Slutskaya withdraws from GP series

Flamma · Nov 17, 2003

Irina has decided to withdraw from her GP series COR and NHK. She has been very ill and is slowly recovering from pneumonia, asthma and allergy conditions and a heart problem.

She has decided to focus her training on the upcoming Russian Nationals in January and hopes to earn a spot for Europeans and Worlds.

If you'd like to send a support message to Irina, you can post here:

http://pub178.ezboard.com/birinaslutskayafanforum

These messages are given to Irina every few weeks and I know she'd love to read a message from everyone here.

Mathman · Nov 17, 2003

What a shame. Irina has owned the Grand Prix in years past. It won't be the same without her.

Mathman

nymkfan51 · Nov 17, 2003

This is a disappointment ... I was looking forward to seeing her. However, she has been through so much healthwise this past year ... I just hope she can regain her strength and come back stronger than ever!

Yazmeen · Nov 17, 2003

Doggone it, I so wanted to see Sasha and Irina and Shizuka go head to head in the final!!! Best wishes to Irina for a solid recovery.

KwanFan1212 · Nov 17, 2003

Awww, what a bummer. I was looking foward to seeing her again. I wish her well and I hope she comes back strong for Nats, Euros, and Worlds.

Pookie · Nov 17, 2003

Bummer. . . Irina's been having a rough time. Wishing her all the best and hoping she has a very successful season when she does return.

aguyin2003 · Nov 17, 2003

Fumie was been rumor to withdraw from Cup of Russia, and Mok was withdrew from NHK.

Joesitz (RIP) · Nov 17, 2003

WARNING; This could be considered a partial Spoiler

Here's a headline from the ESPN review of Lalique: Not really a spoiler, I hope. Read no more if you are awaiting the TV show.

B]From the ESPN review:[/B] "Cohen finished ahead of a field of unpolished competitors."

Now, there is no Irina and so many good skaters that are basically out of the GPs with injuries or other personal reasons. The final should be a shoo-in for Sasha.

Joe[

lavender · Nov 17, 2003

You know I was thinking that if Michelle had replaced someone she probably would have been able to go to the gp final 2 years in a row.

sk8ing_lady2001 · Nov 17, 2003

Why is everybody withdrawing? I'm going to miss Irina.

Ogre Mage · Nov 18, 2003

Slutskaya withdraws

This is very unfortunate. The GPF will now be a snoozer because Sasha has no competition.

mpal2 · Nov 19, 2003

Re: Slutskaya withdraws

Ogre Mage said:
This is very unfortunate. The GPF will now be a snoozer because Sasha has no competition.

Sure she does, she has herself.

In all seriousness, I hope Sasha can continue to feel confident in her skating and do well. But the GP does seem extremely empty this season. It was kind of boring last season but I attributed that to a post-Olympic year slump. A time to take it down a notch after all that over-hyped stress. But this year seems to be worse as far as top names in the Grand Prix.

Ogre Mage · Nov 20, 2003

GP

It makes me wonder if they should continue to have a GPF. Maybe they should go back to the days where SA, SC, TL, CoR, etc. were just individual events? Too many skaters are suffering from skating in too many competitions. And the ratings are going down. I am not sure this system is such a good thing.

show 42 · Nov 23, 2003

I agree Ogre, plus without the Grand Prix, many skaters would be on an equal playing field, so to speak. No Grand Prix as a warm-up for your country's nationals or worlds. No one skater or pairs annointed as the "one to beat", more time for injuries to heal before the "real" competitions start.........42

IceCastles1814 · Nov 23, 2003

I'm really sorry for Irina.

She's such a great competitor and nice lady, she is definitely missed in the GP series. She and her family are in my prayers.

I don't know about not having the GP series at all, maybe not the GPF. But, I think that the individual competitions are important for the skaters to put their programs out their and get some recognition that they might not get at their Nats or Euros or Worlds. I'm sure those competitions do matter to many of them. It's a grueling six weeks though, I agree, maybe they should reconsider the schedule somehow. I just think that being able to make a GPF is a goal and an accomplishment that can give skaters more confidence at the bigger competitions.

It's matter of correct training and pacing, but I think in reality, most skaters do make it through the GPF series without incident in general if you look over the last ten years. Everyone will experience an injury or problem in at some time or another, but the skaters who have withdrawn this year, have been strong in previous years. I just think that the amount of withdraws from COR and NHK in Ladies, especially, are a coincidence, rather than a sign of serious problems with the GP series.

Edited to add: Show 42, I think last year showed that the skaters who did well in the GP series (Sasha, G&G, etc.) did not necessarily have the advantage over those who did not compete. Michelle, B&K, L&A (ice dance), L&T all missed the GP series and did not suffer for it at Nationals or Worlds. I don't think in matters as much truly in the top 5 of each discipline from the previous Worlds, IMO.

Mathman · Nov 23, 2003

I am very concerned that Irina may have to curtail her eligible career altogether. Chronic health challenges have a way of getting worse, not better.

About the Grand Prix, I am a big fan of this series. I like to call it the "regular season," with Nationals, Europeans and Worlds as the "playoffs." If some of the big guns choose not to participate, that just gives us more opportunity to see the new guns. Even when one competitor, like Sasha, runs away with it, that's all the better because it sets up an exciting showdown with Michelle later on.

Mathman

euterpe · Nov 23, 2003

But the Cup of Russia was a dismal competition in the ladies event. Elena Liashenko finished 2nd in the FS even though she landed only 4 triples, one of them a 3T that wasn't even clean.

Cup of China wasn't much better, since Onda and Suguri were obviously unprepared for the new season. Liashenko has two gold medals, each earned with a score about 150. 150 wouldn't even have won a bronze medal at Skate America, Skate Canada or Lalique.

Slutskaya withdraws from GP series

Flamma

Mathman

nymkfan51

Yazmeen

KwanFan1212

Joey Votto Fangirl

Pookie

aguyin2003

Joesitz (RIP)

lavender

sk8ing_lady2001

Ogre Mage

mpal2

Ogre Mage

show 42

Arm Chair Skate Fan

IceCastles1814

Mathman

euterpe

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