Is Irina getting a bye to Olympics too?
- Thread starter FreeKatie
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- Joined
- Dec 19, 2005
Yes since she is their best skater.
- Joined
- Jul 28, 2003
1. What do you mean "a rumor"? Russian Nationals have passed, you can read about the results on this very forum. So it's no rumor, it's an established fact.
2. Russian Federation never claims to use Nationals as the only criteria. Yagudin, for example, was famous for skipping on Nationals - perhaps the Russian federation should not have sent him to SLC.
3. Irina does plan to go to Europeans, so she can show what she can do there.
4. While I do support USFSA sending healthy Michelle to Turin instead of the bronze medalist, I'd like to point out that Irina's case is quite different. Irina won both her GP events, got silver at GPF, and is the current World champion. Any federation that wouldn't send a skater like that to the Olympics should get themselves checked into a mental institution ASAP (IMHO).
2. Russian Federation never claims to use Nationals as the only criteria. Yagudin, for example, was famous for skipping on Nationals - perhaps the Russian federation should not have sent him to SLC.
3. Irina does plan to go to Europeans, so she can show what she can do there.
4. While I do support USFSA sending healthy Michelle to Turin instead of the bronze medalist, I'd like to point out that Irina's case is quite different. Irina won both her GP events, got silver at GPF, and is the current World champion. Any federation that wouldn't send a skater like that to the Olympics should get themselves checked into a mental institution ASAP (IMHO).
- Joined
- Jan 7, 2006
How can you ever think of not letting The Best Skater to compete? Why? What do you think, who was the best in Salt Lake Sity? Do you really think it was Sarah Hudes...?!? O,please...So, if Sarah Huges is so good, where is she now? She is a type of skater: "I'll become a champion once, then I'll be gone". Ira is ready to fight for this Gold, and no matter what she does there, she deserves it, you must agree... :yes:
- Joined
- Jul 27, 2003
anything_for_skating said:
Well, I don't think Irina deserves an Olympic gold medal any more than Kwan does. Kwan has done it better and longer than Slutskaya.
According to those pesky rules Hughes was the best as determined by the judges in SLC. Do I personally think Sarah was the best? Of course not, Kwan was.
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- Mar 28, 2005
I believe Irina deserves an Oly gold almost as much as Michelle. She has been around just as long, both came on the scene in 94 as juniors, and 95 as seniors, and won their first World medals in 96 as seniors, so I dont know where this "doing it longer" comes into play, in fact one could say Irina has done full skating seasons including the GP series longer than Michelle. 
Overall her career she has almost as much success. Sure she has 2 World titles to Michelle's 5, but Michelle had to come from behind after the short program to win close decisions to win 2 of those, Michelle herself was close to winning an additional one(97). Irina has 6 World medals despite having to miss a couple of Worlds due to varying circumstances and be at 1 she could barely skate given her health condition, Kwan has 9 having been able to attend each in full health so far. Irina has the best record at the GP final, Kwan has chosen to bypass this a few times, but head to head there is 3-2 Irina, and Irina has 3 of her 4 GP final wins with Kwan in the field, Irina's European record is now challenging records just as Kwan's U.S Nationals record. I honestly feel Irina comes fairly close to Kwan's career success, she has been around just as long, and she clearly is the one skating better and more prepared for success now.
So in a way she probably deserves it more.
Overall her career she has almost as much success. Sure she has 2 World titles to Michelle's 5, but Michelle had to come from behind after the short program to win close decisions to win 2 of those, Michelle herself was close to winning an additional one(97). Irina has 6 World medals despite having to miss a couple of Worlds due to varying circumstances and be at 1 she could barely skate given her health condition, Kwan has 9 having been able to attend each in full health so far. Irina has the best record at the GP final, Kwan has chosen to bypass this a few times, but head to head there is 3-2 Irina, and Irina has 3 of her 4 GP final wins with Kwan in the field, Irina's European record is now challenging records just as Kwan's U.S Nationals record. I honestly feel Irina comes fairly close to Kwan's career success, she has been around just as long, and she clearly is the one skating better and more prepared for success now.So in a way she probably deserves it more.
slutskayafan21 said:I believe Irina deserves an Oly gold almost as much as Michelle. She has been around just as long, both came on the scene in 94 as juniors, and 95 as seniors, and won their first World medals in 96 as seniors, so I dont know where this "doing it longer" comes into play, in fact one could say Irina has done full skating seasons including the GP series longer than Michelle.
So in a way she probably deserves it more.
Too bad the Olympics doesn't give charity medals. The skater who has the best performance deserves the OGM. Michelle and Irina have already gotten their just rewards from the sport. If either of them deliver a winning performance, they will earn an OGM.
Though most likely it will be another skater delivering the winning performance.
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- Mar 28, 2005
soogar said:
Naw Irina is most likely too.
GP final was a "bad" outing for her, yet would still be about equal with a typical Sasha effort(say Sasha has a clean short, Irina did not at GP final, where Sasha has a few stumbles in long, Irina did not at GP final)and a close vote would go to the reigning World Champ likely. Arakawa with her cheated triple flip demoted to a double all the time, that she is not doing 3/3s in the long, and has had a few small mistakes in every long so far this year, could be beaten by Irina's "bad" outing at the GP final. Kwan, Kostner, Suguri, likely to beat her at this point? Nyet. Yet the scary part for these skaters is Irina is likely to skate better than she did at the GP final, making an upset even less likely.
anything_for_skating said:
Sorry, I STRONGLY disagree with that statement. She needs to EARN that win, and if she doesn't, you bet there'll be resistance. And another scandal is the LAST thing skating needs right now.
REMEMBER that an OGM goes to the best of that EVENT, not the one with the best record.
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- Mar 28, 2005
Red Dog said:
To be honest I have a picture in my mind of Arakawa being the one to do a stunning free program like the 2004 Worlds, and Slutskaya doing a cautious program with 1 or 2 mistakes or popped jumps, and Irina winning. At first thought that would seem like it should be a huge controversy; but then again Sasha did a cautious program, with one totally blown jumps, a couple of shaky landings, and still almost beat Arakawa's stunning FS at the 2004 Worlds, so who knows.
anything_for_skating said:
Hey, at least Sarah made an effort to come back the following season to try and win the Nationals and/or Worlds, and tho the attempt at either wasn't succesful, at least she TRIED to add to that Olympic Gold, which is more than can be said of either Oksana Baiul or Tara Lipinski, who each had one fantastic 11-month period then were pretty much outa there.
- Joined
- Jan 7, 2006
What is so special in Kwan, so she deserves Gold more then Ira? Irina is was (as I know) sick and she did everything from the begining! She came back and in her home city on Worlds 2005 she produced a PERFECT PROGRAM! I am not saying that she should do nothing and win on the Olympics, but if you are looking at all hard work AND at 2002 Olympics (I am repeating: IRA WAS THE REAL WINNER), she really should be Olympic Champion, and even more then that! She IS the best! BTW, don't forget that after everything that happened to her, she won Worlds, and at the same time-Kwan finished 4th. Carolina Kostner was 3rd. I think that she will fight for a medal, too. And she is good enough to get it. Personaly, I am a big fan of Ira and Caro.
But there will be a big battle,for sure. Cohen, Kwan, Kostner, Slutskaya and all Japaneesse...they will all fight for gold...anything is possible,so...we'll see
But there will be a big battle,for sure. Cohen, Kwan, Kostner, Slutskaya and all Japaneesse...they will all fight for gold...anything is possible,so...we'll see
- Joined
- Jun 21, 2003
You tell 'em, Anything-for-Skating. Irina rocks!anything_for_skating said:(Irina) came back and in her home city on Worlds 2005 she produced a PERFECT PROGRAM! I am not saying that she should do nothing and win on the Olympics, but if you are looking at all hard work AND at 2002 Olympics (I am repeating: IRA WAS THE REAL WINNER), she really should be Olympic Champion, and even more than that!
I totally agree! :agree: In Torino she will give another performance like 2005 worlds, or this year's Cup of China or Cup of Russia, and blow all the others off the ice!Mathman
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- Jul 27, 2003
I like her skating better so IMO she deserves tha OGM more. I think Irina's skating is not as pretty as Michelle's. Irina just doesn't have the flow and grace of Kwan. And she dosn't relate to the music and draw you into her performance like Kwan does. I can enjoy skating without the jumps but I can't enjoy skating with out that lyrical quality that Kwan brings to the ice. What I 've seen of Kwan's personality also impresses me more than Slutskaya's. It may not matter to the judges or to folks who want to see a beautiful sport turned into circus tricks to classical music but it matters to me. And that's what I like about Kwan.
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- Dec 19, 2005
Piel said:
ITA and that's why I'm going to miss Michelle once she retires.
