Irina Slutskaya will retire after the 2006 Olympics; possibly 2006 Worlds

[euterpe]

Besides flubbing the flip, Irina skated very slowly and deliberately, something I'd never seen her do before or since. It was almost as if she was trying very hard not to make a mistake, and her performance suffered because of it. Irina was flat and listless compared to Sarah's vibrant and energetic performance. If Irina had skated at SLC the way she did at Worlds a month later, she would have won the OGM hands down.

The phone call happened backstage after Irina left the K&C. She was a wild woman, very, very angry.

I've always had mixed emotions about Irina. She shows one face to US journalists, and another when out of the US, and yes, that is her right. She considers herself the best figure skater in the world and thinks that she should be the headliner in COI, not Kwan, and has complained bitterly about not having the "best" spot (the closing act). When she loses a competition, she is not the least bit gracious about it, and blames everyone else, her competitors, the judges, the media, for her loss. In addition to claiming she won the OGM, she has claimed that she should have won Worlds 2001, not Kwan (the judges do not share her opinion, as she got only 2 of 9 first place ordinals).

I hate to think what she will say or do if she does not win Worlds this year (although the chances of that are slim).

When she retires from skating, she plans to work in TV broadcasting. I can just imagine how objective she will be.

 

[Hikaru]

I don't know why Sasha is left out of the conversation. She was supposed to do an Oksana/Tara repeat. She would have been the spoiler. Sarah, imo, was not to be considered as spoiling anything except a spot on the podium. Who really thought that spot would be gold? But she did and deservedly, imo.

Joe

I asked myself the same thing, because at the time of the "People in the news" piece was out, the US Nationals were over, and Sasha had the US silver medal. Maybe it was because Sarah had at that point more international exposure (as a senior skater) than Sasha? I mean, the previous season Sasha was absent because of the back injury, I don't know how many international competitions she had in the 2001-2002 season (not counting Olys or Worlds). Oh, and at the 2002 worlds there was this fluff piece about Sasha, where she said something like "I think more people know me now, because of the Olympics", I guess she was talking that she was known now at an international senior level because of the Olympics.

 

[brad640]

*****CONFESSION*****

I confess to rooting against Irina from time to time during her career. It is not that I don't like her or respect her skating. I think she has contributed to the sport throughout the years, but there is only so much "great spring" and so many Biellmans I can watch before I get bored with her skating. When she is competing against programs that I love, I confess that I hope she will lose.

 

[mzheng]

I hate to think what she will say or do if she does not win Worlds this year (although the chances of that are slim).
.

She might have a different perspective about her skating, something like if she won it would be an 'extra' for 1) She had won one which was always her dream. 2) She has been 'sick', even don't win who can blame her?

But nevertherless I think she will win, as Joe predicted, one way or the other.

 

[chuckm]

I think Irina would be very upset if she didn't win in Moscow. At one time a couple of years ago she spoke of retiring after Worlds in Moscow, and she no doubt expected to retire as the World Champion.

 

[ChiSk8Fan]

I think Irina would be very upset if she didn't win in Moscow. At one time a couple of years ago she spoke of retiring after Worlds in Moscow, and she no doubt expected to retire as the World Champion.

Irina could win in Moscow, then win RN, Euros and Olympics next year and she could retire as Russian, European, World and Olympic champion all at the same time, and skip Worlds 2006.

 

[soogar]

I don't see Irina winning worlds this year and I think she's going to have a very hard time making the podium. Looking at Fumie, Miki and Shizuka along with Cohen and Kwan, Irina is going to have her work cut out for her and her skating has been steadily declining.

FSU reports Miki is going back to her old Firebird program (not that I like that one). Miki has improved a lot within a year and I think that she's going to skate that program with a lot of fire like she's been skating all her programs this year. I think she will take it all in Moscow and be a favorite in 2006. If she doesn't win, my money will be on Sasha. There was something very different about her at Nats this year. I like how she dealt with her mistakes in her programs. She was very relaxed and did not tense up like she normally does. This bodes very well for her. Plus Sasha has it all in spades. While Irina has bigger jumps, Sasha too is an excellent spinner and has more flexibility and line than Irina. Plus Sasha doesn't travel her spins like Irina.

 

[Fossi]

Sasha did have some hype and media going into SLC. I remember a segment on ESPN asking that if Sasha outskated Irina and Michelle, would the judges "let" her win. This was funny to me, because at that point Sasha hadn't come close to outskating Michelle or Irina. She won the SP at Nationals '00, but Michelle fell in the SP so that wasn't as if it was any shock that someone would place ahead of her.

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

Besides flubbing the flip, Irina skated very slowly and deliberately, something I'd never seen her do before or since. It was almost as if she was trying very hard not to make a mistake, and her performance suffered because of it.

I have seen this often. From my view, I see her as a very cautious skater when it comes to both the spins and jumps to the point where I have to say that her skating has no real flow in it. This is the major reason I have never warmed up to her style. However, with the bag full of tricks, I see the judges going for it, which I could accept somewhat, but the judges marking her almost as high as other top tier skaters in the presentation irks me. I think she is way overmarked in that area.

Joe

 

[Doggygirl]

A couple comments...

I don't see Irina winning worlds this year and I think she's going to have a very hard time making the podium. Looking at Fumie, Miki and Shizuka along with Cohen and Kwan, Irina is going to have her work cut out for her and her skating has been steadily declining.

The Ladies comp should be exciting as there are plenty of skaters who are capable of hitting the podium with good skates. I'm not sure I agree that Irina has "steadily declined" this season. She had a very sub par LP at Europeans, but had her highest LP score of the season at COR, and her highest SP score of the season at GPF. Maybe she struggled at Russian Nationals - I'm not sure I recall hearing anything about that. But if we're only talking about the Euro's LP, I'm not sure I would call that a steady decline. Maybe just a bad day. (anyone know how Irina skated at Russian nats? That might change my mind about a "trend")

The other top ladies haven't been without their problems this season, and I would venture to say that overall, Irina has skated more consistently than the others such as Fumie (although I was thrilled for her in 4CC and hope that bodes well), Shiz and Miki. Sasha and Kwan haven't competed much, but I wouldn't say either of them have put down stellar performances at this stage either.

I just hope everybody pulls it together and we have a best of the best comp and not a best of the worst comp!!

DG

 

[Mathman]

I think Irina did have a less than stellar skate at Russian Nationals, compared to some of the performances that she did earlier in the season. I believe that her strongest perfomance was at Cup of Russia. Then the Grand Prix Final was almost as good. Then Russian Nationals (not so strong), then Europeans (she saved disaster by sheer guts and willpower). I think that's what people are referring to when they speak of a "steady decline" over the last couple of months.

Also, somewhere in the middle of all this it was reported that her health problems had flared up and she had to increase the doses of her medicine.

Mathman

 

[Fossi]

Actually, at Europeans Irina was feeling fine. I read that she, herself, said she was feeling fine. She did a great SP, horrible LP, but then did an okay exhibition. I don't think illness can be the excuse. I think she had an off day. Maybe got lazy and knew that after such a lead in the SP she would win?

 

[chuckm]

People who attended Euros reported that Irina was coughing badly every time she came off the ice. She may have been feeling better than she had in late December, a month earlier, but I don't think she is in anywhere near good health.

 

[marymotormouth]

Does anyone know what Amber Corwin's plans are? I can possibly see her retiring after this season.

I wonder if the coughing at Euors was due to her asthma? I thought I read Irina said she was not sick at Euros, it just was a poor skate?

I am not an offical at ISFF, not administrator, nor representative.

Then you may want to have your name removed as Administrator from the front page of the Fan Forum. This may be why people are confused.

http://www.irina-slutskaya.com/fanforum.htm

 

[curious]

The Ladies comp should be exciting as there are plenty of skaters who are capable of hitting the podium with good skates. I'm not sure I agree that Irina has "steadily declined" this season. She had a very sub par LP at Europeans, but had her highest LP score of the season at COR, and her highest SP score of the season at GPF. Maybe she struggled at Russian Nationals - I'm not sure I recall hearing anything about that. But if we're only talking about the Euro's LP, I'm not sure I would call that a steady decline. Maybe just a bad day. (anyone know how Irina skated at Russian nats? That might change my mind about a "trend")




The other top ladies haven't been without their problems this season, and I would venture to say that overall, Irina has skated more consistently than the others such as Fumie (although I was thrilled for her in 4CC and hope that bodes well), Shiz and Miki. Sasha and Kwan haven't competed much, but I wouldn't say either of them have put down stellar performances at this stage either.

I just hope everybody pulls it together and we have a best of the best comp and not a best of the worst comp!!

DG

Irina being off the podium is a wishful thinking on some nonfans part. She may have health problems but she is a great competitor. She will skate well.

 

[jeffisjeff]

Then you may want to have your name removed as Administrator from the front page of the Fan Forum. This may be why people are confused.

http://www.irina-slutskaya.com/fanforum.htm

MMM, I pointed this out to WVgal weeks ago when she was bashing Katt Witt at FSU (something I did not find appropriate from someone who runs Irina's official board). But for some reason WVgal has not bothered to have it changed (she claimed back then that the webmaster is too busy to keep the page up-to-date). But now WVgal is claiming that she never had anything to do with Irina's site:

I have no involvement in Irina's official fan site, never have and never made any claim too.

So now I am really confused. Was she lying before when she had the webmaster list her name on Irina's official site, or is she lying now?

BTW, WVgal is listed not just on the page you linked to, but also on the following page (scroll down to the bottom):

http://www.irina-slutskaya.com/

Can someone please correct me if I am wrong in assuming that this is in fact Irina's official website? And isn't ISFF Irina's official board?

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

Can someone please correct me if I am wrong in assuming that this is in fact Irina's official website? And isn't ISFF Irina's official board?

This is no concern of Golden Skate. That matter should be take up elsewhere.

Joe

 

[jeffisjeff]

This is no concern of Golden Skate. That matter should be take up elsewhere.

Sorry. I figured the topic was acceptable since several other posters were discussing the same point. I apologize for the misunderstanding.

 

[Excidra2001]

This is no concern of Golden Skate. That matter should be take up elsewhere.

Joe

Thank you.

 

[Piel]

With all respect Joe, GS offers links to ISFF on it's sitemap. If posters are confused about information there what's wrong with it being clarified? Does no one want to admit to being the administrator of ISFF? Surely her behavior wasn't that bad, LOL?