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Despite the transition to Connecticut, Cohen appreciates the rewards of working with Tarasova. Tarasova coached eight skaters to Olympic gold, including 2002 Olympic gold medalist Alexei Yagudin, who also trains in Newington.
Cohen said of Tarasova, "She's just an amazing coach. She's just a really loving, caring person who's giving 110 percent into making you succeed and be a champion. She has the discipline and the intensity to know how to train you and know what she needs to get out of you to be your best. "
Training with Tarasova in Newington is more focused and demanding than Cohen's previous experiences. Yet she is confident her new regimen will lead her to success.
"It's probably the opposite of my training at home. At home, there's 15 or 20 kids in a session. It's really kind of a fun, casual, social event. Everyone just comes and talks in the locker rooms, waits forever in line for music, and then there'd be all different coaches. Sessions are only 45 minutes and then you break and then you skate again," she said. "Here you come, you warm up and it's just you, maybe two other people on the ice. I usually have another coach here with me and they just focus on you. I have an hour-and-a-half session twice a day. It's twice as much skating. Not only that, the level of it is just completely different. That's why I came here, because I came to a point in my skating where I want to accomplish my best. I feel that moving here I can become the best that I can be. "
With physical therapy and back and stomach exercises, Cohen overcame a back injury but today feels strong and healthy. She is currently working on her long program, set to Rachmaninoff's Second Piano Concerto.
"I'm working a lot on my triple-triple combination and it's been improving a lot this past week, as well as lots of program training. Especially before you do a show because that's what you're going to be doing in front of the audience. I'm working on little pieces of choreography to make it look just right," she said. "Also my speed, especially at the end of the program when you're tired, you have to still look quick and have a lot of energy and be sharp. That's hard for everyone. "
Already an accomplished skater at the age of 17, Cohen took home the silver medal at the 2002 U. S. Nationals and placed fourth at the 2002 Winter Olympics. Cohen said the Olympic experience prepared her for the demands of a lengthy season.
"I kind of look at that as the major start of my career," she said. "I was out there in front of the whole world. I gained a lot of experience in the last year. It was such an intense year, by far the most I ever had to handle. Mostly my seasons have been three or four months and this was like an eight- or nine-month season. I think that I can use that experience and it's going to be a lot easier for me this year and in the years to come. "
Cohen already notices the benefits of her move to C. I. S. C.
"I already have quite a lot of improvement. I love skating here with the training environment, awesome coaching and just look at these amazing ice conditions. They push me and push me and I know that I can still do a lot better. I've always been a hard worker and I think that's part of the reason I've gotten as far as I have," she said. "I've never, ever trained this intensely before and what they expect out of me, nobody's ever even come close to asking. It's given me a new gauge to set of what to expect from myself. From their pushing me day after day, I realize I have a new high of what I can accomplish. It's really rewarding to get off of practice and know that I've made some improvement. "
Cohen will perform in an exhibition at C. I. S. C. on Saturday, Sept. 28 at 2 p. m. and 7:30 p. m. Shae-Lynn Bourne, Victor Kraatz, Elena Grushina and Ruslan Gancharov are among the other elite skaters also scheduled to appear.
Reserved bleacher tickets are available at the C. I. S. C. office for $20. Call 665-7825 for more information.
Information for this story also came from www. sashacohen. com and www. ciscusa. com.
