Irina Slutskaya

[arakwafan2006]

Am I the only one who is seeing this for the first time?

That footwork into triple flip combo, the running 3's into the loop without breaking and the whole presentation of it all. I think this was her best SP.

Enjoy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpOKM8P_Msc

[falling_dance]

I like the 1998-1999 GPF version even better. It's my second favorite SP performance of Slutskaya's, right behind the 2002 Worlds "Serenade".

[arakwafan2006]

I am like a kid on Christmas when i find footage of something i have never seen before from a skater i thought i had seen it all from!

[l'etoile]

Wow, now that was magnificent!

[Excidra]

Wow

Love this woman.

[Kelvster]

thank you very much. It's a beautiful programme!

[spikydurian]

Thanks arakwafan. Irina and Michelle were my favourites at that time, and yes they were both great competitors pushing each other to excel in order to win.

[orientalplane]

She was wonderful. I never understood the 'truck driver' comments, unless they were just gratuitous nastiness.

It's my second favorite SP performance of Slutskaya's, right behind the 2002 Worlds "Serenade".

Serenade at Worlds 2002 is my favourite as well.

[Vash01]

Irina always did that move- running 3 turns into a 3R, and her footwork was brilliant. She did the whole thing on one foot in some of her SPs. She was unfairly trashed on fsu. I loved so many aspects of her skating!

[Simone411]

I like the 1998-1999 GPF version even better. It's my second favorite SP performance of Slutskaya's, right behind the 2002 Worlds "Serenade".

I had never seen this program. Very smooth, and such a classy lady! Thank you for sharing the video!

[GoGreen]

I remember this program, Irina always had some nice move into loops. I also remember her doing beautiful spiral and then directly into 2A. She is just such a joy to watch.

[Vash01]

Nice to see that some posters appreciate Irina's great qualities. Nobody is good at absolutely everything. Some people just want to trash certain skaters, no matter what they do or don't do.

[ioana]

She also used difficult turns and almost no cross overs for her spiral sequence. She wobbled a little on her RFO this time around, but she usually had very good edges on hers.

[aftershocks]

This seems to belong in Trash Can, but ... Ahhhh, thanks ... the memories. Although, I don't recall these specific Irina performances from 1998 - 1999, seeing them now makes it clear that Irina was beginning to develop more artistically during 1998 - 1999. It seems she also cut her hair very short around the same time as Michelle.

For me though, it was this program and this performance

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hINNgBAqIxQ

that began to open my eyes to Irina's wonderful artistic qualities which were more fully blossoming that season (1999 - 2000) than they ever were. I believe it was somewhere around that time too that she met her future husband, and likely was beginning to discover and express more of who she was on the ice. Love Dick's memorable "pinch her cheeks" anecdote.

Although Irina had many wonderful performances in later seasons, I don't think she fully built upon the lovely, lyrical qualities she displayed in the above performance from 1999 - 2000. I feel that she eventually went back to relying upon her athletic strengths, rather than building upon and tapping more into her soulful artistic potential.

Above all, and not unlike Michelle Kwan, Irina was a courageous fighter and a champion.

[query5]

good competitors bring out the best in each other, irina and michelle, and a few others

[Vash01]

I loved her Serenade SP at GWG the most. Also loved her Shostokovich (sp?) SP

P.S. I agree with Aftershocks- this belongs in the Trash can, but nice thread regardless.

[Alex Forrest]

Hmm, I'll be the bad one here. Her grating landings, her ugly posture, her ill positioned back and posture. I will give her props on all those 3turns going into her flip combo and loop. This is not art, this is not pleasant (to me). She should have been hammered for this program. I know "Autumn Leaves", know the film, know the soap operaish of it. This is not a winner. IMO. I love the song "Autumn Leaves". I would never endorse if this program was next to me. Let's get a little real here. It was a change for her from truck driving and steamrolling through Broadway musicals. Yes she was clearly trying to grow, but it doesn't mean it was GOOD. I think her Autumn Leaves was horrendous. (except for the continuous 3turns into her flip combo., interesting...)

[spikydurian]

Alex Forrest . Wet blanket!!

[Vash01]

Hmm, I'll be the bad one here. Her grating landings, her ugly posture, her ill positioned back and posture. I will give her props on all those 3turns going into her flip combo and loop. This is not art, this is not pleasant (to me). She should have been hammered for this program. I know "Autumn Leaves", know the film, know the soap operaish of it. This is not a winner. IMO. I love the song "Autumn Leaves". I would never endorse if this program was next to me. Let's get a little real here. It was a change for her from truck driving and steamrolling through Broadway musicals. Yes she was clearly trying to grow, but it doesn't mean it was GOOD. I think her Autumn Leaves was horrendous. (except for the continuous 3turns into her flip combo., interesting...)

Yes, you are the bad one.

Irina had some great qualities that other skaters did not. I look at the positive. She skated the Broadway musical melody when she was 16, and she did not remain there. She was one of the great champions, IMO. I wish she had won an OGM, and she was in a position to, twice. She and Michelle was so different from each other, and yet I loved watching both of them.

[David21]

Am I the only one who is seeing this for the first time?

That footwork into triple flip combo, the running 3's into the loop without breaking and the whole presentation of it all. I think this was her best SP.

Enjoy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpOKM8P_Msc

And the US judge was still marking her down on the 2nd mark

No matter which style she was trying, some judges always found an excuse to let their biases shine through to be able to put their faves above Slutskaya based on the (more subjective) presentation mark.