GET DOWN AND WORSHIP, BITCHES
So I decided to make a post to worship the greatness that is Irina Slutskaya, because even though ladies' skating is boring now, she is a fantastic skater who deserves our respect. It was also this free bitch who first got me into skating back in 2000.
Irina Eduardovna Slutskaya is an amazing Russian HBIC, two-time Olympic medalist, and one of the first ladies to rock the pants. She's pretty much considered to be the most successful ladies singles skater in Russian history. In her career, Slutskaya has won a total of 40 gold medals, 21 silver medals, and 18 bronze medals. THAT'S RIGHT, BITCHES
Irina started skating at the age of four and has been coached by Zhanna Gromova since she was six. In 1996, Slutskaya became the first Russian woman to win the European title. She also won the title in 1997. She finished third at the 1996 World Championships and fourth in 1997.
At the 1998 Winter Olympics, she finished fifth in a very close free skate fight for the bronze. Maria Butyrskaya, Lu Chen, and Irina were 3rd, 4th, 5th respectively after the short program. Although these 3 skaters each made 1 mistake, Chen and Butyrskaya's were step outs while Irina had a fall. Lu Chen ended up edging Butyrksaya 5-4 for the bronze. Chen also edged Slutskaya 6-3.
The next month she took a silver medal at the 1998 World Championships. The 1998-99 season was not a good season for her. She did not win any competitions that season and missed both the European and the World Championships. She almost decided to stop skating and call it a career.
Slutskaya made a successful comeback at the 2000 Grand Prix Final. She landed seven clean triples, including two triple-triple combinations and became the first woman to do a triple lutz-triple loop combination. She later won her third European title and won a silver medal at the 2000 World Championships.
At the 2001 World Championships, she became the first woman to land a triple salchow-triple loop-double toe loop combination and won the silver medal. She lost very narrowly to Michelle Kwan. Kwan had no visible mistakes while Slutskaya two-footed her triple lutz-triple loop-double toe loop combination and had two sloppy landings.
Slutskaya chose not to compete at the 2003 World Championships after receiving news that her mother was seriously ill. Ironically after her mother got better, Irina got an illness that included fatigue and swelling in the legs. Doctors told her that she should stay away from the cold, but she refused and finished 9th at the 2004 World Championships. In 2005, Slutskaya made a strong comeback after a long stay at a hospital due to vasculitis. She won both the European and World titles. At the 2006 Olympics in Turin, Irina was one of the heavy favorites to win the gold medal. She was in second place after the short program, behind Sasha Cohen. In the long program, Slutskaya doubled a triple flip and then fell on a triple loop jump. She won the bronze medal, behind gold medalist Shizuka Arakawa and silver medalist Cohen.
She gave birth to a baby boy in November 2007, and is retired from competitave skating.
Her achievements include:
-Invention of the double Biellmann spin with foot change
-First Russian woman to win European title (1996)
-First woman to land triple lutz, triple loop combination in competition (2000 Grand Prix Final)
-First woman to land a triple salchow, triple loop, double toe-loop combination (2001 World Championships)
-First Russian woman skater to win a silver medal at the Olympics (2002 Salt Lake City)
-Four-time Russian Nationals champion
-Four-time Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final Champion (1999, 2000, 2001, 2004)
-Two-time World Champion (2002, 2005)
-First woman ever to win seven European titles (1996, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2006)
Random facts I don't know why are so important, but are on her homepage so I'm including them anyway:
-Languages: Russian & English
-Hobbies: Driving; Irina drives a Land Rover and TOYOTA PRADO(Black). Stuffed animals, reading
-Pasttime: Travel
-Pets: Irina has a two dogs named Erna and Bars. She also has a small lizard, named Guan
-Favorite novel: The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov
-Favorite Colors: Red and Rose
-Favorite drink: Juice
-Favorite film director: Nikita Mikhalkov
-Motto: "Never fall down"
-Nicknames: Ira, Slute
16-year-old Irina at the 1995 Worlds (placed 7th)
1995 Skate America (Bronze Medal)
1996 Skate Canada (Gold Medal)
1998 Europeans (Silver Medal)
1998 Worlds (Silver Medal)
1998 Grand Slam
1999 Nations Cup (Bronze Medal)
<
Maria Butirskaya (1st), Elena Liaschenko (2nd), Irina (3rd)
2000 Worlds (Silver Medal)
With fellow HBIC Michelle Kwan and Maria Butirskaya
2001 Worlds (Gold Medal)
2002 Olympics (Silver Medal)
2006 Olympics (Bronze Medal)
Random off the ice photos
With good ol' Vladimir Putin
At her wedding
Irina with The Planitum One!
2001 Worlds Exhibition
2002 Olympics Short Program
2002 Olympics Free Skate
2002 Olympics Exhibition
2004 Cup of Russia Exhibition
2005 Cup of Russia Exhibition
2005 Worlds Free Skate (It won't embed, but it's FLAWLESS, so you need to watch it)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvBSI97Vuw8
2005 Worlds Exhibition...lol
2006 Olympics Short Program
2006 Olympics Free Skate
With Plushy and Elena Berezhnaya (lol 2:45)
I don't understand a word of this...but they are too cute together
Once again, I know no Russian, but Plushy and Irina imitating speed skaters around 0:43 is adorable
Feel free to post your own Irina pics/videos!
Source&Source&Source&Source
Irina Eduardovna Slutskaya is an amazing Russian HBIC, two-time Olympic medalist, and one of the first ladies to rock the pants. She's pretty much considered to be the most successful ladies singles skater in Russian history. In her career, Slutskaya has won a total of 40 gold medals, 21 silver medals, and 18 bronze medals. THAT'S RIGHT, BITCHES
Irina started skating at the age of four and has been coached by Zhanna Gromova since she was six. In 1996, Slutskaya became the first Russian woman to win the European title. She also won the title in 1997. She finished third at the 1996 World Championships and fourth in 1997.
At the 1998 Winter Olympics, she finished fifth in a very close free skate fight for the bronze. Maria Butyrskaya, Lu Chen, and Irina were 3rd, 4th, 5th respectively after the short program. Although these 3 skaters each made 1 mistake, Chen and Butyrskaya's were step outs while Irina had a fall. Lu Chen ended up edging Butyrksaya 5-4 for the bronze. Chen also edged Slutskaya 6-3.
The next month she took a silver medal at the 1998 World Championships. The 1998-99 season was not a good season for her. She did not win any competitions that season and missed both the European and the World Championships. She almost decided to stop skating and call it a career.
Slutskaya made a successful comeback at the 2000 Grand Prix Final. She landed seven clean triples, including two triple-triple combinations and became the first woman to do a triple lutz-triple loop combination. She later won her third European title and won a silver medal at the 2000 World Championships.
At the 2001 World Championships, she became the first woman to land a triple salchow-triple loop-double toe loop combination and won the silver medal. She lost very narrowly to Michelle Kwan. Kwan had no visible mistakes while Slutskaya two-footed her triple lutz-triple loop-double toe loop combination and had two sloppy landings.
Slutskaya chose not to compete at the 2003 World Championships after receiving news that her mother was seriously ill. Ironically after her mother got better, Irina got an illness that included fatigue and swelling in the legs. Doctors told her that she should stay away from the cold, but she refused and finished 9th at the 2004 World Championships. In 2005, Slutskaya made a strong comeback after a long stay at a hospital due to vasculitis. She won both the European and World titles. At the 2006 Olympics in Turin, Irina was one of the heavy favorites to win the gold medal. She was in second place after the short program, behind Sasha Cohen. In the long program, Slutskaya doubled a triple flip and then fell on a triple loop jump. She won the bronze medal, behind gold medalist Shizuka Arakawa and silver medalist Cohen.
She gave birth to a baby boy in November 2007, and is retired from competitave skating.
Her achievements include:
-Invention of the double Biellmann spin with foot change
-First Russian woman to win European title (1996)
-First woman to land triple lutz, triple loop combination in competition (2000 Grand Prix Final)
-First woman to land a triple salchow, triple loop, double toe-loop combination (2001 World Championships)
-First Russian woman skater to win a silver medal at the Olympics (2002 Salt Lake City)
-Four-time Russian Nationals champion
-Four-time Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final Champion (1999, 2000, 2001, 2004)
-Two-time World Champion (2002, 2005)
-First woman ever to win seven European titles (1996, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2006)
Random facts I don't know why are so important, but are on her homepage so I'm including them anyway:
-Languages: Russian & English
-Hobbies: Driving; Irina drives a Land Rover and TOYOTA PRADO(Black). Stuffed animals, reading
-Pasttime: Travel
-Pets: Irina has a two dogs named Erna and Bars. She also has a small lizard, named Guan
-Favorite novel: The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov
-Favorite Colors: Red and Rose
-Favorite drink: Juice
-Favorite film director: Nikita Mikhalkov
-Motto: "Never fall down"
-Nicknames: Ira, Slute
16-year-old Irina at the 1995 Worlds (placed 7th)
1995 Skate America (Bronze Medal)
1996 Skate Canada (Gold Medal)
1998 Europeans (Silver Medal)
1998 Worlds (Silver Medal)
1998 Grand Slam
1999 Nations Cup (Bronze Medal)
<
Maria Butirskaya (1st), Elena Liaschenko (2nd), Irina (3rd)
2000 Worlds (Silver Medal)
With fellow HBIC Michelle Kwan and Maria Butirskaya
2001 Worlds (Gold Medal)
2002 Olympics (Silver Medal)
2006 Olympics (Bronze Medal)
Random off the ice photos
With good ol' Vladimir Putin
At her wedding
Irina with The Planitum One!
2001 Worlds Exhibition
Click to view2002 Olympics Short Program
2002 Olympics Free Skate
2002 Olympics Exhibition
2004 Cup of Russia Exhibition
2005 Cup of Russia Exhibition
2005 Worlds Free Skate (It won't embed, but it's FLAWLESS, so you need to watch it)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvBSI97Vuw8
2005 Worlds Exhibition...lol
2006 Olympics Short Program
2006 Olympics Free Skate
With Plushy and Elena Berezhnaya (lol 2:45)
I don't understand a word of this...but they are too cute together
Once again, I know no Russian, but Plushy and Irina imitating speed skaters around 0:43 is adorable
Feel free to post your own Irina pics/videos!
Source&Source&Source&Source