Cohen Skates to Gold

She may only be five years old, but Palisadian Grace Cohen is already making quite a name for herself in the world of figure skating. Demonstrating the confidence and poise of someone much older, she won the gold medal at the International Skating Institute’s annual spring competition Sunday at the Toyota Center in El Segundo. It was Cohen’s third first-place finish in six months and she attributes her success to hard work (four morning skates a week) and having fun. “I practiced my routine for a really long time,” said Cohen, who attends kindergarten at Marquez Elementary. “My coaches [Heather McLaughlin and Burt Lancon] teach me the moves and then I practice them.” Could it be that Grace is a natural in the same ilk as her favorite skater of the same last name, Sasha Cohen, who won a silver medal at the 2006 Olympic Games in Torino, Italy? Since she took up the sport a year and a half ago, Grace has progressed to Alpha level, meaning she knows how to execute at least one jump. “My favorite is the Waltz jump,” said Cohen, who is currently participating in Marquez’ Star Camp. “It was one of the jumps I landed in my routine.” Dressed in a custom-made Snow White outfit and performing to “Whistle While You Work,” Cohen was nearly flawless during her one-minute free-skate program, which propelled her into first-place ahead of eight other girls in her category. She was in third place entering the afternoon’s free-skate portion of the competition, having taken the bronze medal in the compulsories (judged on technical proficiency) that morning. Cohen appeared unfazed skating before a packed house, never losing her concentration. “I don’t really get nervous in front of other people,” she confessed. “Sometimes my friends come to watch me and that’s when I want to do my best.” Because of the way her age group breaks down, Cohen frequently finds herself skating against older, more experienced girls. When she turns 7, she will be eligible to start competing in the United States Figure Skating Association. “It would be fun to skate in the Olympics someday,” she confessed. When she’s not on the ice, Cohen lives the life of any other five-year-old, hanging out with her friends, playing games and going to the beach. Some of her competitive spirit is likely born from her desire to keep up with her older brothers, Sam, who plays baseball, and Harry, a tennis player.