SI.comより抜粋。
Olympic silver medalist Sasha Cohen withdrew from next month's U.S. Figure Skating Championships on Friday, saying she is taking a temporary break from competition.
Cohen plans to skate at the 2009 world championships in Los Angeles and the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.
"I love the thrill that competition brings, and I'm not ready to give that up,'' she said. "These past few years have been incredibly intense and demanding, so I need a little downtime from competing. I have competed in two Olympics, and there's nothing as thrilling as that, so I know I want to be in Vancouver for the 2010 Olympics.''
Cohen is the defending national champion, but her withdrawal hardly comes as a surprise. She skipped the Grand Prix series and hasn't competed in any major events since last year's world championships, where she won a bronze medal.
Still, her absence means there will be little star power at nationals, which are Jan. 21-28 in Spokane, Wash. Michelle Kwan is off at college, leaving world champion Kimmie Meissner as the overwhelming favorite in the women's competition.
"We will miss Sasha at the U.S. Championships this year, but we respect her decision to take a break from competition,'' said David Raith, executive director of U.S. Figure Skating.
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コーエンとスルツカヤには、是非活躍して欲しい。