Is Irina Really A Nice Person?

[Piel]

But she gets it anyway. Look at Marshall's this past week.

LOL RD, I think since her jumps had gone south they had to think of something nice to say to her. I wonder if Peggy and Peter were thinking "if she retires she might take my job"?

I gave Nancy bonus points for dissing Mickey.....I just don't get the charm of rodents.

 

[Excidra2001]

One knows very well there are plenty of NEWER articles out there where Irina is less than "nice".

Well post them away then, thats what it's all about right?

Quote from the kid, please?

I can't go and look up the article now but go to ISU bio page, it states something similar http://www.isufs.org/bios/isufs00005090.htm

 

[chuckm]

WARNING: SPOILER AHEAD


Well, then there are Irina's remarks after the GPF.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2005\12\20\story_20-12-2005_pg2_21

"For me this competition is not really important, it is just another step in going to Turin." She also said “I did not lose, I skated like a lady. I don’t understand why my programme component score was so low.”

Her comments about how unimportant the competition was and the stress on Torino was a way of saying that it didn't matter because Mao wouldn't be in Torino, and "I skated like a lady" is an implied criticism of Mao's youth.

All she had to say was she had an off day (she did). There was no need to demean Mao's skating.

 

[R.D.]

LOL RD, I think since her jumps had gone south they had to think of something nice to say to her. I wonder if Peggy and Peter were thinking "if she retires she might take my job"?

Hehe... I never thought of it that way...

I could totally see Kwan becoming a commentator in 20 years. However, her interests seem to lie elsewhere. Plus, I don't think she'd fit the job well (no bash intended- she could always improve- kind of like Tara and acting).

Maybe a commentator's voice? I'm not sure an on-camera gig would work for her, but that's JMJ. (just my judgement)

 

[Excidra2001]

Kwan doesn't say anything or doing anything bad to other skaters. In fact, Kwan doesn't say anything. What she does is skate the best she can despite adversary and unlike Slutskaya fans she does not expect sympathy for health reasons.

Joe

And I suppose Slutskaya expects sympathy for whatever she goes through in life. If that was the case, she wouldn't be where she is today.

 

[Excidra2001]

WARNING: SPOILER AHEAD


Well, then there are Irina's remarks after the GPF.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2005\12\20\story_20-12-2005_pg2_21

"For me this competition is not really important, it is just another step in going to Turin." She also said “I did not lose, I skated like a lady. I don’t understand why my programme component score was so low.”

Her comments about how unimportant the competition was and the stress on Torino was a way of saying that it didn't matter because Mao wouldn't be in Torino, and "I skated like a lady" is an implied criticism of Mao's youth.

All she had to say was she had an off day (she did). There was no need to demean Mao's skating.

Every article I read except the yahoo article stated other-wise. I guess Irina gave the yahoo writer an exclusive.

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

But she gets it anyway. Look at Marshall's this past week.

Red Dog - Relax. Sasha gets attention about her back at Marshall's too. Look at your tape. I was not talking about recent events anyway. I am talking about the posts on these threads where Irina's health is always mentioned.

Sasha will do fine, RD.

Piel - We are talking about two different hypes. I was talking about the posts on GS re Irina's health. I did get the media hype of Michelle and Sasha's backs.

Knowing the popularity of Michelle, if she does commentary she will bring up the ratings. Am I right?

Joe

 

[chuckm]

If I quoted 50 articles containing Irina snarks, you wouldn't believe it, even if I provided you with hard copies. Some Irina fans are just content to live in Egypt.

 

[R.D.]

Red Dog - Relax. Sasha gets attention about her back at Marshall's too. Look at your tape. I was not talking about recent events anyway. I am talking about the posts on these threads where Irina's health is always mentioned.

Sasha will do fine, RD.

Why are you even talking to me about Sasha? What does this have to do with our discussion? Why does this even matter? I don't CARE about the attention she gets or doesn't get, for goodness sake.

No where in this thread did I even type her name...(except in this post, of course!).

 

[R.D.]

And I suppose Slutskaya expects sympathy for whatever she goes through in life. If that was the case, she wouldn't be where she is today.

I suppose her quote (paraphrased- sorry don't have time to dig up the article)- "The [2005 European Championship] was a gift to me for all that I've been through."

Sounds like she wanted a little condolence gift there

 

[NorthernLite]

Hmm, this seems to be one of the days when I can post. (I'm having problems similar to those discussed in board biz forum.) So -

RD: Irina probably is bitter. But it seems to me that many Russian skaters come across as bitter and American hating in their Russian interviews. I think that sense of drama is expected by the Russian media and heaven forbid that a skater say that he/she likes America (though props to TT and MM for finally admitting in an interview that they like life in America).

Ooh, it's scary when I agree with soogar. I've said before, I get a certain "two-faced" vibe from some Russian skaters and coaches (*coughTTcough*) - for whatever reason the reason they do it.

I often do try to give skaters a break - they're young, under a lot of pressure, and yes, they could be misquoted. But as a Sarahrah fan, I'm disappointed if Irina did indeed say some of the things attributed to her WRT Sarah. [And yes, things even worse have been said many times over on the Internet. But I think competitors should show a little more class than anonymous idjits on the Net. ]

BTW I'd be interested to see the article where T & M said nice things about the States.

 

[Mathman]

I suppose her quote (paraphrased- sorry don't have time to dig up the article)- "The [2005 European Championship] was a gift to me for all that I've been through."

Sounds like she wanted a little condolence gift there

I didn't read it that way. i thought she was just saying, the skate gods are whimsical.

Sometimes you lose when you should have won, sometimes you win when you should have lost -- it all evens out in the end.

MM

 

[R.D.]

Sometimes you lose when you should have won, sometimes you win when you should have lost -- it all evens out in the end.

MM

But if the one you "should have won" but "lost" is the OGM, then...


(Disclaimer: THIS IS NOT to say Irina should have won SLC- IMO she was rightfully placed in 2nd.)

 

[R.D.]

Oh yeah...I forgot

I can't go and look up the article now but go to ISU bio page, it states something similar http://www.isufs.org/bios/isufs00005090.htm

There's no way to tell whether "Dobrin" is the kid that was "bullied" by Slutskaya.

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

Mathman - You have the peace of a Tibetan Monk.

Joe

 

[Kwan101]

I started this thread, but allow me to say this. My strong reaction to the story was in large part because I've had such fondness for Irina in the past. I read about Irina acting like a spoiled brat and I thought "oh no, not Irina too." Because it seems like so many famous people think they are better than "little people" and I always thought Irina was different. So it was a letdown to read the story.

Now having said all that, I don't suddenly think that Irina is a horrible person. Far from it - she has a lot of fine qualities, especially with regard to helping her mother. But the only way I'd think the same way about Irina again is if I learned the story was inaccurate, which seems very unlikely since Irina's PR team would have screamed bloody murder if she didn't really say those things. Don't forget that was written in the leadup to the 2002 games, so her team was no doubt very sensitive to false stories.

But assuming the story was accurate, I don't agree with her apologists who say it was excusable. It's not - there are some things that classy people just shouldn't say and "I'm a star, you're nothing ... sh*t" is pretty high on that list.

 

[mzheng]

Kwan doesn't say anything or doing anything bad to other skaters. In fact, Kwan doesn't say anything. What she does is skate the best she can despite adversary and unlike Slutskaya fans she does not expect sympathy for health reasons.

Joe

Case in point, when she lost to Maria B. at 1999, she diddn't cite anything about her caught 'flu' etc. gave the credit to Maria B. where is due. Not to diminish Maria B. winning WC.

 

[Piel]

Knowing the popularity of Michelle, if she does commentary she will bring up the ratings. Am I right?

At first she will just because of curiosity. After that I don't know. Kwan and Cohen both have a strange (at least to me) speech pattern. Have you noticed how they pronounce competition "comptition"?

 

[R.D.]

Case in point, when she lost to Maria B. at 1999, she diddn't cite anything about her caught 'flu' etc. gave the credit to Maria B. where is due. Not to diminish Maria B. winning WC.

To play devil's advocate, she could have just said this. One simply cannot know what she REALLY thought.

We really don't know these people, so we can just speculate. And that's what this thread is for.

 

[R.D.]

Kwan and Cohen both have a strange (at least to me) speech pattern.

I agree, actually- hence my comment about her (MK) probably not being fit for commentating.

As for Cohen, I think she just has an accent. But ditto for her.