Against All Advice, Cohen May Compete

Sasha Cohen, the 16-year-old figure skater from Laguna Niguel and the defending U.S. nationals silver medalist, wants to ignore the advice of her coach, her parents and one doctor and compete at the national championships next week in Boston with a stress fracture in her back.

According to Cohen’s coach, John Nicks, she has been experiencing pain in her back for about three weeks. “It hadn’t been affecting her training,” Nicks said from the Ice Chalet in Costa Mesa, where Cohen trains, “but she aggravated her back over the weekend.

“On Tuesday, her mother [Galina] took Sasha to a doctor in Los Angeles and he found the L5 vertebra had a stress fracture. This doctor recommended Sasha not jump for four weeks.”

After telling her coach of the diagnosis, Nicks said, Cohen left Ice Chalet in tears. She and her mother on Wednesday went to another doctor, who, according to Nicks, agreed with the diagnosis of the stress fracture but told the Cohens that Sasha could continue skating and jumping without exacerbating the injury.

“I don’t think Sasha should compete,” Nicks said. “Her parents agree. But Sasha is a very determined young lady and she very much wants to skate. We’re barely on speaking terms right now because I will not let her practice without a release from the doctor.”

Cohen, in her first appearance at senior nationals last year, charmed the crowd with her elegant, musical skating as well as with her difficult signature maneuver, the Sasha spin.

With the Olympics only a year away, Nicks said that while it is important to make a good impression at the national championships, it is more important not to let any health problems become more serious.

The top three finishers at the nationals will likely make up the U.S. team for the world championships in Vancouver. Because Cohen was too young last year, she did not make the U.S. world team. Cohen has said this year how important it is to her to solidify her reputation with another podium finish at the nationals.

The 1999 U.S. silver medalist, Irvine’s Naomi Nari Nam, another Nicks pupil, has recently finished recuperating from a hip fracture. Nam, who was 13 when she won her silver medal, finished eighth at last year’s nationals and has missed most of this season on the junior circuit with the hip injury.

“Naomi has come on very strong the last two weeks,” Nicks said. “She has all of her jumps back, all the triples through the lutz. I just wish we had another month of practice.”

Nicks said he and Cohen could wait until as late as Jan. 19, just before the women’s short program in Boston, to decide if Cohen will skate. Cohen has to appear in Boston as part of a promotional skating contest with Peggy Fleming.

“But I’d prefer we not compete if she hasn’t been able to practice,” Nicks said. “Doctors do have differing opinions. If there is a positive thing, her second doctor has had experience with other ice skaters.”