Alissa decides to retire from competitive skating. :(
From Icenetwork:
More than six months have passed since Alissa Czisny, one of the most original American skaters of the last decade, made the difficult decision to give up her dream of making the U.S. Olympic team.
The elegant skater's career has been marked by impressive highs and painful lows. Despite these inconsistencies, the two-time U.S. champion and 2010 Grand Prix Final champion remains one of the most beloved personalities on show ice both in her own country and around the world.
The recipe for her wide appeal is multi-faceted. Among them is the sincere pleasure she brings to her performances each and every time she steps on the ice. She brings the highest level of artistry and a deep understanding of music to her skating. She showed all of these qualities in the Stars on Ice tour this year.
Czisny's coaches, Yuka Sato and Jason Dungjen, play an equally important role in the skater's life. Besides skating technique, they have worked a lot on her mental approach. As a result, Czisny has changed many of her previous views on the sport. In turn, she has influenced her coaches in many ways.
"It has been a roller-coaster ride of ups and downs, from the fifth-place finish at worlds in Moscow (in 2011) to a rather unforgettable result in Nice (where Czisny finished 22nd at worlds in 2012) for the exact opposite reasons. The last few years have been spent helping Alissa return from two major surgeries in two years.
"The one thing that always stayed consistent was Alissa's determination to get better, and that still persists to today," Dungjen added.
Dungjen noted that his collaboration with Czisny was the first time he'd worked with someone at her level. It has been a learning experience for not just the skater but the coach as well.
"She helped me realize that if you and your student can work as a team, then anything is possible," Dungjen said. "I have also learned how to deal with adversity as a coach. I realized that no matter how bad something goes, if [the skater has] given all that I have asked from them, then I need to give my all back."
Sato, too, points out how the educational process with Czisny has been a two-way street.
"She is an athlete with true dedication, besides the fact that she is a beautiful skater. She taught us many things," Sato said. "Her dedication as a skater and an athlete made us reassure and reinforce discipline. It's never about just the talent but the work ethic that makes us better, [and] Alissa is the role model of [that]."
There is no doubt that Czisny and her coaches will be left with mostly pleasant memories from the time they spent together.
"She is a kind and loving person. It's been absolutely an honor to have worked with Alissa for the past few years," Sato concluded.
Please check this page for her sweet interview.
I wish her the best in her future! Stay smiling, you gorgeous skater!
ps. new poster here. squee.
From Icenetwork:
More than six months have passed since Alissa Czisny, one of the most original American skaters of the last decade, made the difficult decision to give up her dream of making the U.S. Olympic team.
The elegant skater's career has been marked by impressive highs and painful lows. Despite these inconsistencies, the two-time U.S. champion and 2010 Grand Prix Final champion remains one of the most beloved personalities on show ice both in her own country and around the world.
The recipe for her wide appeal is multi-faceted. Among them is the sincere pleasure she brings to her performances each and every time she steps on the ice. She brings the highest level of artistry and a deep understanding of music to her skating. She showed all of these qualities in the Stars on Ice tour this year.
Czisny's coaches, Yuka Sato and Jason Dungjen, play an equally important role in the skater's life. Besides skating technique, they have worked a lot on her mental approach. As a result, Czisny has changed many of her previous views on the sport. In turn, she has influenced her coaches in many ways.
"It has been a roller-coaster ride of ups and downs, from the fifth-place finish at worlds in Moscow (in 2011) to a rather unforgettable result in Nice (where Czisny finished 22nd at worlds in 2012) for the exact opposite reasons. The last few years have been spent helping Alissa return from two major surgeries in two years.
"The one thing that always stayed consistent was Alissa's determination to get better, and that still persists to today," Dungjen added.
Dungjen noted that his collaboration with Czisny was the first time he'd worked with someone at her level. It has been a learning experience for not just the skater but the coach as well.
"She helped me realize that if you and your student can work as a team, then anything is possible," Dungjen said. "I have also learned how to deal with adversity as a coach. I realized that no matter how bad something goes, if [the skater has] given all that I have asked from them, then I need to give my all back."
Sato, too, points out how the educational process with Czisny has been a two-way street.
"She is an athlete with true dedication, besides the fact that she is a beautiful skater. She taught us many things," Sato said. "Her dedication as a skater and an athlete made us reassure and reinforce discipline. It's never about just the talent but the work ethic that makes us better, [and] Alissa is the role model of [that]."
There is no doubt that Czisny and her coaches will be left with mostly pleasant memories from the time they spent together.
"She is a kind and loving person. It's been absolutely an honor to have worked with Alissa for the past few years," Sato concluded.
Please check this page for her sweet interview.
I wish her the best in her future! Stay smiling, you gorgeous skater!
ps. new poster here. squee.