Irina Slutskaya will win in Torino

[mzheng]

If Yu-Na Kim gets a triple axel and a more solid triple-triple I think she could be the one to overtake Asada. I saw Kim at the World juniors last year, and some other junior events she was in, and I lurved here skating!!!!!

I think so too....Kim's skating looks more naturally to me. I watched both programs from JWC last seasons.

 

[R.D.]

Irina will win in Torino, provided that she doesn't self-destruct on the ice. Sasha may win the silver, but I just don't think she will win the gold - unless Irina bombs in her long program. Michelle has me worried, too. I honestly doubt if she will even win a medal at Torino, and that would be a sad way to end her Olympic career. I'm assuming of course, that Michelle won't stay in the game for another long four years!!

I'm inclined to agree, and I feel the same way. But I think Cohen has a great chance at a bronze medal. I think she would have to do pretty badly in order not to medal.

ETA: Agree about Kwan. She could play spoiler, actually. None of us REALLY know what condition she is in. I'm not ruling out a comeback, actually.

 

[LBC]

Everything depends on health. Look at what happened to Plushenko last year?
Miki got hurt at NHK it seems but not seriously. We know Michelle is still recovering from her hip injury and Sasha had one earlier. Irina has been lucky so far with injuries(knock on wood). She's got her illness which could be called an injury in itself but not any skating related injuries this season. She's skating about as well as she can right now. Can she keep that up? I have to think she'll skate at least one so so performance. Will the other skaters get better? Who knows. Anything can happen. A fall in the SP and Irina is back with everybody else and no lead.

 

[SkateFan4Life]

When all is said and done, I still think Irina will win the gold in Torino, provided that she's healthy, uninjured, and skates two good programs. IMHO, 2006 will be her Olympics. Three is the charm, they say!

 

[R.D.]

I dunno. I'm somewhere in the middle. I think Irina has an OVERWHELMING chance to win the OGM (like 80-90%). However, at the same time, I'm of the thought that anything can happen.

 

[havanamesa1]

Irina has already won. Who are we kidding?

 

[Bynx]

Irina WILL NOT win OGM!

Skating God's have been more than tempted.
Irina will medal but she will not win!

 

[R.D.]

Irina WILL NOT win OGM!

Skating God's have been more than tempted.
Irina will medal but she will not win!

...and by posting this, you're swinging the pendulum RIGHT back

 

[SkateFan4Life]

When all is said and done, I retain my opinion that Irina Slutskaya will win the gold medal at Torino!

 

[Kwanford Wife]

When all is said and done, I still think Irina will win the gold in Torino, provided that she's healthy, uninjured, and skates two good programs. IMHO, 2006 will be her Olympics. Three is the charm, they say!

Ok, help me out here... isn't this Irina's fourth olympics? Didn't she compete at the '94 games & skate that Chaplin number in the black & white? For some reason, I seem to remember her being there & placing either fifth or seventh... Have I totally lost my mind??? Is my age showing??

 

[nicole_l]

Irina's results
Nope, she was still a Junior in '94.

 

[Kwanford Wife]

Irina's results
Nope, she was still a Junior in '94.

Thanks so much... that's been bugging me for the last couple of weeks... i know, i have way too much free time!

 

[klykhorkina]

Absolutely, Iryna will win,:agree: and can't wait to see kwan lose again...

 

[SkateFan4Life]

Ok, help me out here... isn't this Irina's fourth olympics? Didn't she compete at the '94 games & skate that Chaplin number in the black & white? For some reason, I seem to remember her being there & placing either fifth or seventh... Have I totally lost my mind??? Is my age showing??

You haven't lost your mind - maybe I've lost my mind!! I think Irina skated the Chaplin number at Nagano, when she was 18 years old, but I could be mistaken. I know she won the bronze medal at the 1996 Worlds - her first medal - at the age of 16. Maybe that's when she skated the Chaplin number???

 

[SkateFan4Life]

Just caught Irina Slutskaya's Cup of Russia short program on ESPN the other night. IMHO, this woman will win the gold medal at Torino in a walk.

Her spiral is extremely difficult - she clutches her skate overhead and changes edges halfway through the move - her spins are fast and crisp, and she gets a great deal of height in her jumps.

When asked by Peter Carruthers what she plans to do in the next 75 days to prepare for the Olympic competition, she answered, with a confident smile, "I plan to keep training hard to improve everything."

As far as I'm concerned, the real battle will be for the silver and bronze medals.
The gold medal has already been booked by Irina, barring injury or illness.

 

[R.D.]

Here's to hoping for an upset, like the past two Olys.

 

[slutskayafan21]

Here's to hoping for an upset, like the past two Olys.

An upset would be none of Slutskaya, Cohen, Kwan, or even Arakawa(she is a recent World Champion)winning. So somebody like Kostner or Suguri?

 

[chuckm]

At this point, Michelle winning would be a major, major upset.

 

[slutskayafan21]

At this point, Michelle winning would be a major, major upset.

Ok you are right, but do you think the U.S media/announcers/insiders would treat it as a major upset if it happened?

 

[attyfan]

Ok you are right, but do you think the U.S media/announcers/insiders would treat it as a major upset if it happened?

Probably, yes. After all, if any American is being "hyped" as a potential OGM, it is Sasha, so if Michelle wins it, she will get the same hype as Tara did, even though Tara was the reigning World champ.