Are Michelle and Irina gone for good?

[Lark]

I was thinking about just in the last year how really good skating quality and edging has all but disappeared.

Yes, it is nice to see 3Axels performed by the Ladies on seemingly a regular basis.

But the "strength" of the programs is just not there anymore.

I never did like Irina, I think for the simple fact she was too much competition for the Americans, and she skated "manly", or so I thought.

Now I realize that she was just a strong WOMAN skater, not a little girl jumping bean, which is all this season has been so far.

Any news on Michelle or Irina, and whether they will be back or not? :cry:

[Tennisany1]

Here is a link to a thread at FSUniverse with an interview with RA about Mao Asada. He also talks about Michelle's injury. Sounds like it was very serious for a long time. I doubt we'll see her back anytime soon.

http://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/showthread.php?t=45661

(I hope it is okay to post links to other forums. The original article is not in English and this is the only translation I could find.)

[MQSeries]

Michelle will NOT be back on the eligible scene.

[Lark]

Michelle will NOT be back on the eligible scene.

You say that like you ARE Michelle and have made a decision.

We all suspect that, but how can you answer with such certainty?

[doubletoe]

I was thinking about just in the last year how really good skating quality and edging has all but disappeared.

Yes, it is nice to see 3Axels performed by the Ladies on seemingly a regular basis.

But the "strength" of the programs is just not there anymore.



I wonder if maybe it's Irina's and Michelle's on ice personas that exude strength you're referring to, rather than their skating alone. Another consideration is whether they show power on the ice while executing difficult elements and transitions, or easy ones, like lower level footwork or crossovers (everyone looks more powerful when all they're doing is crossovers, and under 6.0, that's pretty much all we saw in-between jump passes). So I think some of that perceived lack of strength in the current batch of skaters is just a function of the difficulty of the choreography, and perhaps the lack of the charisma that veterans like Irina and Michelle developed over the years. Having said that, I think Joannie Rochette has a powerful style. And for strength, grace, and the best triple-triple in ladies' skating, take a look at Yu-Na Kim. Her edges are top quality. Here's her SP from Trophee Eric Bompard: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LbUoshsnJNc

[crayonskater]

I don't think they're juniorish, exactly. Just not 10 year veterans. Just sixteen year olds.

It took Michelle Kwan a few seasons to develop into the sort of performer that grabbed your attention from the start of the music. Blasphemy, I know, but she was a jumping bean at one point, too. And I think with Irina, Michelle, and to a lesser extent Shizuka having such long careers, we're missing the crop of 20-21 year old skaters who would be the current womanly skaters.

Plus, triple-triples don't always survive the onset of hips.

[Lark]

doubletoe, I totally agree with you about Rochette. I am not a huge fan, she is very hit-or-miss, but she has a strong presence which seems to be missing with these younger skaters.

Maybe it is a lack of maturity on the ice, or the harder choreography which prevents more of a flow that the "elder" skaters had.

I sure do miss Irina, which I never thought I would be saying. LOL

[dbny]

And for strength, grace, and the best triple-triple in ladies' skating, take a look at Yu-Na Kim, who << Spoiler Edited >>.

A spoiler alert would have been very much appreciated.

Please read the sticky (http://www.skatingforums.com/showthread.php?t=19729) at the top of the forum to refresh your memory.

[Alexa]

A spoiler alert would have been very much appreciated.

Please read the sticky (http://www.skatingforums.com/showthread.php?t=19729) at the top of the forum to refresh your memory.

That bums me out too. I was looking forward to watching it on tv and finding out that way.

[doubletoe]

A spoiler alert would have been very much appreciated.

Please read the sticky (http://www.skatingforums.com/showthread.php?t=19729) at the top of the forum to refresh your memory.

YIKES! I totally forgot! Soooo sorry!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:oops: I have removed the info. from my earlier post that would be a spoiler.

[dbny]

YIKES! I totally forgot! Soooo sorry!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:oops: I have removed the info. from my earlier post that would be a spoiler.

Thanks! I knew it was an innocent mistake, and hopefully, will be a reminder for others later on.

[sk8erel]

I was thinking about just in the last year how really good skating quality and edging has all but disappeared.

Yes, it is nice to see 3Axels performed by the Ladies on seemingly a regular basis.

But the "strength" of the programs is just not there anymore.

I never did like Irina, I think for the simple fact she was too much competition for the Americans, and she skated "manly", or so I thought.

Now I realize that she was just a strong WOMAN skater, not a little girl jumping bean, which is all this season has been so far.

Any news on Michelle or Irina, and whether they will be back or not? :cry:
I don't know anything about this, but i'm not too fond of Irina too. But she seems to have a nice personality when she did the Cowboy routine at the Salt Lake Games in 2002! (After the awards, ....the exhibition). Sk8erel...

[4rkidz]

I was thinking about just in the last year how really good skating quality and edging has all but disappeared.

Yes, it is nice to see 3Axels performed by the Ladies on seemingly a regular basis.

But the "strength" of the programs is just not there anymore.

I never did like Irina, I think for the simple fact she was too much competition for the Americans, and she skated "manly", or so I thought.

Now I realize that she was just a strong WOMAN skater, not a little girl jumping bean, which is all this season has been so far.

Any news on Michelle or Irina, and whether they will be back or not? :cry:


Actually if you remember a decade or more ago - Irina was this skinny little russian girl on the junior circuit along with michelle - both of them like 13 and 14 at junior worlds landing the same jumps more than a decade later.. so really not that much has changed in reality..check out the you tubes from worlds in about 12 or so years ago - its like watching the young one's today.. except they were actually a little younger! I do miss them though.. that decade of seasoning really does help...