Despite rumors that she would pull out of the 2010 U.S. Championships in Spokane, Wash., which circulated long before the event started on Jan. 14, Olympic silver medalist Sasha Cohen took the ice Wednesday for her first official practice session. It marked the first time Cohen has been in a competitive atmosphere since winning the bronze medal at the 2006 World Championships.
In her short program run through, she landed her opening triple Lutz-double toe combination to the music of “Espana Cani” before falling on her next jump, the triple flip. Cohen had a wobble on the landing of the double Axel as well, a jump that troubled her throughout the practice session.
The highlight of her program run-through was the trademark spiral sequence that sent photographers into a clicking frenzy. Cohen also performed difficult spins, including a Biellmann spin, which will the judges will likely award a Level 4 with positive grades of execution.
Cohen also landed several triple Lutzes and triple flips outside of the run-through. Her coach John Nicks told the media that the flip has been secure in the practices leading up to the event, as have most of her triple jumps.
Cohen declined to speak with journalists following her practice. But before she left for the event, she wrote in her blog: “I definitely have butterflies about competing again. I’m excited about the challenge. I’m a little nervous, of course, but really excited to be back in the competitive atmosphere.”
The ladies short program is Thursday.
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