Irina Slutskaya will win in Torino | Page 6 | Golden Skate

Irina Slutskaya will win in Torino

wvgal57

On the Ice
Joined
Aug 23, 2003
I tried to edit by post above but it got lost.

This post is to respond to the incorrect things being posted about Irina and her medications.

To whoever posted about Irina being able to skate med free for most of last year, you are correct. She was able to skate until early January before she had any symptoms or her CS reoccur. Her illness is not curable only managed with medication and can be in remission for months at a time.

I read this "pulse dosage" "intranasal pumping of steroids" being put out here by someone who knows nothing about how Irina is being treated or even IF she is remission at this time.

I'd caution that unless you are a member of Irina's medical staff (and if you are you would not be posting her confidential medical information) or are in a position to know these things (which you are not,) then you have no business posting these things "as fact" on any message board or boards. Posts such as these are carried board to board and the next thing you know the big lie is snowballed. I really believe that this posting is intentional too, to try to make people think Irina is trying to pull something over on people. I'll remind you that Irina was putting out great skates a long time before she ever got sick and was diagnosed with vasculits and CS.

Irina is doing nothing illegal and she is not using anabolic steroids. She is not sniffing or pumping performance enhancing steroids up her nose. She's been asthmatic all of her life and like many Olympic athletes controls her asthma with approved medication that might include USE of an inhaler. My husband uses an inhaler and it sure never gives him any burst of energy, it does help him by allow him to get a full breath into his lungs..

Any medication Irina has used has been approved by the ISU, RF and IOC. Irina is doing nothing illegal nor is she using performance enhancing anabolic steroids.
 
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attyfan

Custom Title
Medalist
Joined
Mar 1, 2004
I read an article (that I can't find now, or I would post it) that said that prednisone actually makes training more difficult, because the muscles take longer to recover.
 

Excidra2001

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
attyfan said:
I read an article (that I can't find now, or I would post it) that said that prednisone actually makes training more difficult, because the muscles take longer to recover.

I am no doctor or physician, but thats what I read as well. Plus people who have been on (prednisone, the medication Irina is on) have reported that it actually works against you.
 
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Excidra2001

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
mzheng said:
According to the interviews they run around the time, her 'stumbled' a little at Euros was the time she stopped the medicine she has been taken for her sickness. Her doctor prescribed her medicine as 'pulse dose' because the consistant dose of this type medicine cause long term bad effect to bones. By the time worlds around, she was put back on the medicine again.

Okay, I do not understand here. Is your above post according to you or an interview? Since I do not believe its according to an interview, your telling us(people who don't much about Irina's medical condition or the kinds of medication she takes) indirectly that it was the medication that helped her skate as well as she did in Moscow? What you wrote above could be interpreted as a FACT(even though you wrote it as that, fact) by someone who does not know much about Irina's medical condition, or medications.
I do not think its fair to Irina that people like you are going around spreading all these facts, which are false, as corrected by two posters on this thread.
As you know, a lot of MK fans believe your reports in regard to MK to be 100% true. I would go on to speculate that they would believe you if you copied and paste your above post to MKF.
Its not fair to these skaters(including MK, who took a big hit with her injury) when a few people decide to play doctor and spread all these false facts,misdiagnoses, and etc.
 
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Doggygirl

Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 18, 2003
euterpe said:
Irina was VERY slow all through the first half of the program, and she literally stumbled out of the flip. All during the GP, Irina was acting out "Tosca" and showing all sorts of emotion, but at SLC she was flat--no interpretation, no theatrics. She skated so cautiously it made me wonder if that was Irina out there on the ice. SLC was the second-worst performance of "Tosca" she'd done all season (the worst being the GPF which she won with just 4 triples and lots of mistakes).

If Irina had skated "Tosca" the way she did at Worlds 2002 just a month later, she would have deservedly won the OGM. But she didn't, and her subpar performance at SLC was not deserving of an OGM.

Just to clarify, you're talking about your impressions from the 2001/2002 season, right?

DG
 
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MKbeauty

Rinkside
Joined
Mar 22, 2004
"Originally Posted by wvgal57
Her short program was absolutely flawless and was placed second to a flawed Kwan. "

You know, I've never really understood all the "Michelle skated a flawed SP" comments. She slipped slightly on the landing of her flip, but otherwise, it was a clean jump with a very minor deduction. And IMO, Michelle's Rach program is one of the most well-choreographed SP's of all time, and she performed it beautifully. They both skated well, it was a close call - a 5/4 split which happened to end in Michelle's favor.
 
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mzheng

Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 16, 2005
Well there is another disscussion went on here:

http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/SkateFans/messages/154796?threaded=1&viscount=-30.

ppl take the medicine have different reaction to the medicine.

Irina said herself after worlds SP that she was so nervouse to take the ice that she forgot taking inhale of her medicine before step on the ice....that's where I know she took inhale form....and there are different side effects reported by ppl took in different form....As I said in another board as well, it's ISU call, if they ruled it's legal then it's legal. And as another poster on that same board posted, actually only ihnale form is legally allowed under doctor's prescription. This conjuncts with the form she's taking, but ppl are allowed to speculate or not?
 

Tonichelle

Idita-Rock-n-Roll
Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 27, 2003
Joesitz said:
It wasn't meant to be the definitive reason for the set back in figure skating. It will be a factor though along with silly costumed, dumb looking, pro skaters many of whom have Oly medals and all have been Olympians suddenly wanting to turn figure skating into some sort of nonsensical sport.

How did I miss this before???? DUMB looking? Certainly some pro skaters have had some really out their programs... but most of the artistry of the sport can be found in the pro skaters... not in the top names of the olympic eligible!
 

Excidra2001

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
mzheng said:
Well there is another disscussion went on here:

http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/SkateFans/messages/154796?threaded=1&viscount=-30.

ppl take the medicine have different reaction to the medicine.

Irina said herself after worlds SP that she was so nervouse to take the ice that she forgot taking inhale of her medicine before step on the ice....that's where I know she took inhale form....and there are different side effects reported by ppl took in different form....As I said in another board as well, it's ISU call, if they ruled it's legal then it's legal. And as another poster on that same board posted, actually only ihnale form is legally allowed under doctor's prescription. This conjuncts with the form she's taking, but ppl are allowed to speculate or not?

Please correct me if i'm wrong, but I was under the impression whatever she inhaled before her SP was for her asthma. You could ask questions regarding her medications, or you could tell people you are speculating when you post information regarding someone's medical condition or medications. Its not fair to anyone to find out that people are spreading lies about them. You know as well as I do that the skating world is small and word does get around.
The next time you decide to speculate on someone's medical condition, or medications, maybe you could put a disrection sign up.
 

Ladskater

~ Figure Skating Is My Passion ~
Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 28, 2003
SkateFan4Life said:
IMHO, Irina Slutskaya will win the Olympic gold medal if she stays on her feet and presents two clean programs. She seems to be the judge's favorite, and as a European who will be competing in an Olympics held in Europe, she will have a sort of home-court advantage. Her artistry leaves something to be desired, but she's one fierce, determined competitor, and she unleashes triples with a lot of speed, power, and confidence. As the defending World Champion, she is the favorite, as far as I'm concerned.

Remember that Irina nearly won the gold medal in Salt Lake City. Two of the judges awarded her 5.9 for technical merit, which was way too high (IMHO), as she made several errors in her long program. However, those judges were from Europe, and they love Irina. Things may be different now, but I believe the judges will bend over backwards to give her the gold medal. This will be her third Olympics, and, well, at the age of 27, it may well be her last.


Hmmmm....do you have a crystal ball? Seems a bit early for predictions. Anything can happen and will....
 

BronzeisGolden

Medalist
Joined
Jul 27, 2003
And IMO, Michelle's Rach program is one of the most well-choreographed SP's of all time, and she performed it beautifully.

"Rach" from 98 was an exceptional program. Legendary, IMO, even. But, "Rach" from 02 did not have the same magic to me. She skated it as well as she could (which was great!), but Michelle was a different skater 4 years later. The judges were tired of "EOE", but I always was a bit disappointed that she brought back "Rach". At any rate, I thought Irina had the slight edge in the SP in SLC.....but that is neither here nor there now.
I'm also over the whole veiled "Irina MAY be performing so well b/c of these enhancing drugs" thing. Is there any medical/scientific proof that even suggests it may enhance athletic performance? None has been provided here. Give her a break! Everyone and their mother knows she is taking this drug....if it ever is discovered that it enhances performance, Irina will pay for it by having that asterik forever by her name.
 
Joined
Aug 3, 2003
Well said, BronzeisGolden and ITA. Criminy, if Elena Berezhnaya can be disqualified from Worlds for taking an over-the-counter cold medication, wouldn't you think the ISU and especially the IOC would be all over Irina's meds like white on rice?

Tonichelle ITA that though the pro ranks have always had their clowns and strippers, the vast majority of pro skaters do their best and most creative work as pros rather than as eligibles. Paul Wylie was just another inconsistent skater until winning the '92 Olympic silver allowed him to start a pro career. True, the Oly silver got him the recognition, but the Paul Wylie we love as a skater is based entirely on his pro programs and performances.

I would also say that Kristi, Kurt, G&G, Bechke&Petrov, Roca&Sur, Yuka Sato, Surya Bonaly, Roz Sumners, Katerina Witt, and Midori Ito, to name just the ones I can think of, all really blossomed as pros. Sure Scott Hamilton was popular as an eligible, but it wasn't until he produced a place for himself and other World and Olympic medalists to work in a professional environment in which both the technical and creative standards remained high.

I can't recall much about Kristi's OGM-winning LP, but I will never forget her professional program to "Bridge Over Troubled Waters."

Michelle, IMO, had a unique experience from '96 through 2001 when Lori Nichol was her choreographer. Michelle's programs had the creativity of a pro's with the technical content of an eligible skater's. I'm dying to see what Tarasova choreographed for Michelle, and even though I'm far more pleased with Michelle's skating since '03 and her FW sequences are mini-masterpieces, the rest of "Aranjuez," "Tosca," and "Bolero" have been generic skating choreography to warhorse music, IMO.

Personally, I think Kwan could outKwan Kwan as a pro under the right conditions. Given the guidance and license to be creative, I think Michelle would be so phenomenal as a pro--and I don't mean just one program at the end of the show--that the ISU would have no choice bu to "make friends" with pro skating if they wanted their sport to stay afloat. JMO.

Of course we all know how right I was about the creativity the COP would bring about.:rofl:

Rgirl
 

euterpe

Medalist
Joined
Sep 4, 2003
The information I had about Irina's medication last year came from Irina herself. She said she'd been weaned off the prednisone but had to go back on it after the GPF because she'd begun to feel ill again. The doctors had to put her on heavy dosage to get her back into remission, and the fatigue, fluid retention and weight gain negatively affected her at Russian Nationals and Europeans. By Worlds, she had re-adjusted to being back on medication and was able to skate well. But there's no doubt that Irina's medication does not enhance performance in any way.
 

R.D.

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
As for the Irina steroids debate, I'll take the word of people who have actually been on the medication that it actually does the opposite of enhancing your performance. JMO
 

curious

Final Flight
Joined
Aug 15, 2003
BronzeisGolden said:
"Rach" from 98 was an exceptional program. Legendary, IMO, even. But, "Rach" from 02 did not have the same magic to me. She skated it as well as she could (which was great!), but Michelle was a different skater 4 years later. The judges were tired of "EOE", but I always was a bit disappointed that she brought back "Rach". At any rate, I thought Irina had the slight edge in the SP in SLC.....but that is neither here nor there now.
I'm also over the whole veiled "Irina MAY be performing so well b/c of these enhancing drugs" thing. Is there any medical/scientific proof that even suggests it may enhance athletic performance? None has been provided here. Give her a break! Everyone and their mother knows she is taking this drug....if it ever is discovered that it enhances performance, Irina will pay for it by having that asterik forever by her name.



yes,we wouldn't be hearing such accusations if michell had Irina's illness. she would be called a hero for skating with a serious illness such hypocrisy:biggrin:
 

Piel

On Edge
Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 27, 2003
In a previous thread Rgirl gave an excellent explanation of the differences between corticosteroids that are given for Vasculitis and anabolic steroids that enhance performance. As for corticosteroids including Prednisone somewhere I read one doctor describe them as trading one illness for another because of all of the bad things the corticosteroids do to the body. I am not a fan of Irina's skating at all but I have to hand it to her for being able to train and compete with her illness. I was diagnosed with Vasculitis 10 years ago and have been off and on Prednisone during that time and believe me it is no picnic. My experience and Irina's even though the same disease and the same medication probably have more differences than similarities. That is one reason why I think it is not a good idea to speculate about someone's illness. There are so many variables, each person's experience is unique to them.
 

curious

Final Flight
Joined
Aug 15, 2003
Is perfectly okay to be upset that your fave can't skate because of an injury,but to go as far as suggesting that a skater you don't like only wins(like alot of people are doing at MKF)because she is taking an illegal medicine is PATHETIC:biggrin:
 

gezando

Final Flight
Joined
Jul 30, 2003
curious said:
Is perfectly okay to be upset that your fave can't skate because of an injury,but to go as far as suggesting that a skater you don't like only wins(like alot of people are doing at MKF)because she is taking an illegal medicine is PATHETIC:biggrin:

Curious, why drag MKF here, if you have any beef with them go over there and state your case

I believe you that there are people who claim Irina is taking steroids for performance enhancement. People who are saying Irina is taking steroids for performance enhancement are IMO belong to one of the following:

Group 1. ignorant, and can't tell anabolic (testosterone like) steroid from corticosteroid (e.g. prednisone for treatment of inflamatory processes)
or
Group 2. Mean spirited

There are people here at GS who accuse Michelle of bribing her orthopod to lie about her injury. IMO the ones who are accusing MK of lying are just simply group 2 mean spirited.

You can only make a case of hypocrisy if the same person accuses MK of lying but fully believe Irina is sick

or

If the same person believes MK is truly injured but accuses Irina of taking meds for performance enhancement.
 
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Joined
Aug 3, 2003
Piel said:
In a previous thread Rgirl gave an excellent explanation of the differences between corticosteroids that are given for Vasculitis and anabolic steroids that enhance performance. As for corticosteroids including Prednisone somewhere I read one doctor describe them as trading one illness for another because of all of the bad things the corticosteroids do to the body. I am not a fan of Irina's skating at all but I have to hand it to her for being able to train and compete with her illness. I was diagnosed with Vasculitis 10 years ago and have been off and on Prednisone during that time and believe me it is no picnic. My experience and Irina's even though the same disease and the same medication probably have more differences than similarities. That is one reason why I think it is not a good idea to speculate about someone's illness. There are so many variables, each person's experience is unique to them.
Brava, Piel! Truly excellent post from both an objective and subjective POV. IMO, the definitive post on the subject of Irina, her illness, and her meds.:agree:

Rgirl
 

curious

Final Flight
Joined
Aug 15, 2003
gezando said:
Curious, why drag MKF here, if you have any beef with them go over there and state your case

I believe you that there are people who claim Irina is taking steroids for performance enhancement. People who are saying Irina is taking steroids for performance enhancement are IMO belong to one of the following:

Group 1. ignorant, and can't tell anabolic (testosterone like) steroid from corticosteroid (e.g. prednisone for treatment of inflamatory processes)
or
Group 2. Mean spirited

There are people here at GS who accuse Michelle of bribing her orthopod to lie about her injury. IMO the ones who are accusing MK of lying are just simply group 2 mean spirited.

You can only make a case of hypocrisy if the same person accuses MK of lying but fully believe Irina is sick

or

If the same person believes MK is truly injured but accuses Irina of taking meds for performance enhancement.



like you can argue anything there without being attacked lol!
 
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