Question about Irina S.

[prunes89]

All this fuss about the American girls not doing the GP series, but what about Irina? She skipped the GP series all together last year and was sent to Worlds anyhow. How did this happen? I know Irina was sick, but to listen to her talk about it, she doesn't take her illness seriously and says it's not a big deal. I have to go by what comes from Irina herself and not what others say. Why wasn't there such a big deal made when Irina skipped the GP series last year and went to Worlds anyhow? Irina also did the last cheesefest of the season last year (and Sasha beat her again :bow: ) Why wasn't she dissed in articles? Sasha is injured and this doesn't seem to be good enough for some. I think it's unfair.

[r3incarnation]

I cannot believe you are comparing Irina's major health problems with minor injuries experienced by the American women. Disgusting.

[prunes89]

I don't think it's disgusting at all. Sasha has a major back injury. It forced her to withdraw from Nationals '01 and I hardly call that "minor."
I think we need to start treating all the ladies equally. If you're going to diss Sasha for not competeing in the GP series because of an injury, you sure as heckers better nail Irina for sitting out due to her illness yet going to Worlds and competeing in the cheesefest despite not doing the series.
Irina downplays her illness, which leads me to believe the media is blowing it into something maybe it really is not. I have to believe what Irina tells me over reporters and her die hard fans speculating.
Fair is fair!

[fadedstardust]

As much as I am NOT belittling Sasha's back injury- they even said at Marshalls that her back injury this time around was on the OPPOSITE SIDE as to the one she had in 2001, and that they were not related. And either way, while a back injury is very dangerous and should not be taken lightly, it is not a life-threatening injury in most cases, much unlike Irina's terrible health problems. The two can't be compared, other than in the fact that you have to take time off. But if you have a back injury, you can keep working out....on a bike for example, to keep in shape. Irina, who was in the hospital for MONTHS, certainly did not have that luxury. And hey, Sasha was skating, sure it was at the Marshalls learn to skate events, but skating and standing up for hours at a time nonetheless, so it couldn't have been that dehabilitating.

I'd like to say Sasha is my favorite skater, but...that doesn't mean she is a saint who always tells the truth and has every excuse in the world automatically afforded to her. Then again, it doesn't matter, she is the only one her ligh training is screwing over this year. And perhaps Robin.

PS: Vasculitis is vasculitis, whether you play it up or down. Look it up.

[Laura_B]

I can understand why Irina would downplay the seriousness of her health problems. Many people (including some I know) who have major health problems always try to downplay it when people ask them about it or get concerned because they don't want the attention, or they don't want people to get too concerned, or whatever. There's no denying that Irina had some major issues. Last season at Worlds you could even see the effects of the steroids she was on (she had a somewhat puffier face.) I think it's a testiment of her character that she didn't make a huge deal of it. She probably wants people to focus on her skating now, and not just her health problems that she had. And plus, it also sounds better to play off something like that when talking about it, as opposed to making a huge deal out of it. She also seems like a very positive person, one who wouldn't want to dwell on the negative aspects of her life.

[Alexa]

I agree that Irina's health problems were bad enough that noone would even question her absence--she wasn't even really expected to go to worlds, but pulled through at the end of the season to be able to attend.

The other thing is that I think that Irina is like Michelle Kwan in that she has been around a long time and was at the point in her career where she was deciding what to do next, so it is not really surprising for a skater that has competed for so long to take a break from all of the competitions they used to do.

And I am not one of the people criticizing Sasha, but perhaps the reason people see her absence from the GP differently is because she really is still climbing that ladder so to speak. She hasn't been competing all that long and is just starting to see her world success in the last couple of years. So, I would think that people think she needs the GP to be prepared and successful at worlds.

[AxelAnnie22]

Setting aside the absurdity of the question you raise, let me simply say:

Irina spent a good deal of time in the hospital (Sasha did not).
Sasha managed to skate in two cheesefests (Irina did not skate at all during her illness).

It is a bit like trying to compare two skaters one with a broken toe nail, and one with a broken leg and asking your question.

[mskater]

It is a bit like trying to compare two skaters one with a broken toe nail, and one with a broken leg and asking your question.

Well said AxelAnnie, I agree whole-heartedly. What a ridiculous and insensitive question to ask...

[loveskating]

Fair question, but mistaken, IMHO. I think some folks don't realize how bad it is for a skater to be off the ice for more than a few days...you really lose a lot.

Also, put it this way: IF the ISU had a rule that SEEDED skaters had to participate in the GP Series unless ill or injured with proof from doctors, then it is not Irina or Sasha or even Plushenko who would have been sanctioned, it is Michelle Kwan who would have been sanctioned.

I cannot imagine the ISU passing any rule which would prevent skaters from getting back to competitions as soon as they are able to do so from injuries or illness. Healing proceeds quantitatively, then SUDDENLY there is a leap back to health and balance, we "feel better" and we all have experienced this.

Thus, I don't find it fair to speculate about Sasha withdrawing from COC, then not withdrawing from Marshalls...to tell you the truth, if she had gone out there and skated a perfect program, I might have wondered myself, but she showed all the characteristics of somone who has limited their training, including not being at her fighting weight -- I recall when Sarah Hughes could not get to the rink in Hackensack because of the terrorist attack, she also had that look at Nationals and was not at her fighting weight.

[prunes89]

That's just it! Irina WAS able to skate during her illness. There were reports of her practicing despite being ill, and also she competed in WORLDS after skipping the GP series, and then the last cheesefest last season. Why was she able to be sent to Worlds after skipping the GP series?
I firmly believe that if one is going to nit pick at other skaters and blame them, they need to look no further than Ms. Irina Slutskaya. She started this trend, not the American girls.

[mskater]

That's just it! Irina WAS able to skate during her illness. There were reports of her practicing despite being ill, and also she competed in WORLDS after skipping the GP series, and then the last cheesefest last season. Why was she able to be sent to Worlds after skipping the GP series?
I firmly believe that if one is going to nit pick at other skaters and blame them, they need to look no further than Ms. Irina Slutskaya. She started this trend, not the American girls.

Serious question here; don't you have anything better to do/talk about? Give it a rest already, Irina was sick last year, skated when she felt good enough to do so; end of story. I don't know about the validity of anyone else's story (American or otherwise) but cut Irina some slack!! And PLEASE, keep her name out of all this drama you're trying to stir up!!!

[AstarZ41]

That's just it! Irina WAS able to skate during her illness. There were reports of her practicing despite being ill, and also she competed in WORLDS after skipping the GP series, and then the last cheesefest last season. Why was she able to be sent to Worlds after skipping the GP series?
I firmly believe that if one is going to nit pick at other skaters and blame them, they need to look no further than Ms. Irina Slutskaya. She started this trend, not the American girls.
Wow.... :frus:

Hun, no one is keeping Sasha from going to Worlds. Chill. And if you didn't get the hint from the first set of replies, I would advise you to leave this issue alone now and not make a bigger fool out of yourself.

[fadedstardust]

Do you make fun of little kids who have no hair cause of chemotherapy too, Prunes? Sheesh.

[prunes89]

I don't get it. How am I making fun of anyone? I am simply pointing out a fact. That fact being that Irina was allowed to skip the GP series last year and compete at Worlds with no questions asked. This year, the media is making a huge deal of Cohen skipping the series due to injury and wanting to compete at Nationals and Worlds once she heals. Why is one girl getting treated with kid gloves, but the other being criticized and bad articles written about her?
How am I "picking" on Irina? PULEEZZZZE!! :roll: This is my observation. I could turn it around and say some are picking on Sasha for being injured and unable to compete. :giveup:
Go Sasha at Worlds. Kick some butt again.

[Aussie Willy]

Prunes - I think it is way you have put the question and that you do have an emotional tone in the way you are putting it. I understand where you are coming from but Irina definately has major health issues which could be potential life threatening. Sasha does not. And I think Sasha and Plushenko were one of the reasons why the ISU issued it's directive about not competing in the GP. I would say with Irina though, it would take a lot to keep her off the ice - the girl just loves it and loves competing.

BTW- with drug testing regime, how is Irina able to compete being on steroids for her health problems? Does she have to declare what she is on and does she get exemptions because of the health problems? I know ventolin has steroids in it (which is what asthmatics take) and this can be accepted in sport. I know that Irina is not taking them for performance improvement. But I also wonder about the longer term effects of taking them for such a long period of time. So if someone can help me with the technicalities of this I would appreciate it.

[DancinDiva]

I have to agree with many others here, comparing Irina's situation to Sasha's is outrageous. I certainly don't think that Irina's illness was blown out of proportion by anyone. She was seriously ill and spent many months in the hospital recovering. She does make light of it in interviews, probably in an attempt to regain some normalcy and so that the focus can be on her skating, not on the illness. Sasha's injury, though no doubt very painful, was not life threatening and it was something she could still train through with the exception of her jumps and perhaps some of her flexibility moves such as the Ina Bauer with the very arched back. I don't really have a problem with Sasha skipping the GP series, though if she were so badly injured I would have expected her to skip the cheesefests in order to avoid further injury. I don't think that anyone should have any problem with Irina sitting out of the GP. As for her being sent to Worlds without doing the GP series, well the GP is not required in order for skaters to go to Worlds. Still ,Irina had to earn her way to Worlds, showing the Russian Federation that she was well enough, and she was able to skate better than her Russian competitors, so she earned her place on the world team. As for her medications, I'm sure she does have to report which drugs shs is taking, although the type of steroids she has to take and not of the performance enhancing variety and so no one should object to her taking them, anyway. Just my two cents on the whole discussion.

[AstarZ41]

Prunes, if you don't see any problem with what you're saying then you're obviously not mature enough.

Like I said before, no one is keeping Sasha from going to Worlds. NATIONALS is what decides wherether you go or not, not the GP series. Just because someone wrote a petty article about it doesn't mean anything. The only thing it says is that it's in *their* interest that the top skaters don't go so that it opens some doors...if you know what I mean.

Go Sasha at Worlds. Kick some butt again
You mean wipe the ice with your butt again? :lol: jk I like Sasha.

The drugs Irina is taking are obviously cleared by the ISU. I mean, come on... ;) And no, they are not performance enchancing. They actually take energy away and give Irina some weight problems.

[AxelAnnie22]

I don't get it. How am I making fun of anyone? I am simply pointing out a fact. That fact being that Irina was allowed to skip the GP series last year and compete at Worlds with no questions asked. This year, the media is making a huge deal of Cohen skipping the series due to injury and wanting to compete at Nationals and Worlds once she heals. Why is one girl getting treated with kid gloves, but the other being criticized and bad articles written about her?
How am I "picking" on Irina? PULEEZZZZE!! :roll: This is my observation. I could turn it around and say some are picking on Sasha for being injured and unable to compete. :giveup:
Go Sasha at Worlds. Kick some butt again.
Really - either you are horribly insensitive, or you are just trying to get people to react.There were millions of questions asked when Irina came to compete at Worlds:

Is she gonna be ok?
Has she recovered enough to be here?
How can she have such courage?
How can she have such determination?
Has anyone seen such an inspiring person?

[icenut84]

I don't get it. How am I making fun of anyone? I am simply pointing out a fact. That fact being that Irina was allowed to skip the GP series last year and compete at Worlds with no questions asked. This year, the media is making a huge deal of Cohen skipping the series due to injury and wanting to compete at Nationals and Worlds once she heals.

Ok, first, Irina was "allowed" to skip the GP series last year because she was diagnosed with a potentially life threatening condition and spent months in hospital (no training, obviously). It's pretty clear that she had no choice in the matter. And that anyone who criticises her for not competing during this time needs their head examining.

Sasha pulled out of the GP series this year because she had a slight back injury - one that caused pain, but she said herself in an interview that it was not as serious as they first thought. As far as I know, she was allowed to continue training as she recovered, obviously laying off the jumps or the things that would put the most pressure on her back.

How can you possibly compare the two situations?

Thirdly, Irina was allowed to skate when she felt able to. Obviously she wasn't 100% in time for Worlds last year, but she's a competitor and a fighter and she wanted to compete if she could - that's why people say she's inspirational. She had been world champion and knew she had no chance to win that year, but she just wanted to go anyway. And she certainly wasn't let on the team with "no questions asked". She had to perform test skates for the Russian federation to even see if she was fit enough, and even then I think they weren't sure. She might not have been able to go if the 2nd and 3rd Russians had done better in Europeans. Obviously the Russians wanted to try to get as many places as possible for the next Worlds (05), so if they thought Irina was up to it, they let her go.

Maybe the media is being harder on Sasha because she's still competing at cheesefests and training. Obviously this criticism isn't fair, due to the injury, but maybe they're comparing her to Kwan, who's not injured but is skipping it anyway, and complaining about the lack of American stars. The point everyone is making is that it's ridiculous to try to compare Sasha's and Irina's situations. They couldn't be more different. And in your defence of Sasha, you're criticising Irina and making light of what was a very serious situation for her. Most of us probably didn't expect to see her back at all. It's not cool (and it's a little immature) to think that the only way to defend one skater is to attack another.

[fadedstardust]

And also, this is pretty obsolete since Irina was so sick and Sasha not so much so (there IS a difference between injury and sickness- damaged organs are usually more painful/dangerous than an overused muscle/bone) didn't Irina give ample warning to the ISU that she wouldn't participate in the grandprix? Cause that was my point all along about Michelle and Sasha this season- I don't give a crap that they skip the grand prix, that's totally their choice- it's an optional competition and hey, lesser known skaters could use the exposure and money from it- what bothered me is that neither Sasha nor Michelle gave enough of a warning for the ISU to find replacements. I know Alicia Cizni went on ONE assignment, but she barely had any time to prepare- that's nerve wracking and I don't think it's fair. Of course, injury can happen anytime, but it seems both skaters were aware they weren't going to do the GP wayyyyyy before they announced it, and that's the part that I (and a lot of other people) got angry with, not the fact that they decided to skip it in itself.

[singerskates]

OH for crying out loud! The ISU sets the rules and the skating associations make their skaters adhear to the ISU rules. Sometimes rules change.

Bring on Worlds and let the competition begin. Let the skaters have fun competing and stop bashing one skater for another. The ISU's COP rules who wins not fans. Skating is no longer a publicity contest. It's a real sport. Real sport is unpredictable. Some athletes get injured. Some get sick. Some are on the come back trail. Some are going where they've never been before.

Skaters have fun on and off of the ice. Take it from this adult skater. Don't worry about what others think about your skating but have fun doing it with your whole soul and heart as you play with your music using your skills. It's how you feel about your skate when you are done that matters.

Brigitte

Brigitte

[PumpkinHead]

Two totally different situations, definitely. Comparing a relatively minor injury (though I'm not saying it isn't painful!) to a life-threatening illness really isn't fair. I guess if Sasha didn't want it to be so controversial, she ought to have pulled out of the Marshalls and Campbells events. It just make the "injury" look less legit to some people when she can't do her GP events but she can skate in the cheesefests. Again, I'm not saying that she wasn't injured, and that she didn't need the time off to recover, I'm sure the injury was very painful but for her own safety I think she should have opted out of all her events, not just the GPs. As for Irina, there was a good deal of time between her withdrawl from the GP series and her skate at Russian Nationals (or did she just do the Russian Test Skate to earn her place on the world team?), so I don't think there should be any controversy over that.