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The Hilarious Celebration of Women and The Change!
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44
February 16 • 2006
Women's Figure Skating
The balletic, pretty Sasha Cohen, 21,
became almost a household name when
she vied for a medal at the 2002 Games,
She ultimately finished a close fourth,
behind Michelle
KWan (bronze),
Irina Slutskaya
1071850
FREE*
In something of a surprise, the Israeli
ice dancing team of Roman and
Alexandra Zaretski finished high
enough at the 2006 European champi-
onships to qualify for the Olympics.
Roman, 22, and Alexandra, 18, are
brother and sister and originally are
from Belarus.
1080320
(silver) and Sarah
Hughes (gold).
Comparatively
few knew in 2002
that they were
Sasha Cohl in
witnessing a great
moment in Jewish spofts history: Cohen
is Jewish, Hughes' mother is Jewish
(Sarah was raised Jewish) and Slutskaya
has a Jewish father.
Sasha Cohen was born in Los Angeles
to an American Jewish father and a .
Russian Jewish mother. Her father grew
up in an affluent California family, went
to a top law school and was a great col-
lege skier. Her mother had a much hard-
er road. -
Sasha's mother, Galina, studied gym-
nastics and ballet before leaving the
Soviet Union. Sasha says: "My mom and
her parents had to. leave because her •
brother had left, and the government
was really upset. They took away both
my grandparents' jobs:'
Galina and her parents settled in San
Diego. She met Sasha's father when both
were students at University of Califor-
nia-San Diego. The young Sasha was
sent to gymnastics class as a toddler
and hit the ice at 7. In 2000, she won the
silver medal at the U.S. National cham-
pionships; another silver at the 2002
Nationals got her into the Olympics.
Cohen easily won the 2006 U.S.
Nationals, with an injured Michelle
Kwan sitting on the sidelines. She is con-
sidered one of the favorites for a Turin
medal, along with Slutskaya.
Sasha's parents belong to a Reform
synagogue, and her sister attended a
Jewish day school for a time. However,
Sasha confesses that she isn't observant
and that the only Jewish holiday she
really celebrates is Chanukah.
On Sunday, Feb. 12, the injured
Michelle Kwan relinquished the third
women's figure skating spot on the U.S.
team to Emily Hughes.
Emily, 16, is the younger sister of
Sarah Hughes. She grew up in Great
Neck, N.Y., and like Sarah, now a Yale
University undergraduate, Emily is an
excellent student.
A December 2005 profile of Emily. in
the New York Times Magazine depicted a-
very grounded young woman with none
of the prima donna problems that affect
so many figure skaters. Her parents were
portrayed as supportive, without being
overbearing.
Emily's father is originally from
Canada and not Jewish. Her American
mother is Jewish, and the Hughe chil-
dren (three girls and two boys) were
raised Jewish -- albeit with a secular
Christmas celebration.
Emily had a great year in 2005, rising
from the ranks to finish third in the
world junior chaMpionships. Early in
2006, she finished third in the U.S.
Nationals.
The injured Kwan didn't participate in
the 2006 Nationals, but the skating fed-
eration exercised its right to give the
third Olympic team spot to Kwan
instead of Emily. Several commentators
remarked that Emily took her bump
from the Olympic team very maturely.
Irina Slutskaya, 27, is the gold medal
favorite going into Turin. She has won
two world titles, including the 2005 title.
Last month, she won her seventh
European championship. She was the
first Russian (not Soviet) woman to win
an Olympic medal in figure skating and
is considered one of the strongest and
most poised figure skaters of all time.
Slutskaya's background is not untypi-
cal of many Russians with ((Jewish
roots." Ethnic background, after seven
decades of Communism, is usually
more important than religion. Slutskaya,
whose father is Jewish, certainly does
not hide her "Jewish half:" She has trav-
eled to Israel and enjoyed visiting with
her Russian Jewish relatives there.
On the other hand, she has a habit of
crossing herself after completing a skat-
ing routine and married her husband in
a Russian Orthodox ceremony. Says fig-
ure skating writer and novelist Alina
Sivorinovsky (aka Mina Adams),"Cross-
ing is a superstitious habit; Irina, like
most Russians, is not really religious."
LINO
Adam Rosen, 21, competes in the two-
man luge for Great Britain. This is the
first time in many years that the Brits
have qualified a team in this event.
Adam was born in New York and lives in
New York but holds dual citizenship.
Bobsled
Steve Mesler, 27, competes
in.the two-
man bobsled event and is a member of
the first American team in the bobsled.
Born and raised in Buffalo, N.Y., son of a
Jewish mother and non-Jewish father, he
was raised without religion. ❑