. And I have such an amazing appreciation for New York City,†Sasha says. Sasha decided that she was more comfortable with her family and friends and a warmer climate when she announced a year ago in December she was returning home to her roots.
“After the last several years training on the East Coast I have come to the realization that California is my home, and it is time for me to return,” Sasha said. Sasha grew up in Laguna Niguel, Calif., and lived there with her family until she was 17. She moved to the East Coast during the summer of 2002 and began training with Robin Wagner in December 2003.
Sasha performed her first triple-triple combination in competition last season and her technical elements continued to improve to become almost flawless.
Sasha is conscious how valuable good nutrition is to an elite athlete and prepares most of her training food – fruit, cereal, breads, wild oats, yogurt and salads – during her weekly regimen. “My schedule calls for a lot of snacking,†Sasha says.
Sasha is also noted for wearing fabulously designed dresses at her competitions.
She plays an active role in her dress design. She designed her short and freeskate dresses for the Olympics. Designers praised their style.
Her collaboration on her “Swan Lake†dress for her freeskate program was one of the most talked about secrets coming into the 2003-2004 season.
Sasha’s dress for “My Fair Lady”, performed on the 2004 Champions On Ice Tour, received stunning reviews. Just as fabulous was Sasha skating to the role of idol Audrey Hepburn’s Eliza Doolittle in “My Fair Lady”. Sasha received standing ovations on Tour and enjoyed another benchmark in her expanding artistic skating.
Sasha’s success on the ice combined with her popularity off it makes her one of the most sought after representatives of her sport. She was among the finalists for the 2004 Teen People Award, an honor that represents all sports. She has joined the U.S. Figure Skating Association by attending camps to promote the sport.
World-renowned photographer Mario Sorrenti, who spotted Sasha skating at a rink in New York City, photographed her for the high-fashion French V magazine.
Sasha has also been featured in Seventeen magazine with a seven-page layout. She was in the COSMOgirl magazine on newstands in November 2004.
Sasha enjoys an active role in supporting the Connecticut Children’s Medical Center and was the guest of honor hosting a tea that raised money for the children’s hospital. She is a spokesperson with Girls, Inc., and Covenant House.
Sasha also sponsors military personnel who serve in foreign countries through Soldiers’ Angels. Sasha encourages the public and her fans to join her in support of her favorite charities.
