After winning the Oct. 8 Campbell’s Classic, her first competition of the year, Cohen suffered an injury a few days later, while training for the Skate America competition in Atlantic City, New Jersey and was forced to withdraw. However, she fully expects to be ready for the third Grand Prix, the Trophee Eric Bompard slated for Nov. 17-20 in Paris, France.
Off the ice, Cohen is settling into her first house, purchased in her hometown of Laguna Niguel, California last July. Read on for Sasha’s thoughts on home decorating, cooking, fashion and whether or not President Bush will sit next to her at Opening Ceremonies in Torino.
Q1: I’ve heard that you’ve been taking cooking classes, what’s your specialty? Have you had any bad kitchen experiments?
SASHA COHEN: Breakfast is definitely my specialty. I cook omelets every morning. But I also really enjoy baking for the holidays. I’ll bake cookies, cakes, and soufflés, even truffles. I still haven’t had any kitchen fires or anything like that, but I have overcooked a few things. Usually I get all my recipes by watching the Food Network, but I also like to experiment with new things of my own. I just finished taking a set of classes at a culinary academy in Laguna Beach, but I’m looking forward to taking some more.
Q2: You’ve been a two-time World silver medalist, you just missed the medals in Salt Lake City, what would it be for you to win a medal in Torino and will any medal be a victory for you?
SASHA COHEN: It would be amazing to win a medal in Torino, that’s what I was hoping for in Salt Lake and it didn’t happen – so I’ve just continued to stay focused on that goal. I have my sights set on gold, but any medal would have a special place with me.
Q3: How many different places have you lived since competing in Salt Lake City and now that you have bought a house – are you tuning into Martha Stewart’s Living for decorating tips?
SASHA COHEN: Hmm, let’s see. I’ve lived in Connecticut, New Jersey, Long Island, New York City and now Laguna Niguel, California. Wow, I guess five. It’s so nice to be settled and to have all of my things out of boxes. My house is around two years old and we’re currently working on redoing the landscaping. Right now we’re drilling though the old patio and picking out new furniture for when we finish working on the patio. It’s pretty fun to go through things and decide how you want to decorate. My mom and sister Natasha have been a big help.
Q4: You have said that your coach says, “reporters are sick of little girls in pink dresses trying to do their best.” What does he mean by that?
SASHA COHEN: He means that the media is no longer satisfied with an athlete who is truly just training and skating hard with Olympic dreams. Now, they need a controversy of some sort to write about or they’re not happy. But, he’s toned it down a bit because in competition, there are always microphones around and you have to watch what you say and do all the time.
Q5: It’s been said that the competition on the tour now is more difficult than it’s ever been because skaters aren’t moving into the pro world as quickly as they used to – why is that?
SASHA COHEN: No one really wants to go pro now because there isn’t much interest in pro skating right now – at least, not as much as there could be. The ratings aren’t there and the TV audiences are shrinking. But, it’s also that we’re in an Olympic year and I think that after the Olympics there are always a few skaters who decide that four more years is a long time to work for one event and they decide to go pro or do something else.
Q6: With the Olympics happening only every four years, some athletes joke that time ends after February – do you feel the same way?
SASHA COHEN: I don’t thing that time ends, but I do feel like it’s going to be the end of an era. At this point, I can’t say what it will mean for me. I’m a lot older and a lot more mature this time around, but I also feel like I have so much more to offer – that could be in skating or in something else. But right now, I’m not sure.
Q7: You went to the Olympics at 17-years-old, what do you expect your second experience to be like – will it be like the second time you go to Disneyland or will it be an entirely new experience?
SASHA COHEN: Your first Olympics are special, there’s no doubt about that. The initial excitement is something that will never be the same. Walking into Opening Ceremonies for the first time is amazing and I know that is a time of my life that I’ll never forget. These games will be different and I’ll still be excited because I’ll be in a foreign country and an entirely new perspective.
Q8: Do you expect President Bush to show up next to you at the Opening Ceremonies on Feb. 10?
SASHA COHEN: (Laughs) No, I don’t think that we’ll see him there. That was a big surprise in Salt Lake City, but I’m guessing that he won’t appear at the Opening Ceremonies in Italy. It was probably a lot easier for him to pull that off in his own country.
Q9: On your web site, you have a section for fashion tips. What is the strangest fashion question you’ve received?
SASHA COHEN: I’m not really sure? I get tons of questions from young girls about what’s cute for the season. I’m all about great pieces that add to an outfit, like a good pair of shoes, so those are the kinds of things I recommend to girls and also to be sure that their outfits reflect their personality. Right now, I’m a huge fan of Juicy Couture clothes. They’re just cute, comfortable casual clothes.
Q10: Typically figure skaters only have a limited number of years to compete and make their money. What would you like to do after competitive skating? Perhaps host your own cooking show?
SASHA COHEN: There are a lot of things that I’d like to do. I’d love to live in a New York City apartment, go to NYU and study fashion. Then maybe see what opportunities present themselves. If the Food Network were looking to have me on a show, I’d be into that – it would definitely be fun.
Continue to follow Sasha Cohen through her 2006 Olympic quest via her online journal at http://www.sashacohen.com/.