A List Of Things Thrown Five Minutes Ago

PEANUT BUTTER AND BANANA SANDWICHES? The WaPo's Sally Jenkins visits the women's figure skating practice.

[edited to add] Our figure skating commentator Gretchen adds these thoughts:

Tonight, when Sasha Cohen skates, she’ll have more on her mind than just the gold medal.

She’ll be thinking about her reputation; is this the year that she cements her image as an unreliable skater, a diva who never delivers, a choker? Or is this the year for her to put those demons behind her, to move past the innuendo and prove that she deserves to be at the Olympics not just for her God-given talent, but also for her hard work?

And since Team USA has fallen apart, she’ll be thinking about her country. If she takes gold, she redeems the nastiness, the failures, the egos of these Olympics. If she takes silver, or bronze, or falls off the podium, she’s the quintessential example of another athlete failing America.

She might be thinking about her groin, where she has reportedly had stiffness and soreness. Is she hiding an injury and skating through pain, or is the skating just taking a toll on her body?

And since Sasha is a glamour girl, she’ll be thinking about the media exposure that’s sure to follow. Will she make it onto the Wheaties box? Will she sign the endorsements that will make her a very rich woman? Will she become America’s Sweetheart? I don’t know if Sasha wants that title; I’m not sure she’d be a very good America’s Sweetheart. She’s been spared that title for the last five years, always skating in the shadow of Michelle. But if she wins, like it or not, that title will be thrust upon her. Will she get caught on camera, like Nancy Kerrigan did, murmuring that this is “so cheesy” while waving to crowds from a float in a Disneyland parade? Or will she handle her title with grace?

And finally, Sasha may be thinking about the new skating system. What happens tonight could make or break the new scoring system. On the Michelle Kwan fan forums, there was a fond daydream that Michelle would come to the Olympics, skate a beautiful, gorgeous performance—the best in the competition, and lose. The outrage would take the COP down with her. This was a long shot with Michelle, but if Sasha skates the technically savvy, artistic program that she’s capable of skating and Irina wins anyway, I predict that the COP will soon get tweaked—or perhaps even fall.

But despite all these distractions, all Sasha needs to think about is her music, the score from the 1960s version of Romeo and Juliet, and her program--perhaps the most beautiful long program in the competition. She needs to think about her extension and creating a gorgeous line. She needs to find the fire to dig her edges deep into the ice, to hurtle herself into the air, to spin faster than any woman ever has—while at the same time, finding the tenderness and tragedy of Romeo and Juliet. If she can do this—if Sasha can tell a story through all of the Biellmans and technical elements and triple jumps—then she will not only be a consummate athlete, but she will also be a gold medalist.