Here's my attempt
First meeting in Turin with then 5 time European champion came about on the territory that has nothing to do with European Championship. Irina was checking herself out in the mirror of a neighboring (to the hotel) boutique, trying on an elegant tight green dress. We asked if we could take a photo. Slutskaya hesitated for a moment, and then sharply said “no”. And then disappeared behind the dressing room curtain.
Irina’s arrival on the ice was anticipated with heavy interest. Most foreign journalists last saw her on the ice almost a year ago in Dortmund, where she placed 9th.
However, after only 1 practice, everyone was certain that the Russian is not capable of not getting the title back, she was that good. Therefore, she would be victorious for the 6th time and be in the same class as great Sonya Hennie and Katarina Witt. And no “buts” about it.
Slutskaya comfortably lead after the SP but the journalists got a few routine answers. Only Salvator Zanke, who knew Irina since her first appearance at the Euros back in 1996 and which she won.
You know, said Zanke to our correspondent, when I started recalling that championship, Irina immediately went back to that little girl. She started to recall how she was scared and how she fell on the salchow and how great it felt to win. And I felt that she is not as arrogant as it seems sometimes. You just need to find a key and her soul opens up.
In the middle of LP, when, to fan’s horror, Irina made unforgiving mistakes and when she stopped for a second, it seemed from her eyes that she was close to leaving the ice. But that was just a moment. Not even a tiny mistake was made for the remainder of the program.
Slutskaya was smiling when she was giving an interview, but you could feel how tense she was.
- Nothing bad has happened. I was very well prepared, trained great, but unfortunately couldn’t escape mistakes. It happens to everybody – it’s not like we are ski racing (I am not sure what she means here). Of course, I am disappointed. Not b/c of the lost gold, but b/c of my skate, which didn’t turn out like I wanted it.
When it became clear that the gold medal was hers after all, Irina was more relaxed.
- I remember my 1st championship very clear. I made the same mistake as here – the triple sal- I was really concerned over the lutz, but I ended up falling on my most sure jump. I was thinking back then _ G-d how lucky I am, I got to be a European Champ. I had not even imagined that I would win the title 6 times in 10 years.
- On the other hand, when I was going to Turin I wasn’t thinking about titles. I was just looking forward to competing at Euros again. I really miss the atmosphere of these competitions. When you don’t make the team – as it happened to me a few times over the years – it’s not too hard to let it go. But when it’s your health, then it’s scary. Maybe I really wanted to get back, to have a great skate. Hence the mistakes.
- But this is sport. You can’t make any predictions. It was also difficult for me that I started winning right away when I came back. This really calms you. It’s not my technique that caused the errors. Wake me up in the middle of the night – I can do these elements, no problems. As far as the gold medal – perhaps it’s for all my suffering, for all those years when I was unfairly placed 4th, for the Olympics. I believe in higher fairness and that you get sooner or later all that was taken away from you.
You mentioned at press conference that you started taking very strong hormones again. Why?
- I don’t think it’s a secret to anybody that I am taking hormones since my illness. At the end of December, when I was almost certain that I could stop taking hormones all together (and I was taking a minimum dosage), I felt bad. After I consulted with my doctor, I was told to increase my dosage immediately. And this affects your entire body, not just legs and head.
- The whole trip was very hard on me. We got here later than anybody, late Tuesday night. Getting here was not easy: we flew to Rome then to Turin. Flights were late, and it took approximately 12 hours altogether. The 1st practice session was at 6:25 am; we didn’t even have a chance to relax.
- Also, I was placed in the same hotel room with Lena Sokolova. It’s not enough that we are competing against each other and that any time together during the competition is additional stress. But how can you not understand that we are adults and we have our own habits. We go to sleep and wake up at different times – additional inconveniences. But we couldn’t get separate rooms right away.
- It was very difficult to wait to compete, knowing that everybody else is done. I still remember how great it was in Malmo when the ladies were almost 1st to finish. It would’ve been great to be able to root for your friends live. Otherwise, you seat in front of TV and think, should I go to sleep, since the practice session is at 6 am.
What was the hardest thing here for you in Turin?
- To pull myself together after all the mistakes.
Yana
Interesting insight on her experience at the European championships.
